Fa Teaching Given at the 2015 New York Fa Conference

Li Hongzhi
May 14, 2015

(All in attendance stand and applaud enthusiastically for Master.)

       Good morning! Please be seated. Dafa cultivation has brought all of you together here. Each Dafa disciple is doing the things he ought to do in order to fulfill his or her historic mission. Of course, some are diligent, and some are not so diligent, but that’s normal. When you have a group of cultivators, well, it would actually be abnormal for everyone to be so diligent. But whatever the case, as Dafa disciples we have got to fulfill what we are supposed to. If what Dafa disciples have been working toward really does take place in the near future, and yet you haven’t done well, then at that point you will regret it—truly regret it. If [at that point] you haven’t done many of the things that you originally aspired to do, or haven’t saved many of the people you aspired to save, then that’s a major issue.

       Of course, you need to do well at personal cultivation if you’re to do well at those things. So this means cultivation is fundamental for each of you. With any project to save people, if you stray from cultivation you will find that you become more and more like a non-cultivator and tend to think about matters and do things in an increasingly ordinary way. But if you can stay on the Fa all the way through, and not let up in your personal cultivation at any point, you will find that everything you do is truly befitting a cultivator. That is simply essential if a Dafa disciple is to complete his mission, and what ensures it on a fundamental level. So you cannot stray from the Fa, and at no point can you let up in your own cultivation. Yes, many Dafa disciples outside of China are busy with projects. And if you want to do a good job with those projects and make them effective at saving people, then you need to do them better, put more heart into them, and spend more time on them. And that being the case, it may seem as though there’s no time for your own cultivation. But however things may be, you all still need to make time for cultivation and for Fa study.

       Of course, since you are cultivating, everything you do, as long as you are a cultivator, is directly related to your cultivation, and those things in fact make up your cultivation path. Everything you do is integrated with your cultivation journey. Your cultivation is embedded in whatever you do, be it working out in the world, doing Dafa projects, or going about your daily lives, and that is for sure. Of course, as I just said, there are those who are diligent and those who are not; some realize the enormous responsibility that a Dafa disciple, a being such as this, has, while some don’t have a very strong sense of it. Of course, I think that whatever the case, you cannot, as Dafa disciples, become lax. A few years ago what I was most worried about was that even when the persecution was so severe, many people weren’t able to cooperate with one another on Dafa projects. There were a lot of things that fell through as a result of your disputes; a lot of things fell through as a result of evil factors exploiting your strong competitiveness with one another. You have now become aware of these problems, and with many things people now basically just go ahead and do them if they think the ideas are okay. Although many things aren’t thought through that comprehensively or thoroughly, if you look at it as a Dafa disciple, aren’t these situations being provided to you and giving you room in which to cultivate yourself? Isn’t it being left to you to work on and to compensate for whatever hasn’t been thought through thoroughly, or whatever you think isn’t so ideal yet? Aren’t those precisely the things that you should go and do?

       The same issues were also apparent when many people were doing promotions and selling Shen Yun tickets. At first there were disputes, and some people seemed unenthusiastic. And while most people did as they were told, they didn’t put their whole hearts into the work. But since every minute and every second of your life is part of your cultivation, you are wasting your own [opportunities], wasting the limited time that you have on your cultivation journey, and failing to walk the path well. You have to wholeheartedly do a good job at whatever you are supposed to do—and only then is it admirable. You might be doing what you’re told, but if you don’t really pay attention to your attitude toward things or how to effectively save people, then that’s a problem in your cultivation.

       You did try to do what you could, of course. But things are never that simple in matters of saving lives. The old forces hold that there will be no mighty virtue earned if you can complete something easily. And that is why they make things hard for you. If something can be done easily, then anyone could do it. Then what would be the point of having Dafa disciples do it, and what would be the point of having you do it? And thus it plays out that the things you do have a certain degree of difficulty involved, and only this way can you demonstrate that you’re cultivating. Indeed, only when things are like that can Dafa disciples really exhibit their mighty virtue. When you are able to accomplish what others cannot, manage to cultivate yourselves well while being subjected to hardships and the pressures of persecution, and manage to save sentient beings on top of that, it is simply extraordinary. Yet what does “saving sentient beings” really entail? Consider the following. Many people in history have talked about their intention to “save sentient beings.” While it was easy to say those words, they actually provoked laughter among the gods. For who would be so bold as to save sentient beings? It’s one thing to utter those grandiose words, but who would have the courage to really carry them out? If you’re to save someone, how will you help him dissolve the tremendous karmic debts that he carries or the many sorts of notions that he has formed while in this world? How will you settle the karmic and pre-existing connections between his karmic debts and all that’s related to him in this world? And how much more complex it is to save a multitude of sentient beings, rather than just one life. That’s how hard it is to save people. But, as complex as these things may be, there is Master as well as other gods there to help with the deeper things involved. And the surface-level things involve great challenges as well. And these are what you need to put your heart into working on.

       Cultivators, from the appearance, aren’t any different from ordinary people. It’s not as if after taking up cultivation in Dafa you’ll look like a divine being overnight. There’s no change in appearance. The only change as you walk upon this path to divinity is that the way you think about things will be different from how ordinary people do. Some people appear to be quite diligent as they cultivate, studying the Fa and doing the exercises, but they don’t look within. But if you don’t look within, think about it, aren’t you an ordinary person then? Does any ordinary person look within? Which ordinary person can look within? Suppose someone tries to reflect on where he did wrong in any disagreement he comes across, and apologizes to the other party after figuring things out, well, if he’s in China, people will think he is crazy. That’s because the morals of the whole society have been ruined by that evil Party. No ordinary person would look at problems that way. Instead, when he gets into a disagreement he usually points fingers at the other party, and tensions escalate. Dafa disciples aren’t like that.

       Of course, there are some who are diligent and some who are not, along with newer practitioners. And so when you experience conflicts or tensions, there are plenty among you who can’t get over it for a while. However, with the help of veteran practitioners or with sustained Fa-study you will gradually get clearer on matters. In cultivation you will, bit by bit, come to realize, “Oh, I need to look within and figure out what my shortcoming is, what’s wrong on my part, or what I didn’t do well, which caused this to occur.” And that is what sets a cultivator apart from an ordinary person. This is not something you can glean from a person’s surface. But how your mind reacts to a disagreement or conflict, or what attitude you have toward it, is nothing like an ordinary person. I have often talked about these things in Zhuan Falun and other teachings, to remind you of them from time to time. Sometimes when you aren’t mindful in cultivation you forget this, or when a human attachment is too strong you don’t think of it. But that won’t do. You need to be clear that you are a cultivator.

       It’s only to be expected that, as you go about doing the things that Dafa disciples do to save people, you are going to encounter all sorts of people in this mundane world. And therein lie the challenges you face. Don’t dwell on how people might be on the surface. Some of them have accepted the lies that the CCP uses to persecute us, and have a bad attitude toward Dafa or Dafa disciples. But give it some careful thought and you will realize that the CCP’s lies have poisoned these people. If Dafa disciples really are the missionaries of salvation during this final affair—Dafa disciples are all clear, of course, about why they are doing what they’re doing—then think about it: what really is the CCP? Wouldn’t it be none other than the Beast at the End of Days that all of those prophecies and religions have talked about throughout history? And doesn’t it seek to destroy humanity? We see it for what it is, of course. It’s just that this final affair is divided into two phases. In this phase things take place in China alone, and not around the world, though its poison has spread throughout the globe. The one-sided lies that the Party has used to persecute Falun Gong blanketed the earth, and all of the world’s media were reprinting those lies. During that part of the persecution of Falun Gong, those media were spreading the evil on its behalf, in effect. And to this day the customs departments of many countries still have blacklists issued by the evil CCP. Of course, in the free world those things weren’t done intentionally by the media or by those entities. We know that. Rather, my point is that the poison has been spread throughout the world, with some institutions in certain nations still going by that information and not using their own judgment to tell good from evil.

       Another thing is, that sort of persecution is not what people think it is. To save a person is to save what’s at the core of a person. And what’s at the core is reflected in his thoughts and spirit, whereas superficial things may not be very important. If a person’s mind and spirit have been poisoned, seriously contaminated, then that life is truly corrupt. If a person has committed a terrible crime, it doesn’t mean that he can no longer be saved. That is not what I’m saying. Those are just his outward actions, and it’s possible for him to turn around, as what is at his core may not be that bad. But when a life truly has been poisoned and has done immoral things against divine beings or missionaries of the divine, then it’s very serious. Of course, while we are trying to save people, the evil is trying to drag people down to Hell. People such as those whom we see with bad attitudes toward Dafa or who are vicious toward Dafa disciples are actually pitiable. They have been poisoned by the CCP’s lies, in fact, and that is what causes them to act as they do. Of course, in some instances people have been driven by money. But whatever the case, we should try to save whoever we can, including these people. You might not be aware of it, but the person you see now acting so evilly might have once upon a time been a holy divine figure in the heavens, and he is now here as a human, having come to this earth to gain this Fa.

