Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America
(December 9, 2000 in Ann Arbor)
You've been working hard! (Enthusiastic Applause)
I'm delighted to see you. You weren't like this a year ago. After having gone through such a severe test, I can tell--although you might not sense much of it--that you're completely different persons from before. All of us have undergone the most severe test, something that's never occurred before in history, and it was a vicious one. In the past, in whatever we were doing you would think: "How can I study the Fa well? How should I work for Dafa? How can I improve myself? How can I do better?" You always felt that you were learning Dafa, rather than that you were a part of Dafa. After this year I find that you've completely changed. You no longer think as you used to. No matter what you do for Dafa and no matter what it is you're doing, you are placing yourselves in Dafa instead of thinking about "I want to do something for Dafa" or "I want to improve myself in this way or that way" as you did before. No matter what you do, you aren't thinking that you're doing something for Dafa, about how you should do things for Dafa, or "how can I do things well for this Fa." Instead, you are placing yourselves in Dafa. Like a particle of Dafa, [you feel that] no matter what it is, you should just do it. Even though you aren't conscious of it or expressing it clearly in words, that is in fact how your actions already are. This is the biggest change I see in you after this year. In other words, you are completely in the Fa already. This is most apparent in the conduct of veteran students, in particular. Before it could be said that you were a student. Lately, I often use "disciples" instead of "students." You have indeed gone through tremendous changes. As you are cultivators, Master hasn't praised you much in the encouraging manner that everyday people use or told you how well you've been doing. This is because you are cultivators and you should know what to do.
The things that are happening today were arranged long ago in history. At no point has anything gone astray. Of course, this arrangement was made by those high-level beings in the old cosmos. Moreover, it was systematically arranged by old beings in layers upon layers of the cosmos. Their purpose was also to save this cosmos. They think that they've given their all in trying to do these things well and consummate this matter--which includes today's Dafa and even Dafa disciples. This is what they think. You might recall what I said last time when I taught the Fa in San Francisco--that no one is worthy of testing the Great Fa of the cosmos. This is because no matter how high a being's realm and level in this cosmos, he is still a being within this cosmos, and was created by the Fa. In other words, even his existence was created by this Fa, so how could he turn around and test this Fa? However, as I've also told you many times in previous Fa-lectures, beings in the past couldn't know--and weren't allowed to know--about the Fa of the cosmos. Of course, to put it in ordinary human terms, for example, if the sentient beings in the cosmos were to know that there was Fa in the cosmos, it would bring about many, many problems after the sentient beings in the cosmos deviated from the Fa over the ages. Some beings might attempt to change this Fa. Since they have the ability, they could do almost anything. That's why the form in which the Great Fa of the cosmos exists isn't allowed to be known by beings at any level. This has in turn brought about a problem. They don't know that there's a Fa in this cosmos. They consider the ability of the Great Fa of the cosmos to spread widely in this cosmos to be my enlightening to this Fa. And they have truly given their best for the success of this matter and for helping me consummate all of these things. Yet this brings about another problem. What problem? All beings in the cosmos have deviated from this Fa. In other words, their realms and purity, when measured with the standard of the original Great Fa of the cosmos, are no longer adequate. So all of their arrangements and assistance in this matter have become the biggest obstacle to my carrying out this undertaking. This is because no matter how well they do, it won't surpass their realms. If things were done according to everything they arranged, think about it: wouldn't it be the same as nothing having been done, even after this was completed? How could it be acceptable if the same realm and standards were to remain after this is completed? That's why all these things that they've arranged and done cannot be accepted or considered valid.
This created a serious problem, then: not only could all these things that they've arranged not play a positive role in the Fa-rectification, but they also became a serious impediment. This evil drama in ordinary human society today is also part of what was arranged by the high-level beings. This is, at the same time, the biggest display of their xinxing not meeting the requirements of the Fa, and it has fully shown the different-level participants' standards for xinxing and beings. Meanwhile, this also brings about a favorable circumstance for the Fa-rectification. What circumstance? If during the Fa-rectification none of the beings were to show themselves for what they are, it would be difficult to position them according to their different xinxing levels. That is, it would make the Fa-rectification highly difficult. Then, in other words, all the things that they have done to test Dafa have become a performance in which their xinxing positions are fully displayed and observed. At the same time, it happens that students have bad elements that have accumulated over the long course of their existences, as well as karma produced in low-level realms. All of these needed to be eliminated, and so this has resulted in the harsh test for the students in this affair, and in their using wicked people to make up lies against me to test students' determination in Dafa. That's the situation.
