(Minghui.org) Editor’s note: This article reflects the author’s personal observations, and it is for practitioners’ reference only. All practitioners should take the Fa as the guiding principle.
(Continued from Part 4)
Many practitioners had engaged in pyramid schemes during the past ten-plus years. The names of such practices were changed from multi-level marketing (MLM) to direct marketing after the government banned MLM, but many of those who practiced MLM have not mended their ways. We cannot deny that Master has taught us many times that practitioners must not get into pyramid schemes.
Master talked about this issue in “Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York,” and again during the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference. But some practitioners still have not come to their senses. I would like to share what I have seen at my level of understanding.
The pyramid scheme has its origin in the universe, and is a demon to be eliminated during the Fa-rectification. People involved in pyramid schemes are controlled by the spirit of that demon, which will be passed on to others during lectures, or when sharing the sales pitch.
The evil spirit will possess whomever attends such lectures. It can be compared to people who listen to fake qigong presentations. The fake qigong spirit will attach to them, even though they don't practice that qigong.
Expounding on it a little further. If someone thinks that the theory of pyramid schemes is reasonable, even though they did not attend the lectures, the evil spirit may also attach to their body. Some people said that they were marketing major brands from the United States, and that the products were of high quality. Additionally, the government had not banned multi-level-marketing of the products they were selling. We must make it clear that this understanding is a fallacy.
As long as you have something to do with pyramid schemes or acknowledge some aspect of it you are calling for the evil spirit.
These evil spirits are different from the low level spirits and animal spirits. They are worse, as they directly control the human body. Once an everyday person engages in pyramid schemes, his or her thoughts and body are controlled by the spirit and the person is changed.
The MLM marketers' first victims are usually their closest relatives and friends. If a Falun Dafa practitioner got involved in the schemes, the spirit would definitely want to attach to the practitioner’s body. If someone made money through the schemes, the spirit would not let the person go, because the person now owed it something.
We have noticed that after a fellow practitioner engaged in or took pyramid scheme classes, the practitioner had changed. That person might come down with sickness karma symptoms, and would try their best to defend the schemes. Such a person claims that they do “direct marketing,” and come up with many reasons for doing so. This is a demonstration of the evil spirit firmly controlling the person.
Some practitioners promoted pyramid schemes and engaged in selling the products among practitioners, and they dragged some practitioners to MLM presentations. Some introduced pyramid scheme selling techniques to fellow practitioners who managed businesses. This caused serious interference. I recommend that these practitioners memorize Master’s teaching from the aforementioned experience sharing meetings, making sure that they understand the seriousness of this interference!
Many practitioners who accepted the MLM sales techniques began to experience illness karma. Some even died. Many fellow practitioners sent righteous thoughts, hoping it would help the person, but with no effect. If it were not for Master’s compassionate protection, giving them more time to come to their senses, they might have long ago faced great adversity.
If these practitioners still want to cultivate, they should clean their thoughts of this subject matter, sincerely repent their mistakes, apologize to everyone they interfered with, and make up for their mistakes. If one recognizes one’s mistake but does not make up for the damage they caused, it is not true repentance.
Practitioners who engage in MLM businesses are generally articulate, and enjoy being very active. They should not join businesses run by practitioners however, unless they have given up their incorrect behavior.
If these practitioners have truly corrected themselves, the evil spirit may no longer have power over them. But they need to study the Fa diligently, because their engaging in MLM businesses was due to a lack of understanding of the Fa principles.
I understand that when it comes to former practitioners who were involved with pyramid schemes, Master’s law body did not give them up, but could not watch and protect them, as Master watches and protects Dafa disciples. However Master’s law body may follow them until they die, or until the Fa-rectification concludes.
If before their deaths they realize their mistakes, and wish to cultivate Dafa in the next lifetime, they must still go through purgatory and pay for their sins. Master will then arrange opportunities for them to cultivate Dafa again in their next lifetime.
Giving up Dafa cultivation is a violation of one's original vows, and their uncultivated portion would end up in a tragic situation. In order to save these practitioners, Master did not give up on them and kept giving them hints. Only Falun Dafa is so merciful and compassionate.
Those who go astray or join other cultivation practices are controlled by evil or other spirits. They give up cultivating Dafa because they are being blocked by evil spirits. We can talk to these former practitioners, explain the truth to them, unlock the knots in their minds, and gradually bring them back through diligently studying the Fa.
But before they have completely remediated themselves, no matter how articulate they are, they should not join businesses run by Dafa practitioners. Dafa practitioners running businesses are walking their cultivation paths, and this could bring interference to the practitioners’ cultivation.
The above is my personal understanding. Please point out anything that is not based on the Fa. The above understanding was gained by examining and learning from the lessons of the past. Those lessons were painful and brought serious damage to Dafa. Therefore, we found it imperative to share what we learned with fellow practitioners.
In fact, as long as we can learn the Fa well and conduct ourselves according to the Fa, we can walk well our paths of running businesses, and fulfill our vows and missions.