       The surface skins of the people in this world were created by gods, and, as if they were an article of clothing, they are now worn by divine beings who descended here; the majority of these beings are divine figures from the heavens. It follows, then, that the people now in this world are not so simple. So despite the various appearances that the things of human society have, the many trades or occupations people are in, and the different kinds of people there are, however a person may come across is really nothing like how he is at his core. Just think for a moment about what it was like for a divine being to come to this world and be human. Wouldn’t he have been aware of what the human world would be like? It is perilous and terrible. And yet he had the courage to forgo his divine status and take the leap, coming here and turning human. So just on the merit of this alone Dafa disciples should save him. These beings are just like you Dafa disciples, who managed to come here and take on such tremendous missions and responsibilities. Could you not have known what would become of this setting? It would have been hard to imagine saving people when you yourself might have even been ruined here. And yet you came. And they did the same. They came, with the thought that this Fa would certainly save them and with full confidence in Dafa. Then that alone should be reason enough for us to save them, shouldn’t it? You absolutely should save them. They once were incomparably holy gods. If you are to do this well, you have to be consistently diligent at cultivation and constantly strengthen yourselves.

       I’ve observed that on some projects many of you have been acting simply too ordinary. A media company… Let’s talk about the media work, for example. A media company should be run well. Yet what do we have but people’s thinking turning more and more ordinary over the course of time, with people no longer looking at things as a cultivator would, but instead in ordinary ways. In no way is that being like a Dafa disciple. Why are Dafa disciples running a media company, after all? To save people. Don’t forget that your purpose is to save people, and the reason to run a media company well is to save people. Clarifying the facts and saving sentient beings are what you need to accomplish. There is nothing else for you to accomplish. There is nothing else in this world that you need to accomplish. Those are the things that you need to work toward, and yet some people no longer pay much attention to even their own cultivation, and have instead made a priority of ordinary things. Haven’t you strayed from the path of Dafa disciples’ cultivation, then?

       There have been many Dafa disciples who have always had problems in their cultivation over the years. Conflicts haven’t been the most serious of issues. There have been quite a few instances of sickness karma tests, with many people even passing away. But truth be told, if I’m to put it seriously, you cannot tell from the surface how a cultivator is really doing. Of course, such a person will be doing Dafa things like others, but what people see are the outward things, while in reality there are many attachments deep inside, which others cannot see. Many things that he can’t let go of are deeply hidden. The person knows himself that those things aren’t good, and so he’s afraid of others finding out about them, for fear of embarrassment. Yet he doesn’t take those things seriously as a cultivator, and hasn’t managed to work wholeheartedly on eliminating them or managed to handle them well after recognizing them. There have also been cases where someone didn’t take some minor things seriously in his cultivation, and they turned into major problems.

      Let me put it this way. The requirements for a Dafa disciple are high—higher than those of any other cultivation setting. In form it’s not that strict, but the standards and requirements for your cultivation are high. It’s a problem if you fail to recognize your own mistakes, just as it’s a problem if you fail to see the strong attachments you might have. And when you do become aware of them, you definitely should, as a Dafa disciple, address them, of course. And that is cultivation.

       Yet with some people… especially in mainland China, where the evil culture of that place is brimming everywhere, all throughout society the relationships that people have are no longer as they normally should be for human beings. It’s commonplace there for people to lie to one another, and lies just roll right off the tongue, instead of truthful words. And people’s ways of thinking have departed from normal, human ways. So in that kind of setting it is indeed really hard for a person to become aware of his problems. Then is that fair? The old forces believe that it is, as what you hope for is to make it to the future. What is here will cease to exist, and you are trying to go to the future. And it’s not just about your going to the future; many people who came from high planes are representatives of sentient beings in their cosmic bodies of very high planes, and they are representing so many lives’ chances of salvation. So how could there not be strict standards set for you? That is how the old forces see it. And it was for this reason that they made that environment [of China] such a mess, with things there not how they normally should be for human beings. The old forces of the old universe feel that, by making you cultivate in that kind of setting, things are fair. Their thinking is, “I will only recognize your Consummation if you have made it through in an environment like this. Who wouldn’t be able to cultivate in a nice environment?” But in a setting like that it really is terribly hard to become aware of one’s shortcomings, isn’t it? It really is, indeed. When everyone you encounter there thinks in the way that they do, and the way people act toward one another is the way that it is, what are you going to do?

       Well, you have Dafa. And the old forces see it this way too, and think, “You’re a Dafa disciple, aren’t you? So you should be cultivating in line with Dafa and doing things based on what Dafa requires.” And that is indeed the case. Yet some students don’t act in line with Dafa but instead do things in ordinary ways. And worse still, when they do become aware of their own faults they think it’s nothing significant and just brush them aside. But the old forces won’t turn a blind eye to those things. They will hold you to the standards for a cultivator; they will hold you to the standards for the lives of the future. So do you think they will be all right with it if you use the standards of ordinary people to evaluate yourself or govern yourself? They won’t. And this is why some people have met with so many ordeals and troubles, and some have even passed away without knowing why. Of course, as Dafa disciples you are able to save people through clarifying the facts. Then, since ordinary people can be saved, would all the work that such a Dafa disciple did have been in vain? No, that’s not so. It’s a matter of levels. In other words, if someone did many things as a Dafa disciple but didn’t cultivate well in certain regards, and passed away, then what happens? His having been a Dafa disciple wouldn’t count for nothing, of course, nor would the things that he did. It’s just a matter of the level [he attains].

       I can’t help but think about the fact that our Dafa disciples are up against a world of 7 billion people. And even though we have a lot of Dafa disciples in China, they are up against a population there of 1.5 billion. It’s really just so hard to save people there, given all the pressure from that sinister rogue regime. And you have to do well at it. So how are you going to do that, then? Since you are Dafa disciples, you have the capacity to do things that past cultivators could not, and you have the capacity to accomplish what ordinary people cannot. You are Dafa disciples and you have Dafa—the Dafa of the future. Yet some people aren’t thinking this way. They don’t value the Fa that much and don’t have very strong righteous thoughts. So they aren’t able to do what I have described or do those things well, and they have veered off course at times.

       Of course, some Dafa disciples have done very well. As I’ve said, Dafa disciples have differing foundations (genji). Some have done exceptionally well, and some have little karma such that [the evil beings] aren’t bold enough to persecute them that severely; some have a larger amount of karma, though, and so [the evil beings] do seize on this as grounds for persecution.

       As this is a Fa conference, I would rather not take up too much of your time. So I went straight to the point, spoke directly about cultivation, and cut right to the chase. The purpose of your gathering here, coming from far away, after all, is to improve yourselves in this setting of cultivation and hear Master speak. But actually, everything is in Zhuan Falun. Everything I have talked about is just an explanation of Zhuan Falun. And you’re capable of seeing all of this in the book yourselves. It’s only that sometimes you are just not that energetic or attentive when you pick up the book. And sometimes when you are busy, or are being interfered with in one way or another, your will to read the book isn’t that strong or your mind isn’t focused. And in that case you won’t gain the Fa from it or see much of anything. Cultivation is a serious matter.

       I’d like to mention something. As you know, the first thing that appears when you open Zhuan Falun is Lunyu. Well, I haven’t been satisfied with the current Lunyu as a preface to the book. (Master laughs.) I’m aware of Dafa disciples’ feelings toward the Fa—it’s as dear to you as your own life. Everyone is able to recite Lunyu from memory. And Lunyu has indeed had a big impact in your Fa-rectification cultivation; it has helped to strengthen your righteous thoughts and has played a positive role. But, since Lunyu was written to help people who had no idea of what the Fa was to understand it at that time, its starting point wasn’t very high, and the thought of validating the Fa with science was somewhat strong. Yet this Fa is massive. The future lies in its hands. But Lunyu was giving science too much credit and making too much of it. So I’ve been wanting to revise it for quite a while. But because the situation has been terrible in these years, and information restricted, with both true and false things out there and even people intentionally making trouble, I didn’t work on it for some time. Recently I’ve been revising Lunyu and I wanted to let you know. I may publish it soon on the Minghui site.