As I just mentioned, I can't acknowledge any of these. So I need to eliminate them, including this evil drama. Originally they wanted to treat us the way religions were treated in the past. Their warped notions have made them think that the persecution of Gods in history was rightful. Incidents such as Jesus being nailed to the cross have become the precedent for high-level beings who come down to save people. How could this be acceptable? This itself is degenerate! A God comes down to save people, yet humans nail him to a cross--what a huge sin people have committed! They are still paying for it today. But that wasn't done by human beings alone. It was caused by the degeneration of beings at higher levels. They don't dare to admit anything wrong on their part in all of these matters. This is because everything is becoming warped--so warped that they've deviated from the Fa and gradually become how they are. No beings at any level have ever dared to touch them. Everything is determined by interwoven elements that have become extremely complicated. All of these impure things have to be eliminated--completely eliminated!
Even though this evil drama manifests in ordinary human society and it appears that evil human beings created this severe tribulation for my Dafa disciples, it has in fact been caused by the participation of warped beings from various levels--I'm referring to those degenerate beings. The beings who haven't participated comprise the majority. But they too are no longer pure, and they're all being repositioned during the Fa-rectification. There's another very serious problem. I told them as early as when I started this undertaking that no beings could save today's people, that no Fa could save today's beings, and that no one could change today's people. What did I mean by that? I'll tell you. Today's people can't perceive their own warped thinking because the very nature of people has changed. No matter what cultivation way is adopted, you can only change what they can be aware of, but not what's warped in their very nature. That's why after this one year plus, no matter what methods they used and however cruel they were, they were unable to change the students' fundamental issues and didn't achieve their purpose in the end. In order to have the students meet the standards--to meet their requirements--they used those evil beings to brutally beat students. When they exhausted the most vicious means and still couldn't achieve their goal, they became flustered and exasperated, and went against our students even more viciously. In the end, even though they couldn't achieve their goal, they said that they'd tried their best. How evil! Yet the layers upon layers of beings in the immense cosmos can't perceive the evilness of all these evils taking place. This is because all beings have been warping.
Their not achieving their goal doesn't mean that our students can no longer make it. Everything can be made to meet the standard during the Fa-rectification. I told them not to do this a long time ago. For any being, let alone human beings, no matter how high a being he is, as long as he's a being within the cosmos, I can rectify him during the Fa-rectification, from his fundamental nature, from the origin of his existence, and from all the elements that constitute his being, eliminating the impure and turning those things around. I told them not to do this. They didn't listen, even though I taught them the Fa, because they didn't believe all of the truth. Since they've done this, this is their sin. Even now they're still thinking this way: "We've done everything in our power to help you. Since this is such an immense Fa and it involves the safety of the future cosmos, it's unacceptable if your disciples don't meet the standards. It won't do if a Fa this immense doesn't go through such a huge test." That is what they're thinking. So they would rather destroy everything than not have the necessary standards be met. That's why this test that Dafa disciples are facing has never been seen in history. As you know, when in history have these modern mass media apparatuses ever existed? They're everywhere. Have these modern means of transportation ever existed? They've shrunk the scope of the world to something quite small. So this has been an unprecedented, the most severe, persecution in history. But in the face of the evil, everything done by the students is the best for the Fa-rectification and for Master, because you have truly shown resistance to this evil drama. Besides, they're doing all these things by entirely using the most degenerate beings in the cosmos. All beings in the cosmos are repositioning themselves. Humans aren't worthy of testing this Fa, and neither are Gods. Whoever touches it commits a sin. They've seen all of this as well.
