(Minghui.org) In a mass arrest that took place in May and June of last year, the police interrogated every practitioner in my city. Some of them were sentenced, some were released because the police didn’t find anything incriminating, and some practitioners got off by not defending Dafa in front of the police or judge. The ones with a prior record of imprisonment are still being closely monitored by the authorities.

I believe the mass arrests were the old forces’ last-ditch frantic struggle, as well as a test for cultivators. We all read Zhuan Falun and do the same set of exercises, yet we perform differently during tribulations. This is because we have different foundations, and the efforts we put into our cultivation practice vary greatly. Some of us have practiced Dafa for years and should have made significant improvement by now. But whether we succeed or fail when the {Fa}} rectifies the human world will be left up to the standards of the final judgment.

Master Li said:

“The trials that a cultivator goes through are something an ordinary person could not endure. That is why throughout history so few people have succeeded at cultivation and achieved Consummation. Human beings are human beings. At critical moments it is hard for them to let go of their human notions. Instead, they always try to rationalize things. A magnificent cultivator, by contrast, is able to let go of Self and even all of his ordinary human thoughts amidst crucial trials. I congratulate the Dafa cultivators who can come through the Consummation-determining tests. The eternity of your never-ending lives and even your future levels are established by you, yourselves; mighty virtue comes from your own cultivation. Be diligent! This is most magnificent, and it is the greatest privilege.” (“Position,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)

A practitioner who had served a prison sentence told me that the police visited him at home every month after his release. An officer told him, “You can’t even save yourself, and yet you’re talking about saving others? Save yourself first!” I think Master was reminding this practitioner with the officer’s words. When the police arrested us because we handed out Falun Dafa flyers, maybe we weren’t prepared to explain the facts to them in a rational manner, Or maybe we were afraid?

We do not save people during the persecution by fighting a battle with guns and swords. We fight back with righteous words to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) slanderous misinformation.

Master said:

“Dafa disciples, speak the truth,From your mouths, sharp swords all at once shoot forth.Piercing through the lies of rotten ghosts,Seize the moment to rescue and save—hurry up and speak”(“Hurry Up and Speak,” Hong Yin Volume II)

When facing the police, prosecutors, and judges, reading what is on the flyers to them may not always work. Different people asks different questions in different circumstances. If we don’t bother to digest or memorize the content on the flyers, we won’t be as effective in clarifying the truth. If we are afraid to talk or don’t know what to say, it’s an indication that we have not cultivated well.

As practitioners during the Fa rectification, we should act like guardians when Dafa is under attack. Some practitioners have never faced the police. So when they were arrested for the first time, they said things they shouldn’t have, probably out of fear, which put other practitioners in danger.

Some of us have regretted those actions to this day. There are also some practitioners who often tried to socialize with the police instead of properly clarifying the truth to them. They then felt fortunate when the police did not arrest them, as if they had passed a big test. It’s possible they should have looked within to consider, “Was there a predestined reason I ran into this officer? Did I effectively clarify the truth to him? Or what was I missing when he couldn’t accept the truth?”

Dafa has helped us greatly, but our understanding of the Fa must transcend from simple gratitude to having a deeper, rational understanding of the Fa principles. We should not be clinging to our human notions in critical moments and forget that we are here to guard the Fa and assist Master.

Some practitioners wonder why mass arests still happened after we clarified the truth in our area for over 20 years. This is the same as asking why there is still an annual college entrance exam when many have already passed the test. The key is that there are sill some who have not, and they need to come back and take the exam again.

I noticed that an officer talked to different practitioners in different ways. He seemed to know who would cave and who would not. We cannot muddle through in cultivation and expect to elevate just like others. Everyone must conform to the Fa. An elderly practitioner I know is not good with words but when facing the police, she would say only two phrases, “Falun Gong is not evil, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is not evil.” Nothing the police said or did could make her sign any statements. She has not been arrested since.

In court, some practitioners were afraid to speak up and explain why they handed out the flyers or asked others to quit the CCP. They just defended themselves with an intention to avoid the persecution. A practitioner’s lawyer told the judges, “He’s old and not well educated. He does not understand the harm this practice does to society. So please consider a lighter sentence.” Our every move and thought are closely watched by the sentient beings in other dimensions, including the old forces.

After we’re arrested, we should find the reasons that led to it. If we are arrested a second time, we should consider that we had not found the true reasons the first time, and should dig deeper.

The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme Procuratorate often allow the police to decide whether or not a practitioner will be charged with being involved in a “cult.” That’s why some practitioners, despite their lawyer’s excellent not-guilty defense arguments, were still found guilty and given harsh sentences. I’m speaking from my own personal experience.

On the other hand, if we pass the test when facing the police and properly clarify the truth to them, the matter may end there. We will not be arrested and will not need to be subjected to the kangaroo court process that is bound to rule against us.

The real judges are in other dimensions. On one side of the bench are Master and the righteous Fa guardians, and on the other are the old forces. If we clarify the truth like Master asks, he will definitely help us out.

“Disciples’ righteous thoughts are strongMaster has the power to turn the tide”(“Master-Disciple Grace,” Hong Yin Volume II)

But if we don’t, Master’s hands are tied when the old forces persecute us.

As we’re still cultivating, we still have the chance to fix things and improve. Let’s not be discouraged by the past. The old forces will cheer if we stop striving forward diligently.

Please kindly point out any incorrect understandings.