הוראת הפא בוועידת הפא של מערב ארה"ב

לי הונג-ג'י

21-22 בפברואר 1999, לוס אנג'לס

שלום! (מחיאות כפיים)

במקור הוועידה הזאת הייתה אמורה להיות ועידה מקומית לשיתוף-התנסויות עבור אזורים במערב [ארה"ב]. המטרה שלה היא לעזור למתרגלים באזורים של מערב ארה"ב לטפח טוב יותר, ושתהיה להם סביבת טיפוח טובה יותר – המטרה היא פשוט כזאת. היות שזאת ועידה אזורית, והיא בעיקר מיועדת לפתור את הסוגיות המקומיות שיש להם כאן, לא סיפרו עליה לאנשים רבים, וגם לא הפצנו את זה לחלקים אחרים של העולם. סיבה חשובה יותר לכך היא שאני רוצה שלכולם תהיה סביבה יציבה, ושהם יטפחו עם מחשבה רגועה, בלי כל הפרעה. יש כיום אגודות ומרכזי סיוע רבים באזורים שונים, וכך יש פעילויות רבות. אם תלכו אחריי לכל מקום שאני נוסע אליו, אז לא יהיה לכם זמן לטיפוח, וגם לא תהיה לכם סביבת טיפוח יציבה. זה לא יועיל לטיפוח שלכם. אז אינני רוצה שעוד אנשים יתרוצצו. כמובן, כולכם מבינים את הכוונה הזאת, אבל אתם עדיין שואפים לראות את המאסטר. אני יכול להבין את הלב הזה. למעשה, לאחר שתטפח את עצמך היטב, יהיה לך אפילו קל יותר לראות אותי.

כיוון שבאתם, בואו כולנו נקשיב ונתבונן עם מחשבה רגועה אילו התנסויות והשתפרויות בטיפוח היו למתרגלים בחוף המערבי במהלך תקופת הזמן האחרונה. מתוך הנאומים שלהם ושיתוף ההתנסויות שלהם נוכל לגלות איפה אנחנו נותרנו מאחור, וזה יאפשר לנו לשפר את עצמנו בצורה טובה יותר בטיפוח. כולם גם צריכים לאמוד את עצמם, לחפש את ההחסרות שלהם ולעזור זה לזה להתקדם. זאת המטרה המהותית של ועידות הפא שלנו. אם ועידת הפא שלנו לא יכולה לשרת את המטרה הזאת, אז אין לערוך אותה; זה יהיה לשווא, והיא תאבד את המשמעות שלה. כל צורות הטיפוח של הדאפא, כמו גם כל מה שאני עושה, כל אלה מיועדים לאפשר לכולם להשתפר כמה שיותר מהר. אם זה לא היה כך, ואם לא ניתן היה להשיג את המטרה הזאת, אז לא הייתי עושה את הדברים האלה. כמובן, בתוך צורות הטיפוח שיש לכם כרגע, בנוסף לתרגול, יש גם צורה להפצת הפא. זה משהו שנותר מהזמן שבו התחלתי ללמד את הפא, והוא נשמר עד היום; גם הוא חשוב מאוד, ובאמת יכול להביא לתוצאות טובות מאוד. לפיכך צריך עדיין לקיים את ועידות הפא שלכם באזורים שונים. אבל אני חושב שבכל אזור עדיף לערוך ועידות אזוריות בקנה-מידה קטן. לגבי ועידות פא בקנה-מידה גדול, אני חושב שזה מספיק לערוך אותן פעם או פעמיים בשנה. אל תערכו אותן בתדירות גדולה מדי, ואל תאפשרו להן להפוך למשהו פורמלי בלבד. זה טוב רק כשזה משרת את המטרה של עזרה אמיתית ויציבה לשיפור של כולם.

כפי שאתם יודעים, אני כבר לימדתי את הפא הזה עד לרמה גבוהה מאוד. זה יחסית קל יותר לכולכם להבין את הפא באמצעות הספר "ג'ואן פאלון". בנוגע לפא שלימדתי מאוחר יותר, אם לא קראתם את "ג'ואן פאלון" וישר קראתם את ההרצאות שניתנו באזורים שונים, אז למרות שאולי תבינו אותן, הן לא יוכלו להדריך את הטיפוח שלכם בצורה עקבית ורציפה. היות שהפא מקיף את הכול וכולו מחובר, אז לא משנה איך תקראו את הפא, הוא יכול לספק תשובות. אם מסתכלים עליו מקדימה, מאחור או מהאמצע – לא משנה באילו שיטות אתם משתמשים ואיך אתם קוראים את הדאפא הזה – כולו מחובר, עקבי ורציף, כל החלקים השונים יכולים להבהיר זה את זה, ויכולים להשיג אפקט שהכול מחובר זה לזה. זהו בדיוק הגורם העומד מאחורי זה שהדאפא מקיף את הכול ולא ניתן להריסה. לגבי הפא שלימדתי באזורים אחרים, הפא הזה למעשה הועבר באופן ספציפי לאזורים שונים, כאשר מצבים שונים נלקחו בחשבון. בפרט בארה"ב ובמספר ארצות אירופיות דיברתי יותר על מבנה היקום; וזה כמובן בלתי ניתן להפרדה מהטיפוח שלכם. מה מטרת הטיפוח שלכם? אחרי שתגיעו לשלמות, בוודאי לא תהיו בממד הזה, וזה באופן בלתי נמנע כרוך בממדים אחרים וגם במבנה היקום. זאת הסיבה שדיברתי על הדברים האלה. אבל למתרגלים באזורים שונים ובהתאם למצבים שונים, אני תמיד מלמד את הפא מזוויות שונות ובדרכים שונות. זהו מאפיין של הוראת הפא שלי.

כיוון שלכל אחד יש דברים שהוא קשור אליהם, וכיוון שכל אחד חושב שיש בחברת האנשים הרגילים אמת שהוא הגיע לדעת אותה בעצמו, אז הוא מחזיק בזה כדי להמשיך לחיות את חייו. למעשה, אספר לכם שלא משנה מהם העקרונות שהתעוררתם אליהם בקרב אנשים רגילים, כולם מוטעים בעיני הישויות שבכל רמה שמעל זאת של המין האנושי, משום שכל החברה האנושית היא ההפך [מרמות גבוהות יותר]. אז כדי לשבור את המכשול הזה שלכם – כלומר, את המושגים שיצרתם ושמפריעים בצורה חמורה לקבלת הפא שלכם – השתמשתי בגישות שונות בהוראת הפא באזורים שונים עבור אנשים שונים, כדי לשבור את המכשולים שבמחשבתכם שהם מחסומים לקבלת הפא. אנשים רבים שבאו לארה"ב מסין הם בעלי כישרונות והישגים רבים, ויש להם השכלה גבוהה. לרבים יש תארים, והם כולם מרגישים שיש להם הבנה ברורה יחסית של המדע המודרני. אבל למעשה, מה שאתם מאמינים שהוא הבנה ברורה הוא בעצמו מכשול. הסיבה היא, כפי שאמרתי בהזדמנויות רבות, שהמדע הזה בעצמו למעשה אינו מדעי. הוא רק משהו שחייזרים כפו על האדם, משהו שחדר לכל החברה והתפשט בה בכל היבט. היות שאתם בתוך כל זה, אתם בוודאי לא יכולים להבחין במה מדובר. אז מדוע כללתי מדע מודרני בהוראת הפא? משום שהמדע שינה את המושגים האנושיים ואת ההתנהגות האנושית. השינוי בתנאי החיים של המין האנושי הוביל לשינוי בהתנהגות האנושית, וכל התרבויות האנושיות השתנו. בנוגע לתרבויות שמחוץ למדע, כולל התרבויות של כל הקבוצות האתניות, אנשים של היום לא יכולים להבין אותן. רק בזכות כך שאני משתמש בשיטות של המדע המודרני לדון בנסיבות של היקום הזה, רק אז אפשר לגרום לאנשים של ימינו להבין ולדעת את הסיבות המהותיות לַחומר האמיתי ביקום, את הסיבות המהותיות לַישויות החיות ואת הסיבות המהותיות לַיקום. בדרך זו הכביכול אמת שאתם חושבים שמצאתם בקרב אנשים רגילים תישבר ותסולק, והשבירה של הדבר הזה תעזור לכם לקבל את הפא – האמת האמיתית. כשאתם מגלים שהדבר הזה הוא לא באמת האמת, אז קל לכם יותר לקבל את הפא. אז זה אחד המאפיינים של הדרך שבה אני מלמד את הפא הזה בהתאמה לאנשים שונים, למצבים שונים ולאזורים שונים – כלומר, אני משלב את המושגים הסוטים של האנשים המודרניים כשאני מלמד את הפא. כמובן, רבים מכם, בפרט אלה שיש להם יחסית השכלה גבוהה יותר, פיתחו במהלך תקופת זמן ארוכה הרגל ומצב מחשבה שהוא חקרני לגבי מדע ולגבי ידע. ברגע שהאנשים האלה נתקלים במשהו כזה, הם אוהבים לחקור אותו ולדעת עליו יותר. משום שהם התרגלו לרדוף אחרי ידע, וכתוצאה ממנטליות שאף פעם לא מרגישה מסופקת, הם תמיד רוצים לחקור עוד. למעשה, כאשר משתמשים בחשיבה אנושית, במושגים אנושיים, ברמה הנוכחית של ההישגים האנושיים או ברמות של הישגים עתידיים, לעולם לא תוכלו לגלות מהו בסופו של דבר היקום – זה יהיה בלתי אפשרי לחלוטין לחקור את זה. זה משום שבאמצעות חשיבה אנושית ושפה אנושית ניתן רק לתאר דברים בתוך גבולות מסוימים. מחוץ לגבולות האלה, למין האנושי לא קיים סוג השפה הנדרש כדי לתאר את זה. לא רק שאין שפה לתאר את זה, אלא שגם יהיה חסר לכם אוצר מילים מהסוג הזה, משום שאין כל דרך שאוצר המילים הקיים יוכל להגיע לכך. לא משנה איך תתארו את זה, לא יהיה ניתן לתאר את זה. זאת הסיבה שלפעמים לא קל לי ללמד אתכם את הפא כשאני מרצה.

