(Minghui.org) Many Falun Gong practitioners are unable to rid themselves of the notion of being persecuted. Some suffer passively; some protest the persecution while acknowledging it, and some unknowingly assist the persecutors.
I recently read an article titled “Using Righteous Thoughts to Turn Around Bad Situations” on Minghui.org. The author explained, “One day, several inmates threw me to the floor and beat me. One inmate poured boiling water on my neck and chest. I was in severe pain and immediately sat up. I suddenly thought to myself, 'Eliminate the notion that boiling water causes pain.'
“As soon as I had this thought, I no longer felt the pain. Soon, the flesh on my chest turned dark, and several blisters erupted. The skin on the back of my neck was also covered in blisters.
“One inmate tortured me by rubbing my neck and tearing away the skin. My shirt collar became soaked with the yellow pus that oozed out, then hardened. I didn't feel any pain.”
I questioned why the practitioner did not send righteous thoughts to stop the torture. Under similar circumstances, our first thought should be to send righteous thoughts with the intention of transferring the pain to the perpetrators and not to suffer any persecution at all. This would not only warn and deter the perpetrators, but it would also validate Dafa.
The author stated at the end, “After we let go of our human notions, bad things can be changed into good things, and good things can become even better. In our activities to clarify the truth and save people, we should examine our mindsets and make sure that we aren't unconsciously accepting [the old forces’] interference and persecution.”
I believe that the way that he protested the persecution was in fact acknowledging it. He did not completely deny the persecution.
From this article, I realized that some practitioners unknowingly harbor negative mindsets due to the trauma they suffer during the persecution.
Some of the ways that practitioners unknowingly acknowledge the persecution include declaring with determination, “I will follow Master home, even if someone threatens to kill me with a knife!”
While being intimidated by Chinese Communist Party officials, one practitioner said, “I will not stop practicing Falun Gong, even if I'm dismissed from my job!” His reference point was that of a victim of persecution, which only contributes to the persecution.
One practitioner who was experiencing a bout of sickness karma declared, “I won't go to the hospital even if I die!” This was in effect admitting that she had an illness. It was also an indication that she didn't fully believe in Master and the Fa.
The old forces' arrangements are very detailed and hard to negate if we don't have a solid foundation or righteous thoughts from studying the Fa.
How do we stop the evil factors from directing our lives?
Master said,
“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” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Only the power of the Fa can truly eliminate these evil factors. Studying the Fa well is a prerequisite to eliminating the old forces' arrangements.
Master taught us,
“Everything that the evil has done has actually targeted the attachments and fears that you have not let go of.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I enlightened to the understanding that our own factors have greatly contributed to the persecution.
Master also taught us,
“As a matter of fact, this results from an inadequate understanding of the Fa by your human side. You have humanly restrained your divine side; in other words, you have restrained the parts that have been successfully cultivated and have prevented them from doing Fa-rectification.” (“Expounding on the Fa” in Essentials for Further Advancement)
The practitioners who are the most vulnerable to the old forces' arrangements fall into two categories: those who still harbor fear and those who have extreme thinking.
To save sentient beings effectively, we must remove our mentality of fear and our various attachments. This will align us to the nature of the universe, which in itself will negate the old forces' arrangements.
As long as we study the Fa well, send righteous thoughts, and clarify the facts, Master will help us eliminate the evil factors that interfere with us.
The presence of extreme thinking in the above examples appears to be a manifestation of one's upright determination. However, it is in fact an indication that these practitioners have not only forgotten the purpose of their lives but also, in effect, acknowledged the persecution.
We should not allow the old forces to take advantage of our loopholes. Do these practitioners really believe in Master and the Fa? Would Master arrange for Dafa disciples to lose their lives?
Dafa practitioners have the mission of saving sentient beings during the Fa-rectification period. To do that effectively, we must have righteous thoughts and rid ourselves of the notion of being persecuted.
If we get rid of our attachments and fears, the evil will have no way to persecute us, as we would have no loopholes.
Each Dafa practitioner corresponds to his own cosmos. In order to rectify and uplift our worlds, we must sincerely look inward and eliminate our various attachments. As we improve our xinxing, the notion of being persecuted by the old forces will eventually disappear from our minds.