PureInsight | January 23, 2025
[PureInsight.org] In the article The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces published in June 2024, Master said, "And for this reason things that spell enormous pressure for me, as well as burdens for me, will keep coming, one after another." Within just six months, the evil forces have carried out one after another attacks and persecution targeting the media, Shen Yun, Ganjing World, and Dafa, including a judicial unrestricted warfare directly aimed at Master. These events represent the first malicious lawsuit abroad to directly target Dafa, meticulously planned by the evil forces since the persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples began in 1999.
Some practitioners have remarked, "The mere occurrence and existence of this incident is a disgrace to us disciples." Indeed, this is true. However, what is even more alarming is that in the face of this ultimate battle between righteousness and evil, while Dafa disciples in mainland China are deeply concerned, some practitioners abroad remain detached. They continue with their usual routines, focusing only on their individual projects without much urgency, treating their roles like "small personal plots of land". Some even believe that these malicious lawsuits are nothing more than ordinary civil cases in human society and should not be taken too seriously.
Others have expressed that true practitioners who are aware of the matter have already started sending forth righteous thoughts. However, due to the lawsuits' impact on media projects and the ongoing promotion of Shen Yun in various locations, there is a lack of consensus on how to respond effectively because of insufficient manpower. Even worse, some have gone further to claim that discussing Master's lawsuit should be avoided out of concern that spies might exploit the situation, instead leading to ill-advised actions like protesting to the New York Times in ways reminiscent of mainland practitioners’ actions, which could give the persecutors a pretext for further attacks.
It is evident that all of the above perspectives fail to address the current situation from the standpoint of Fa-rectification.
This article aims to clarify the correct foundation based on the Fa-rectification perspective, referencing insights shared by fellow practitioners and the Minghui article The Battle Between Righteousness and Evil and Another Major Test. It seeks to reaffirm the foundation, define the responsibility of disciples in safeguarding the Fa, recognize and reject the old forces' arrangements, and ultimately present a satisfactory answer to the Master. Please kindly point out any shortcomings with compassion.
Part One: Aligning with the Proper Foundation
So, what does it mean to align with the proper foundation and stand on the foundation of the Fa-rectification?
Regarding this persecution, including its extension overseas, Master gave a lecture as early as October 21, 2000, in Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference,
“How should you view the tribulations and trials that you experience? I can tell you that if a person doesn't have that much karma, he absolutely won't have tribulations that severe. You should clearheadedly distinguish personal cultivation from evil's persecution of the Fa. All of the arrangements that have interfered with Dafa, that have tried to forcefully impose something on me or the Fa, are absolutely unacceptable. So they have to bear responsibility for everything they've done. How is this any different from the persecution of Jesus and the harming of Sakyamuni's disciples back in their days? They have to bear responsibility for all these things--they must bear responsibility for all these things.”
How should we view this persecution? Master further explained in Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference, “All sentient beings in the cosmos are amidst the Fa-rectification, and all the manifestations might appear in this human place since I'm doing this in this human place. I can tell you that the suffering and tribulations endured by our Dafa disciples are not only aimed at their personal cultivation--there are also factors related to high-level beings' testing Dafa using the fact that the students have karma, using ‘improving them’ as an excuse, and using degenerate beings at low levels to carry out the persecution. In fact, all of these have harmed the Fa-rectification.”
Here, based on my personal understanding, Master has pointed out three layers of issues: 1) This is not about personal cultivation. 2) Using disciples’ karma as a pretext to test Dafa—in other words, to test Master. 3) These so-called tests are all acts of destruction against Fa-rectification.
How Should Dafa Disciples Face Such Persecution? Master said in Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference, “what is a Buddha? ‘Tathagata’ is what human beings call someone who's come with the truth and the power to do what he wants, whereas real Buddhas are guardians of the cosmos and are responsible for all righteous elements in the cosmos.”
Regarding the Dafa we cultivate, Master said in the lecture of True Cultivation,
“My truly cultivating disciples, what I have taught you is the Fa for cultivation of Buddha and Dao.” From my understanding, as true disciples, when faced with destruction targeting the Fa-rectification of the universe, we are the guardians of the cosmos and must take responsibility for safeguarding the universal Fa-rectification.
Currently, the malicious lawsuits targeting Dafa projects of saving people and even Master Himself began in the media and have gradually and systematically shifted their focus to Shen Yun and Ganjing World. Ultimately, their goal is to attack the founder of Dafa—Master.