נקודה נוספת היא שחשיבה אנושית הולכת על פי תוכנית מסוימת. אבל כיוון שהתוכנית כבר לא עובדת, לא ניתן לדבר על היקום באופן בהיר. במקרים רבים, כולל בזמן שהמתרגלים קוראים את הפא, הם יכולים להבין את הפא בלבם ובמחשבתם, אבל אינם מצליחים למצוא את המילים לבטא את זה. לכל המתרגלים הייתה ההרגשה הזאת שהם מצליחים להבין את הפא אך אינם מצליחים לבטא אותו בצורה בהירה. כלומר, זה לא משהו שאפשר להסביר בבהירות באמצעות חשיבה או שפה של אנשים רגילים. למרות זאת, אני מנסה כמיטב יכולתי ללמד את הפא באמצעות שפה אנושית, ולאפשר לכולם להבין אותו. בפעם האחרונה שלימדתי אתכם את הפא בג'נבה, כבר מצאתי שזה קשה למדי; הרגשתי שלא הסברתי דברים בבהירות מבחינתי.

לאחרונה פרסמתי שישה ספרים. הם כוללים את הרצאות הפא של שנה שעברה בסינגפור, בג'נבה, בפרנקפורט, את ועידת הפא הראשונה בצפון-אמריקה, ואת ועידת הפא לסייעים בצ'אנג-צ'ון. ספר נוסף הוא אוסף של הדברים שרשמתי במבנה של ארבע השורות שכתבתי עבור המתרגלים, שניתן גם לכנותם שירים – זה סוג כזה של ספר. יש בסך הכול שישה ספרים, וכולם פורסמו. מה המטרה? הדברים שדיברתי עליהם באזורים שונים התאימו רק לנסיבות הספציפיות ההן. כשמוציאים אותם מן ההקשר הזה ומקשיבים להם בסביבה אחרת  – אף על פי שאולי עדיין תהיה להם השפעה מסוימת משום שהם אחרי הכול פא  – הם איבדו את ההקשר הרלוונטי שלהם, ויוכלו בקלות להטעות את אלה שלא הקשיבו בצורה שיטתית לפא. כיוון שזה המצב, ערכתי אותם כדי לתקן את המגבלה הזאת, ועכשיו הם פורסמו כולם. אז ברגע שתשיגו את הספרים, עליכם להשמיד את קלטות הווידאו שהעברתם ביניכם באזורים שונים. אתם יודעים, מאפיין מרכזי נוסף המשותף לקלטות הווידאו הוא: כשאתם מקשיבים לתשובות שלי לשאלות שאנשים שואלים, לעתים קרובות התשובות שלי לא עונות על מה שנשאל. מדוע זה כך? זה משום שהזמן שלנו מוגבל מאוד, וברגע שהקראתי את השאלות שאנשים מסוימים העלו בפתקים שלהם, אתם הבנתם אותן, וכך השתמשתי בהזדמנות להתייחס לנושאים אחרים. אם קלטת אודיו הכוללת תשובות שאינן מתייחסות לשאלות מועברת ביניכם, אז אנשים אחרים לא יבינו. אנחנו רוצים לפתור את כל הבעיות האלה, ולכן פרסמנו את הספרים. מה שהתכוונתי לפני רגע זה שבאזורים שונים דיברתי על דברים בהתאמה לנסיבות באזורים הספציפיים האלה.

בפעם האחרונה שהייתי בסין, זמן מה לפני שבאתי לארה"ב, אמרתי לאנשים לקבץ את המתרגלים שהם פרופסורים באוניברסיטאות ומדענים בקהילה המדעית בבייג'ינג, יחד עם כמה סייעים של הדאפא, כך שאוכל לדבר איתם בפירוט על הנושא של מדע. בסופו של דבר, מה שהתכוונתי לעשות לא הושג באופן מספק, משום שמתרגלים רבים אחרים הופיעו, והעלו שאלות שלא התמקדו בנושא שרציתי לדון בו. אז זה נעשה קשה לדבר על זה. אני לא נגד זה שאנשים רוצים להקשיב לפא או לראות אותי, אבל לאזורים שונים יש מצבים שונים. אני לא רוצה לדבר הרבה היום, משום שזאת אחרי הכול ועידת פא, ואתם תקריאו מאמרי [שיתוף התנסויות]. מחר אענה על שאלותיכם.

היות שאתם יושבים כאן, אשתמש כבר בהזדמנות הזאת לדבר על כמה נושאים.

ראשית, אדבר על הנושא של הפצת הפא. אתם באמת השקעתם הרבה מאמץ, אבל יש עניין: גיליתם שבתקופת הזמן האחרונה יש מעט מאוד מתרגלים חדשים. מדוע זה המצב? משום שכל האירוע הזה תוכנן בהתחלה בצורה שיטתית מאוד. אבל, אני לא הכרתי בתכנון הזה, משום שהוא תוכנן על ידי הכוחות הישנים שביקום בנסיבות שבהן לא הייתי מודע לזה ולא הסכמתי לזה. אפשר רק להגיד את זה כך באופן המתומצת הזה. היות שמדובר בתיקון הפא, את מה מתקנים? מה שמתוקן הוא כל הדברים הישנים שסטו מהפא. הדברים מן העבר שסטו הפכו לכוח ויצרו מערכת, והדברים האלה מילאו תפקיד שלילי מלמעלה עד למטה. אני רוצה לאפשר ליותר אנשים לקבל את הפא בזמן שאני מפיץ אותו. היות שהכוחות הישנים כבר חילקו את האירוע הזה לשלבים שונים, והם חושבים שמספר האנשים לעניין הזה כבר הושג, הם עכשיו מרסנים את זה. במקור תכננתי ש-200 מיליון אנשים יקשיבו לפא, אבל בסוף, הכוחות הישנים הרעים הגבילו את המספר ל-100 מיליון. זאת הסיבה שהיה לכם קושי מסוים לעשות התקדמות כשאתם מפיצים את הפא. אבל אין זה אומר שאנשים בעתיד לא יקבלו את הפא. הם בהדרגה מגיעים להכיר ולקבל את הפא. עליכם להמשיך לעשות את כל מה שעליכם לעשות. עם זאת, עדיין אין עליכם לגרור מישהו לקבל את הפא. טיפוח עושים מתוך רצון חופשי. אם מישהו לא רוצה לטפח, אז ניחא. אין עלינו לשנות דבר רק בגלל ההפרעה של הכוחות הישנים. אם אתם יכולים לאפשר לאלה שאינם מודעים לפא להיעשות מודעים, ולאלה שאינם יודעים על הפא לדעת, אז עשיתם את מיטבכם, וזה מספיק. מה שהרגע אמרתי נועד לומר לכם שקיים גורם, והמצב הזה נובע ממנו. אבל אין עליכם להבין את דבריי שלא כהלכה, כאילו הגעתם להבין משהו חדש, ואז לדבר על זה מחוץ להקשר בזמן שאתם ממשיכים להחזיק במושגים ובהחזקות שלכם – זה לא יהיה טוב. נסו להיות הגיוניים. רק סיפרתי לכם שזה מצב מהסוג הזה.

