(Minghui.org) I was employed for many years as a company manager. Shortly after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong, my boss threatened to fire me if I didn't renounce my faith, but I did not yield.
I spent many years supervising everyday people. So when I took on the role of a Dafa coordinator, I naturally felt that it was my job to lead.
Whenever there was a need for group cooperation—especially involving projects or suggestions that I was responsible for—I expected fellow practitioners to cooperate unconditionally. I became upset if anyone failed to put their heart into a project, and even thought of ways to criticize them in front of others. I also disliked hearing that practitioners in my area hadn't handled certain things well, as it made me feel like I had not led them effectively.
When a local practitioner was arrested in 2012, I, along with several other coordinators in the region, accompanied the practitioner's family to the police station to ask for his whereabouts.
As we were leaving, we noticed that we were being followed. Several coordinators were subsequently arrested.
A female coordinator from another area asked me, “Several coordinators in your area have been arrested. Do you call this coordinating?”
I replied, “We're all practitioners. I'm not responsible for arranging their cultivation paths. If you're saying that I have gaps in my cultivation, or that I don't coordinate well, I can agree with you. If that's the case, why don't you come take over my role?”
Upon hearing this, she said, “All right, I'll be the coordinator for your area.” Although I told her that I'd fully cooperate with her, I felt troubled in my heart after she left.
A few days later, a practitioner who had donated some money to hire a lawyer to defend the detained practitioner said, “Give me back the money I gave you. I will give it to the new coordinator, as you're no longer the coordinator.” I was irritated by her attitude.
I told my practitioner wife, “Is she a Dafa disciple? She's so snobbish! The money she gave me wasn't given to me personally. It's not important who's actually holding the money. Isn't this obvious to her?”
My wife replied, “There are no coincidences. It seems like you have an attachment. You need to look within.” I took her advice and looked within after studying the Fa. That's when I discovered that I was still harboring jealousy.
I was confusing the notion of leading with being a Dafa coordinator. When I was removed from this position, I felt as if I had lost my power.
A practitioner from another area talked to me a few years ago about using cell phones to help raise awareness of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong.
He asked, “Do you need any cellphones? How much does each phone cost?” I inquired, “I need to ask the practitioners in my area if they want to take part in this project.”
He replied, “There's no need to ask them. You can make this little decision yourself. We don't charge anything for the phones. Even if we gave you 100 phones, it still wouldn't amount to much money.”
When I told him that I didn't agree, he asked, “Why? What we're doing is a righteous thing. I'm in charge in my area and I compose the news content for our local weekly publication. I never ask others to review my work or to help me.”
As we continued talking, I felt that his state wasn't quite right. A few days later, I heard that he had been arrested.
The reason I couldn't help him understand that taking a leadership role in a project was not the same as coordinating that project, is because I was also confused on this matter. I feel very regretful that he's still imprisoned today.
The notion that a coordinator is a leader exists in the hearts of many coordinators, as well as regular practitioners. Some coordinators micro-manage everything from Dafa materials production sites to group Fa study.
Some practitioners are used to be being supervised like this, and would feel uncomfortable if it were any other way.
Master said,
“Regardless of who is involved, nobody is given positions of power among Dafa disciples; the coordinators are just points of contact, and each person is in the process of cultivating.” (from “Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day”)
The role that we play as Dafa disciples was determined eons ago, and arose from a sincere desire to help Master during this Fa-rectification period.
Thus, some of us are coordinators, some do technical work, and others clarify the truth face-to-face.
Everyday people have similar capabilities, but being capable has nothing to do with achieving a certain cultivation level or realm.
Category: Perspective
