There Is No Absolute Right or Wrong Opinion

Opinions may differ when spreading the Fa. It is normal in a way because the differences in our opinions reflect the differences in our respective cultivation levels, the way we conduct ourselves in life, our experiences in life, and our personalities and dispositions. Everyone will try to contribute to Fa-spreading work by offering the best solutions at his cultivation level. Everyone thinks that he is absolutely right since we cannot transcend our existing enlightenment ability, xinxing standard, and wisdom. In this respect, there is no absolute right or wrong opinion because Dharma at a given level assumes a guiding role at that level and no one can see Dharma that transcends his current cultivation level. Therefore, there is no such thing as right or wrong when we debate.

When we are engage in group activities, we all want to be responsible to the Fa and try our best to solve problems. We argue because we allow no room for deviation. In the logic of ordinary people, argument is inevitable to arrive at the truth. The more we debate, the clearer the truth will be. It seems that we must always regard an opinion as right or wrong.

If we look at the issue from a higher level, we will realize that everything we encounter is arranged by Master Li as an opportunity to let go of our attachments and to advance to a higher level and, most importantly, to upgrade our xinxing collectively as a whole. When I say that there is no absolute right or wrong in our opinion, I mean no one can help being at his current level of cultivation or not being at a different one. However, when practitioners as a whole need to be brought to a higher level, every practitioner's cultivation plays a significant role in helping to arrive at a higher collective level. From this perspective, there are right or wrong opinions in group discussions. Yet the criteria to evaluate opinions are by no means the same as those employed by ordinary people.

We all know that success and failure in the human realm are merely reflections from other dimensions. It is what happens in other dimensions that determines the outcome in the human realm. Only when we do Dafa work with the purest heart will we transform our efforts into something great and sacred. When we validate the Fa, the key factor is the purity in our righteous thoughts. If we are united as one, there should be no loopholes or pitfall. If we argue endlessly and refuse to give ground, feelings of estrangement are guaranteed. Moreover, we will be actually undermining the Fa and we will be doing a very bad thing. For example, in the efforts of writing letters to senators to clarify the truth, a Dafa disciple with a pure heart but a poor command of English, wrote a letter to senators with an inappropriate choice of words and syntax. However, the letter proved to be far more effective than those letters which were gracefully written. Naturally we should try to write the letters perfectly, but we must distinguish an important fact. Our cultivation state is more crucial than skills and techniques in doing Dafa work.

It is just like the differences in western and Chinese medicine that Master Li described in Zhuan Falun. Techniques do not guarantee better results in Dafa work, just as advanced western dentistry equipment does not guarantee better results. We should differentiate the root cause of tangible results from reflections in the human realms.

Arriving at the best solution for Dafa work isn't the only agenda of a group discussion. We should also regard conflicts of opinions in a group discussion as an opportunity to advance our level of understanding Fa as a whole. Our enthusiastic discussions differ from the heated debates of ordinary people because of the mindset of practitioners that are attempting to cultivate truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. We ought to govern ourselves at all times and by all means with truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. If we would analyze the issue in discussion with a true heart, treat everyone and everything with compassion, and tolerate different opinions with a heart of great forbearance, our mind will transform the group discussion into a classroom where we can advance together as a whole.

Speaking of tolerance, why do we often fail to tolerate different opinions from fellow practitioners while we persistently tolerate tribulations from ordinary people? There are bound to be karmic relationships among Dafa disciples after countless reincarnations. In each life we must have created karma. Shouldn't we try to transform the karma by paying our dues? Shouldn't we endure the tribulations in order to resolve these karmic relationships into benevolent ones in this life?

Regarding how to resolve different opinions in Dafa work, Master Li made a very specific suggestion, "You may have different opinions in resolving an issue. When you have had a discussion, you should place the Fa before you and do not stress your individual opinion. When a decision has been made, you should support the decision together. If everyone holds fast to his own opinion and argues endlessly, you will not unite as a whole. That is when you have already been manipulated by the evil that damages the Fa, or by the demon side of you. If you stubbornly hold on to your own opinion, that reflects an attachment to self." From Falun Budda Fa Lecture in Australia, (an unofficial translation).

Master Li arranges cultivation for each and every one of us. When the old forces think that they have arranged our cultivation, Master Li makes the genuine arrangements for our cultivation which utilizes the arrangements by the old forces. When we figure out how to overcome the arrangements by the old forces, it may be Master Li's arrangement for us to come to that solution. Master Li supervises all Dafa work at a macroscopic level. Generally speaking, we will not go astray in any Dafa work because Master's fashen always looks out for us. Master will leave some portion for us as opportunities to eliminate our attachments and to make a perfect ending to Master's arrangements.

Since it is guaranteed that nothing can go wrong with Dafa work, we should not hold fast to our own ideas or selfishness in the name of ensuring success of Dafa work. Perhaps it is an opportunity arranged by Master Li for us to abandon our individual attachments and learn to support different ideas. For instance, we may as well comply with and support the opinion of the majority of disciples or the main coordinator of the event when we have diverse opinions in a discussion for Dafa work. After all, it is the tragic flaw of the old forces to believe that they are always right, and refuse to change themselves. We must eliminate demonic interference from our mind, which manifests itself by refusing to change ourselves.

One of the goals of cultivation is to expand the capacity of our mind for truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. We should try to tolerate different opinions with a peaceful and compassionate mind with the collective goal to advance as a whole to higher cultivation levels. After a collective decision is made, we should discard our personal opinions and play an active role in supporting the collective decision. We are a whole in the Fa. We should always place the Fa in front of everything else, and choose collective interests over personal ones. This, I think, will be the manifestation of unselfishness.

Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2002/5/20/16137.html