Thus, exposing the evil behind this deliberate attack on Dafa through the U.S. judicial system, defeating these malicious lawsuits on legal grounds, and bringing the sinister intentions of the perpetrators to light—this embodies the rational, resolute, and dignified stance that Dafa disciples should adopt in safeguarding the Fa today. How, then, should we view these malicious lawsuits from the perspective of Fa-rectification?
First, we must be clear in the principles of the Fa. As early as 1998, Master explicitly stated in Teachings at the Conference in Switzerland, “When it comes to any matter in which you know I’ve participated, you have to consider the matter from my perspective. That’s something you’ve neglected before. Troubles created for me are damage directed at this Fa. So it’s completely different from your passing through your hardships. It’s definitely not that your master is cultivating or that your master is passing tests. It really is damage directed at the Fa and the cosmos, so they can’t be equated. Be clear on this.”
In Master's lecture from Teaching at the Conference in Switzerland, we can understand the following layers:
First: Master completely denies the persecution of Dafa arranged by the old forces. The old forces dared to do this because they could not see Master’s true origin and did not believe that Master could save the "near-extinguished" old universe. They simply wanted to use Master’s power to eliminate the karmic debts accumulated by the old universe and achieve their goal of preserving themselves without making any changes. Master has also explained in Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference, “in this affair, they have also fully shown the positions of their xinxing after their deviation from the Fa and have fully revealed their impure side. This has resulted in many things that shouldn't have occurred in certain situations and all kinds of interference; this is quite similar to the display of our students' xinxing at present during their personal cultivation.”
From my personal understanding, the indifference and apathy some disciples display toward the persecution of Master and Dafa actually reflect their xinxing and result from their failure to reject the arrangements of the old forces. These are manifestations, at the human level, of factors imposed by the old forces. For a detailed discussion on this aspect of Fa principles, please refer to the article The Battle Between Righteousness and Evil and Another Major Test published on Minghui.org.
Second: If the Fa-rectification were to fail, all beings in the old universe would be destroyed, including all Dafa disciples and practitioners, as well as the old forces themselves, since they have been gods of the old universe. Master’s efforts to turn the tide and ensure the failure of the old forces’ plans are acts of immense compassion, even toward the old forces themselves, giving them a chance to save themselves.
Third: When faced with malicious lawsuits and the final battle between righteousness and evil during this Fa-rectification period, Dafa disciples must clearly recognize that this is persecution against Dafa and Master. It is the old forces’ elimination-style test of cultivators and an attempt to destroy all beings in the universe while competing with the Creator for sentient beings to save. If someone fails to realize this and does not rise to the occasion, how can they still be considered a Dafa disciple?
In 2001, Master once again provided guidance to disciples in the article of Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples, “A Dafa disciple who fails to achieve the effect of safeguarding and upholding Dafa has no way of reaching Consummation, because your cultivation is different from that of the past and the future. Therein lies the magnificence of a Dafa disciple.”
Some practitioners say, “Master is so great, who could possibly harm him?” Regarding this perspective, Master compassionately gave a very specific teaching as early as July 26, 1998, in Teachings at the Conference of Changchun Assistants,
“Student: Some people say that the power of Dafa is boundless, so Dafa disciples don’t need to safeguard the Fa. Is what they’re saying correct?
Master: No, it’s not. It’s true that the power of Dafa is boundless. Today we are all practicing cultivation in the environment of this ordinary human society. If corrupt high-level beings came to do bad things, the Fa itself would send our Fa-Safeguarding Gods or other high-level beings to destroy them; if our disciples were doing bad things, and gods came and killed them, everyone would acknowledge that the power of this Fa is truly great and wouldn’t dare cause any more trouble for the Fa. Then you couldn’t cultivate anymore. Gods can’t come here to kill ordinary people that casually, nor can they damage this environment in which you cultivate. In our cultivation, if we can do well defending Dafa in different situations when society and various people create all kinds of troubles for us, isn’t that safeguarding the Fa?
As for bad people or those who do bad things, if they’re savable, we can try to persuade them and maybe they’ll be saved. If they’re bent on doing things their own way and continue doing such things—doing them hysterically—then we’ll deal with them when the time comes. It’s also possible they are being used for the time being to test our students. Once our cultivation ends, they’ll have to pay for everything they’ve done, for sure.”
Twenty-six years have passed since then. Reflecting on Master’s relevant lectures, how should we specifically respond to the malicious lawsuits we face today in the United States?
