(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Gong 13 years ago. I study the Fa as much as I can every day and I try to remain deeply focused. The more I study the Fa, the more I discover how profound the boundless Fa is.
I’ve recently been studying the Fa even more diligently and my understanding of the Fa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance has deepened. When I look back, I wonder, “Did I really put the principles into action?”
Master said,
“It has been four years since I began teaching Dafa. Some students’ xinxing and level of realm have improved slowly; they remain at the perceptual stage in their understanding of me and Dafa, always being grateful towards me for the changes in their bodies and for the manifestation of supernormal abilities—that is an ordinary human mindset. If you do not want to change your human state and rationally rise to a true understanding of Dafa, you will miss the opportunity.” (“Cautionary Advice” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
In the beginning of my cultivation, I realized that I shouldn't pursue understanding the Fa to improve my health or to attain supernormal abilities.
Only by consistently studying the Fa was I able to understand the profoundness and deeper meanings of the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Master said:
“What is the Buddha Fa, then? The most fundamental characteristic of this universe, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is the highest manifestation of the Buddha Fa. It is the most fundamental Buddha Fa.”
“As a practitioner, one must then conduct oneself by following this characteristic of the universe rather than the standards of everyday people. If you want to return to the original, true self and move up in cultivation practice, you must conduct yourself according to this criterion.”
“As a practitioner, if you assimilate yourself to this characteristic you are one that has attained the Tao—it’s just such a simple principle.” (Zhuan Falun)
Master also said:
“Dafa is in perfect harmony: If one separates the three characters of 'Zhen-Shan-Ren,' each still fully contains Zhen-Shan-Ren.” (“A Brief Explanation of Shan” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I had a shallow, superficial understanding of the three words Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I understood them with human emotions. It took me a long time to gradually understand their inner meanings, accept them, and measure my every thought by these principles. Now, whenever I think of the three words Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance or say to people that “the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are good,' I feel the three words are very sacred and I can experience the profoundness and boundlessness of their inner meanings.
When I first read Zhuan Falun, I fervently agreed with the Fa principles of eliminating desires and attachments and cultivating my speech. I was ready to put these principles into practice and cultivate myself according to the Fa. But I just casually read them like kids recite one, two, three, four. They sounded and looked familiar to me, but I didn't try to understand their inner meaning so I could not experience their real power.
I accepted the principle of “Shan” (Compassion) first. Dafa teaches me to be kind to people, think of others first, do no harm, and become a truly good person. Before I started to practice Falun Gong, I was kind and didn't argue or fight. But in everyday society, if you are a good person, you are seen as rather useless, or a softie. When I started to cultivate, I understood from Master's Fa why we should be kind, how to be a good person, and how to become a good person with dignity. Dafa is truly good. From then onward, I didn't care what others thought of me. I didn't fight for personal interest at work, in society, or at home. I treated everyone the same and helped others as much as I could. At the same time I also realized that real compassion was not simply doing everything for others. If we want to be kind and be responsible to people, we should tell them the true facts about Falun Gong and ask them to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to ensure good future. We should lead predestined people to learn Falun Gong and study the Fa. This is genuine compassion for others.
My shallow understanding of Ren (Forbearance) was that I would suffer loss or look like a coward if I practiced it. Gradually my understanding of Ren changed.
Master said:
“As a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at—you must be tolerant.”
“How can it be taken as being cowardly? I say that it is a reflection of great forbearance and an expression of strong will. Only a practitioner can have this heart of great forbearance.” (Zhuan Falun)
I came to understand that Ren was the key factor for improving xinxing, and that if I wanted to improve my xinxing, I should practice Ren. Though I tried to make my points in family conflicts and sometimes I still blamed others. I didn't practice Ren, nor did I look within. I could not even put up with things superficially, and my heart was wounded many times. I knew that Ren was not in line with killing or arson. Ren was being responsible for sentient beings. When in conflict, I should look within first, but at the same time I should point out other people's shortcomings amicably and be truly there for them.
