(Minghui.org) I've recently read articles in which other practitioners discussed using the Telegram app. I would like to share my thoughts on this.

After a notice was published on Minghui.org reminding us not to use the WeChat app, some practitioners followed it immediately, while others waited and eventually deleted it after they understood how harmful WeChat is. We all know that we need to follow Minghui on important issues. The Minghui editors would only publish a notice when the issue had become severe or when it involved serious cultivation issues.

Some practitioners do not realize that these notices are published out of compassion. Instead, they put their own feelings and understandings first, while disregarding the safety of fellow practitioners and everyday people. When they do this, they are helping those who wish to harm Falun Dafa. I truly feel sad for these practitioners.

Soon after we were warned about WeChat, many practitioners began using Telegram. I felt that this was like how an illness can be pushed back inside the body by using medicine. Because the root cause hasn't been resolved, it resurfaces in another form. I think that the fundamental cause of the problem stems from our own human notions.

It seems that when several practitioners in the same area experience an incorrect state, it's because many of them harbor the same notion. I have the following understandings about the issue of Telegram.

Curiosity and Loneliness

I have been practicing Falun Dafa for many years, and even though I cannot see other dimensions, I can feel Master's compassion and that I am being protected. My heart is filled with appreciation for Master, and I really treasure the opportunity to be able to cultivate.

Sometimes, however, I feel lonely and then I try to find articles that interest me on our websites, such as Minghui, Zhengjian, Epoch Times, and NTD. Subconsciously I think, “I wonder if there's any new information. I don't want to be left out.”

I know that these thoughts aren't right, but I can't stop myself from looking for novel things. I think the practitioners who really enjoy using online chat rooms may also have these attachments.

Avoiding Looking Outward

I think we all understand that real improvement comes from cultivating ourselves and our own xinxing. Every improvement we make comes from solid cultivation and a strong faith in Dafa. We cannot improve by taking shortcuts or by following others. Seeking information we've heard on WeChat or Telegram amounts to the same issue.

Remembering to Strengthen One's Belief

No matter how advanced the technologies that allow people to communicate in online chat rooms are, they are not the teachings of Falun Dafa.

Looking outside the teachings shows that we do not have a clear understanding of the Fa principles. As practitioners, if there's something we should know, we will hear about it. We should not be chasing after news or novelty. There are several discussions based on personal understandings on Telegram, but some of them are not beneficial. They have not been approved by Minghui and may lead a practitioner down a wrong path.

We should all ask ourselves: How firm is our faith?

Be Considerate of Others' Safety

At Fa study, a practitioner named John (alias) said that he'd just returned from practitioner Tom's (alias) place in another city. Tom is a local coordinator and practitioners usually just phone him when they need materials. John thought that Tom was very righteous and had no fear.

I pointed out that almost all our phones were tapped. I thought the reason why the Party hadn't arrested Tom might be that they wanted to use him to find the others. It would be too late to do anything if the Party decided to arrest him. I said, “Haven't we had many such lessons? How many practitioners will be affected if something happens? We must think of others' safety.”

There could also be spies in the group chats on Telegram. After watching us for years, they know how to act and speak like practitioners.

Treasuring Minghui

People often take things for granted. The world is now filled with so much information that ordinary people cannot distinguish good from bad. Even we practitioners sometimes cannot tell the difference when we have strong human notions. So what can we do? Master arranged a reliable website – Minghui. How fortunate we are to have this valuable platform. The articles on Minghui won't lead us in the wrong direction.

Minghui notifies us when there are important issues. Some practitioners take this for granted and do not treasure it. They choose to take detours instead of traveling on the main road.

We should treasure Minghui and read it often. I also hope the practitioners who are still attached to Telegram can correct their notions. Instead of looking for novel things, I hope we can all spend more time studying the Fa, cultivating ourselves, and focusing on helping to save more people.