October 13, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net)
Recently, the Dafa materials site in our area was raided. Printing machines and some cash were confiscated. Fortunately, under the protection of our Teacher, no practitioners were caught. The incident happened suddenly. We felt deep remorse afterward. This is serious cultivation. The evil took advantage of our omissions because our field was not righteous enough.
Teacher said:
"If a Dafa disciple acts righteously, then nothing dares to enter the surface part that hasn't been fully cultivated yet. For one thing, old beings don't dare to disrupt the old cosmos's Fa, and another thing is that you have Master and you have Law-guardian Gods. If the attachments at your human-surface side aren't removed, then Master and the Law-guardian Gods are put in a tough position. But if your righteous thoughts are strong, then Master and the Law-guardian Gods can do anything for you." ("Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference").
Through deep examination looking within ourselves, we learned the following lessons:
I. We overlooked the attachment to sentiment among fellow practitioners and failed to be fully responsible for the Fa-rectification work
In daily collaborative work with practitioners, we failed to point out the attachments of fellow practitioners because we were afraid of hurting their feelings or causing them to lose face. At the same time, the fellow practitioners failed to recognize their attachments. Thus, the environment, which should be pure and righteous, was polluted by warped notions and became an excuse for the old forces to "test" Dafa practitioners. Frankly speaking, we did not study the Fa well and didn't fully realize the seriousness of cultivation during Fa-rectification. We failed to "put the Fa first in everything we do." Teacher said:
"A Dafa disciple should put the Fa first in everything he does--whenever you evaluate something you have to consider the Fa first."
("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston")
If we had really acted according to what our Teacher taught, we wouldn't have brought this tragic loss to Dafa. Thus, we should kindly point out the attachments of our fellow practitioners when we see them. This is being responsible for Dafa and is also the greatest benevolence to fellow practitioners.
II. Weak security measures and failure to strictly examine ourselves
While we were doing Dafa work, we didn't pay sufficient attention to the issue of security. For example, we dried the plates used to print Dafa material in conspicuous places which could be easily seen by neighbors. Fellow practitioners talked loudly when discussing issues related to Dafa work, paying little attention to whether people outside could hear the discussions. In addition, we brought fellow practitioners not involved in the work to this site even though we have designated sites specifically for receiving them. Although it has not brought losses, it did show that our work is not tightly secured. All these problems left omissions that could be taken advantage of by the evil old forces. Teacher's lecture sounded in my ear:
"Your path is, and I think you've all seen this now, actually very narrow. If you deviate just a little bit you won't measure up to the standard of a Dafa disciple. There's only one very righteous path we can walk on, and we can't deviate even just a little bit, because this is required by history, and required by the lives of sentient beings in the future cosmos. The cosmos in the future can't have any deviation or errors due to your having omissions during the Fa-rectification, so it's important for you to walk each and every step well during your own validating the Fa." ("Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference").
III. Did not do enough to expose the evil, did not actively participate in many projects
Teacher said:
"As you know, our manpower is very limited right now, so in your efforts to validate the Fa, don't neglect things when you turn your attention to something else. In other words, we shouldn't focus all of our efforts on one thing. We should try our best to cover things as a whole and do a good job with all the things we're now working on." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston").
In the last few years, we over-emphasized making Dafa materials; we didn't establish a connection with Minghui.org. Thus, we didn't report the persecution of practitioners or expose the evil deeds of villains in our area in a timely fashion. Just when we had collected some materials and were about to expose them, the evil people in our area raided us.
Because of our attachments, we brought great losses to Dafa and missed chances to save more sentient beings. We deeply regret what we did. Here we issue our apology to our Teacher: Teacher, please trust us. We will do our best to give up human thoughts completely and do well in our cultivation and Fa-rectification work in the future. We would also like to apologize to fellow practitioners in our area. Fellow practitioners, we fell down, but we will stand up and strive forward. We will make every effort to do our work well.
We would like to warn fellow practitioners with similar attachments and shortcomings to learn from our lessons, to give up human thoughts, to be responsible for Dafa, and never risk bringing the same losses to Dafa. Meanwhile, we appeal to fellow practitioners who read this article and fellow practitioners in our area. Strengthen your righteous thoughts to eradicate the evil factors in other dimensions whose objective is to destroy Dafa material sites. We hope that fellow practitioners in our area will study the Fa with peaceful minds and that we can all look inside ourselves to see if we still have the negative thought of accepting the persecution. Let's conduct ourselves according to what Teacher says, understand each other, genuinely form one body that is indestructible and most perfect, and lay a solid foundation for the creation of a better environment for Fa-rectification.
Addendum: On the day the incident occurred, fellow practitioners wanted to leave the Dafa material site but could not make up their minds. Finally, we decided to go, and left only one practitioner there. After the other practitioners left the site, the practitioner remaining there suddenly remembered something and had to go to another practitioner's house. When he wanted to return to the Dafa material site, the other practitioner persistently kept him. During this time, police raided the site.
He immediately notified other practitioners when he learned about the raid. It is Teacher's intricate arrangement and kind protection that saved the practitioners. We asked ourselves: Why did we only remember to look inside ourselves and become awakened after the Fa suffered a loss and we fell down? Why didn't the lives that have assimilated to the Fa listen to Teacher's advice? Why didn't we actively correct ourselves instead of passively following the old forces' arrangement? To a certain degree, isn't it the same as accepting the old forces?
Fellow practitioners, please point out any incorrect views and shortcomings with compassion. Many thanks.