       So, what should you do with the original Lunyu? You can make a copy of or print out the new one after configuring the page to be the same size as your book and matching the original font type and size. You can cut out the page that contains the original Lunyu, and then paste in or affix the new page. I wanted to let you all know about this at the Fa conference here. By my mentioning it here today you will believe that the news is legitimate. (Disciples laugh and applaud.) Otherwise (Master laughs), I’m sure that, for emotional reasons, some Dafa disciples might have a hard time accepting it. I know.

       In any case, as your Master, I think about what is good for you, for your cultivation, and for the future. This Fa is massive.

       I have told you about the structure of the cosmos, to the point where that structure can’t be described further with language. To give a sense for its level of complexity, just consider how many branches a tree has. And we’re just talking about the branches of one tree. Then in a forest, how many trees, how many branches, and how many leaves are there? And even if you take all of the trees, branches, and leaves on this earth as a whole, they can’t begin to represent even a small expanse of the universe. There is no way to express it. It’s just too large and complex. The number of lives is simply countless, boundless, so many as to be measureless, with some gods being so gigantic that it is unimaginable. And everything is alive. When people regard things as being “organic” or “inorganic,” it is based only on the phenomena that people see, visually, at the surface. All things, including the products manufactured by factories, are alive. If something weren’t alive it would quickly disintegrate and cease to exist. People have claimed that with supernormal powers a person can see that everything in someone’s room—be it tables, chairs, stools, walls—can speak with them and communicate with them. And that is indeed the case. All things are alive. And that is why monks and cultivators of the past wouldn’t carelessly waste or ruin things and would try to avoid damaging anything. It was related to that. I limit my remarks to the structure of the larger dimension, as things are extremely complex.

       I’ve previously avoided discussing this human dimension. Since Dafa disciples are cultivating at a higher level, I only teach the Great Way. But even in this human environment here, that is, this human dimension that is composed of molecules, there are many, many of what could be called dimensions or space-times, which are invisible to humans. And what am I talking about? As you know, the human eye can see the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet in this world. (Master indicates a limited range with his hands.) You can see what’s within the range of these colors. But scientists now know that there are more than these, right? Many other colors exist. Aren’t there higher frequencies, and longer wavelengths, in the light spectrum (extending hand twice toward his upper right)? And in fact, there are also lower frequencies in the light spectrum (extending hand twice toward his lower left). Aren’t there things such as infrared, ultraviolet, and X-rays? It is those that I’m referring to. They too are part of this dimension and are likewise composed of molecules, and yet they’re invisible to the human eye. It’s just like the piano, for example. Let’s say the human eye can see only the keys of one octave, even though the range of the piano is several octaves (extending arm to his right to suggest multiple octaves)… seven of them. And the double bass has several low octaves as well (extending arm to his left). I’m just using the piano as a metaphor; the light spectrum is much more extensive than the range of a piano (extending arms horizontally, indicating a far distance). Everything is material. I’m just using the light spectrum to convey the idea. Those things really do exist. And molecules that really do exist make up the things of material existence, worlds, space-times, and so on. But the human eye can see only this very narrow portion (holding hands eye-width apart to show the narrowness), or what’s in this one octave (laughing), when there are countless other octaves that people can’t perceive (left and right arms are simultaneously extended), both lower ones and higher ones. (As Master speaks he extends his left hand to the left and stops, extends his right hand to the right and stops, and as his two hands form a certain width indicating a range, he looks at everyone with a smile.)

       I was merely describing things along a horizontal, straight line, actually. (With palms facing the body, Master extends his arms from his chest horizontally left and right.) Things also go vertically (extending his arms out from his chest forward, in the direction of the audience), as well as this way (extending the right arm out to his right, at waist height), and that way (extending the left arm toward the front, in the direction of the audience and at waist height), and within these there are others like this (continuing to extend the left arm in the same direction, toward the audience, and doing a motion to suggest much branching out on both the left and right sides), and like that. (Master extends his arms toward the back, the right, and in various other directions, and at the same time, indicates in each direction much branching out, then stops and looks at everyone.) (Disciples applaud and Master smiles and does heshi.) There is no language to describe this, is there? It’s hard to express. And I’m just explaining things that are along one line (gesturing to suggest a horizontal line from left to right). So the idea is that there are keys of many, many octaves that are invisible to the human eye. What is visible to the human eye or perceptible with vision is paralleled by the rest of your body. In other words, what you can’t see, you also won’t be able to touch or hear. Your senses of hearing, touch, and sight are all limited to the equivalent of this one octave (gesturing to show a limited width). Some people have said that they can hear music from the heavens and that it’s so beautiful, while some say that they can see living things in other dimensions. And indeed they can, but those are all in this dimension—the larger dimension that is made up of molecules, and which is remarkably diverse. All of those things do tangibly exist. And all of those living things can see human beings, in fact, while humans can’t [usually] see them. Then how could that be? As I’ve indicated before, this human realm (gesturing to show a limited range) is the only place that’s in delusion. Those living things that humans can’t see are not subject to delusion.

       What I am talking about is known to modern science, and not something sensational. So what is life like over in those similar dimensions that exist in parallel to humankind’s? And who resides there? Human beings’ lives, limited as they are to this world, are really rather pitiable. (Master gestures to indicate a small area.) All that the people of this world are aware of is just this one little expanse that they can now see, whereas all other living things (making an inclusive type gesture with the right hand) know about the people in this world. But the opposite doesn’t hold true. There are people studying supernormal powers. But as I just indicated, on this one line there is this, and this… (As he speaks, Master quickly extends his arms at waist height from his body to direct front, then extends his arms to either side simultaneously at the same height, then uses both hands to indicate much branching out in the direction he just demonstrated on his right side, and then, on the plane that the several directions above were on, indicates branching out in the directions that are 45 degrees from straight ahead, zero degrees from straight ahead, and negative 45 degrees from straight ahead, etc.) And it still branches out even more from there. And then what about the vertical ones (speaking while extending arms directly out to the front, on a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the body and somewhat higher than the waist)? And ones like this (pointing in the direction that is at 45 degrees from straight ahead, on that same plane), or like this (pointing in the direction that is at negative 45 degrees from straight ahead, on the same plane), or like this (pointing in front of the body to the twelve o’clock position on the plane parallel to his body), or like this (showing, as he speaks, with both hands that on that plane there are additional planes in the directions of one-thirty and ten-thirty o’clock), or like this? (Master points in the one-thirty and ten-thirty directions on a plane at a forty-five-degree angle from the horizontal plane, and indicates branching out in each direction, etc.) And all of these branch out, and then branch out even further. My point is, even just this dimension that’s composed of molecules is highly complex like this. The celestial eyes of those who can see these things are opened merely at Flesh Vision. And there are various levels within Flesh Vision. So what each of you sees might be different. The wonders of life are truly spectacular. They are far beyond the little bit that human beings’ technology can now perceive. If humankind’s technological advancement continues along its current path, it will forever move at a snail’s pace.

       Anyhow, what I was just talking about was to give you the idea that human beings, and that includes Dafa disciples who are cultivating, are going about things within a very narrow band [of reality]. This has its advantages, such as your not knowing when you’ve mishandled something beyond this band. And that is how existence is for human lives. If it were otherwise, that kind of interference and those complicated factors would make it impossible for you to handle things, as man’s intellect is limited. By having you go about things within this narrow band, you can easily deal with the situations you encounter.

       I have said before that everything a person does in this world is being watched by countless beings in other space-times. Some people don’t believe it, though. It doesn’t matter if an ordinary person doesn’t believe it. But Dafa disciples know that high-level beings can actually see people’s thoughts with great clarity, and that they can even see the progression of their thoughts. How a person thinks or how his mind reacts to things is readily observable to them. And with Dafa disciples, your each and every thought is determining the survival of many beings; how you handle things, and whether you do them well or not, is deciding the future existence of those beings. Could they possibly not be concerned, then? They are all watching. Things of every shape and sort make up the world now and society is so complicated, especially now, with things of the past, future, and present all laid out here to see what you choose. This has also made society more eventful and exciting than ever, which can easily provoke attachments. For cultivators it serves as interference, making it harder to cultivate and to save people. So it truly is hard to cultivate in these circumstances. [Those other beings] can see and are watching your minds and actions. Any of those things can provoke your human attachments. Yet if a Dafa disciple strays from the Fa, and his thoughts aren’t righteous enough, then he can really veer far off course and may even slip quite far in no time.

