(Clearwisdom.net) Master told us in "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference,"
"We negate even the very emergence of the old forces and everything that they've arranged; we don't even acknowledge their existence."
How do we firmly and completely negate the old force and cultivate ourselves according to Master's requirements?
First, we should know who the old forces are. My understanding from the Fa is that the old forces consist of Buddhas, Taos and gods who used to rule on various levels of the universe. Because they did things according to the principles of the old universe based on selfishness,
"When they're helping me, at the same time they hide their selfish intention of protecting themselves. They all want to change others but not themselves--no one wants to change himself--and they even try to preserve as much as possible the things they're attached to and won't let go of." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa, March 2002)
They would have ceased to exist a long time ago at the end of the cycle of "formation, stasis, degeneration, destruction" were it not for Fa rectification and Master's boundless benevolence. Dafa is our guidance in negating the old forces' arrangements and the old forces themselves. If the old forces want to be saved, they have to assimilate to Dafa.
While assisting Master to rectify the Fa and doing the three things well, the importance of this to practitioners is that we must cultivate and improve ourselves according to the new universe's principle of harmony and altruism. If Dafa practitioners only want to change others and not themselves, or even "try to preserve as much as possible the things they're attached to and won't let go of," wouldn't we be the same as the old forces? How can we negate the old forces if we conform to the old forces' principles?
To firmly and completely negate the old forces, we must understand the Fa from our hearts, firmly believe in Master and judge each of our single thoughts with "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." We should quickly correct our mistakes when things are not well done. Only then can we truly negate the old forces. Although this is a difficult process, practitioners must achieve it, and are able to achieve it. Master told us again and again, study the Fa, study the Fa, and study the Fa more.
"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
We should think about why the old forces can interfere with, and are able to persecute Dafa practitioners.
I think if we don't firmly believe in Master and are not determined in Dafa, or if we pursue something with attachments without thinking of whether the consequences are beneficial toward the dissemination of Dafa and helping people learn the truth, the evil may be able to interfere and persecute us. As a result, we could bring loss to the Fa-rectification and even be disrupting Dafa without realizing it. This would be very regrettable. We should all pay full attention to this.
Only by thoroughly studying the Fa, staying diligent, constantly upgrading our understanding of the Fa and persistently transforming our nature into the Buddha nature can we avoid evil interference and persecution.
For a while I slacked off in Fa study during truth clarification. I only pursued the work of truth clarification on the surface and ignored looking inward to improve myself. I only looked at outside causes and set my eyes on others' faults. As a result I encountered great resistance. The more I was attached to the work itself, the less I was able to calm down and study the Fa, and the more irrational I became. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance seemed to have disappeared from my heart and I was only after the things I wanted to do; vacillation and doubts crept into my mind as the old forces' elements and other bad things played a role. If I had gone any further, a series of evil persecution may have followed. As I was stagnant, worried, not rational and facing great danger, by chance a short article caught my eye,
The following was inscribed on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster
Abbey (1100 AD):
"When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.Â
But it, too, seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.
And now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.
From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world."
I used to pay little attention to articles of this type. But since Master told us that all cultures and religions in history were created to lay the foundation for Fa rectification, I read it as a reference.
I knew Master was reminding me to look inward through an ordinary person's article. Almost suddenly I clearly realized the profundity of Dafa and the great significance of looking inward and cultivating myself. Only by first changing myself and conforming to the requirements of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and only by being a genuine Dafa practitioner, will I be able to truly understand the Fa. Only then will I stop understanding the Fa from an ordinary person's perspective. Only then will my righteous thoughts be powerful and my truth clarification efforts have a positive outcome.
I calmed my mind and studied the Fa. After improving my xinxing, the environment improved and people's attitude changed toward Dafa.
Master told us in "Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago,"
"The only thing you have a role in is saving people, and you have nothing to do with using human means and human principles to punish or pronounce judgment on people."
I realized from the Fa that holding a public trial of Jiang is not Dafa practitioners' goal. I realized that the Nine Commentaries are not about practitioners wanting to overthrow the CCP. Those are ordinary people's affairs. Dafa practitioners should not be attached to, or pursue those things. Dafa practitioners only whole-heartedly save sentient beings and help people see through the evil nature of the CCP so they will learn the truth and be saved.
Dafa practitioners' mission is to assist Master to rectify the Fa and save beings that are still salvageable. We do not care in the least for affairs of ordinary society. During the process of clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings, we guard our xinxing, eliminate attachments, strengthen righteous thoughts and purify ourselves more. We have no complaints and no regrets when we are faced with tribulations and difficulties. We do not waver and have no pursuit when ordinary people misunderstand, slander and attack us, even if our lives are in danger. We clarify the truth to sentient beings out of our sincere wish to save them, and we are not attached to them accepting it. It's up to individuals whether they want to listen and believe us, because we have no regrets. As Master said,
"An enlightened person has no attachments at all.
He quietly observes the people of the world deluded by illusions."
("Realms," Essentials for Further Advancement)
If all Dafa practitioners can give up ordinary notions and solidly do well with the Three Things; if none of us is attached to bringing Jiang to justice publicly, to the disintegration of the CCP, or to individual Consummation; if we want nothing other than to save sentient beings, how can the old forces' elements affect us? How can the few remaining evil beings interfere with us?
High-level old forces have already been eliminated. The evil remaining in isolated surface dimensions is still able to interfere and persecute us. This isn't because we haven't changed from the core. Although we constantly negate the old forces by sending forth righteous thoughts, the remaining old forces still exist in every single thought of ours that does not conform to the Fa. If we can't rectify these thoughts with "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," or if we mistake these impure thoughts for our own, then they can manipulate us and lead us down the path arranged by the old forces. In that case we could be persecuted or interfered with, for we have deviated from Dafa. Actually, the evil can take advantage of our loopholes and persecute us only because we haven't changed ourselves on a fundamental level and aren't walking a righteous path. This issue is worthy of every Dafa practitioner's attention.
Master said,
"When the persecution in Mainland China started, if all of the Dafa disciples had managed to act fairly righteously like now, the persecution would have never gotten off the ground, and those evil things would have been destroyed instantly. The human world is no place for them to make a display of evilness." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York")
We should learn from our past mistakes. It's not too late.
Our benevolent Master has left the present time to be used by Dafa practitioners, to walk our unique path of cultivation. All evil elements will disintegrate instantly if we cultivate ourselves well in doing the Three Things, and completely conform to the standards of the new universe.
The above are my personal understandings. Fellow practitioners, please compassionately point out anything inappropriate.