מצד אחר, במהלך ביצוע האירוע הזה היום, חיברתי אתכם ואת הפא יחד. מדוע הטיפוח שלכם מתקדם כל כך מהר? יש גורמים רבים רבים מאחורי זה; זו סיבה מרכזית. בזמן שאני מלמד את הפא הזה ובזמן שכל תהליך תיקון הפא מתרחש, ישנן ישויות חיות ברמות שונות המקשיבות לפא; המטפחים בעולם האנושי המקשיבים לפא ברמה הנמוכה ביותר הם אתם, כך שאתם מחוברים לדאפא הזה. אף על פי שאתם הם אלו המקשיבים לפא ברמה הנמוכה ביותר, אתם לא תישארו ברמה הנמוכה ביותר לנצח. אתם תשיגו את השלמות ותגיעו לתחומים שונים ולרמות שונות – זה מחובר באופן מלא מלמעלה עד למטה. כשהעניין הזה יסתיים בעתיד, לאנשים שיבואו לטפח אז לא יהיה כל קשר לאירוע תיקון הפא של היום. הם יטפחו באופן הרגיל.

הדאפא הזה של היקום שאני מלמד היום הוא גם ההזדמנות הגדולה ביותר שהמין האנושי קיבל, משום שטיפוח עם פא כזה עצום בהחלט לא היה משהו שאפשר היה לדמיין בעבר. אתם יכולים עכשיו להשיג את הפא, אתם יכולים להקשיב לי כשאני מלמד אתכם את הפא פנים אל פנים, ויתר על כן, אתם מחוברים לעניין הזה של תיקון הפא – עדיין לא קלטתם את המשמעות של זה! לפעמים יש מתרגלים שאינם מצליחים להתקדם במרץ, ובמקרה זה הם חסרי אחריות כלפי עצמם! ככלות הכול הם בני אדם, יש להם מחשבות אנושיות, והם אינם יכולים לקלוט את זה, אז הם יכולים רק להיות מי שהם. למעשה, כל זה הוא מֵעֵבֶר למילים, ובעתיד אתם תדעו כמה בני מזל אתם! (מחיאות כפיים)

בנוסף, במהלך הטיפוח כולכם גיליתם שהסביבה הזאת שלנו היא טובה מאוד. באתרי התרגול כל אחד יכול לפתוח את לבו ולהגיד באופן חופשי מה שהוא רוצה. זה לא אפשרי בשום מקום אחר בחברה האנושית. זו הסיבה שכל מתרגל יכול להרגיש, כשהוא מגיע לאתר התרגול, שהוא נכנס לארץ טהורה ושהוא נכנס למקום קדוש ביותר. לכולם אכפת זה מזה באופן בו "לך אכפת ממני ולי אכפת ממך". אי אפשר למצוא את זה בשום סביבה אנושית אחרת. מדוע זה יכול להיות כך? פשוט מפני שכל תלמיד דאפא מטפח את עצמו. ברגע שמופיעה בעיה או מופיע קונפליקט, כל אחד מחפש את ההחסרות שלו, ובודק אם זה נגרם בשל משהו לא טוב שהוא עשה. כולם יודעים לעשות את זה, אבל יש כמה בודדים שלא מתמידים בלימוד הפא ועדיין אינם יכולים לעשות את זה. אז אם לדבר על הבעיה של אותם בודדים, אני צריך לומר – כמובן שציינתי את זה בפניכם בעבר בהזדמנויות קודמות רבות – כשנתקלים בקונפליקט, כל אחד צריך לחפש בתוך עצמו. אבל עדיין יש אנשים שנראה שאינם יכולים לחפש פנימה כשהם נתקלים בקונפליקט. יש אנשים שנעשים מודעים לזה, בעוד שכמה אחרים אפילו לא מוכנים לחשוב על זה, או אפילו שוכחים לחלוטין שהם מטפחים. הייתי אומר שהם לא פעלו מספיק טוב. בין אם זה בינך לבין מתרגל אחר, בין אם זה במקום העבודה, או בכל נסיבות אחרות בחברה האנושית, בקונפליקטים האלה בין המתרגלים, או בין מתרגל לסייע, האנשים האלה לא חשבו לחפש את הסיבות בתוך עצמם.

לגבי מצבים כאלו אני לעתים קרובות אומר לכם: כאשר לשני אנשים יש קונפליקט, שניהם צריכים לחפש את הסיבות בתוך עצמם כשהם שואלים: "איזו בעיה יש לי כאן?" כל אחד צריך לחפש את הבעיה שלו. אם אדם שלישי עֵֵד לקונפליקט שבין השניים, אז הייתי אומר שזה לא מקרי שהאדם השלישי רואה אותו, וגם הוא צריך לחשוב על זה: "מדוע ראיתי את הקונפליקט שלהם? האם זה משום שיש לי עדיין החסרות מסוימות?" רק כך זה יכול להיות טוב. אבל בכל פעם שאתם נתקלים בקונפליקט אתם תמיד דוחפים אותו אל האחרים ומוצאים חולשות והחסרות באחרים. זה לא בסדר שאתם עושים את זה. אתם יכולים לגרום להפסדים בעבודת הדאפא, ולגרום לדאפא להפסד. אתם לא קלטתם שכולכם משתמשים בדאפא ובעבודת הדאפא כדי לתרץ את ההחסרות של עצמכם או כדי להסתיר את ההחזקות של עצמכם. כשאתם חושבים שמישהו אחר לא פעל היטב, וכשאתם לא יכולים להתגבר על זה במחשבתכם, עליכם לחשוב: "מדוע זה מטריד את מחשבתי? האם באמת יש לו בעיה? או האם זה שיש משהו לא נכון עמוק בתוכי?" אתם צריכים לחשוב על זה בתשומת לב. אם באמת אין לך כל בעיה ומה שהוא עשה הוא ממש בעייתי, אז עליך לומר לו את זה בטוב לב, וזה לא יוביל לקונפליקטים. זה מובטח. אם האדם השני לא מצליח להבין את זה, אז זאת הבעיה שלו. אתה אמרת את מה שאמרת.

בלי קונפליקטים לא יהיה שיפור. יש אנשים שמרגישים שהסביבה שלהם שלווה מאוד, וכולם מרגישים שהטיפוח שלהם הולך ממש טוב. למעשה, אומר לכם שזה לא טוב. מה שאני רוצה לעשות הוא בדיוק ליצור כמה קונפליקטים עבורכם, משום שזה לא עוזר לכם אם אין בכלל קונפליקטים. זה משום שרק בתוך קונפליקטים ההחזקות שלכם יכולות להיחשף ולהיראות בבהירות לכם ולאחרים, ואז הן יסולקו. אם לא היו כאלה קונפליקטים, אז החזקות האדם הרגיל שלכם לא היו מסולקות. אז שימו לב לזה: בכל נסיבות שהן, בפרט כשאתם מטפחים בקרב אנשים רגילים, זה בלתי נמנע שרק באמצעות קונפליקטים, ובאמצעות הפרעה לשין-שינג, תוכלו לשפר את השין-שינג שלכם. בכל פעם שאני מרצה אני מדבר על הנושא הזה. כשישבתם שם והקשבתם לפא זה היה ברור לכולכם. אבל ברגע שיצאתם מהדלת כבר לא הייתם כמו קודם, ושכחתם.

