(Clearwisdom.net) I read an article by a Heilongjiang practitioner entitled "Greater Power After Cooperating as a Whole" on the Minghui Weekly - No. 169. A section of the article said, "In May 2004, we were sad to learn that Teacher's pictures were stepped on at some of the forced labor camps. Some of those involved in this incident were practitioners." I would like to share my feelings and opinions about those "practitioners" who stepped on Teacher's pictures.
I have practiced Falun Dafa for over ten years. I was arrested and sent to a prison after the persecution started on July 20, 1999. I protected Dafa steadfastly no matter what environment I was in. I walked my path of cultivation practice righteously. A few months later, the authorities were concerned that my case wasn't going to be easy to prove because they didn't have any evidence to convict me. On the other hand, they did not want to release me either.
The director of the prison proposed to let me go if I would put a cross through Teacher's name on a piece of paper and then step on it. I really wanted to leave after suffering so much in the prison. But I would never agree to this mean and vicious condition. I would never betray Dafa and insult my Teacher. I refused the proposal. I have practiced for so many years; no words can express my ultimate devotion, respect and gratitude for Teacher.
In the end, I was sentenced to four years in prison, where I suffered brutal tortures. The prison authorities tried to force me to write the three statements slandering Dafa and Teacher. I never surrendered and eventually walked out of the prison openly and nobly. Although I almost lost my life, I walked on the path validating the Fa righteously and protected the dignity of the Fa. I didn't forsake Teacher's compassion and great pains taken to save us.
I survived the long brutal persecution, because deep down I knew how precious Falun Dafa was and how hard it was for Teacher to save the sentient beings in the cosmos. Teacher suffered enormous tribulations that no ordinary person could imagine or understand. My personal suffering was truly nothing.
When I read the "Eternal Amazement" by a practitioner in the "Zhengjian Weekly," I thought it was a great article that said a lot. I would like to quote a section of that article:
"The evil horror
Cannot shake the faith of the true practitioners.
The brutal persecution
Cannot destroy Dafa practitioners' strong righteous thoughts.
The most compassionate and sacred Teacher
Is suffering the enormous and endless tribulations for us and the sentient beings.
The vast evil element that can destroy the sentient beings
Teacher shouldered it all by himself
Teacher's body shattered
The tribulation Teacher shouldered for the sentient beings
You and I cannot imagine.
Looking up at Teacher's back
It was so bright and stalwart.
Feeling Teacher's compassion
It was so great and immeasurable.
The practitioners who have not yet been able to come out
How can you still be at home seeking temporary peace
In front of Teacher's enormous devotion?
The thought for temporary peace is so low and degrading.
We walk out of the ordinary humankind
To safeguard the Fa and spread the truth.
We have to appeal one after another.
Never let the Teacher and Dafa be wronged."
I was lucky enough to have attended Teacher's lectures in Jinan in 1994. It was during the summer and a few practitioners were fanning themselves. Teacher pointed this out at the time. Many people were new practitioners and ordinary people, so Teacher didn't use a heavy tone. Teacher only said that as practitioners we should endure hardship. We all heard it on the tapes. Regarding this issue, I was enlightened that it wasn't just that practitioners didn't endure hardship, but that it was also disrespectful to Teacher. Think about it, the weather was so hot and Teacher taught us the Fa himself. In order to save time, Teacher didn't even have one sip of water the whole class. However, some people were sitting there waving their fans and even putting their legs up. I think even gods in other dimensions felt upset, "Do you people know who is teaching you?" According to the practitioners with their third eyes open, every time teacher lectured, there were many beings in other dimensions listening intently and respectfully. Some of them were kneeling down when they listened to the Fa.
Initially a lot of people didn't realize who Teacher was. Even among practitioners, many of them didn't have a deep understanding of the Fa. So many years have gone by, practitioners today should take this issue seriously.