       That’s all for today. (Disciples applaud with hesitation.) I suspect that many people would like to raise questions. (Disciples applaud promptly with enthusiasm.) Okay, I’ll answer your questions for an hour. (Disciples applaud enthusiastically.) You can pass up your question slips.

       A Dafa disciple can cultivate regardless of his position—be it serving as president or a common person. You can be a good person in any trade or profession, and currently each is providing Dafa disciples with a setting in which to cultivate. Past cultivation was done off in monasteries or convents. But today Dafa disciples are not restricted to cultivating in any particular setting, as you are to save sentient beings. You can cultivate in any of society’s settings. I have provided such a broad range of settings for you to cultivate in, and the purpose is so that you can save sentient beings. And another factor is, the old forces wouldn’t find it fair if you as Dafa disciples didn’t pull off your cultivation in a setting such as that of this society, one that makes for interference like never before; if you didn’t experience such severe conflicts; and if you didn’t have to face such alluring temptations as in this society. This is different from any form of cultivation done in the past. Never since the time of creation has it existed; never was there anything like this before. Many times in prehistory people experienced catastrophes, with only a small number of lives surviving; only those with righteous faith, who fully believed in the divine, would survive. In all of these cycles where humankind recovered and prospered again, something like the cultivation that Dafa disciples do never occurred. There was never anything like it, and so there is no precedent for you to draw upon. Certain cultivators and monks don’t acknowledge your cultivation. Well, it’s not possible for them, since their levels would have to be loftier than that of a Dafa disciple for them to understand and acknowledge your cultivation.

       Disciple: Many students frequently go to mainland China, with some doing so quite frequently. There are also quite a few practitioners in China who like to go abroad, with some going multiple times a year, and some came just for the Fa conference. Isn’t it better for us to do well in our respective regions with the things that we are supposed to do, and avoid running around everywhere?

       Master: I don’t think you can fault anyone for going to Fa conferences. And it’s not a problem if someone is going back and forth for business. There are some Dafa disciples who aren’t on the evil’s radar, so they are able to go back and forth, and that’s not a problem.

       However, there are some Dafa disciples living outside of China who are known down to the last detail by the agents of the Chinese Communist consulates and embassies. As soon as you arrive at customs [in China], they will detain you. I have said before that you are accountable for everything you did while being persecuted after the wicked Party’s henchmen seized you or as you were being subjected to their phony “advisement sessions,” and divine beings are watching. You may think that no one else knows and that Master didn’t see it. And indeed, it’s currently this surface part of Master that is acting here. But Master has countless multiples of his True Body and countless Law Bodies, and there are countless numbers of high-level beings that can watch you like watching a movie. You might be thinking that no one knows about what happened, but you’re just fooling yourself. As I said, not only Master, but also the lives in every other dimension—all lives—know what you are doing. And you aren’t facing up to the inappropriate thing that you did, you aren’t trying to make up for it like a cultivator would by voluntarily announcing that you realize you did wrong and will do better on the road ahead. Instead, you are hiding it. You have even believed much of what the CCP instilled in you; you were even convinced by its brainwashing, and you have even negatively affected other Dafa disciples. Now what are you to do? If the final affair of humankind that I have talked about does truly take place, then there will be more at issue for you than just your human attachments at the surface. What is to be done, then, about the entirety of your being as well as those lives behind you that were waiting for you to save them—everything you had been representing? Of course, you might not believe what I am saying because of those things the CCP instilled in you, and, if so, that is so very tragic.

       The human society of today is a setting created for Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples’ cultivation and for sentient beings who came to obtain the Fa. Whether it be Dafa disciples’ clarifying the facts or the projects Dafa disciples are working on to save people—all of these things that you can see—may seem ordinary, but are actually extraordinary and are beyond what regular people could do. Human society is one of delusion. When the persecution began, in order to prevent me from breaking that delusion for you, the old forces even tried to disallow me to have the circumstances that I should, and wanted me to go to the Arctic—to the Arctic, where there are no people. Their thoughts were, “Go there. Don’t interfere with us.” They knew that if I were to speak and tell people things, or show something to people, then their arrangements, the so-called tests and tribulations that they had arranged for Dafa disciples, would be broken. Then a cosmic war would have really broken out. For the sake of saving sentient beings, during these years, even though I have taught the Fa at Fa conferences and interacted with you under various circumstances, I have acted just like a normal person and have taught you only the Fa in its principles. Even so, the old forces have been infuriated. If I were to do anything more, the old forces would further escalate the persecution of practitioners, it would be even more difficult for you to cultivate and save people, and greater, more severe challenges would be created for your cultivation.  

       Disciple: There were still quite a few unsold tickets one month ahead of the Shen Yun shows in a city in Taiwan, so they inserted tri-fold flyers introducing Shen Yun into ordinary people’s newspapers. May I ask if that was okay to do?

       Master: That was fine. Isn’t that pretty much the same as taking out ads in ordinary media? There is of course no problem with that. Of course, first and foremost don’t do anything that will turn people off or violate any rules that people have in place.

       Disciple: If after purchasing officially licensed and published Dafa books, a Dafa disciple downloads electronic files of these books provided by the Minghui site onto his mobile phone for personal use only, and doesn’t reproduce or distribute them, that isn’t considered copyright infringement or an act of disrupting the Fa, is it?

       Master: In a case like this, if you are just doing something on a personal level and not transmitting or distributing the files further, or selling anything, then that shouldn’t be a problem. If it’s just to make your own Fa study easier, then it shouldn’t be a problem. But if you were to disseminate the files on a large scale and turn this into some sort of undertaking, then that would amount to changing the way in which we cultivate.

       Disciple: There are some Dafa Association coordinators who often do things that go against rules, and even take the lead in violating them. Examples of this include allowing practitioners who have recently come from mainland China to go backstage at Shen Yun shows, and letting someone who the Association had stated was problematic participate in Shen Yun promotions. Someone even said to other practitioners, “I’m the main coordinator of our Association. And Master has said that as long as I approve of or have asked people to do something, it’s fine.” Some practitioners object to certain things but hesitate to speak up, but at the same time feel that, by disregarding the rules, these coordinators are not acting righteously.

       Master: The practitioner asking this question has a point. There are always some among us who are doing things in Master’s name. When people ask me about things, I often say, “When it comes to things that Dafa disciples should do, you can go ahead—I’m not against it.” That’s one thing that I might say. Another scenario might be that, in order to help them mature as cultivators and as coordinators, I tell them to handle certain matters at their own discretion. But once Master has said something, some people take it back to the practitioners and say, “Master has said this,” “Master has acknowledged it,” “Master has approved of it,” or “Master has said to do it this way.” So what I said was changed, and that often happens.

       This is not to say that all practitioners who recently arrived from China have issues. If you think about it, well, since the Dafa Association has to work with such a large number of practitioners, how would they be able to find out about each and every one of them? So the rule is necessary. Another factor, as you all know, is that mainland practitioners often have poor English. As I talked about earlier, if you just came from China, you won’t be able to sense right away—but others will see very clearly—your Chinese way of thinking in terms of how you handle things, and it will take some time before you can sense that there is something not quite right about yourself. The practitioners who have recently arrived from China may think: How can these people in other countries be so dumb? How can they be so simple? How can the questions they ask be so simple and naive? But despite what you think, that’s how normal people are, in fact. The people who just came from China are the product of the wicked CCP’s persecution and its systematic destruction of Chinese culture. So a lot of times the veteran practitioners aren’t comfortable having the recently arrived practitioners do certain things, because those practitioners tend to take things to an extreme and achieve the opposite of what was intended. And they have problems communicating with other practitioners, practitioners who aren’t from China. And those practitioners find the ways that practitioners recently from China think about matters to be quite odd. Meanwhile, the practitioners from China are thinking, “You think about things far too simplistically. Only by doing things this other way is it going to work well.” But the practitioners outside China wonder how people here could possibly be receptive to those approaches.

       If you don’t really understand this society you won’t be able to do things well. So, in the past, while working on Shen Yun ticket sales, a scenario often played out where [practitioners recently from China] talked to people in a pushy way and wouldn’t let them leave, and this led to a very negative reaction from the people of this society. This is especially an issue when you consider that Shen Yun is targeting the higher end of society, and those people are different in terms of how they think and their level of cultural refinement. Those of you recently from China are not yet aware of these things, so you shouldn’t take on this work until you have understood and come to grasp these things. Otherwise, it really will have the opposite of the intended effect. And yes, the Shen Yun Office does have a rule that those who recently arrived from mainland China are not allowed backstage. Some newly arrived practitioners are relatives of veteran Dafa disciples who have been residing outside China. Technically speaking, some of these practitioners do not present an issue, but that isn’t always the case. If nobody recognizes or knows you, you might say you are a Dafa disciple and seem pretty good on the surface, but will people know whether you are really a Dafa disciple? You may very well be a Dafa disciple, but the people here don’t know you. That is why there is a rule that [those who recently arrived from China] cannot go backstage. It also stands to reason that you could be helpful in other ways, and don’t have to go backstage.

