(Clearwisdom.net) The article, "Please Immediately Stop Collecting Money Among Practitioners" was posted on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/1/17/69061.html on December 28, 2005. The conduct described in the article should have stopped, but recently I discovered that some people are still collecting money from practitioners. The money is being collected to support two human rights lawyers. Several coordinators and practitioners working in truth-clarification materials centers in a large city are involved. These practitioners say that the two lawyers are supportive of Dafa practitioners, so any money given to them will also serve to clarify the facts. They think that when their area has enough money, practitioners can allocate the "extra" funds to the lawyers.
During the Fa rectification period, Dafa disciples should clarify the truth and save sentient beings. We cannot deviate from what we should do, regardless of any positive changes in the ordinary people's society. We should not collect money from practitioners. An ordinary person's condemnation of the persecution is a manifestation of changes brought about by the Fa rectification. Teacher has arranged everything for His disciples. We should not treat things with an ordinary person's heart. We need to walk our own paths well, and do well with what we need to do. This is the best support we can lend to the lawyers. When our hearts are not righteous, the old forces will find an excuse to persecute us. An old Chinese proverb says, "A noble man aspires to uphold justice, while a lowly man cares only about money." The lawyers did not speak up for Falun Gong to gain special favors. We must also remember that we are Dafa practitioners walking on a path toward godhood during the Fa rectification period; we are not a disadvantaged or under-represented group in ordinary society. We cannot rely on ordinary people or neglect our duties as Dafa disciples. If practitioners did rely on ordinary people it would create unnecessary pressure for them.
Teacher told us,
"As for what lies ahead, things might change more and more quickly. But, as I brought up when teaching the Fa to you before, whether the change in the state of society is negative or positive, or, put another way, whether what comes about is bad or good, it is a test for our Dafa disciples all the same, and not a reason to become content. If things really do change for the better, it will be a different sort of test for you, and you still shouldn't become content. By all means you need to do what a Dafa disciple should do, maintaining your righteous thoughts" (Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago)
Every righteous deed ordinary people do is a result of the progress of Fa rectification. Every such deed revolves around Dafa and what Dafa practitioners do. Ordinary people are assisting Dafa practitioners and positioning themselves. They are choosing their futures. We should not be affected by ordinary people.
As the Fa rectification progresses, there will be more and more changes in the ordinary people's society. If we react one way to one trend in society, and another way to another trend, then we need to be reminded of our duty. Did we come to assist Teacher with the Fa rectification, or did we come to go along with flow of things? If an ordinary person did what Dafa disciples should do, then Teacher would protect him.
"Even when an ordinary person shouts out 'Falun Dafa is good' today, Master will protect him, since he's shouted those words I can't not protect him amidst the evil. And how much more so am I protecting you cultivators!" (Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference)."
We do not need to worry about changes in ordinary society. We just need to do well the three things Teacher told us to do.
Let's set aside the question of whether the lawyers actually need money, or if the money we collected can be delivered to them. Let's first talk about whether this fundraising is consistent with the principles of Dafa. We need to be especially alert when Dafa practitioners are working on a project as a whole. There cannot be any deviations. Of course, this does not apply to situations where a practitioner is helping another practitioner during difficult times, which is an issue of personal cultivation.
Recently, many practitioners are talking about the righteous deeds ordinary people have done. Practitioners who can get around China's internet blockade follow the news closely. These practitioners also read many articles about the Tiananmen Square Massacre, movies banned in China, Gao Zhisheng's three open letters, NTDTV's interviews with ordinary people who support Dafa, etc. Some practitioners even distributed copies of "Selected Works of Lawyer xx." In contrast, relatively few practitioners distribute the Nine Commentaries in this area.
Teacher has told us many times the necessity and importance of distributing the Nine Commentaries. There are elements of gods behind the Nine Commentaries. It is an important step in rescuing the ordinary people who are deceived by the evil Party and unwilling to hear the truth about Dafa otherwise. We should follow what Teacher tells us. We should widely distribute the Nine Commentaries.
Practitioners with unclear understandings on the money-collecting issue should study the Fa with a calm heart, look deeply within themselves for attachments, read the experience sharing articles on Clearwisdom.net, reflect on why this problem occurred, correct their mistakes, and make up for the losses. Let us follow Teacher's requirements closely and do the three things well.
"You play the leading role in this period of history, and the existence of everything at present, whether it be evil or the upright gods, has to do with you. It is walking straight your path that is most important. In the final time, the evil's factors will dwindle, circumstances will ease up, and the world's state of affairs will change, but never will the path that you are to walk straight change" (Walk Straight Your Path)