(Minghui.org) The persecution has intensified in our area recently. There are many reasons on the surface. Some practitioners have contacted one another through cell phones or WeChat, while claiming that they have strong righteous thoughts. Some carried their cell phones into important truth-clarification materials production sites with little sense of security. 

These persecution cases are not only related to the practitioners directly involved. We all should look within and examine what roles we might have played in this situation. The issue of security has existed for a while. Why did we allow the security breach to last this long? What kind of attachments have caused us to communicate improperly with one another? A long-term issue I have seen is the cultivation of speech.

Lessons Learned

A recent observation was that practitioners casually kept spreading information about specific persecution cases among one another. Even when they promised to not continue spreading the info, many practitioners still kept doing it.

In the meantime, many details of the persecution were severely distorted as rumors continued. Upon hearing one version of a recent incident, I was shocked to see how different it was from what I was initially told. I felt sad and realized that I was also involved. I remembered making some brief comments when I first heard about the incident, never expecting it to go out of control as the incident was told from one person to another. I realized it was my attachment of showing off at work. I thought I knew something about the incident so I dared to make comments about it. I asked myself: did I really know about the incident—its context and details? 

What I'd heard was merely secondhand information. I realized that when practitioners ask me about something later on, I should be cautious because I may not have firsthand information. Therefore, we must cultivate our speech.

Information Related to Projects

Another issue I've noted is practitioners casually talking about our truth-clarification projects. For example, which practitioner was working on which project, including information on associated supplies or materials.

We know that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is monitoring almost all communication. What we say could pose safety issues to other practitioners. Master says,

“My admiration goes out to some of the practitioners working on Dafa projects, such as Minghui.org, who aren’t able to join in a lot of activities like other practitioners do. They often cannot participate in other events or activities put on by Dafa disciples. Even when they do participate, they can’t disclose what they are working on, since these are unique times, after all.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2019 New York Fa Conference”) 

Therefore, we should all pay attention to the cultivation of speech. By being considerate of others, we can help protect fellow practitioners.

Before opening our mouth, we need to think from the perspective of and be responsible for fellow practitioners. For things we should talk about, we should be mindful of what would be the best approach to discuss the situation at hand without causing any loss to fellow practitioners or projects. This is especially the case when we are trying to seek the release of detained practitioners. If what we say deepens fear in fellow practitioners, they may be hesitant to put out their best efforts to clarify the truth to perpetrators and to rescue detained practitioners.

Cultivating Speech and Cultivating One’s Heart

After the recent intensification of the persecution, many practitioners stopped their projects due to increased attachment to fear. In contrast, practitioners from the remote areas, unaware of the incident, continue with their efforts of clarifying the truth as usual. We all know that cultivators carry energy. If many of us fear doing truth clarification, it could cause the situation to become worse. Every practitioner who participated in spreading rumors has played a role in pushing things in the wrong direction.

Master says,

“I will tell you, regardless of what your thinking is, anytime you serve to sabotage a Dafa disciple’s project or something that Dafa disciples should do, you are acting as a demon. It doesn’t matter that you may be thinking, ‘I’m a Dafa disciple, and I have done a lot.’ The old forces are nevertheless writing entries into your ledger, one by one.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple,” “Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)

If one really thinks about it, cultivating speech is essentially cultivating one’s heart. It is directly related to different attachments, such as attachment to fear, showing off, and so on. When one identifies their attachments and eliminates them, the goal of cultivating speech will be reached.

There is a Chinese saying, “Rumor stops at the wise man.” We as cultivators should pay even more attention to this. Let’s all start cultivating speech well from now on.

This is my personal understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.