In the article Digging Out the Roots, Master taught, “What I would like to tell you is not whether this incident itself was right or wrong. Instead, I want to point out that this event has exposed some people. They still have not fundamentally changed their human notions, and they still perceive problems with the human mentality wherein human beings protect human beings.” Master also taught, “I have long noticed that a few individuals do not have the heart to safeguard Dafa, but instead intend to safeguard certain things in human society. If you were an everyday person I would have no objections—it is certainly a good thing to be a good person who safeguards human society. But now you are a cultivator. From what standpoint you view Dafa is fundamental—this is also what I want to point out to you.”
If we can become clear on the principles of the Fa and align ourselves with the foundation of Fa-rectification, then the approach to exposing this malicious attack on Dafa through the U.S. judicial system, defeating the lawsuits on legal grounds, and bringing the sinister intentions behind it into the open will become self-evident and natural.
How should we address these systematic evil lawsuits from the perspective of Fa-rectification? Master taught that “Pacify the External by Cultivating the Internal”. Therefore, our first step must be to look inward and identify any gaps in our own cultivation.
Part Two: Identifying and Addressing Gaps
The first step is to identify gaps in our understanding of Fa.
Many overseas practitioners, particularly those involved in media work, attribute the start of this battle between righteousness and evil to the lawsuits targeting the media. Some even naively believe that putting the practitioners involved in the case on trial would sever the media's connection to the issue, suggesting that if someone pleads guilty and takes legal responsibility, the media would be able to escape danger and everything would settle down.
We first need to understand the nature of the lawsuits against the media from both worldly and cultivation perspectives.
From a Secular Perspective, this is a public prosecution case. Public prosecution means that the state initiates the case, with the prosecutor representing the state in court. This lawsuit is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) meticulously planned strategy, developed over many years, to weaponize the U.S. judicial system. It represents the CCP’s first step in extending its persecution of Dafa and Master into overseas territories through legal means.
The CCP has orchestrated this step with precision, activating long-embedded agents within the media and using internal whistleblowers to report to U.S. judicial authorities.
The purpose of this is both clear and sinister: if the defendant is found guilty, they will face substantial fines. Moreover, because this is classified as a "work-related crime," the fines will not be borne solely by the individual; the media organization will inevitably become implicated.
From a Fa-Rectification perspective, this case represents a critical turning point in the Fa-rectification tribulation. It is the first step in the CCP’s systematic scheme to persecute Dafa through a series of interconnected traps.
In the U.S., especially in the New York area, many practitioners have been misled by the idea of "severing ties" with the case. This reflects insufficient depth in their Fa study. A practitioner cultivating in Dafa may make mistakes in their work that do not necessarily equate to legal violations. Secondly, in this Fa-rectification tribulation, we must recognize it as a deliberate persecution by the old forces. How can we fall for the devil's schemes, walk into their trap, and send fellow practitioners to prison? Overseas practitioners have always worked tirelessly to rescue those persecuted in mainland China and completely negate the old forces’ arrangements. Why, then, are some of them indifferent when persecution occurs close to them?
Currently, the number of Dafa disciples and practitioners outside of China, whether they performed well or not in the past, far exceeds the number of overseas practitioners before the CCP’s persecution began. For those practitioners who didn’t do well, overseas environments represent their final line of defense against persecution. If this line is broken, they will find themselves with no escape and no refuge. This is one of the reasons why the old forces systematically orchestrate tribulations like this, intending to eliminate practitioners.
We must take a Fa-rectification standpoint and recognize that this is "the most evil, most malicious, and most indecent persecution in human history." (Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)). We must see through the old forces' plot to utilize the CCP’s implementation of using the U.S. judicial system to attack Falun Dafa overseas. We must thwart the old forces' sinister intention of eliminating large numbers of practitioners.
If we fail to recognize the chaotic manifestations and deeper schemes of the old forces in the context of the Fa and even regard these malicious lawsuits as legitimate, at best it reflects heavy human attachments and confusion due to agent propaganda. At worst, it amounts to aiding the evil in its persecution of Dafa and Master.
Master said in the article The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces, “The trouble that the practitioner-founded media company is now facing mainly owes to practitioners not doing well, though factors from other dimensions are also at work behind the scenes.”
This involves two levels of issues. First one is the issue of “practitioners not doing well". Our understanding is that "practitioners not doing well" is guidance from the perspective of cultivation. It emphasizes that in any project to save people, practitioners must adhere to the standards of cultivators and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance (Zhen-Shan-Ren) as set by the universal Dafa. The requirements of the universal Dafa for disciples far exceed any legal standards of ordinary people. In other words, while practitioners may have deviated from the standards of cultivation in this matter, it does not necessarily mean they violated U.S. laws.