בתקופה האחרונה, בפרט בשנתיים האחרונות, ההתקדמות של המתרגלים הייתה עצומה, והבנת הפא שלהם היא בשלה יותר ויותר. זה מצוין. מאז שהדאפא הוצג לציבור הובלתי אתכם בנתיב הטיפוח הישר ביותר. בין אם מדובר באופן הוראת הפא, באופן הפצת הפא בחברה, או במה שלימדתי את כולם לעשות, זה הלך בנתיב הישר ביותר. ומשום שאנחנו ישרים, לכל אלה שאינם ישרים תהיה דעה עלינו, משום שכל אלה שאינם ישרים נחשפים אל מול הדאפא. אז הם בוודאי יביאו כמה השפעות רעות לדאפא ויעירו הערות שליליות על הדאפא. זה בטוח.

עם זאת, אם לא היו גורמים שליליים והדאפא הזה היה מועבר בצורה שקטה ושלווה, אומר לכם: הוא היה צריך להיות משהו באותו סטנדרט מוסרי כמו האדם המודרני, ואז לאנשים של היום לא יהיה שום דבר רע להגיד עליו. זה בדיוק משום שאנחנו בנתיב ישר מאוד שכל אלו שאינם ישרים ייחשפו, ושכל הדברים הלא ישרים שבתוככם יוכלו להיות מסולקים, ושכל הדברים שאינם ישרים בחברה האנושית הרגילה יוכלו להיות מתוקנים. העניינים האלה בחברה הם לא דברים שאתם צריכים ללכת ולעשות בכוונה, משום שכשדברים רעים נחשפים, אנשים רגילים יבחינו בהם בעצמם. לבני האדם עדיין יש לב עם חמלה (שָן), ועדיין יש להם טבע נדיב וחומל; כשאנשים רואים את ההחסרות והטעויות שלהם, אז הם ידעו מה לעשות בעצמם, ובאופן בלתי נמנע זה ימלא את התפקיד של תיקון לבבות האנשים. בטיפוח שלכם עליכם בעיקר להתמקד באיך להתקדם במרץ, ולהקדיש יותר מאמץ לזה, במקום להקדיש מחשבה לאיך היא חברת האנשים הרגילים או מה עליכם לעשות למען החברה; אין לכם החובה הזאת וגם לא ביקשתי מכם לעשות זאת. אתם מטפחים, והשאלה היחידה שמהותית לטיפוח שלכם היא כיצד לשפר את השין-שינג של עצמכם.

אתם יודעים שיש עכשיו 100 מיליון אנשים הלומדים ומטפחים בדאפא. המספר הגדול הזה של האנשים בפני עצמו גרם לשינוי חיובי בלבם של האנשים – זה בלתי נמנע. אבל זה לא מה שהתכוונתי לעשות. בפרט, במשך תהליך ההפצה שלו, הדאפא נתקל במצוקות שבדרך, וישנן הביקורות של אנשים רגילים נגד הדאפא. איך עליכם להתמודד עם הבעיות האלה? המתרגלים שלנו לא חיקו את הפעולות האלימות שאנשים רגילים משתמשים בהן, וגם לא אימצו את השיטה שאנשים משתמשים בה: "אם אתה מתנהג אליי כך, אז אני אתנהג אליך באותו אופן", או את השיטות שהן אפילו גרועות יותר. לא פעלתם באופן הזה; התמודדתם עם כל זה באמצעות טוּב-לב (שָן). גם זה גורם המאפשר לדאפא להתפתח בצורה בריאה. כמובן, כל ניסיון קשה שאתה נתקל בו גם מקים מוסריות אדירה לך ולדאפא.

כפי שראיתם, כל כך הרבה אנשים ישיגו את השלמות בעתיד – הם יטפחו לשלמות. אלוהויות בשמים ישאלו: "איך הגעת לשלמות? איך טיפחת למעלה עד כאן? באמצעות איזה פא טיפחת למעלה לכאן?" כמובן, אתם יודעים שדרכי טיפוח קטנות אינן יכולות להציל אנשים, ושיטות רגילות אינן יכולות להציל אלוהות אל מעבר לשלושת העולמות. ככל שפא הוא עוצמתי וגבוה יותר, כך אדירה תהיה האלוהות שניתן ליצור באמצעות ההצלה, וכך תהיה גבוהה הרמה שיוכל להגיע אליה האדם שהוצל. בעתיד, כשאחרים ירצו לראות איך עלית למעלה לשם, הם יגלו שאתה באמת ראוי להיות מישהו שהתרומם באמצעות טיפוח בדאפא. המוסריות האדירה שהוקמה באמצעות הדאפא הזה, היא בפני עצמה חשובה גם כן עד מאוד. אם אחד מכם פועל היטב, אז זה עניין של הטיפוח האישי שלו; אם אנשים באזור אחד פועלים היטב, זה אומר שהמתרגלים באותו אזור פועלים היטב; אם אנחנו פועלים היטב בכל העולם, או בכל אזור שבו יש תלמידי דאפא, אז זה כבר לא עניין של אזור אחד או של אינדיבידואל אחד, אלא שכל הדאפא פועל היטב, ושהוא במסלול ישר.

כעת אתייחס לנושא נוסף. בארה"ב קיים ללא ספק הסוג הזה של מתרגלים, אבל הם מעטים מאוד; יש יחסית יותר מהם בסין. כלומר, חלק היו פעם בודהיסטים חילונים והם מתעניינים מאוד בבודהיזם או בדתות אחרות. באמצעות יכולות על-טבעיות או מתוך הקשבה לאחרים, יש אנשים שיכולים להבחין, או לדעת מפה לאוזן, שהדאפא יכול להציל אנשים, ושבזמן הנוכחי רק הדאפא הזה יכול להציל אנשים. אז הם יודעים ומבינים את המצב שהדתות הגיעו אליו. והם הבינו שדתות כבר לא יכולות להציל אנשים בכלל. היות שאלוהויות כבר לא מטפלות באנשים, הכְּתבים איבדו את המשמעויות הפנימיות שמאחורי המילים שלהם, ולפיכך איבדו את האפקטיביות האמיתית שלהם בהצלת אנשים. אז אחרי שהאנשים האלה הבינו את זה, הם באו ללמוד את הדאפא. אבל ברמה היסודית הם לא ויתרו על הדברים מהעבר, או על ההחזקה שלהם לדת. הם מחזיקים בדברים הישנים שלהם ומנסים להשיג את המטרות שלהם באמצעות ניצול הדאפא ושימוש בדאפא. הכוונה היא ממש רעה. כמובן, יש כאלה העושים את זה בכוונה, ומודעים לגמרי לכך שהם פועלים באופן הזה; אני גידרתי וחסמתי אותם, ולחלוטין לא ארשה להם לקבל שום דבר. זה משום שהם מנצלים את הדאפא, וזה בפני עצמו, עבור אנשים, משהו לחלוטין לא טוב וגם מגיע מלב שהוא ממש לא טוב. אם הם לא מודעים – כלומר אם שכבת פני השטח של האדם לא לגמרי מבינה והיא מעורפלת מחשבה – אז אנסה את מיטב יכולתי לתקן אותם ולהביא אותם להבין את הנושא. אני מעלה את זה היום כדי ליידע אותם: זה אסור לחלוטין.

