(Clearwisdom.net) Many of our fellow practitioners' articles discussed experiences and lessons learned during the trip to Germany to eliminate the evil by sending forth righteous thought from close proximity. I'd like to discuss some views on this matter from a different perspective. I hope fellow practitioners will correct anything inappropriate.

Why are the old forces still sustaining the evil? Their excuse is that we have not reached the standard. Therefore, our trip to Germany was not solely for us to eliminate the evil, it was also the old forces' using the head of the evil to test whether we, especially Dafa disciples outside of China, could step out of humanness as a group. We also saw that only a little more than 100 practitioners went to Germany. Relative to the entire body of Dafa practitioners outside of China, the number of people was too small. When the fellow practitioners who went to Germany summed up their lessons learned, they talked about how some practitioners didn't emphasize sending forth righteous thoughts with a calm heart and over-emphasized surface formalities such as unfurling banners or shouting words of justice. This is one aspect, though probably not the main aspect. If the old forces did not have an excuse for the head of the evil's continued existence, then they would be powerless to protect him. Master said, "It's not only you who does the eliminating; if a cultivator can't eliminate it, Gods -- including higher Gods -- also need to take part in eliminating it." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2001 Canada Fa Conference") The reason for not immediately destroying the old cosmos' Fa is because there are still many lives to be saved. Master told us, "This small bit of the old cosmos's surface that hasn't gone through Fa-rectification is also made up of countless gigantic dimensions, countless sentient beings, and countless Gods, so before it has gone through Fa-rectification it can't yet be destroyed, or else the sentient beings there would disintegrate before the Fa-rectification arrives and they wouldn't be saved." ("Touring North America to Teach the Fa") If we have not done well as a whole body, then the old forces will use the excuse of us not reaching the standard and sustain the head of the evil to their utmost.

Recently the old forces have arranged for the head of the evil to visit five European countries. If more Dafa disciples outside China can grasp this opportunity, step out of human notions and participate in sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil in close proximity -- this in addition to Dafa disciples inside China sending forth righteous thoughts frequently -- if Dafa disciples can do well as a whole body, then the old forces would no longer have an excuse to sustain the head of the evil. The evil's tests then can no longer continue. This also displays Dafa disciples' compassion, giving the countless lives from the old cosmos a chance to be saved. If we have already done well, yet the old forces still cannot abandon their evil ways and persist in sustaining the head of the evil, then even if we cannot eliminate the evil, higher-level Gods will destroy them directly.

It is worthwhile for us to consider and learn from experiences in the past. On April 25th, 1999 more than 10,000 Dafa disciples let go of life and death as well as their human notions. They steadfastly stepped forward to safeguard Dafa, shaking heaven and earth. Then why is it that the old forces still subjected the Dafa disciples to wicked suppression and persecution? At the time there were nearly 100 million Dafa practitioners in China. The old forces thought that if only 10,000 stepped forward, then how could one say that the whole body of Dafa practitioners has reached the standard? Then in order to test Dafa disciples further, they controlled evil beings to conduct unprecedented evil persecution against Dafa. If at the time Dafa disciples in China grasped the opportunity and more practitioners stepped out of humanness, then this evil persecution lasting nearly three years might not have ever existed. "...when the Fa rectifies the human world it would be peaceful--there wouldn't have been this evil drama, people would all be studying the Fa, humankind's morality would be rising, and when the force of Fa-rectification came it would still be peaceful." ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.") On April 25, 1999, some practitioners with their celestial eyes open saw that Gods in the heavens sat solemnly, waiting for the Dafa practitioners on the earth to reach the standard and rectify the Fa.

Now, the historic responsibility of creating a peaceful, just environment without evil before the Fa rectifies the human world, in order to offer salvation to sentient beings has fallen on our shoulders, Dafa practitioners as a whole body. This is especially the case for Dafa disciples outside of China, who have the opportunity and the honor of sending forth righteous thoughts from a close distance to eliminate the evil. Even though this matter involves Dafa disciples from all over the world, whether this can be done well or not will be determined mostly by whether or not Dafa disciples outside of China have a good understanding of the Fa principles and whether their xinxing level can meet the standard.

In addition, "Dafa assistant" is a plain-sounding yet special title during the Fa-rectification cultivation period. Assistants are ordinary cultivators of Dafa, and they must follow Dafa's principles in cultivation just like other practitioners. However, assistants also must shoulder a great responsibility. We Dafa disciples are cultivating in the human society and therefore have human mentalities. Because the human side is weak and susceptible to interference, it is necessary for some disciples who have studied the Fa relatively well and have good understandings of the Fa a bit earlier to lead everyone, doing as much as possible to prevent the human side from deviating too much. Looking at it this way, those Dafa disciples who are assistants have an even greater responsibility. This is because quite a few fellow practitioners have a human side that waits for assistants to help them along at critical moments. If assistants can steadfastly recognize problems at a high level on the basis of the Fa and out of consideration for the overall situation of Fa-rectification, drive out interference, do everything rationally and with wisdom, then this can result in more disciples doing well and walking down a righteous path. Otherwise, the consequence would be unwarranted losses to Dafa. We should have become more mature at this point based on lessons and experiences from the past in this regard.