When Master mentioned "practitioners not doing well", it may not solely refer to the practitioners who are being sued. Some media practitioners, for example, have written reports or comments that deviate from the primary mission and principles of saving people. These actions have inadvertently triggered negative factors in ordinary people and provided the old forces with excuses and opportunities to persecute Dafa.
On the other hand, operational loopholes in business management and practitioners' excessive attachments, such as treating tasks as cultivation, harboring resentment because of failing to overcome the Xinxing test, seeking solutions outward, and long-standing issues provided an environment for the spy to conduct internal sabotage. These long-standing issues have not only hindered the development of compassion expected of Dafa disciples but have also eroded even the basic harmony and kindness, making the environment increasingly cold and complex.
In Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Midwest-U.S. Fa Conference, Master stated,
"You can't say that it's because we have special agents there causing interference or blame it on this or on that. Actually, I talked about this long ago: When your minds are very righteous, a special agent wouldn't dare to stay where you are. He only has two options. One is to be assimilated by the righteous field, since the pure and righteous field that Dafa disciples give off purges everything that's bad in a person's mind. The pure, righteous field would disintegrate it, disintegrate everything that's unrighteous in the person's consciousness, and that's another manifestation of salvation and a reflection of compassion. When everything bad in a person's consciousness has been disintegrated and he's only left with a simple, pure mind, then that person will recognize and appreciate what's upright and good. So hasn't he been assimilated? Then the other option is to run away as quickly as he can, because the bad person's thought karma and bad concepts are afraid of being disintegrated."
The other one was the Impact of Collective Karma. Master has spoken about the influence of collective karma. In the article The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces, Master said, "I know that in fact fifteen percent of the karma still remains to be dealt with as we go about saving lives. That is what’s left after twenty-some years of working to save lives. It is a huge amount, I know."
Second: The Issue of "factors from other dimensions are also at work behind the scenes". Our understanding is that the old forces have always been watching closely, looking for practitioners’ loopholes to target Dafa and Shen Yun.
When fellow practitioners fail to adhere to Dafa’s principles to do well, leaving gaps for the evil to exploit, malicious lawsuits may ensue. Every practitioner's understanding and response to such incidents reflect their own foundation and intentions regarding the matter. Some quickly distance themselves, unwilling to be implicated, some painfully seek to draw clear lines; some reflect inward to improve themselves, and others stand firmly to safeguard Dafa, going against the tide and making every effort to rescue fellow practitioners facing malicious accusations.
If a practitioner who has not done well is exploited by evil due to gaps in cultivation but has not violated any secular laws, what kind of person would demand such practitioners plead guilty and go to prison? Is it merely an issue of ignorance, insufficient study of the Fa, or inadequacy in cultivation? Shouldn’t this prompt serious reflection and vigilance?
In reality, the issues seen in the media are, to some extent, present across various projects. These are the underlying causes of the ordeals that Dafa disciples are facing. They stem from problems in practitioners’ own cultivation, making Master bear additional karma of disciples and practitioners other than the hardship from saving sentient beings.
On June 26, 1999, during a lecture in Chicago, a disciple asked Master in Teachings at the Midwestern U.S. Conference, "Master, please tell us, when Jesus was about to be crucified, what were all of his disciples doing? Master, please relay this to people around the world and in the heavens: We Dafa disciples will absolutely not allow such a thing to happen."
Where is that disciple now? As Master faces malicious accusations today, do overseas Dafa disciples still possess the same pure and righteous heart to protect the Fa? If not, have we reflected on what human attachments are hindering this protective mindset, obstructing our recognition of the mission and responsibility of the Fa-rectification period as Dafa disciples? Or is it some aspect of ordinary society that makes us unworthy of being Dafa disciples and remaining here?
Only by identifying these fundamental attachments can we seal off the gaps that the old forces exploit to persecute Dafa and Shen Yun. Only then can Master step in to completely dissolve the evil. To put it plainly, the evil resides within those practitioners with gaps and exists in the field of those groups of practitioners. How could Master take action against His disciples?
Therefore, during the malicious accusations against Dafa, if one is still attached to their own small sphere of influence within their project—thinking it means by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations, believing this alone negates the old forces’ arrangements—such understanding is dangerously close to, if not outright, deviated enlightenment. This is because such a heart is not aligned with Dafa or safeguarding Master. One must realize that Master is bearing immense karma for us! At this point, it is no longer about whether one has gaps; it is about whether one is even worthy of being a Dafa disciple during the Fa-rectification period.