כפי שאתם יודעים, מה שאני מלמד הוא הפא של היקום, וכל דרך טיפוח, כל אסכולת הוראה, מוּכֶלֶת ביקום הזה והפא הזה חובק ומקיף אותה. כל הישויות החיות, בכל רמה, נבראו על ידי הדאפא של היקום. כל גן עדן, כל גן עדן של אלוהות או של בודהא, כל היקומים וכל הגופים הקוסמיים, כולם נבראו על ידי הדאפא הזה. האם הוא לא מקיף את הכול? אנשים רבים בתוך הדאפא הזה הם ישויות שהיו שייכות לעולמות של בודהות; החיים של רבים היו טאואים; ורבים היו אלוהויות של אנשים מערביים או שהיו ישויות חיות שהיו שייכות לגני העדן שלהן. ויש אפילו יותר ישויות חיות מגני עדן של אלוהויות שונות רבות רבות, שלא אתם ולא המין האנושי יודעים עליהן, שבאו לכאן כדי לקבל את הדאפא. מדוע הדאפא יכול לאפשר להם לחזור? הסיבה שאני יכול באמת לאפשר להם לחזור, היא שמה שאני מלמד הוא הדאפא, החוק הגדול, היסודי, של היקום, בעוד שהפא של כל גן עדן אינדיבידואלי הוא אך ורק עקרונות מרמות שונות של היקום שמישהו התעורר אליהם ואימת אותם. אי אפשר להשוות אף אחד מהם עם הדאפא.

מדוע אינני מאשר שתטפחו [בו זמנית] דברים אחרים, ומדוע אני אומר לכם לטפח רק בדאפא? משום שהדאפא משלב בתוכו מצבים ברמות שונות ומטפל בהם, כמו גם באלה של ישויות שונות, ורק באופן הזה תוכלו לחזור. לא רק שהוא לא משנה דבר מהטבע המולד שהיה לכם בעבר, אלא שהוא גם באותו הזמן יכול להדריך אתכם לחזור. אתם יודעים שרבים מהמתרגלים שלנו ראו שהם טאואים, יש גם כאלה שראו שיש להם ההופעה של אלוהות מערבית, ויש גם כאלה שיש להם דמות השייכת לאסכולת הבודהא. הם כולם מטפחים בדאפא, אבל עדיין לא אגרום לאף אחד מהדברים שלהם ללכת לאיבוד או להתקלקל. לא משנה באיזו דרך טיפוח הם טיפחו בעבר, אני יכול להדריך את כולם לחזור, וזאת הדרך היחידה. אפשר לעשות זאת רק באמצעות הפא של היקום. זה ההבדל הגדול ביותר בין הדאפא לבין כל שיטת טיפוח אחרת או דת מהעבר.

למעשה, אף אחד לא יודע שאף על פי שאנשים רבים מדברים על אמונה בבודהות או אמונה באלוהויות, האמת היא שאם אתה לא מישהו מהעולם של האלוהות הספציפית הזאת, אז היא בכלל לא תציל אותך. פעם הצהרתי שבין אם מדובר בנצרות או בקתוליות, בגני העדן שלהם אין כלל אנשים מן המזרח. זוהי אמת אבסולוטית שאנשים לא מבינים. אבל דתות מערביות הלכו מזרחה עם מסעות הצלב, והדרך שבה הן הופצו לא הייתה טובה מלכתחילה, משום שגם ישוע וגם יהוה אסרו על תלמידיהם להפיץ את התורה שלהם למזרח. זה נועד למנוע את ערבוב הגזעים האנושיים, אבל הם לא הבינו את זה. פעם אמרתי שהיו תיאורים מכובדים רבים שתיארו את ישוע, אבל אתם לא משתמשים בהם. אבל אתם כן משתמשים בתיאור שלו כצלוב על הצלב כסמל. האם זה לא נראה כאילו שאנשים רוצים שישוע יהיה צלוב לנצח על הצלב?? בני אדם עדיין חושבים שהם עושים משהו טוב. למעשה, מה שאנשים רוצים לעשות, ומה שהם עשו, אינם בהכרח דברים טובים. מדוע אלוהויות עדיין מטפלות באנשים? משום שאנשים עדיין מאמינים באלוהויות. אנשים הם אבודים באשליה, אז מה הם יודעים?

הדאפא מסוגל לגרום לכל הישויות החיות לחזור למקומות שבהם הן נבראו. זה משהו שאני בוודאות יכול לעשות. תוך כדי ביצוע תיקון הפא, זה נעשה עבור ישויות ברמה גבוהה, לא משנה כמה גבוהות הרמות שלהן. מתוך התלמידים הרבים רבים שלי, לא מעטים הצליחו בטיפוח במהלך מספר השנים האחרונות; אלה שהגיעו לשלמות או שמתקרבים לשלמות הם רבים למדי. היות שהעניין בכללותו עדיין לא הסתיים, הם מרוסנים. הם יכולים לדעת הכול ולראות הכול, אבל היכולות העל-טבעיות והכוחות השמימיים שלהם אסורים לשימוש, משום שכדור הארץ הזה לא יהיה מסוגל לשאת זאת. כמובן, מתרגלים הגיעו גם כן להבין את הדברים האלה בהדרגה, תוך דיון ושיתוף התנסויות זה עם זה; דברים רבים נעשים יותר ויותר ברורים. זאת הסיבה שאני מספר לכם על הדברים האלה. משמעות הדבר היא, שאם אתה לא שייך לגזע הזה, או שאתה לא מגיע מגן העדן של האלוהות ההיא, אז היא לא תיקח אותך.

בודהא שאקיאמוני אמר שמספר הטאתאגטות רב כמספר גרגירי החול בנהר הגאנגס. כשהחיים בגני עדן שונים נעשים לא טובים, אז הם נופלים למטה. לאן הם נופלים? הם כולם נופלים למרכז היקום – זה המקום הנמוך ביותר. המקום שהכי במרכז הוא כדור הארץ הזה, והוא סביבה מיוחדת ביותר. הם כולם נופלים לכאן, אז הם נפלו למטה. כיוון שבודהות הם בעלי חמלה (צְה-בֶּיי), והם רוצים להציל את הישויות שנפלו למטה מהעולמות שלהם, אז הם לא יוותרו עליהם. אז אלה שהאלוהויות רוצות להציל הם למעשה אנשים שהיו במקור בעולמות של האלוהויות האלה; הן [האלוהויות האלה] לחלוטין לא יכולות לגעת בישויות מעולמות אחרים. ומדוע זה כך? משום שכל האלמנטים המרכיבים ישות מסוימת הם אלמנטים מהעולם של האלוהות ההיא. ברגע שהאלמנטים האלה יוסרו, החיים אלה יתפוררו. זה לא משהו שישות יכולה לעשות בצורה שרירותית. בעבר, כל האנשים האמינו בבודהות וסגדו לבודהות או לאלוהויות. אבל למעשה, זה היה רק סוג של מחשבה נכונה של אמונה באלוהי. הבודהא ההוא בכלל לא היה יכול לטפל באדם [כזה], אפילו אם הוא היה רוצה. כמובן, אלוהויות כמו שאקיאמוני וישוע, שירדו להציל אנשים, הם מקרים מיוחדים. הרבה נושאים מעורבים בזה, זה בטוח, ואנחנו לא נדון בהם כאן. מה שאני אומר הוא שהדאפא כן מסוגל להשיג את זה [כלומר, לטפל בישויות של אלוהויות אחרות]. עבור אלה שעמוק בפנים עדיין לא ויתרו על הדברים מהעבר שלהם, אני מעלה היום את הנושא הזה כדי לתת להם הזדמנות. אם הם עדיין לא מוותרים, אז הם יחמיצו את ההזדמנות הזאת. הדאפא הוא רציני והטיפוח הוא רציני.