       Some coordinators really do need to think hard about how they are doing things. I would like to tell you that, since you are a coordinator, you should gather the local practitioners and bring them together on Master’s behalf so that they can improve in cultivation, and you should help Master by leading them well. That is your responsibility as a coordinator in your area. But you always shun some people, you always shun certain people who don’t go along with what you want, you always view things in ordinary ways, you always deal with things in ordinary ways, and always cause the local practitioners to not work together well. And that’s why when you see that the new arrivals from China do whatever they are asked to do, and are obedient, you have them work backstage, or even have them cook and manage the food service. But this makes the Shen Yun people nervous. They have the task of putting on over one hundred shows, one after the next, so they can’t allow any problems to come up, can they? So I’d ask those of you who disregard the rules, can you really vouch for those people? No, you can’t. You can’t base your decision to assign someone a task solely on whether he does as he’s told. That is not how a coordinator of Dafa disciples should approach things. I would like to tell you: help Master by leading the practitioners well; these are my disciples, just as you are, so you cannot exclude people.

       But on the other hand, the other Dafa disciples should similarly bear in mind that they are Dafa disciples and should cooperate well. It’s not easy for your coordinator! Anyone who plays that role has to deal with these kinds of issues, so everyone should be understanding of one another. If we can really do that, won’t things go well? You shouldn’t have to stumble many times before you realize that it’s better to take that approach. When the persecution was very severe, didn’t many things fall through because you were often going against one another, always disagreeing over whose idea was better when trying to work together, and arguing back and forth with each other? If you could have cooperated well with one another at that point, things might have been done more effectively. Of course, when you look back at it now, you realize that yes, you didn’t do well back then. But don’t continue to fall into that pattern.

       Disciple: I’d like to ask Master to please talk to us about the deeper meanings of “The Great Way has no form,” and about Minghui.org, and the Dafa Association, suing the head demon…

       Master: Indeed, it should be sued (enthusiastic applause from the disciples); all of humanity should sue it. It has harmed all Chinese people, as well as many people in other regions all over the world. So many people are going to be dragged into Hell because of its lies.

       As far as the Great Way having no form, it seems that we may not have time to revisit that topic, and I can only answer your question slips. Your cultivation does not take any particular form. In the past, cultivators had temples or monasteries and were limited to some specific forms. But you will return to your various jobs when you go back home. During this special period when the persecution is going on, Dafa disciples have, of course, established media companies and projects to counter the persecution, but those are merely companies that conform to ordinary people’s ways; those companies themselves are not part of our cultivation. I’ve always said that they are not some specific part of Dafa, but rather companies run by Dafa disciples. Dafa disciples are able to cultivate in a variety of professions, so of course they can launch their own companies. Those are not some set forms that Dafa cultivation specifically takes. There are no companies in Dafa. That applies to Shen Yun as well, which is also a project established by Dafa disciples to save people, and not some specific cultivation method or environment that requires Dafa disciples to cultivate in that specific way. That’s not the case.

       Disciple: Taiwan holds too many large-scale events and meetings, and most of them are events for ourselves.

       Master: Hmm, it’s best to have fewer events for ourselves, except for studying the Fa together. I don’t think there is a problem with having more events to validate the Fa or to clarify the truth to people, as we are trying to save people, after all.

       Disciple: Shen Yun has a lot of songs, which are words for ordinary people directly from Master. I’ve always wondered what we can do to provide ordinary people with opportunities to hear or read them. I’d like to ask Master if I can play Shen Yun songs during our events, and whether we can print out the lyrics from Shen Yun songs and put them on display boards during events meant for clarifying the truth?

       Master: Shen Yun performers are singing to ordinary people. And songs are just that, songs. If you print out only the song texts and put them on display boards, well, since some of them are poetry in old verse, some are freeform poems that don’t rhyme, and others are not written in poetic form, ordinary people may take them to be slogans or something else. Songs are just that, songs, and there’s no problem with ordinary people listening to them, so you can go ahead and play them.

       Disciple: Master has instructed our media outlets many times to model their business management after Western companies, but based on what’s going on at the moment, don’t they resemble more the state enterprises with Party culture that one finds in China? They lack a clear, practical and concrete division of labor and accountability…

       Master: Since you are media companies operating on an international scale, of course you need to be the same as other companies found outside of China. And that form of a company is indeed the way they are in normal society, and that is what a normal company is like. Some of the companies in China have been set up and run by officials from the wicked Party, though of course now there are a lot of private enterprises. I know that all enterprises were at one time run by officials from the wicked Party, and their management structures were brimming with things from the wicked Party, like those Party Committee and Party Branch things. Those are abnormal. In mainland Chinese society, the influence from those things cannot be removed that quickly. Even with the companies that are privately run, a lot of their operational structures, management practices, and concepts originate from the state-run enterprises. Don’t do it that way in other countries. Generally speaking, I don’t think there is much influence from the mainland China system outside of China, since a lot of the Chinese people abroad left the mainland long ago, and our Dafa disciples have earned college or university degrees in other countries. But certainly there will be some people who still behave or do things with certain habits or approaches from before that might be different from normal American society. Those are something that you need to be mindful of.

       Disciple: Fellow practitioners who are Japanese say that the current environment makes it very difficult for them to integrate into the group. They hope that their Chinese fellow practitioners will, instead of doing things themselves at the forefront, assist and support the Japanese practitioners in their cultivation. But it is very hard for them to get their points across.

       Master: Yes, if the Japanese practitioners are bringing up this issue, then that’s all the more reason to pay attention to it. I think the situations in Japan and Korea provide a sharp contrast. Local Korean Dafa disciples are the driving force there, so when you look at the situation there and the strength they have in terms of saving people, things are solid, and they are really making a difference in society. In Japan, Chinese Dafa disciples are the driving force. There are a lot of people in Japan who are supposed to obtain the Fa, so make sure you don’t do things that deter them. I have noticed this situation, but each region has its own challenges. So, when a problem arises, you should as Dafa disciples work together to figure out how to resolve it.

       It’s a real problem if Japanese Dafa disciples feel that it’s hard for them to integrate into the group because of these things. You who are Dafa disciples in Japan are supposed to save Japanese people. Of course, practitioners will all speak out against the wicked CCP’s persecution as they work against it and try to put a stop to it and expose it. That is our responsibility. But your main objective is to save people, isn’t it? You are to save the people local to your area.

       Disciple: Because of the Internet blockade in China, a lot of Dafa terms such as “Zhen-Shan-Ren” and “Falun Dafa” are filtered out [of Internet communications]. So some practitioners substitute those words with homophones when clarifying the truth on the Internet to get around it. I’d like to ask Master if that is appropriate to do.

       Master: If it’s Dafa practitioners passing on information among themselves, there shouldn’t be a problem with it. But if you are clarifying the facts to people, they may not get it or understand what you are talking about.

       Disciple: Can mainland practitioners broadcast or disseminate Shen Yun performances on the Internet?

       Master: No, don’t do that. You know that live Shen Yun performances are very powerful in terms of saving people. We don’t distribute discs or sell DVD’s outside of China because we want people to come see it live. When people are there in person, the matter of their salvation is taken care of right then and there, and they are saved. It’s difficult to achieve this via television. Once someone watches the show on disc, he might feel that there is no longer any need to go see it, but discs don’t have the effect of a live performance. We distribute those in China because at this time Shen Yun cannot go there, so that is the best that can be done. It still has an effect, albeit one that is not as powerful. So do not put it on the Internet. Once it’s on the Internet, the division between inside and outside of China is gone.

       Disciple: Since we are not supposed to intermingle Dafa content with practitioners’ experience sharings, music, or truth-clarification content in audio devices, then the same problem exists with our mobile phones or computers storing similar content.

       Master: When you store something for your own use, that’s only for your own convenience. But if what you play from an audio device is a mixture of Dafa’s things and ordinary people’s or practitioners’ things, people will not know which is the Fa, which are the practitioner’s things, and which are ordinary things. Then wouldn’t that be a mess? Isn’t that a bit like disrupting the Fa? (Master nods.) A cultivator needs to be responsible to his own cultivation and the Fa.

