(Minghui.org) A few days ago, a fellow practitioner told me that the city government had put up a display board that slandered Dafa and its founder, Master Li Hongzhi. We decided to remove it. The other practitioner stayed in the car sending forth righteous thoughts, and I went to the board.
A few government officials were chatting in a room next to the board, but I didn't think too much. The only thought I had was: “I cannot let the deceived people slander Master or leave the board to poison sentient beings.”
It was a large board–five feet long and two feet wide. I took it down and left. Two officials were at the door, but I did not even look at them. The other practitioner drove toward me, and I put the board in the car.
We drove to the countryside and burned the poster. The board was made of aluminum, so we took it to a recycling center.
On our way back, we passed by that government building. The practitioner pointed out that a surveillance camera was pointed at the location where I took down the board. I didn't notice it at the time.
Recalling the Scenes
After I got home, I kept sending forth righteous thoughts and asked Master to make the camera malfunction. But negative thoughts kept interfering with me. Nevertheless, I no longer held fear and wanted to eliminate fear at its root.
I saw four scenes when sending righteous thoughts that day and sitting in meditation the next day, with each one showing me that I still had the attachment to fear. The last one was a hint from Master, after which I was able to walk out of my fear.
First Scene: Recalling Valid Discussion
The first scene I saw was when I carried the board while leaving the area. Everybody on the street was looking at me, and the camera photographed my face. I quickly regained my vigilance.
Then, I immediately thought that these were all illusions and that I didn’t acknowledge them.
I realized that the scene was caused by fear. Why did I hold fear after the other practitioner pointed out the cameras to me?
In an article published on the Minghui website, “Practitioners Must Not Have Negative Thoughts”, the author said:
Why do we have fear after talking to people about Falun Gong in public? I think there are two reasons.
First, we have not completely gotten rid of our attachment to fear. If we haven't done well in our cultivation at some point, we could easily develop fear. When our human notions surface, fear will dominate us.
Second, since the old forces see our fear in other dimensions, they will generate illusions, make one think over and over again about the things he or she didn't do well, and enhance the feeling of being afraid. Their purpose is to scare us off so that we don't dare to clarify the truth in public. The old forces try to destroy us. We should not be deceived by these illusions.
Yes, I held fear, but I disintegrated it. I tried to figure out the source of the fear. I didn't have the fear when removing the board. The only thought I had was not letting them slander Master and not letting the board poison people.
Master said:
“This student wasn’t scared when it happened. And that’s true for all the others who have gone through things like these; at most they might have felt frightened after the fact.” (The Third Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I had fear later, because I developed human notions. Now, I have deeper understanding of this teaching.
Second Scene: Displaying Cunning
While sending forth righteous thoughts that night, I saw this scene: A policeman came to see me and asked if I had removed the board. I denied it. The policeman showed me the video. I watched it and said, “Wow, this guy looks so much like me. He even wears the same clothes and walks the same way. But it’s not me.” The policeman was speechless but not angry. The scene then disappeared.
I realized that the way I dealt with the police was based on craftiness and the human notion of protecting oneself. It is not genuine, and it should be abandoned. Master said: “What I like are those who are honest and simple, sincere and down-to-earth.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teaching, Vol XI)
Third Scene: Blaming Indoctrination by the CCP
The next morning, my wife, also a practitioner, asked me, “I've never seen you sending forth righteous thoughts for so long. What’s going on?” I didn't tell her the reason.
I was sentenced to three years in prison in 2008. My wife and fellow practitioners had gone through a lot to rescue me. She was deeply hurt and endured a lot of pain. So, I didn't tell her about removing the board and the cameras. Instead, I started reading the Fa and sending forth righteous thoughts intensively.
Master said:
“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference”, Essentials for Further Advancement II)
When sitting in meditation, I saw another scene that followed the second one. The policeman said to me: “It’s no use even if you don't admit it was you. It’s all recorded. You can’t deny it. We can sentence you to prison.”
I was mad and said to him, “Sentence me to prison? You guys are the criminals. You slander Falun Dafa and attack our master. You policemen let the bad people go but focus on Falun Gong practitioners. You’re all committing crimes. I will file lawsuits against you. I have the courage to file a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin. Do you think I’m afraid of you?”
The officer was shocked and stammered, “What law are you going to base your lawsuit on?” I said, “the 246th item in Criminal Law—defamation and violation of other's reputation.” He was speechless, and I left. The scene disappeared.
I realized that I had a mindset of competitiveness and that it had come about from the indoctrination by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP has tried to destroy China's traditional culture and brainwashed the Chinese people. Nowadays, many Chinese think, speak, and act as one, an attitude developed through indoctrination. Before cultivating in Falun Dafa, practitioners were subjected to the brainwashing. If one’s righteous thoughts are weak, it is hard to completely eliminate a behavior developed from brainwashing.
Fourth Scene: Hint to Understand an Issue
Master saw that I was stuck in what I had been immersed in through indoctrination–subconsciously thinking that removing the board was a crime, so Master showed me the fourth scene.
A woodcutter and a physician were walking in the woods. A snake bit the woodcutter's foot. The physician shouted, “The snake is very poisonous!” The woodcutter passed out, and his foot got dark. The physician was worried that the poison would go to his heart, so he cut off the woodcutter's foot and carried him back home. The next morning, the woodcutter woke up. He was very grateful to the physician for saving his life. Although he had lost a foot, he was still alive.
Instead of blaming and suing the physician, the woodcutter realized that what was done was necessary to save his life.
CCP Violates the Law in Its Persecution of Falun Dafa
In the 20-year-long persecution, the CCP has violated numerous laws in its treatment of Falun Dafa practitioners. However, some practitioners, including myself, have developed negative thoughts: if we are found clarifying the facts about Dafa and saving people, the police would have an excuse to persecute us. The reason I removed the board was to save sentient beings and not let them commit crimes. It was a good deed. How could I hold fear because of it? The fear came from my selfishness and human notions.
Master said:
“Do you really not understand that it was a demon who came knocking at your door, thanks to your human attachments?” (“Be Vigilant”, The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol III)
If removing the board is a crime, then the physician cutting off the woodcutter's foot would be a crime of intentional injury. But, his purpose was to save life, and he did save a life. Practitioners' passing out informational materials, clarifying the facts, putting up posters, and removing the Party's propaganda display boards are all for saving sentient beings. It is the most righteous behavior, the greatest action.
Through this incident, I clearly saw my selfishness, fears, craftiness, competitiveness, showing off, and so on. I was not truly saving people, didn't cherish the time that Master has left for us through his tremendous endurance, and didn't let go of my human notions and attachments.
I will finish with Master's teaching:
“If a cultivator can let go of the thought of life and death under any circumstance, evil is sure to be afraid of him. If every student is able to do this, evil will of itself no longer exist. All of you are already aware of the principle of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition. If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist. This is not to be self-imposed, but is achieved by truly and calmly letting go of it. Whenever I see you suffering, Master feels even more troubled than you; whenever you do not take a step well, it really pains my heart. Everything that the evil has done has actually targeted the attachments and fears that you have not let go of. You are future Enlightened Beings who are becoming Buddhas, Daos, and Gods, and you are not concerned with the losses and gains of this world.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)”, Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Category: Improving Oneself