Then is it true that if all of these arrangements of theirs aren't accepted, those students who haven't done well should also be on their way to Consummation? No, it's not. If this hadn't happened, I could give all beings benevolent solutions and enable all of them to meet the standard for Consummation. But this evil-wrought tribulation has taken place. Most students have, in various ways, stepped forward to validate Dafa, clarify the truth, and save the world's people. Some of them have been arrested, beaten, or have died from the persecution; even Master is being venomously attacked by lies. In the face of life and death, students have had the courage to step forward--step forward as they lose everything possible--and do everything that's magnificent, what a Dafa disciple should do. On the other hand, those who haven't stepped forward, have hidden themselves, and have sided in their understanding with the evil beings--how could they still be Dafa disciples? Are those whose notions have sided with the evil that persecutes Dafa and who are doing bad things still Dafa disciples? Do they have the mighty virtue necessary for Consummation as the others do? Moreover, Gods are not like humans. For example, some students were arrested and imprisoned. When they couldn't endure the severe torture, they wrote repentance statements. But in their minds they were thinking: "This is to fool them. I'll still practice after I get out. I'll still go out to validate the Fa and I'll still go to Tiananmen." But this is unacceptable. It's because this kind of notion is something developed in the human world after humans have become degenerate. But Gods aren't like that. They don't have thoughts like these. Once they've decided on a certain path they'll definitely stick with it.
Many things are hard to explain with human language. It's just like what many students ask me: "Teacher, why isn't this being ended sooner?" Many people think this way in the midst of suffering: "Let's reach Consummation sooner; let's have this finished sooner." In fact, these are all attachments. As I just said, they were able to achieve their goal of testing students in this way because students need to improve themselves and eliminate the last part of their karma. How could it be allowed if during the course of a being's progressing towards the surface and gradually becoming a God, he doesn't make his own sacrifices, doesn't continue to improve himself, and doesn't establish his own mighty virtue? In all of this, I am on the other hand using the exhibiting of those beings' xinxing to allow students to establish their mighty virtue at the same time. Actually, no matter what... no matter how much suffering a being endures in ordinary human society, let me tell you that it isn't proportionate to his Attainment Status after reaching Consummation. It's really disproportionate! Think about it, everyone: in the past, a person had to go through a lifetime of cultivation or even several lifetimes, yet today we're having people reach Consummation in as little as a few years. The process of enduring is but a brief moment, and besides, time has been accelerated. In the future when you look back--if you can reach Consummation, that is--you'll find that it was nothing and was just like a dream.
But everything our students have done during this process is indeed remarkable. What's most extraordinary about you is that you're able to keep up with the Fa-rectification. As I said a moment ago, this display of evil in ordinary human society has been carried out by the most degenerate beings in the cosmos, beings who've been placed in ordinary human society. They were allowed to burrow into the Three Realms in order for them to be used. Those high-level beings wouldn't personally do these bad things that ordinary humans do. They use the evil beings and evil humans down below to do these things. So all of this is extremely evil.
Some of our students outside of China wonder: "Being overseas, we don't suffer as much as the students in China do. Does this mean that we won't be as good as the students in China when we reach Consummation?" That isn't so. This is because the students inside and outside of China are one body. When this thing takes place, there have to be some persons who do this and some who do that. Since it's a test aimed at the Fa, no matter where you are or what you're doing, you are improving yourself in the midst of the things you're supposed to do. There are reasons behind what everyone does. There's no difference in terms of the realm of Consummation and the progress towards Consummation--wherever you're supposed to reach Consummation, you're sure to go there. Here's one case. The display of evil in Mainland China is so malicious, without students overseas revealing the truth and supporting students in China--think about it--wouldn't the evil be doing bad things even more recklessly and without restraint? Isn't that true? This is why everything our students have done in validating the Fa has effectively exposed the evil and restrained the evil, and at the same time supported our students in Mainland China. Everything that's been done--whether it's your going to Tiananmen, your clarifying the truth to people in other environments, or your spreading the Fa and exposing the truth about the evil to people outside China--it's all magnificent, because you are one body. Of course, some students went to China and to Tiananmen: you are remarkable, and Master is telling you that you're remarkable. But, speaking from another perspective, Master would like to tell you that overseas students should try not to go to Mainland China, because you are needed in exposing the evil. Many people used to ask me this, and they also wrote it in their question slips to me: "Teacher, why are we obtaining the Fa in the U.S.? Why are we obtaining the Fa outside of China?" Now it's clear to you, right? Without you doing these things here, wouldn't these things be incomplete during the Fa-rectification period? You should just do well over here with what you're supposed to do. This is why you obtained the Fa outside of China. If all of you were to go back to China, who'd be doing things to rectify the Fa, to expose the evil, and to reduce the persecution of students in Mainland China? Our students are remarkable--truly remarkable! You've tried your best to do what you're supposed to do. Whether you're in China or outside of China, how you perform is the same; there's the same difference in whether you step forward or aren't able to step forward, and in how much you put your heart into this matter of Fa-rectification. It's only that the environments are different. As to some of our students having suffered tremendously or even having lost their lives, I'll tell you about these things at a later time. When the truth of it is revealed you will realize, "Oh, so that's how it was." As I just said--there's an arrangement for everything.