כעת אתייחס עבורכם לנושא אחד נוסף, משהו שמתרגלים מתקשים להסביר בבירור בטיפוח, כלומר "שמים" (טיאֶן). לפי המדע הנוכחי, חלליות טסו לחלל החיצון וטסו לכוכבי לכת רבים אחרים אבל לא ראו כלל בני אדם או גני עדן של אלוהויות, וגם לא היו שם הסצנות מעולמות שמימיים שונים שבשלושת העולמות שאנשים דיברו עליהם. אז האנשים המודרניים משתמשים בהיגיון הזה כדי לדחות את הדת, להכחיש אגדות מן העבר, ולשלול את הטבע היסודי ביותר של בני אדם. למעשה, ה"שמים" שאלוהויות מתייחסות אליהם כלל אינם אותו מושג של שמים שבני האדם רואים. לעתים קרובות אני אומר שמולקולות מרכיבות את כל הדברים בממד החומרי הזה של בני האדם, בעוד שחומר מיקרו-קוסמי הוא הסיבה להרכב המולקולות, והשכבות של חומר אף יותר מיקרו-קוסמי הן הסיבות היסודיות להרכב של שכבות של חלקיקים ברמות שונות. אלוהויות נמצאות בעולמות מיקרו-קוסמיים ביותר, שהם, למרות זאת, עולמות עצומים ביותר, מרחבים בהיקף נרחב. העולמות המיקרו-קוסמיים, והממדים שנוצרו במיקרו-קוסמוס שסיפרתי לכם עליהם בכל ההרצאות, הם המקומות שבהם שוכנות האלוהויות. חישבו על זה: אלוהויות… הזכרתי בעבר שדברים בממד האנושי, כמו אוויר, חומר, אדמה, סלעים, ברזל ופלדה – כל דבר בממד הזה, כולל הגוף שלכם – מורכבים ממולקולות. אבל מולקולות הן החומר הגס ביותר, השטחי ביותר והמלוכלך ביותר ביקום. המולקולות האלה – למעשה, בעיני האלוהויות, כל המולקולות – נראות כמו עפר, והן נחשבות בוץ ביקום, וזו רק ההבנה ברמה של טאתאגאטה. זו הסיבה מדוע מה שנאמר בעבר – שיהוה ונוּ-וָוה השתמשו באדמה לברוא את האדם – היה נכון. זה משום שאפילו הבשר שלכם מורכב ממולקולות, ובעיני אלוהויות, זה בוץ, זה עפר, וזה משהו שהוא הגס ביותר. אז חישבו על זה כולכם: לא משנה כמה רחוק יטוסו חלליות, האם הן טסו אל מחוץ לתחום של המולקולות? נניח שמטוס טס בשמים ואתה נוסע מאסיה לאמריקה. אתה מרגיש שטסת די גבוה ודי רחוק; למעשה, רק זזת בתוך ערימות של מולקולות, ואתם כולכם זזים על הקרקע – זה כלל לא השמים. בעיני האלוהויות, זה רק עניין של מרחקים שונים ארוכים או קצרים בתוך חומרים של אותה רמה. הממדים המורכבים מעולמות מיקרו-קוסמיים הם השמים האמיתיים שהאלוהויות מתייחסות אליהם. כמה שחומר הוא יותר מעודן ומיקרו-קוסמי, כך פני-השטח שהוא מרכיב הם יותר מושלמים ומעודנים.

בכל החומר קיימת אנרגיה, כולל במולקולות. אבל היות שהגוף האנושי וכל מה שמסביבכם מורכב ממולקולות – אפילו המכונות שאתם משתמשים בהן כדי למדוד את האנרגיה מורכבות גם כן ממולקולות – אז אתם לא יכולים לזהות את האנרגיה של המולקולות. ככל שחומר הוא יותר מיקרו-קוסמי, כך יש בו יותר אנרגיה והעוצמה הרדיואקטיבית שלו חזקה יותר – ככל שמיקרו-קוסמי יותר, כך רב עוצמה יותר. זאת הסיבה שהאנרגיה של האלוהויות וצורות הקיום שלהן הן כאלה. אנסח את זה בצורה שתהיה לכם קצת יותר ברורה: אנשים על כדור הארץ רואים שהירח, השמש, נוגה, מאדים, כמו גם שביל החלב, החלל החיצון, הגופים הקוסמיים המרוחקים וכן הלאה הם כולם בשמים. אבל אם מסתכלים על כדור הארץ ממאדים, אז האם לא הייתם אומרים שגם הוא בשמים? הוא גם כן בשמים. זאת הבנה הפורצת את דרכי החשיבה של אנשים רגילים.

אבל, כשמבינים את זה ברמה עמוקה יותר – חישבו על זה – מהם השמים? ברגע שאתה נכנס לממד מיקרו-קוסמי, אלו הם השמים. אתן לכם את הדוגמה הכי פשוטה ואספר לכם סיפור. בעבר, היה מטפח של הטאו שהלך ברחוב תוך שהוא שותה יין. פתאום הוא ראה מישהו. האיש הזה היה בדיוק מה שהוא חיפש – מישהו שיוכל לטפח בטאו. אז הוא רצה להציל את האדם הזה ולקחת אותו כתלמיד שלו. הוא שאל את האיש הזה: "האם אתה רוצה ללכת אחריי כדי לטפח את הטאו?" תכונת ההארה והאיכות המולדת של האיש הזה היו טובות מאוד, והוא אמר: "אני רוצה". המטפח שאל:  "האם אתה מעז ללכת אחריי?" האיש ענה: "כן, אני מעז!" הוא אז שאל: "האם אתה מעז ללכת אחריי לא משנה לאן אלך?", "כן" הייתה התשובה. אז המטפח אמר: "טוב. עכשיו בוא אחריי!" אחרי שהוא אמר את זה הוא הניח את דלעת-היין שלו, שהייתה בגודל כף יד, על הקרקע, פתח את המכסה וקפץ לתוך הדלעת. האיש ראה שהמאסטר שלו קופץ פנימה, אז הוא חיקה את המאסטר שלו וקפץ גם כן לתוך הדלעת. העוברים ושבים התכופפו כולם להסתכל לתוך הדלעת. "וואו!" הם קראו. בתוך הדלעת היה עולם נרחב, ממש נרחב. מנקודת המבט של חשיבה אנושית, איך זה יכול להיות אפשרי שאיש כל כך גדול יקפוץ לתוך דלעת כל כך קטנה? זה משום שכאשר אתה רוצה להיכנס לממד ההוא, אז כל הדברים שבגופך צריכים להתאים למצב של הממד ההוא לפני שתוכל להיכנס. כשאתה עובר דרך המרווחים שבין ממדים שונים, באופן בלתי נמנע הגוף שלך נכנס למצבי הקיום האלה. זה משום שככל שחלקיקי החומר מיקרו-קוסמיים יותר, כך המישורים שברמות שלהם נרחבים ועצומים יותר. ברמות של חלקיקים מיקרו-קוסמיים הביטוי של הדלעת שונה מהצורה שבני אדם רואים; כל החלקיקים מקושרים. מה שנראה גדול או קטן לבני אדם הוא רק צורת ביטוי במרחב-זמן שנוצר על ידי אותם החלקיקים. כלומר, פני השטח של הדלעת נוצרים ממולקולות, וזאת הצורה שאתם רואים, אבל במיקרו-קוסמוס הדלעת אינה כזאת. היא קשורה ליקום שבתחום ההוא. האם אתם מבינים מה אמרתי? (מחיאות כפיים) אני רק דן ברעיון מסוג כזה. זה משהו שאדם לא יכול להבין, ושלא ניתן להבין במושגים אנושיים.

