September 5, 2002

(Clearwisdom.net) The following are my understandings regarding the old forces and Fa- rectification cultivation:

1. The old forces persecute Dafa with the so-called excuse of testing Dafa, so as Dafa practitioners we should step forward to validate the Fa, safeguard the Fa and offer salvation to sentient beings -- "for a Dafa disciple, safeguarding and upholding the Fa is only natural. So at this moment in history, when we truly have a situation in which evil persecutes Dafa, a Dafa disciple will certainly step forward to validate the Fa in response to the persecution" ("Path", Essentials for Further Advancement II)
2. We do not acknowledge this malicious so-called "test" that has been arranged by the old forces, and we completely deny it. Therefore we must expose the evil, resist the persecution, and eliminate it.
3. However, we should also realize that the old forces will not end the persecution just because we do not acknowledge their arrangements. They will still do it by giving so-called tests to Dafa practitioners. In other words, no matter how much we negate the evil, as long as we have attachments and/or fears, the old forces will persecute us. The old forces insist on doing that, and before the force of Fa-rectification arrives, the old forces will continue to interfere with Fa-rectification, persecute Dafa and Dafa practitioners. Therefore we should not stop at completely negating the old forces. We should focus on looking inward and working on our own xinxing [mind or heart nature, moral character], validate the Fa, and take our steps well on our own paths. Master said in Touring North America to Teach the Fa, "during this small gap of time before the surface goes through Fa-rectification, the evil old forces are displaying everything of theirs, and using the most evil and lowest-level, horribly messed up, odd-shaped beings to persecute Dafa and Dafa disciples. Dafa disciples, by contrast, are validating the Fa and saving sentient beings during this time before Fa-rectification arrives". [Unofficial translation]

   Master also told us what to do in Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston, "To talk about things related to the Fa-rectification or saving sentient beings under that kind of evil pressure and in that kind of situation, where the dimensions are filled with evil, is different from talking about them here. But even so, it's actually because the old forces insist on testing Dafa disciples' xinxing that they've done this. That's definitely the case. If it weren't, this definitely wouldn't have happened. The best way to deal with this situation is for Dafa disciples to walk their paths righteously, to try their best not to let the evil or the old forces take advantage of their gaps, and to solidify their righteous thoughts."

4. If we are in an evil environment and faced with frenzied persecution, we must do well as Dafa disciples. That's the key. In fact, the better we do in letting go of our attachments, the smaller the persecution becomes. "For example, after some Dafa disciples were arrested, they were able to maintain an unshakable calm, and they have no fear. You'll see that the old forces don't dare to persecute them" (Touring North America to Teach the Fa). A few practitioners harbored complaints after they were arrested. This is absolutely wrong. No matter what the cause may be on the surface, every practitioner has his or her cultivation path and should calmly walk it from the perspective of validating the Fa. We are Fa-rectification Dafa disciples, shouldn't we do so well that the old beings who created tribulations for us are left with nothing but admiration? We should know by now that "If every Dafa disciple--regardless of which category he belongs to--had been able to do well, this persecution would have ended long ago" (Touring North America to Teach the Fa). Fellow practitioners, let us make diligent progress together.

Please point out anything inappropriate in my limited understanding.