(Minghui.org) A lot can be learned from history. In Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote,

Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity.

One who acts thus is no leader of men, no present help to his sovereign, no master of victory. Thus, what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.

Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation. Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men.

This reminded me that we Falun Dafa practitioners should always be clearheaded. Master wrote, “Our practice isn’t like others where the adherent is oblivious to the passage of time, lost in a state of rapture or trance, and completely absorbed as he or she practices.” (The Eighth Talk, Zhuan Falun) That means we should have self-awareness and be mindful of our surroundings. 

Assimilating Ourselves to the Fa

For example, whenever leaving home every day, I would check if I have everything needed including the condition of my car. In other words, we should conform to the everyday society and ask Master for help only under situations when we truly need help. 

Similarly, when handling issues, interacting with people, living family life, or sending forth righteous thoughts, I always consider applying Dafa principles in everything I do. In the past I did not do things this way. But now, I am able to maintain a mindset of always incorporating the Fa principles in my mind, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. That is, gradually I was able to assimilate myself to the Fa. 

I consider this a necessary process of improving ourselves and saving people. That is, trying to integrate teachings from Zhuan Falun with my mind, speech, and body to help my cultivation; trying to guide my thought process and talking points with the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party to clarify the truth and help people. 

Open and Above Board

Recently I have found several very good articles on Minghui. For example, in “Letting Go of Self,” the practitioner talked about his Fa-study, reciting the Fa, memorizing the Fa, and solid cultivation. Everything was well connected and there were many details. 

Two other examples are articles published on the same day, “Thoughts on the Number of Clicks on Minghui Articles” and “My Thoughts on the General Election and Saving People.” On the surface, they were talking about different issues. When combined together, however, they reflect the status of overseas practitioners in general. 

This problem has been serious and common. That is, exactly for whom are we cultivating? This problem also exists in practitioners in mainland China. For example, it was described in the article of “One’s Mindset Affects the Outcome of Watching a Shen Yun Show.” 

We practitioners have no real enemy, since we are only concerned with saving people and eliminating vicious elements in other dimensions that do bad deeds. Nonetheless, when we are surrounded by the evil during the battle between good and evil, having a wishful thinking of seeking mercy from the evil would not work. In fact, the way out comes from our own faith and wisdom from Dafa. In other words, only by following the teachings in Zhuan Falun and doing the three things well can we defeat the evil. The content in the Nine Commentaries can also help us do a better job clarifying the truth and saving people. 

As practitioners we cannot just wait and count on others. We cannot be frustrated or depressed. By reading Dafa books or listening to Master’s audio lectures more, we will be able to rediscover the heart we once had when we first started to practice Dafa. 

There could be various karmic reasons that make us sentimental over certain issues. But as Dafa disciples, we should break away from these restraints to fulfill our mission. For example, we are not here for the fairness of the general election – we are aware of what is going on, but we are not disturbed by that since we have no political agenda. 

The most important thing is that, we Dafa disciples should cultivate ourselves well, validate the Fa, and save people. Master has emphasized many times that people are counting on us and we should be clear on that.

Editor's note: Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions, for which the author is solely responsible. Readers should evaluate the article's merits on their own.