My realization of Zhen (Truthfulness) came last, and I hadn't been doing well with regard to Zhen. For a long time I was puzzled about practicing Zhen. I thought it was very hard to be truthful. When I was late getting home after doing the three things, I would think of all sorts of excuses to satisfy my family. But actually I was lying. I knew it was not right and I should face it with righteous thoughts because practitioners don't lie. When my family members asked me where I was, I would say that I worked extra hours at the company. One day when I was studying the Fa, I suddenly knew what I should do. We cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and we shouldn't tell lies. We shouldn’t encourage people to remember, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” while we ourselves tell lies. How would they view practitioners if they discovered we were lying? Influenced by the CCP's Party culture, we are inclined to lie or find excuses. We should eliminate the Party culture from our hearts and let go of human notions. We should act righteously to more effectively validate Dafa.
Some practitioners have been illegally arrested and interrogated. When the police demanded to know where they obtained Dafa materials or asked for other practitioners' information, those practitioners were puzzled as to how to answer without harming other practitioners. When the police pounded the table and asked, “Don't you practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? Why don't you speak the truth?” Some of the practitioners then thought, “We practice truthfulness and we shouldn't lie,” so then they told the police practitioners' information.
Yes, we practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. But there is also Compassion and Forbearance within Truthfulness. For example, if an insane person threatens you with a knife and demands that you tell him where a certain person is, if you tell him the facts, he might kill that person. In the face of his threats we should practice forbearance and persuade him to become quiet and not to do things in a rush. We should help him solve the problem rationally to avoid a bad outcome.
So as practitioners we could tell the police, “You are asking me to sell out my fellow practitioners and tell you where the materials came from. If I tell you, you will persecute them. I then would have helped you do a bad deed, because it is a great sin to persecute the kind cultivators of Falun Gong. There are many examples of people incurring retribution after hurting Falun Dafa practitioners. The persecutors have been sued in many countries all around the world. You will not escape legal retribution. So according to the principle of Shan (Compassion), I will not tell you. We should measure everything with the Fa.”
Master said:
“I am a person who will not say what he does not want to say, but what I say must be true.” (Zhuan Falun)
Some practitioners simply refused to reply to the questions. They only sent forth righteous thoughts and related the facts about Falun Gong. They didn't say anything or sign anything. That is easy to say but hard to do. It was difficult to do that in that dangerous environment. But if we really understand what “Truthfulness” is we will not feel puzzled and do what everyday people expect us to do, thus making an irremediable error.
One day in my work unit all the employees were asked to complete a form with questions like, “What is your belief, when did you join the organization, and what activities have you participated in and organized,” etc. The purpose of this form was to weed out those who put their faith above the CCP. Employees who believed in Christianity and Buddhism didn't dare to tell the truth and put down “no belief.”
Master said:
“Getting arrested is not the purpose. Validating Dafa is what’s truly magnificent, and it is to validate Dafa that you step forward. Since you step forward, you should try to succeed in validating the Fa—this is the real purpose of stepping forward. When the evil ones ask whether you practice Falun Gong, you may ignore them or use other ways to deflect their questions. Don’t voluntarily let the evil take you away.” (“Rationality” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
So I put down “no belief.” Later, when the Party secretary where I worked, who knew I practiced Falun Dafa, called me in and asked me with a smile, “Why did you reveal the truth when completing the form?' His underlying meaning was that I, too, told a lie. I told him that Falun Gong was not a religion and we are merely practicing exercises and trying to be good people. He didn't say anything.
On another occasion, when I told him that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, he said, “We cannot always tell the truth. Here I have some forms to report you, but I didn't complete them.”
At the time I was not very clear on the Fa principles in this regard, and was thus unable to clarify the truth to him further. I should have told him, “Yes, we talk about truthfulness, but we also consider if it is in line with compassion and forbearance. What you did was a good deed. It was not a lie. You will be greatly blessed, as you didn't persecute good people.”
When I enlightened to the Fa principles of Truthfulness, I discovered how powerful the Fa is. Whenever my mind wanders when sending forth righteous thoughts, I can become focused again when I think of cultivating “truthfulness,” because whatever we do, we have to be truthful and shouldn't just treat it as a formality.
When I go out to clarify the truth in bad weather, or I if only have limited time and don't want to do it, I tell myself that we practice Truthfulness, and that whatever we do, we should do it conscientiously. Only with strong righteous thoughts can we save sentient beings. I’ve achieved very good results with these deeper understandings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Please kindly point out anything incorrect.