אז אחרי שדיברתי על אדם העולה לשמים, אני יכול לומר שאם אתה לפתע נכנס לתוך אבן, האם זה לא לעלות לשמים? זה לא יעבוד אם תיכנס לפני-השטח שנוצרו על ידי החומר של האבן. אתה נכנס לתחומים של החלקיקים המיקרו-קוסמיים היוצרים את החלקיקים המולקולריים שלה – האם אתה לא הולך לשמים? האם אתה לא בשמים אם אתה מתכווץ לתוך הרמות המיקרוקוסמיות של הגוף שלך? כשאתה נכנס לחלקיקים המיקרו-קוסמיים של חלקיקי פני-השטח של ממדים בכל רמה – במילים אחרות, כשאתה נכנס לשכבת החלקיקים הקטנים מהשכבה ההיא – אז אתה כבר בשמים. פשוט הרמות של השמים הן שונות, ודרגת המיקרו-קוסמיות היא שונה. אחרי שאתה נכנס למיקרו-קוסמוס, למרות שאתה רואה שאתה נכנס לאבן, נכנס לגוף של עצמך, או נכנס לדבר מסוים, למעשה נכנסת ליקום הרחב המחובר לממד ההוא. במילים אחרות, זו אינה דרך חשיבה אנושית. לעתים קרובות אני אומר שמה שאנשים מתייחסים אליו כמזרח, מערב, דרום או צפון, למעלה, למטה, בפנים או בחוץ – לא קיים ביקום, וזה שונה מהחשיבה האנושית ומהמושגים האנושיים. אחרי שאני מסביר לכם את זה כך, אתם תבינו: "אוה, זה בכלל לא כמו כאשר משתמשים בחשיבה אנושית לבחון את זה". המדע של היום הוא רדוד מאוד. הוא לא יכול להבחין או לדעת על השמים האמיתיים משום שהוא זוחל רק בתוך הממד החומרי הנוכחי, וזה הגביל אותו. והמדע שנכפה על האדם בידי חייזרים הוא לפיכך מוגבל לזה. חייזרים הם גם כן ישויות חיות שבתוך הממד הזה, ובאותו אופן הם גם כן לא מסוגלים לדעת את האמת של היקום.

המין האנושי לא מאמין באלוהויות, וזאת אינה בעיה פשוטה. זה המין האנושי שהורס את המוסריות האנושית. כשהמין האנושי מאמין בגמול קארמתי, מאמין שלעשות מעשים טובים מקבל גמול טוב ולעשות מעשים רעים מקבל גמול רע, ומאמין שאלוהויות מתבוננות על כל הדברים שהאדם עושה, אז המין האנושי לא יעז לעשות דברים רעים; המין האנושי ידע שלעשות מעשים טובים יצבור דֶה ויתוגמל באושר, וזאת אמת אבסולוטית. אבל המין האנושי כבר לא מאמין בדברים האלה; המדע בימינו לא מאמין בהם, והוא מחשיב אותם כאמונה טפלה. זה בדיוק להשתמש במקל של המדע להכות במחשבות הנכונות של האנשים. האם זה לא להכות בטבע המהותי ביותר של בני האדם? כשהמוסריות של אנשים, האמונות הישרות שלהם והמחשבות הנכונות שלהם נהרסים עד לנקודה שהם כבר לא קיימים, אנשים יעשו בחוסר אחריות כל מה שהם רוצים, וישתמשו בכל האמצעים כדי להשיג את המטרות שלהם. זאת אחת הסיבות המהותיות להתדרדרות החברה האנושית. נראה שבחברה המערבית אנשים מאמינים באלוהים, אבל הם לא באמת מאמינים באלוהים: מה שהם מאמינים בו הוא המדע. אלוהויות אינן כמו מה שהם מדמיינים, כלומר, ישויות עם רגשות אנושיים. לפני רגע תיקנתי מושג-מפתח עבורכם, כלומר, איך צריך להבין את "השמים". מה שאלוהויות ובני אדם מתכוונים אליו כשהם מדברים על "שמים", הם שני דברים שונים.

במהלך הטיפוח, אנשים רבים רואים לעתים, שנראה שהם נכנסים לתוך הגוף של עצמם. הגוף שלהם הוא כמו שמים נרחבים, הם נעים בשמים והולכים בֵּינוֹת לגופים הקוסמיים, ודלתות נפתחות בזו אחר זו בשעה שהם שועטים קדימה. כשהם מסתכלים טוב יותר, או מרחיבים את מחשבתם צעד אחד נוסף בשביל להסתכל, הם מבינים: "אוה, אלה ערוצי האנרגיה בגוף שלי שנפתחים". בואו נחשוב על זה. כשאתה מטפח, הגופים שלך עוברים שינוי מהמיקרו-קוסמי ביותר ומעלה. אז מהו המיקרו-קוסמי ביותר? האם הגופים האחרים שלך אינם בדיוק נמצאים בשמים ונמצאים בתחומים האלה? זה רק שאנשים נפלו להיות בתוך האנשים רגילים, ואתה נפלת יחד עם הכול למקום שבו נמצאים אנשים רגילים; אפילו החלק שהוא המיקרו-קוסמי ביותר נפל לרמה של אנשים רגילים. אבל אם אתה יכול לחזור באמצעות טיפוח, אז הכול יתוקן עבורך, ואתה תעבור את ההתנסות הזאת. מטפחים רבים בהיסטוריה ראו את התופעות האלה [שהרגע תיארתי], אבל לא היו מסוגלים לתאר את זה. לעתים אלה שבדת הבודהיסטית אומרים שבודהא נמצא בתוך הלב, בעוד שאנשים באסכולת הטאו אומרים שהגוף האנושי הוא יקום קטן, וכן הלאה, וזה משום שהם ראו דברים כאלה.

כשדיברתי על המדע אמרתי שהמדע לא ממלא תפקיד חיובי. לא רק שהוא מזהם את הסביבה של המין האנושי והורס את הרקמות של הגוף האנושי, אלא שבסוף חייזרים גם יחליפו את בני האדם. הדברים של המדע חדרו לכל שדה בחברה האנושית, המין האנושי לא יכול להשתחרר מהמדע, והכול עכשיו נוצר על ידי המדע. היות שזה המצב, כתלמידי דאפא, לא משנה מה המקצוע שלכם, עליכם פשוט ללכת ולעשות את עבודתכם, ולעשות אותה היטב – זה יהיה טוב מספיק. לגבי כל מה שמתרחש, אל תטרידו את עצמכם בנוגע לזה. אינני אומר לכם להתנגד למדע הזה, וגם אינני מלמד אתכם להשתחרר ממנו. זו לא הכוונה שלי. אני אומר לכם מהו המדע. מה שהמדע מבין לגבי דברים רבים הוא רדוד ביותר; אפילו הבנתו את החומר בממד הקיים הזה אינה מַסְפֶקֶת. חוסר היכולת שלו לזהות את קיומן של אלוהויות הגביל את התפתחותו. לדוגמה, מדענים היום אומרים שהזיהום התעשייתי של המין האנושי הוא חמור למדי, ואחת הדוגמאות היא שאומרים שפְרִיאוֹן וחומרים אחרים המשמשים לקירור גורמים נזק לשכבת האוזון. הם אומרים שהנזק לשכבת האוזון התרחש בקוטב הדרומי, שם הופיע חור. למעשה, המדע לא מסוגל להבין את התפקיד שממלאות האלוהויות, אז אנשים אומרים שהחור נגרם מהנזק לשכבת האוזון. זה אכן נכון שהזיהום שגרמה התעשייה המודרנית זיהם את האוויר של המין האנושי במידה איומה ביותר.

אבל אין-ספור החיים שבמיקרו-קוסמוסים שביקום העצום, בין אם יש להם צורה או לא, כולם אלוהויות, והם מתקיימים במיקרו-קוסמוסים שבני אדם לא יכולים לראות. אוויר מורכב מחלקיקים מולקולריים, בעוד שחלקיקים מולקולריים מורכבים מחלקיקים יותר מיקרו-קוסמיים. באוויר עצמו יש אין-ספור שכבות – שכבה אחר שכבה, המתקדמות לעבר המיקרו-קוסמי – וכל מה [שקיים שם] זה אלוהויות. כשהן ראו שהסביבה של האדם נעשתה כזאת, הן פתחו חלון, פתחו דלת, כדי לסלק את גזי הפליטה מכדור הארץ. זה נעשה על ידי אלוהויות. הן פתחו אותו בכוונה ואז סגרו אותו. אם אלוהויות לא היו מגִנות על בני אדם, אז בני אדם לא היו שורדים. לא רק שהאדם לא מאמין באלוהויות, אלא שהוא אפילו מעז לא לכבד אלוהויות. בואו נשתמש בדוגמה הפשוטה ביותר. אתם יודעים שהמקומות שבהם הזיהום התעשייתי הוא החמור ביותר הם המקומות המאוכלסים ביותר – ערים גדולות. מדוע לא התפתח חור בשכבת האוזון מעל המקומות האלה? זה משום שאלוהויות חושבות שלפתוח חור באזור הקוטב הדרומי יהיה בטוח עבור בני האדם. זה אמור להיות כך שבַמָקום שבו יש יותר גזי פליטה שם יהיה חור בשכבת האוזון, נכון? אז מדוע זה לא כך? זה בכלל לא כמו מה שאנשים מדמיינים. יש גם חור גדול מעל רמת צ'ין-ג'אנג בסין – החורים הגדולים תמיד מופיעים באזורים שיש בהם אוכלוסייה דלילה. זה לא מוגבל רק לשכבת האוזון שאנחנו יכולים לראות, בתוך חומר מוכלים חלקיקים מיקרו-קוסמיים רבים למדי, וכולם חייבים לְפַנות דרך כך שאפשר יהיה שהדברים האלה ייפלטו. כמובן, זהו סידור שאלוהויות עשו עבור האדם.