Everyone should know that Teacher created the Fa and everything that we have. Teacher said:
"Let me just reveal it in plain language: The Fa was created by me. (Enthusiastic applause) In the colossal firmament, as long as you're something in the cosmos--so this includes everything--no matter whether you have a form or not, be it emptiness, nonexistence, or whatever, as long as you are something, you were created by the Fa, and you're in this living environment created by the Fa. The Fa has standards for beings. The Fa created all beings, and in its renewal the Fa also makes all beings assimilate and saves all beings." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
An ordinary human being wouldn't know these things, but as practitioners we should know how to appreciate this because we clearly know what Teacher has given us. Teacher said,
"In fact, today's human race would have been destroyed a long time ago if it weren't for the Fa-rectification. The standard of the human race's thinking is already at a level lower than hell. It's because of the Fa-rectification that I atoned for the sins of all sentient beings in the Three Realms. (Applause) So think about it, as far as our students are concerned, it was as if I scooped you out of hell back then. (Applause) I have truly borne for you the sins you committed over hundreds and thousands of years. And it doesn't stop at just that. Because of this, I will also save you and turn you into Gods. I have spared no effort for you in this process. Along with this, since you'll become Gods at levels that high, I have to give you the honors of Gods at levels that high and all the blessings that you need to have at levels that high. (Applause) Never, from the beginning of time, has any God dared to do this. Something like this has never happened before." ("Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
"What I have given you is something that you can never repay, not even with the eternity of your life" "Not only you, I have exhausted my mind for all the beings. I have exhausted almost everything I have for all the beings" ("Falun Buddha Fa- Lecture at Switzerland," unofficial translation)
When I heard that a "practitioner" stepped on Teacher's pictures, I felt terrible. I don't want to say something too critical to that practitioner, but he stepped on all practitioners' hearts and hurt all of us. My heart wasn't even that pained when I was repeatedly tortured and beaten and when I was going through the test of life and death. In the past, how many practitioners, in order to safeguard the Fa, have lost their freedom and lives? But this "practitioner" took that step without any pressure just for a little human sentiment. If that was Teacher, would you step on him? Did you realize how serious that was? All the beings in the cosmos are watching us!
Teacher told us,
"All the Fa I just talked about was to tell you one thing: whether you respect me or not, as your Master, I really, truly don't mind. Back then, as I was saving you, a lot of you were cursing at me. There were people who were cursing at me even while at my classes. I don't mind. I just want to save you. (Applause) What I'm trying to say is, personally I don't mind at all how you treat Master. I'm not affected by any factors at any level of the cosmos. But there's one problem, which is, if you don't respect Master, it's wrong according to the principles of the cosmos, and the old forces will take advantage of the gap and destroy you because of this. They'll have seized the biggest excuse to destroy you, since they've seen the entire process of my saving you." "Whether you treat me well or not, I don't mind in the least, but the old forces will destroy you in the tribulation. Watch out!" ("Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
There was an article from a practitioner that Teacher commented on, "Singing the Praises of Master and Dafa with Master's Comment"- published on August 30, 2003. One paragraph stated, "At this time when the last manifestations of the old cosmos are passing quickly, for the people of the world and especially the multitude of cultivators who have been deceived by all of the false illusions created by the old forces, they need to be ever more rational and clear-minded. "Breaking away" from Master and Dafa, being disrespectful to Master and Dafa, denying Fa-rectification and Fa-validation--no matter how people use fancy words or excuses to twist around and justify this behavior--it is wrong. Even when looking at it with the old cosmos's principles, it is totally wrong, and there are solid, concrete losses being suffered by the person's own life."
Everyone knows that Dafa is serious and the practice is serious. Every one of us needs to examine our attitude and behavior toward Teacher and the Fa. Teacher said,
"Now as practitioners, if in this tribulation you can manage not to acknowledge the old forces' arrangements, then you can make it through. And those who haven't done well, the bottom line is, aren't you acknowledging the old forces' arrangements? Once you acknowledge them isn't it like you're one of them? Because you haven't done well amidst the persecution it's caused instability among the practitioners and aggravated the persecution, so aren't you, too, adding fuel to the fire and helping the evil? Negate them, completely negate everything of the old forces." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
Once something like this happened, it was very good that the local practitioners risked imprisonment to take Teacher's picture out of the prison. We also need to think about this issue more seriously and discover how something so evil that targeted Teacher could have happened.
This incident had a great impact on me and hence I wrote this article. I don't mean to blame anyone, but I want to share my opinion. At the same time, I hope that as practitioners we will all respect Teacher and the Fa from the bottom of our hearts and truly shoulder the responsibility given to us by history. We should do well in whatever we do to validate the Fa and save all beings.
The above are my own understandings. Please point out anything that is inappropriate.