You've done very well in clarifying the truth to the people of the world. At the same time, I can tell you that this is also magnificent and merciful. It looks like we're giving a flyer to an everyday person, and it appears that we're telling everyday people what the truth is. Let me tell you, when this Fa-rectification matter is over, humankind will enter the next stage, and those people and beings who in their minds think that the Great Fa of the cosmos isn't good will be the first weeded out. It's because no matter how bad some beings in the cosmos are, they are even worse, for what they're against is the Fa of the cosmos. So when we clarify the truth, we're eliminating some people's evil thoughts towards Dafa. Haven't we rescued them, at least when it comes to this? Since in the process of your clarifying the truth there are people who obtain the Fa, not only are their sins eliminated, but at the same time you will have also saved them. Doesn't this show that you've done something that's more merciful, something even better? In extremely difficult situations and when the most evil beings act most savagely, we're still able to be so merciful--this is the performance of the most magnificent Gods. When we're in the midst of the worst suffering, we're still saving others. ( Applause) This isn't getting ourselves involved in politics--much less getting involved in ordinary human affairs--because it isn't wrong for us to use ordinary human forms to expose the evil. Nothing we do is for self-interest, much less is it for some everyday people's organization. It's for validating Dafa. Exposing the evil is to stop its persecution of Dafa and our students.
Actually, a cultivator in the past wouldn't care at all about whatever those everyday people thought: "Whether you think I'm good or bad is all everyday people's thinking, and it doesn't matter to a cultivator. Who cares how you everyday people are? What I cultivate is myself." One would depart after reaching Consummation, and wouldn't care at all about what happens to everyday people: "When people have committed sins, they'll have to pay for them; and when they're no longer good enough, let history weed them out." That's how it was in the past. The mercy exhibited by our Dafa disciples today has never been achieved by any beings before in their cultivation. A Dafa disciple--a most magnificent, merciful being--is the most remarkable and most merciful in every environment of human society, and is beneficial to other beings. Isn't this how you should be when you clarify the truth? This is how you're doing it. This is the mercy of a Dafa cultivator--not some ordinary human activity.
Another thing is that you've heard me mention alien beings before. Some reporters who didn't understand or who even harbored ill intentions made stories out of it. I don't care about what the reporters might say--I just do whatever I should. People in the future will understand. I can tell you here, because you are Dafa disciples, that those alien beings are in fact the true, proper inhabitants of this earth. Beings at this position of Earth, regardless of the time period, were all like them. You might have heard that in the Bible, Yahweh said that he created man in his image; people of the yellow race have also heard that Nü Wa created man [in her image]. Why did they do it this way? This had never occurred before in history. Why did they create human beings in the image of Gods? I can tell you that in the past, if humans were created in Gods' images, it would have been the biggest insult to Gods--the biggest blasphemy of Gods. Then why were the humans in this period made in the image of Gods? It was because Dafa was to be widely spread in this particular period of history, and the beings of this time would have to be worthy of listening to this Dafa. It would be absolutely prohibited if a bunch of animals were to listen to the Dafa here. That's why Gods created today's humans in their own image. ( Applause) Yet, when human beings were initially made, they weren't you, nor were they today's humankind. Now, only this human skin is still like it was before. The humans at that time were just humans. So, all of those humans are in the dimension of a layer of smaller particles--what people call the netherworld. In other words, they're in the dimension that's lower than the dimension of the layer of the largest particles. As for this skin, although it's still human skin on the surface, in essence it's actually no longer human. The human skin that Gods refer to isn't the human skin that humans talk about, but is the entirety of a human composed of the layer of the largest particles, including the internal organs of humans.