       Disciple: Some regions’ top coordinators are abusing the power given to them by Master, controlling the decision making for matters great and small, and pushing out practitioners with differing opinions. When Master stepped in to stop overly extreme actions toward a theater just in time, the person making that decision did not look within, but instead focused on trying to figure out who reported the information to Master.

       Master: Indeed, certain coordinators have some qualities that are too much like ordinary people’s. But such are the types of cultivators you need to work with, cultivators with states such as they now have, and they do have many human thoughts. But they are still Dafa disciples nevertheless. This is how numerous and great the challenges that you face are and, as a coordinator, you have to face these and face them squarely, and you have to adapt to them. It’s just not possible for you to turn these practitioners into people who are a certain way or the kind of people you want them to be. Something as large as this whole society cannot even change them. Dafa cultivation can change them, but that is done one layer at a time, and until that process reaches the surface, the person will still be that way. Only those who are diligent are able to keep their bad tendencies in check. But normally there will be some people who aren’t even aware of [their problems] and remain that way. If you want them to be a certain way, that will be very hard for them to achieve. Even I, as their Master, have not set forth a requirement that they must behave a certain way. So how should you act, as a coordinator? Could it work if you serve as a coordinator for only some of the people? What kind of coordinator would you like to be? Have you thought about that? Are you hoping that everyone will be as obedient as a flock of sheep before you? That’s what you want, not what I want. As complicated as things are, [you should figure out] how to be a good coordinator of Dafa disciples. Now that Master has given you the responsibility, [think about] how you are going to lead these people well for me.

       Yes, it is indeed very hard, but aren’t you a cultivator? And aren’t you a coordinator of cultivators? There is a lot of pressure being a coordinator, indeed, but it wouldn’t be cultivation if there weren’t much pressure. It is hard, yes, very hard, and even I as your Master know that it’s hard. You may have observed that I don’t directly resolve conflicts between Dafa disciples. That’s because attachments might cause people to go against me, if I were to do that. It would be awful if they were to try to start something with me, as that would mean they had been disrespectful to Master and sinned. That is why I don’t get involved in their things. When someone comes to see me about a conflict (Master smiles), [I tell them to] see whoever is in charge. So I know the challenges that you face. But think about what happens when you do manage to do well despite the challenges—isn’t that mighty virtue? In cultivation we seek to be diligent, to improve quickly, and to do better in traversing this path to divinity, right? Master empathizes with you. But try not to do things in ways that make it too hard for the other practitioners to understand or accept.

       It’s true that in some cases you don’t want to tell Master about these things. If the intention behind that is to not burden Master with those things, then that’s understandable. But if it is out of a human mentality to hide something, then that’s an issue of a cultivator’s character (xinxing). Actually, I would prefer not to know, I really would. But in any case, your attachment will be seized upon by the old forces.

       Disciple: We are Dafa disciples who came abroad because we suffered persecution in China. Can we submit legal cases from here, suing that demon Jiang in China’s Supreme Procuratorate and Supreme Court?

       Master: Of course you can. There is no problem with doing any of that. Back when Dafa disciples in other countries began their efforts to sue the evil, it was done with the Dafa disciple lawyers of ours and other Dafa disciples outside of China working together.

       Disciple: Based on the current state of our media, I personally feel that it’s very hard for our articles to be up to par.

       Master: To do high-quality media work you need to have a good group of professional staff. Speaking of which, this reminds me of something. Often the headlines of a lot of the pieces published online are ambiguous and hard to understand. How come we can’t even get Chinese grammar right? It’s hard to understand what the headlines mean. So you need to pay attention to these things.

       Disciple: Based on the current state of our media, I personally feel that it’s very hard for the articles to reach the skill level required of us. There are significant differences of opinion in relation to our news production, and I feel that the effectiveness of our reporting in terms of saving people is not so great. I don’t know what we can do to live up to Master’s requirements.

       Master: Actually, you don’t need to be so worried. Master is already quite satisfied with the things you are doing. The media companies have played a big role—they have really played a big role in clarifying the facts, working against the persecution, and saving people. Of course, it would be better if your articles could be written better. But it won’t do if you start arguing because you want to write an article one way and someone else wants to do it another way. It’s just like how, when you used to work with each other on projects, there were different opinions on whose ideas were better, and people were thinking that such-and-such wouldn’t work, or something else wouldn’t work, and the things that needed to be done were affected because of this. It’s very hard for someone to actually do something to everyone’s satisfaction. Of course it’s good to do things better, but even if something is not done that well, don’t hold it up from being completed. Some things can still have an impact even when they’re not done that well. If they are done better, of course they will be even more effective, but don’t hold things up and cause them to have no impact at all.

       Disciple: Ever since I came to the United States, my cultivation state hasn’t been as good as it was when I was in China. There are some postnatally acquired notions in my mind that I clearly recognize as being bad, but it’s hard for me to get rid of them. I feel that I’ve let Master down.

       Master: I think it’s very good that you’ve been able to recognize this, as that is the beginning of changing—being able to see and recognize your problems. Some practitioners from China aren’t able to recognize their problems, yet they keep charging ahead, and wonder how it is that others can be doing things in such-and-such ways. Only after you become aware of your problems will you be able to truly work together with everyone, and only then will people from other countries accept you. Sometimes you have a strong wish for certain things to happen based on your own thinking or want to have others change their way of thinking, but they won’t understand what you are doing. That’s when problems are apt to come up.

       Disciple: Disciples have differing opinions on whether we should sue middle to lower level officials of the terribly evil and sinful Party for unlawful detention, torture, genocide, crimes against humanity, etc. One group believes that we should not sue them and instead look within, while the other group believes that we should file lawsuits.

       Master: Here’s what I think. Saving people should be at the heart of what Dafa disciples do. As I talked about earlier, a lot of people, whether they be officials, police officers, or whatnot, have been poisoned by the lies. Those specific beings are not inherently wicked, actually; the beings themselves are not wicked officials. [Some of] those beings may actually be very good ones, but have been misled after being instilled with the lies of the wicked Party culture, and were thereby driven to do what they did. Of course, there are also some people who knew full well what the situation was and whose acts were motivated by self-interest. You should still give them the chance to learn about the truth. If you sue all of them, well, actually, that’s not what your goal is. What we want is to stop the persecution. A desire for revenge—doing something to those who have persecuted us—is not something you should have. As cultivators, you should be focusing on saving people. [If you are thinking,] “You’ve persecuted me, so in the future I’ll be sure to get you back,” then you’re an ordinary person, aren’t you? You should not have the thought of revenge.

       But I will also tell you that there will be a reckoning for all of those who have had a hand in persecuting Falun Gong. A Dafa disciple was once talking about how some disciples were going to bring all of the persecutors to justice in the future, and I said to him, “Will that be needed from you?” Have you seen how extensive the arrests now taking place [in China] are? Crooks of all sizes—from the big ones to the small—are getting hit (Master laughs, disciples applaud), and it looks to be merciless. What has happened to Falun Gong has not been redressed because some people have not yet been saved, and some practitioners have not moved up enough in their cultivation. Once things come to an end, it will all be over. That is why currently the old forces are not coming down on the persecutors in the name of redressing what has been done to Falun Gong, and why people aren’t being brought to justice for persecuting Falun Gong at this time. The evil got those people to take part in the persecution of Falun Gong during this period by tempting them with wicked lies, making them embezzle, making them corrupt, having them do all sorts of bad things, and giving them power on top of that. And those are precisely the people who are now being targeted and dealt with as so-called “corrupt elements” and as “embezzlers.” You can see that this is taking place right now, and those who see it clearly say it is retribution. People actually do realize that, in this way, those people are being punished for what they have done. And those people themselves are being made to realize deep down that this is retribution. But they are not being dealt with as persecutors, because for Dafa disciples there is still more to be done.

       Disciple: I posted some Shen Yun pieces on the Internet in China for some web friends, but met with opposition from practitioners living abroad. Why is it that we can pass out Shen Yun DVDs, but we can’t make them available on the Internet?

       Master: That’s right, you can’t make the video available on the Internet, as I said earlier. That is because once you put them on the Internet, there is no longer a division between China and the rest of the world. And doing that will negatively impact the effect that Shen Yun has saving people via live performances. If some people who are meant to attend the shows were to watch the DVD, they would forgo seeing the actual performance. Then those that should have been saved would not be, because the DVDs are not as powerful. Why is it that DVDs can be distributed inside China, then? Because Shen Yun cannot go there. So however much impact the discs can have there, we will take it. That’s the thinking behind it. Also, it’s easy for people to pirate a video. Don’t just go doing whatever you want. This is why we cannot put the Shen Yun DVDs on the Internet.

