Righteous Thoughts, Attachment of Fear, and the Issue of Security -- Thoughts on How to Understand Dafa in a More Comprehensive Manner By a Dafa Practitioner in Mainland China
(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I discussed the security issue for Dafa materials sites with a
fellow practitioner. I could see obvious potential security problems and thought it was necessary to
take some preventive measures. However, she believed that as long as we kept righteous thoughts,
Master would protect us, and talking about the security issue was being fearful in and of itself. As
a result, she refused to talk about it further in a roundabout way. Here I would like to share some
of my understandings on the issue. It is true that if we keep strong righteous thoughts and leave no loopholes for the evil to take
advantage of, Master would protect us. However, the meaning of righteous thoughts is very profound,
it encompasses a broad scope and should not be understood simply with everyday people's
"fear-nothing" mentality. We should not go to extremes by ignoring one side while
emphasizing another. Actually when one thinks that one's "righteous thoughts" are so
strong that there is no need to take security measures, one is precisely demonstrating that his or
her thoughts are not righteous. Through two years of cultivation, Fa-study and contemplation, I have
come to the following understanding on the issue: Therefore, we should take necessary security measures and proactively eliminate any hidden
dangers. When the evil forces cause damage, they also do it in a way that conforms to everyday
people's mentality. For instance, when you are sitting at home, the evil would not dare hang you
upside down. If you don't call somebody on a bugged phone about going to appeal, the evil would not
tell those ruffians that you were about to appeal and ask them to arrest you even though they could
see it very clearly in other dimensions. Those who don't take any security measures when they can or
who don't eliminate hidden dangers when they have the chance are very similar to that person who was
walking on the street claiming he was not afraid of being hit by a car. Those who think they have
strong righteous thoughts by behaving this way are in fact demonstrating that they do not have
strong righteous thoughts. They may also have many unrighteous thoughts that they are not aware of,
and they wish that Master would use the divine powers of the Buddha Fa to protect their
extraordinary behaviors that do not conform to the state of ordinary people. Aren't they making it
difficult for Master? If Master protects you, what would the old forces say? There have been so many lessons as a result of our not paying attention to security issues. We
must take necessary measures and proactively eliminate any hidden danger, and at the same time, keep
strong righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil and to break through the arrangements of the old
forces. We should do well in all these respects, and should not go to extremes and take a one-sided
view on the issue or understand Master's Fa by quoting out of context. We should understand Dafa in
a way that is comprehensive and harmonious. Only by doing so can we handle the problems we encounter
in our cultivation properly. Our inability to understand the Fa in a comprehensive way demonstrates
that we are not mature enough in our cultivation, and this is also one of the excuses the evil uses
for its persecution. Among those who enlightened along the evil path, quite a few have the tendency
of going to extremes. They grasped one sentence Master said and refused to listen to everything else
Master said. They even went so far as to use one paragraph of the Fa against another paragraph. The
Fa enables us to take our steps even more righteously, to do even better and to avoid detours, thus
reducing losses to Dafa. Recently some fellow practitioners mentioned in their experience sharing that some fellow
practitioners who have not suffered arrest and detention tend not to pay attention to the security
issue. I share the same feeling. Master said, "I have seen from most students' actions that
they have, after being persecuted, come to understand with greater composure and rationality the
seriousness of Dafa and cultivation. At the same time, they see the seriousness of this persecution
more clearly, and they no longer do things with so much human attachment, as they did before.
They've gradually let go of these attachments, so the things they do are more and more pure and
righteous, and better and better. They have become more and more steadfast, and more rational."
(Touring North America to Teach the Fa) After my experience of being arrested and detained, I
personally pay more attention to the security issue and take it more seriously. However, I often
read news on the Clearwisdom website about material sites being destroyed. I feel very sad. I hope
the lessons that I have learned will help fellow practitioners on their journey of Fa-rectification.
I hope fellow practitioners will take a righteous path while taking steadier and better steps, and
not making the same mistakes that I made. If we understand the seriousness of cultivation only after
we have been persecuted, then wouldn't the old forces claim that their persecution actually helped
us to raise our xinxing? I hope fellow practitioners in Mainland China will treat the security issue seriously on the
basis of being responsible to the Fa, sentient beings, fellow practitioners and yourself, so that we
could avoid causing damage to Dafa. Material sites are the focal point of destruction by the evil,
and they will take every means possible to do damage. We should eliminate our loopholes and break
away from the arrangements of the old forces. The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything improper. Posting date: 9/13/2002 |