Human beings of the past have become ever fewer on Earth, for more and more of these human skins have been occupied by high-level beings. This is because high-level beings have seen that Dafa is being spread here and that this is the opportunity for beings to be saved, which is the greatest assurance that they'll enter the future. Yet this matter has also been arranged by those old beings. They divided these beings who've come to this world into those who would obtain the Fa and those who would cause tribulations for Dafa. They thought that those who would cause tribulations would also achieve Consummation in the future, because if they didn't create tribulations, those who cultivated wouldn't be able to reach Consummation. But this reasoning doesn't work for me here. It might work in any period in the cosmos when any given being comes to save people, but not during the Fa-rectification period. ( Applause) Why won't it work? Think about it: all beings in the entire cosmos are being repositioned according to their xinxing. Where should those evil beings who persecute Dafa be positioned? Could they be positioned the same as the beings who are achieving Consummation? Could they be positioned together with magnificent Gods? That's absolutely impossible.
They didn't believe this at the beginning. Now they see it clearly. So this has brought about an issue. What issue? Fifty percent of humankind is supposed to obtain the Fa--that's a few billion people. Yet they aren't so lucky--they aren't able to be Dafa disciples during the Fa-rectification period. In other words, they'll study and obtain the Fa in humankind's next era. But it won't be easy to obtain the Fa in that era: everyone will have a book, but a person won't be able to obtain the Fa if his mind is even a little bit off. This is something of the next era. Since many beings have realized the real situation of this Fa-rectification, many beings, as well as many human beings--for humans also have a side that's aware--no longer want to do bad things, and they also want to obtain the Fa in a positive way. About twenty to thirty percent of people are like this. That is, seventy to eighty percent of humankind will obtain the Fa--obtain the Fa in a positive way--and not create tribulations for the Fa. This is how the future people will obtain the Fa. So quite a lot of people will obtain the Fa. Of course, as for what I'm doing now, if there are new students who obtain the Fa, they're very likely to become the mainstay, the elite, of the next group of people who'll obtain the Fa. Some students might have also noticed that some people go back home to practice after obtaining the Fa and they stop coming, and apparently you don't hear from them again. Perhaps the seeds have been planted, perhaps there are other reasons--both are possible. So the things everyone is doing are magnificent, remarkable. Humankind's situation is very complicated--you can't just look at the surface of a person. All those who act evilly in the Fa-rectification period will get what they deserve. This is for sure, because all beings are repositioning themselves. You can guess where the beings who damage Dafa will be placed. During today's Fa-rectification the requirements for everything have to be absolutely strict and absolutely upright. This is how it's different from everything that was done in the past.
In some specific respects, the minds of some students initially fluctuated a lot amidst what happened from the April 25 th event of last year through the July 20 th event. That's normal, too, because only when you have ordinary human thoughts can you cultivate; only when you have ordinary human thoughts can you waver; and only when you have ordinary human thoughts can you determine the right path you should take amidst the wavering. This is cultivation. That's why at that time many of you were thinking: "Is this Fa I'm studying correct and righteous? What kind of person is Li Hongzhi? Is there truth to what's said by this evil force that lies to hurt the reputation of others?" Every student thought about these questions--you were thinking about them more or less. This was also to give you an opportunity for reflection. So it wasn't wrong. After you calmed down, you took the path you were supposed to. There's no need for a person to express and tell people in words how he understands things--your actions have already proven everything. Being able to come to this point today in Dafa, your actions have already proven which path you want, one that a cultivator should take. All the disciples who've been able to come through are magnificent--they're all remarkable. ( Applause)
During this process, the students encountered numerous specific problems and many difficulties. At first they didn't know how to deal with them. Later on, they gradually came to understand, and through trial and error they figured out what to do. I didn't say anything, especially during that time period, because the test wouldn't count if I were to speak. If the test were to not count, two problems would follow. The old forces would do all in their power to cause damage. They would regard this as a crooked Fa, and this would cause a great deal of trouble for this Fa-rectification undertaking of mine and would cause great chaos for the entire cosmos. That couldn't be allowed. Another problem would be that since the evilness that was overwhelmingly pressing down at that time was extremely enormous... In the picture posted on the Clearwisdom Website, we saw that the Earth resembled the image of Satan. That was