After looking inside myself, I recognized a few degenerate notions that I had in viewing the persecution around the world. Even though these notions appeared in a subtle way, I think that recognizing them and eliminating them is critical at this time.
Firstly, when reading about practitioners who were about to be deported and thought that their things on the human level did not appear to be handled well, I felt sad, as if almost accepting that it gave more of an excuse to go ahead and deport them.
Secondly, I realized that I had the thought that the reason some practitioners innChina are persecuted so badly is simply because they do not have adequate righteous thoughts.
Looking at these notions, I have come to the following understanding:
Whatever mistakes practitioners may have made at the surface cannot justify persecution by the old-forces. Otherwise, since we have all made mistakes in our cultivation, we could have been ruined long ago. We are all cultivators trying to do our best to harmonize things according to what Teacher has said, which "is the best thought a being in the cosmos could have." (Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference)
I recalled how after practitioners in Hong Kong were arrested for peacefully appealing and were put on a sham trial, we were told that they "did nothing wrong".
Furthermore, on the human level, no matter whether proper procedures and deadlines were completely followed or not, no government can send practitioners back to persecution. For example, Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture that the Australian government has signed states:
"No State Party shall expel, return or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture."
Under this law, even a criminal cannot be sent to a place where he might be tortured. The two Australian practitioners, the Wangs, are undoubtedly in danger of torture. In fact they have already been victims, and even a member of their family has been tortured to death. Any person who practices Falun Gong or has spoken out for Falun Gong in any way is in danger of torture in China. Even family members of practitioners are now being targeted.
We cultivate, strengthen our righteous thoughts and constantly let go of our attachments according to Teacher's Fa. We must not harbor thoughts that any form of old-force persecution is due to practitioners' shortcomings. Otherwise, in our minds we could be justifying their deportation, and our thoughts are what is key.
"As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts. Even though the old forces do exist, if you don't have those thoughts they can't do anything." (Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A)
Looking at the bigger picture, the reason practitioners in China are being persecuted is not because they do not have adequate righteous thoughts. It is because of the old-forces are manipulating evil beings to commit the most horrible acts.
If we have the thought that the reason practitioners are being tortured to death in China is because they do not have strong enough righteous thoughts, or that the reason the persecution is still taking place is because not enough practitioners have stepped forward, this would be aligning with the old forces' understandings and giving them justification for what they are doing. At the same time, it would be seen as a major loophole by the old-forces and will most definitely be targeted to do even more damage.
I ask myself: "do I always have righteous thoughts that are as unshakable as diamond?" "What were my thoughts like when I was in that evil environment for just one day?"
Teacher and fellow practitioners, I am determined to strengthen my righteous thoughts until the point that they are as unshakable as diamond at all times.
Please kindly point out any shortcomings in my understanding.
Category: Journeys of Cultivation