       Disciple: Master has asked our media company to learn from Shen Yun, but our management said that Shen Yun performers are young and have good qualifications, whereas we are old and inexperienced, so the situations are different.

       Master: (Everyone laughs) Learning from Shen Yun is about learning from its way of management and the things that have made it successful. Isn’t that what you are supposed to learn? The Shen Yun performers are young people out of necessity. Who has ever said that Dafa disciples can only cultivate well by being young? It’s not like you are performers, so these things shouldn’t be an issue. Don’t make up excuses for not doing the things that a Dafa disciple should do.

       Disciple: Because some practitioners are involved in media projects, they don’t have time to be part of front-line efforts to clarify the facts. Could they find some time to participate in things that clarify the facts directly?

       Master: When the media companies are run well, they are very effective in clarifying the facts and saving people, and can produce timely reporting to expose the persecution being perpetrated by the evil in China and the wicked Party’s corruption. Of course, the corruption is unrelated to the persecution, but those corrupt people are also persecutors of Falun Gong, and you should let the world know that these people have been involved in the persecution. I have said before that the persecution of Dafa disciples would be doubly repaid in karmic retribution. Take a look at how things are in China now. Isn’t it true that all of the red terror created back then to persecute Falun Gong and the mental pressure created back then for Dafa disciples are now being heaped upon and borne by those corrupt people? (Everyone applauds)

       Disciple: The Minghui site has called on mainland practitioners to have a large number and wide distribution of materials production sites, and to have single point-to-point communication channels with Minghui. However, some coordinators in the mainland don’t pay much attention to the safety of the materials production sites, travel around under the pretense of “overall coordination,” garner centralized control of the materials production sites, and have all of the practitioners who make materials revolve around them.

       Master: Human attachments, that’s what it is—the attachments to reputation, personal gain, showing off, and competitiveness. They disregard practitioners’ safety and bring about difficulties and danger for Dafa disciples. All of these people who are going around to various places and who have specific information on practitioners are wrong in their thinking. There are also some among them who have ulterior motives. So you need to watch out for these things, and not give these people any openings.

       Disciple: I have observed that a lot of practitioners have devoted so much of their time, and have put in so much heart and effort, working at our media companies, but many of them don’t have high standards for themselves, are not willing to learn, and do things in a very unprofessional manner. They cannot compare with those in a normal company. Because of this, I feel very pessimistic about whether we can truly become a major player in the media on an international scale.

       Master: Yes, some people do have short-term thinking and do just enough to get by. They haven’t thought about what they are doing. I have told the media companies’ coordinators that you will for sure become the largest global media companies in the future. You have a tremendous responsibility to run these media companies well. The things that Dafa disciples do will be passed down to human society in the future, and so too will your media companies be passed down and become primary media companies in this world. Think about it, when humankind realizes that you are saving them, how will they regard these projects that Dafa disciples are working on? They will bestow them with tremendous honor. (Applause) But some of you haven’t done so well. At least, what you’ve done hasn’t gone all that well, has it? Everyone wants to contribute positively to Dafa disciples’ projects, but instead of contributing positively, you are actually contributing negatively while being in the group. It shouldn’t be that way.

       Disciple: Now that the Fa-rectification is approaching the end, many practitioners do not understand why the situation in Hong Kong is becoming increasingly menacing and has not abated.

       Master: Actually, if you think about it, if you compare the situation in Hong Kong now to how it was at the beginning of the persecution, isn’t it better? How is it “increasingly menacing”? Now it’s easier for you to clarify the facts and you are helping a lot of people to withdraw from the Party every day. Were you able to do that in the past? No. The evil is interfering, but, then again, what sort of place is Hong Kong? That place is in the jaws of the evil, and you’re trying to pull its teeth out, right? (Master laughs) I say that Dafa disciples are remarkable, even if it seems there are lots of difficulties. And this is how the old forces believe things should be. The evil can’t touch you, but nor will it let you off so easily or let you be so comfortable. That is how Dafa disciples’ paths are, and these are the tribulations that the old forces have forced upon Dafa disciples. And you also face interference and trouble that come along with the people you are saving, as all of the karma that people owe is being used by the evil to create obstacles.

       Disciple: There have been three cases of practitioners around me who have exhibited reduced intellectual faculties and slowed reactions, to varying degrees, and doctors have attributed these to atrophy of the cerebellum. One of the three has passed away.

       Master: If this took place in China, then it was caused by the persecution. If this happened elsewhere, then experienced Dafa disciples know that nothing happens to Dafa disciples by chance. [To those practitioners,] I would say that it is high time you seriously examined yourselves in terms of cultivation. Don’t take so lightly those things that you brush aside and consider not that big of an issue. In terms of standards for cultivation, the things you may consider minor, [if you go] by the old forces’ way of looking at Dafa disciples, are not minor whatsoever. When you think certain things are nothing significant, oftentimes that’s based on evaluating yourselves with ordinary standards, rather than with the Fa! The truth is, all Dafa disciples are remarkable, including those in these scenarios—they were persecuted in the course of validating the Fa, as they gave of themselves to uphold Dafa and save people. That is how I look at it. But at the same time, I find it regrettable. There are only so many Dafa disciples, up against 7 billion people in this world. How many can we save? They have departed at a time when we truly need people, unfortunately.

       Disciple: Some practitioners who clarify the truth at tourist sites think that because the mainland people have long been under the wicked Party’s control, they won’t have the courage to declare their desire to withdraw from the CCP organizations, even if they want to. Therefore, after these practitioners ask the tourists if they want to withdraw, they proceed with it for them as long as the person nods or smiles.

       Master: No, that won’t do. Not at all! They must agree to it. If they don’t express it or say it, it doesn’t count. That’s because they have actually professed that they would do things for the wicked Party, contribute to the wicked Party, and even devote their lives to it. They have uttered those words.

       Disciple: In the early days of the persecution, some practitioners made Dafa books that were not in line with the requirements, and there were some who made necklaces with Master’s picture. Whenever we saw this, we would ask them to give us those things and ask them not to make any more of those or circulate them. But we haven’t found a way to properly dispose of the items that came into our possession.

       Master: When it comes to materials that are outdated or Dafa books that were printed incorrectly, I’ve always told people that they can be burned. When you do burn them, though, don’t do it too casually. But you can burn them.

       Disciple: A few years ago, incidents of collecting funds and making speeches that disrupted the Fa were taking place in the city of Harbin, and have continued occurring since that time. Many of the practitioners involved in that still haven’t awakened to the fact that what they’ve been doing is wrong, and they have not made up for the losses. Some of them act as though they’re very diligent, but in reality are trying to avoid dealing with the matter and are concealing what they’ve done. What should we do about this?

       Master: Some people are just going through the motions while a part of Dafa, and some are taking advantage of certain situations. Some of these cases are caused by a lack of diligence in cultivation, and some result from people having ulterior motives and thereby taking advantage of Dafa disciples’ kindness. So by all means, you need to watch out for these things. When you donate to or financially support someone, you must know and be perfectly clear on what he is doing with the money. Otherwise you cannot do it. If you give someone money, it amounts to supporting him in his actions, and you stand to be at fault as well. Therefore, the old forces won’t regard you as having been duped. Instead, they will see you as being in cahoots with the other party and supporting him. So you absolutely must be careful with these things.

       As I’m talking about this, some of you are thinking, “But I didn’t have those thoughts. I’m a Dafa disciple, so how could I be knowingly supporting him?” Divine beings see it like this: a person’s behavior and how something turns out in the end are what truly represents that person as a being, rather than what he says, which might be at odds with what he does. That’s how high-level beings view things. Some people were actually fated to act like this. Their words may sound good, but the results of their actions have the opposite effect. Many people who act like this were fated to do so. I have said in the past that when the spreading of Dafa was to take place, all beings would come for Dafa, but not all of them would necessarily come to obtain the Fa. Many came to play a negative role.

       Disciple: For a long time now in China there have been many cases all over of coordinators, who are very capable and could under normal circumstances be very effective, being subjected to severe persecution. They have experienced conflicts with other practitioners, been alienated by others, and faced other forms of interference or persecution such as illness karma. Could the reason this happened be that they had done something in their work that had a negative impact?

       Master: The situation in China is very complicated. As soon as your thinking is a bit off, the old forces will seize upon that gap. So you must be especially mindful when it comes to your cultivation and the motives behind your actions there. After all, that is the place of red terror.