only a manifestation of the karma on Earth. Since every karma particle has its own distinctive karmic image, collectively, they also have an overall image, which is the image of karma. But at that time that evilness far exceeded this karma by many times. It was extremely frightening to beings at many levels--Earth wasn't the only thing covered by the evil. They thought that without undergoing a test this huge, a Fa this enormous couldn't be established. Yet they were also aware that with such a huge tribulation pressing down, human beings wouldn't be able to endure it and they'd be destroyed. They also knew that it would be very difficult for Dafa disciples to come through a tribulation like that. Still, they thought, "Then let them be destroyed." They even regarded me as a cultivator. They believed that enlightening to a Fa this immense would require a test this huge. Think about it, everyone: it's easy to talk about this, but in truth, it was extremely frightening. The environment at that time was so extremely horrible that it was beyond description. But our students in China and abroad all sensed it at the time and saw the degree of evilness manifest in this world by the evil. On the surface, it only appeared to be a manifestation among humans. In essence, those evil factors were manipulating humans. From the outset I tried my best to destroy them, but they were extremely huge. No matter how fast you destroy them, it requires a process. It took me as long as nine months to destroy them. This had never happened before... so enormous. At that time, since this evil was incredibly enormous, it would have been impossible for students to bear it; and then if it weren't borne, their test wouldn't count. You can't just annihilate it, so you have to bear it. But I knew that if the students were to bear it, it would be very hard for them to make it through. So I could only let the students bear the evilness played out by human beings, whereas I bore the real things. ( Applause) This isn't to tell you how great Master is; I didn't mean that. I'm telling you what went on. The situation changed after these things were destroyed. The situation has gradually changed since March of this year. Without the manipulation of those evil factors, the evil humans have lost what reinforced their minds. They now think that Dafa has passed the test. These matters are in the process of being concluded; it's only that there's still a group of people who haven't stepped forward.
Of course, there were other reasons for my silence. One was that I also wanted to see how my disciples--those magnificent Gods who will reach Consummation in the future--would act in the midst of this catastrophic tribulation. There were certainly other reasons as well. But every step you've taken amidst the tribulation has been done on your own. I didn't say a word. Overall, you were able to take a really righteous path. Although not everyone's thoughts have been one hundred percent correct, what's displayed in all that you've ultimately done is magnificent, for Master wasn't around then. Those beings who've caused this tribulation for us--those old beings--are in admiration, speechless, when it comes to this. Whether it's what's supposed to be done or what's supposed to be endured, you have come through nobly, righteously, and remarkably.
Of course, even though the situation is still improving, the evil has yet to be finally eliminated and is still playing out. You can't lower your guard. You still need to continue to further your efforts and do well with what you're supposed to do, and truly take every one of your steps well on the way to Consummation. Don't consider this merely a simple test. It's actually incomparably magnificent, because you are validating the Fa and because you're doing it during the most difficult time. Certain things appear to be the same as what everyday people do. Yet they do those things for self-interest and for ordinary human purposes, whereas you do them for Dafa--the basis is different. You are cultivators, and in the future you will see the magnificence of these things. There's sacredness in them that you know now and sacredness in them that you don't know. You can't sense how magnificent they are from the way they manifest among ordinary humans, because I can't let you feel conceited or complacent. As your master, I can only have you try harder and take every step well. During this one year, in your clarifying the truth, in the process of your cultivation, and in the process of your safeguarding the Fa, there have been all kinds of tribulations and you've encountered all kinds of difficulties. Relying on your own thinking and decisions, you've made it through. Master hasn't done all this in vain. Whatever Master has done for you was worth it! ( Long applause) You're truly remarkable! ( Applause)
In regards to specific issues, I think that when the opportunity arises I'll find some time to talk to you about them. I'm not going to attend every Fa conference. Each time I come out it's for a reason, and not for casually telling you something--especially under the current circumstances. So in the future I'll find some time to talk to you in detail. Today I won't say too much. I hope that everyone will do an even better job in Fa-rectification and in exposing the evil. This is also part of your cultivation.
That's all I'll say. Thank you. (Applause)
1Attainment Status - this term is also sometimes translated as "Fruit Status."
(Translator's Note: This translation is subject to change. Latest update: March 21, 2002)