This does not mean abandoning your current work or projects. Instead, it is about whether your heart is aligned with Dafa, whether your heart is intent on safeguarding Master. If your heart is truly with Dafa and safeguarding Master, you will naturally know what to do and how to do it. Master said in Expounding on the Fa, "Be aware: I am not asking you to intentionally do something. I am only trying to make you understand the principles of the Fa so that you will have a clear understanding of this. In fact, Dafa is not only to save human beings—it is also taught to all beings in the various dimensions. Your enlightened, original nature will automatically know what to do. Cherishing your human side enables you to enlighten to and ascend in the Fa."
Having clarified the greatest mission of Dafa disciples during the Fa-rectification period, does this mean we should act impulsively, with righteous indignation, to confront ordinary institutions or agents?
Part Three: Rationally Safeguarding Dafa
Some worry about spies exploiting the situation and thus refrain from letting the broader body of Dafa disciples and practitioners know about the malicious lawsuits. On the surface, this seems like a way to protect Dafa. However, the very nature of these malicious lawsuits is an attack against the entirety of Dafa. Who can truly avoid seeing or hearing it? Who can escape this significant test?
This is a battle between righteousness and evil. Whether one is a project leader, a coordinator within a Falun Dafa Association, or an ordinary practitioner, everyone must position themselves appropriately in this process. Withholding the truth of the situation from everyone is not protecting Dafa—it reflects a lack of trust in Master and the Fa.
Would mature Dafa disciples act impulsively when faced with such malicious lawsuits? The answer is no. Their first reaction would undoubtedly be to immediately raise their hands and send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil entities in other dimensions. Seasoned practitioners understand that any event in the human world is orchestrated by beings in other dimensions. Following this, they would engage in discussions based on the Fa, striving to ensure their foundation is correct, their understanding of Fa is clear, and their direction is well-defined. Then, they would develop appropriate countermeasures based on the specific circumstances.
The overseas social environment is entirely different from that in mainland China. The Western societies are governed by the rule of law, even though the judiciary in the United States has been manipulated by dark forces in this instance, the majority of the populace still lacks a deep understanding of the CCP's overseas infiltration. Therefore, safeguarding Dafa in the West must be done rationally and is fundamentally different from the methods used in mainland China. It requires consideration from two distinct perspectives.
Firstly, from the perspective of Fa principles, we must be clear. It must be recognized that malicious accusations are not only an attack on Dafa, but also obstruct the continued salvation of beings by Shen Yun, and they harm Master's reputation. Therefore, not only should every Dafa disciple and practitioner concentrate their efforts to send forth righteous thoughts, but every region, especially the United States, should focus on sending forth righteous thoughts collectively at some time for this purpose.
Secondly, from the human perspective, we must remain clear-headed. Malicious legal accusations may appear to be civil lawsuits, and to an ordinary American, they might seem insignificant. In fact, whether public or civil prosecution, it represents a long-term drain on the limited resources of Dafa, including financial and human resources. This is an evil tactic. When we downplay the seriousness of this, we are actually standing on the side of evil and helping the evil scheme to succeed.
Among veteran practitioners, there may be some who are hindered by human emotions. Although they understand the importance of sending forth righteous thoughts, when the first coordinator or superior in the project expresses views that are not in line with the Fa, they may unconsciously “obey unconditionally.” This is a significant gap in the overseas cultivation environment.
So, is it possible for someone to act impulsively? Yes, it is. Impulsiveness can be seen from two perspectives. On the one hand, some practitioners, due to their gratitude to Dafa and Master, may react emotionally to such evil acts. On the other hand, spies may manipulate practitioners' emotions and incite them to take extreme actions. However, if organizations like the Falun Dafa Association or Minghui can provide timely reminders and guidance, we believe that truly dedicated practitioners will understand and control themselves.
For those who continue to take extreme actions despite clear guidance, it is undeniable that their true identities have been exposed. No matter what excuse is given to cover it, it only indicates that these individuals are spies infiltrating among the practitioners.
When we are clear in our understanding of Fa, correctly position ourselves in the process of Fa rectification, and correct any gaps in our cultivation, the wisdom and power of Dafa will naturally manifest to support each of us, the Fa protectors. This will empower us to take righteous action and formulate correct plans to safeguard Dafa, breaking through the disintegrative tests of the old forces and truly and thoroughly rejecting their arrangements.
Finally, let me share the last paragraph from The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces as encouragement for all, “The truth is, we shouldn’t expect to not face ordeals as a spiritual discipline just because we are in a certain location; it’s just that they assume different forms. And during these ordeals, lives are being chosen to either remain or be sifted out in the end, and just as much is at stake for our Dafa practitioners.”
Whether we succeed or fail depends on us!
Chinese version: https://www.zhengjian.org/node/294229