       Disciple: (Translated) I’m a Turkish Dafa disciple. Some veteran disciples don’t participate in group Fa study and Dafa projects. What can we do to become a whole?

       Master: I’ve actually spoken with the European coordinators about how, at the beginning of the persecution, the Dafa disciples in Europe had a big impact and achieved solid results in their work against the persecution. Your hearts really came together at that time. But gradually you have drifted apart and have become more lax over time. So I talked to the European coordinators about how to get everyone to be more serious in terms of cultivation and truly be like Dafa disciples. If you cannot work hard at cultivation, then people will disperse and you will start to lose people, and even if you gather them together physically, when you do things it will be no different than a group of ordinary people being together, and you won’t be able to keep them. All beings have come here to obtain the Fa and cultivate, and it is postnatally acquired notions that affect their ability to obtain the Fa and move ahead. Yet they don’t realize these things. Because of this, veteran practitioners must bring them along and guide them with the Fa.

       Disciple: Based on my observation, the main problem with the management of our media is that they are overly eager to achieve success and make a profit in the short term, and so are using incentives such as recognition and financial rewards to motivate the practitioners doing sales. They have made these practitioners work as separate individuals, making them compete with, keep information from, and be on guard against one another. People aren’t able to speak freely during meetings, and the abilities and wisdom a cultivator should normally have are being held back.

       Master: Yes, those are bad tendencies of modern Chinese. Some have said that Chinese can’t be successful in big business. Let me tell you about the mentality of those in other countries when it comes to doing business. Whether they run a big business or a small one, they treat it as part of their lives and do their very best at it, and take the long-term approach. This mentality tends to result in a good attitude toward their work and in high-quality products. Many from China want to get rich quick, and have no long-term plan when they do things. People from other countries don’t think this way. Running the business is their work and part of their daily lives, and they are only after normal returns. That’s their attitude toward it. Some of your approaches in the media and other projects are reflective of the way of doing things that I am cautioning against, so you should be mindful of these things.

       Disciple: Our efforts to clarify the truth at many tourist sites in Taipei have been interfered with by some wicked organizations, and I’d like to ask how we should handle it.

       Master: (Master smiles) That’s just the difficulty that comes with these things. The evil is exploiting the loopholes that exist in a free society. Those CCP agents are taking advantage of the freedom of speech that free countries have. But the CCP is actually a demon. Whether it was during the Cold War period or when the wicked Party first came about, people all over the world opposed it and the governments all over the world restricted it. They did not allow it to have a presence, much less allow its people to hold events, assemble, protest, or the like. It was considered a monstrosity, a true scourge. But now, gradually, people’s vigilance around the world has eased up. With the collapse of the wicked Party in Eastern Europe, people became increasingly unconcerned. So now it actually has the gall to wave its flag and make a ruckus in Taiwan, somewhere anti-communist. That really does seem quite odd. Regardless, you should just consider this a challenge to overcome, a challenge in saving people. Do what you should do and don’t let it affect you, and they won’t feel like doing those things anymore.

       Disciple: Going from house to house to hang materials on people’s doors has become one of the ways that we promote Shen Yun. Every year our coordinator invites a lot of practitioners from other areas who recently arrived from mainland China to participate in this project. The coordinator asks our local practitioners to donate money and resources to cover the out-of-town practitioners’ food and lodging costs. These costs are not included in the Shen Yun expenses, and nor are they transparently recorded in the accounting process. The coordinator is usually doing Shen Yun promotions full-time, so his own living expenses might be a significant burden. At the same time he is helping the practitioners from the other areas who don’t have immigration status apply for political asylum. Might this practice of his lead to people promoting Shen Yun in order to get political asylum?

       Master: Here’s what I think. Some areas are asking out-of-town or new practitioners to join in their efforts so as to give their Shen Yun promotions a boost. Technically speaking, this shouldn’t be a problem if those helpers are not in key positions. Hanging materials on doors doesn’t require you to directly clarify the truth, so there shouldn’t be a problem there. In the beginning, the wicked CCP was disrupting things severely, and Shen Yun wasn’t that well-known in society; people hadn’t heard of it, and the door hanger advertisements that Shen Yun was producing at the time were not that well made. So people treated them like junk mail. On top of that, agents of the wicked Party were disrupting things and spreading slander. But now things are different. In the United States, at least, most everyone knows about Shen Yun, adults and kids alike. They know that Shen Yun is a high-end, first-rate show. So when you go to the better neighborhoods and place those nicely made advertisements on their doors, I can tell you that they won’t be put off at all. They will just react with, “Oh, it’s Shen Yun.” And they will think, “This is a show we should go see.” That’s usually the scenario. However, in a handful of areas we have run into a very few people who have called to complain. But when you check into it, you find that it is Chinese people doing that with a purpose—Chinese who either were poisoned by the CCP or who are its agents and trying to disrupt things. So don’t let that affect you.

       Disciple: Is it necessary to continue working on a magazine that has no truth-clarifying content, expends a tremendous amount of human resources, and is not profitable?

       Master: If it doesn’t clarify the facts, then of course it won’t do. Why would Dafa disciples get involved in that? But if your concern is with how effective it is at clarifying the facts, then that’s a different matter. Or if this is an ordinary company that you’re running, then I don’t have a problem with it, as all of you are working in ordinary society after all, and you do need to think about how to make a living. If a media entity that Dafa disciples are running aims to make inroads with the higher end of society, and therefore it doesn’t carry a lot of articles in it that clarify the facts, then that’s a choice of approach. If you are to make inroads with the higher end of society, you really can’t have too many such articles.

       Disciple: (Translated) There is a project coordinator who sometimes relays to us what you have said to him. How should we handle this kind of secondhand information? (Everyone laughs)

       Master: (Master laughs heartily) Yes, there are some coordinators who like to invoke Master when they can’t get a task to move forward. [They will say,] “Master said this,” or, “This is what Master said.” But actually, once you start talking about what Master said, the other practitioners will immediately think, and will see, that you are invoking Master’s name because you’re not capable enough to handle the matter yourself. (Disciples applaud) So that’s why when people sometimes bring all sorts of things to me, indiscriminately, I now turn all of them away. They want me to give them some assurance or approval, and most of the time it’s because they have run into resistance. But once I give them my take on the matter, they will turn right around and tell people something different, and say that Master is supportive of what they’re doing. What I usually did, in reality, was the following. When they would ask me if it was okay to do things in one way or another way, I would tell them that Master doesn’t object to any projects initiated by Dafa disciples, and that they could proceed in whatever manner they felt was best. (Sighing) But after just that one sentence, they would go back and tell people, “Master has endorsed this, so we are going to do it this way.” And when someone objected, they would say, “This has been endorsed by Master.” (Everyone laughs) But that’s not the same, is it? So for this reason I sometimes don’t receive people now.

       Cultivation is your own affair, and figuring out how to do well and how to work well with others is part of your journey. That is part of your cultivation, so how could you shift it to Master? How could you push it away?

       Disciple: Over eight thousand Dafa disciples hailing from over fifty countries and regions send greetings to Master. (All of the disciples applaud enthusiastically and at length.)

       Master: Thank you all. (Master does heshi) Cultivation is the cornerstone of what we do, and saving people is our responsibility. Both of these things need to be done well. I think that our Fa conferences… Do you know how much the plane tickets add up to each time? It’s a huge amount. And how big of an expense food and lodging are? Dafa’s resources, especially outside of China, are very limited. So don’t treat the Fa conference as a formality, and don’t turn this Fa conference into a means for you to go spread information about anything new that Master has said here. Master longs to see you soon improve yourselves, and to really overcome—as a result of attending this Fa conference—the obstacles that you have encountered in cultivation. So when the Fa conference is over, you shouldn’t be leaving empty handed.

       This is not some sort of get-together, a gathering held for people to see each other. Cultivation is a serious matter. Why have the old forces been persecuting us like this? And why is the situation that they’ve created so cruel? They are certainly serious! And as for you, you are cultivating yourselves. If you are not serious about what you’re doing, then you are letting yourself down, and even more so letting down the lives that you are to save. So I hope you will realize, my having said all this, that your diligence and understanding of the Fa are in fact a product of your own cultivation. As your Master, I long to see you progress more quickly and do even better on this path to divinity. Thank you all. (Master does heshi, with all disciples applauding at length. Master waves farewell to the audience. As Master leaves, the disciples remain standing, and continue to applaud in Master’s direction as he departs.) 

Translation updated June 28, 2015