הזיהום שגרם המין האנושי הביא לבעיות אפילו יותר רציניות. אתם יודעים שכמעט אין מים מתוקים טהורים בעולם. בין אם מדובר במי תהום או במים על פני הקרקע, לא משנה איך אנשים מסננים או מטהרים את המים, אי אפשר להגיע לטוהר האמיתי של מים. יתר על כן, אנשים עושים שימוש חוזר שוב ושוב במים, והמים נעשים מזוהמים יותר ויותר משום שהמים שבני האדם משתמשים בהם עוברים תהליך מחזוריות – מים מתוקים הם חומר מחזורי. מים מתוקים לא מתערבבים עם מי ים משום שהם לא אותו חומר. בכל חומר ובכל אובייקט יש חיים. אתם רואים שעל פני השטח אלו הם מים, אבל בצד השני הם שוקקים חיים. כאשר אדמה, מים, אוויר וכדומה מזדהמים עוד ועוד, גם הנזק למין האנושי נעשה גדול יותר ויותר. התפתחות החברה האנושית של ימינו היא חזרה על התפתחות החברה האנושית הקודמת; המחזור הקודם היה ניסוי עבור המחזור הזה. אם ההתפתחות תימשך בנתיב הזה, אז בני האדם ייעשו מעוותים. גזי פליטה תעשייתיים ומי שפכים יגרמו לבני אדם להפוך למעוותים ולהיראות מבחילים, והם ייראו חצי דמוניים חצי אנושיים. כך זה יהיה אם זה ימשיך להתפתח. יתרה מכך, קיימת גם ההתנהגות המרושעת של אנשים הנובעת מהגורמים של התדרדרות המוסר.

בנקודה זאת אנצל את ההזדמנות לדבר על נושא אחר. כפי שאתם יודעים, המדע המודרני הובא למין האנושי על ידי חייזרים. הם הגיעו כאשר המהפכה התעשייתית החלה במערב. הם התחילו עם המתמטיקה והכימיה – התחילו מהידע השטחי והפשוט ביותר של הימים המוקדמים ביותר – וחילחלו עוד ועוד לתוך המכונות המודרניות, ובסופו של דבר זה התפתח עד המחשבים של היום. עם המשך ההתפתחות, המטרה הסופית שלהם תהיה להחליף את בני האדם. איך תתבצע ההחלפה? כפי שציינתי, בגוף של בני האדם של היום כמעט לכל אחד יש שכבה שהחייזרים יצרו בתוך גופו. מדוע אני אומר כך? זה משום שכל המדע שהם החדירו בך יצר במחשבתך מצב-מחשבה אנושי מעוות. מעולם לא היו בני אדם כאלה באף אחת מהציוויליזציות הקודמות. כאשר המחשבה היא כזאת, גם הגוף הוא כזה. כפי שידוע לכם, כל תא בגופך הוא אתה, והמוח שלך מחובר למוח של כל תא. במקרה זה, תהליך המחשבה בתוך אין-ספור התאים שבגופך יהיה כולו מחשבות של בני אדם מעוותים, וכל הגוף יהיה כך. זה מתקשר לסיבה מדוע אלוהויות כבר אינן מתייחסות לבני אדם כאנושיים. כאשר המין האנושי כבר אינו אנושי, מה הטעם שאלוהויות יצילו אותו?

אתם יודעים שכאשר מישהו מת, הוא לא באמת מת. הקליפה של שכבת החלקיקים המולקולריים הגדולים ביותר נושלת, בעוד שהחלק של הגוף המורכב מחלקיקים מיקרו-קוסמיים שמתחת למולקולות – לא מת. הוא מופרד, כאילו שהאדם מוריד בגד. הוא לא באמת מת. אבל האדם בממד הזה נעלם, משום שאת הגוף צריך לשרוף או לקבור, והוא בסוף יירקב וייעלם. הוא עזב את הממד הזה; כלומר, שכבת החלקיקים הזאת נעלמה. אז לגבי התרבות של החייזרים שכרגע דיברתי עליה, היא בדיוק משתמשת בחשיבה של האדם עצמו כדי ליצור את השכבה הגופנית שהיא צריכה, והיא עושה זאת מבלי שהאדם יהיה מודע לכך. אז איך בסופו של דבר הם יחליפו את בני האדם? אתם יודעים שהם עדיין צריכים למצוא דרך להחליף את הקליפה של פני-השטח החיצוניים ביותר של בני האדם ולהיכנס במקומה. זוהי שיטת ה"שיבוט" שכיום בני האדם רוצים להשתמש בה. אלוהויות דואגות לבני האדם, וכאשר הן לא דואגות למישהו אז הן לא מכניסות את האלמנטים של החיים לתוך האדם הזה.

כלומר, הסיבה לכך שאתה חי בעולם הזה היא לא שיש לך גוף הבשר הזה. וזה גם לא שאתה חי משום שאמך נתנה לך את הגוף הזה. אתה חי משום שיש לך את הנשמה המקורית שלך (יוּאֶן-שֶן) ובשל קיום כל הנשמות (שֶן) האחרות שלך. מדוע מישהו לא ממשיך לחיות אחרי שהוא מת וגופו מוטל שם  – הרי אחרי הכול זה אותו גוף? זה משום שכל הנשמות העיקריות עזבו. כלומר, אם מישהו אינו מקבל נשמה ואינו מורשה להתגלגל בזמן הלידה, הוא יהיה מת גם לאחר שהוא יוולד. אז מה יקרה? חייזרים ייכנסו. אלו האמצעים שבסופו של דבר החייזרים ינקטו בהם כדי להחליף את בני האדם – כלומר, שיבוט בני אדם. האדם מנוצל על ידי החייזרים כדי להרוס את עצמו, אבל הוא אינו מודע לכך ועדיין מגן על המדע, כשהוא הורס את הגזע האנושי. אם בעתיד בני אדם ישובטו בקנה מידה גדול, אז כל הישויות האלה יהיו חייזרים שהתגלגלו בגופים אנושיים, והגזע האנושי כבר לא יתקיים. כמובן, העובדה שאני יכול להתייחס לזה היום נובעת מכך שכל הבעיות האלה מטופלות. רבים מהן כבר נפתרו. חשפתי את זה היום כדי לספר לכם על כמה מהאמיתות הקשורות להתפתחויות האחרונות של המין האנושי.

יצירת כדור הארץ גם היא לא כפי שבני אדם דמיינו, כמו התיאוריה ש"מפץ גדול" יצר את כוכב הלכת. זה בכלל לא כך. איך הוא נוצר? ההבנה של המדע הנוכחי לגבי מקור החומר, מקור החיים והיקום – שגויה לחלוטין. אלוהויות יצרו את כדור הארץ הזה. איך הוא נוצר? כפי שאתם יודעים, כדור הארץ נוצר מחדש פעמים רבות. הנושא של אסונות נדון בכל הדתות. אם בכדור הארץ עצמו יקרה אסון – כאשר המין האנושי כבר לא יהיה טוב הוא יושמד, והוא יושמד על כדור הארץ הזה – זה אסון גדול. יש אסונות אף גדולים מזה שהתרחשו, כאשר כל כדור הארץ סולק. היות שבתהליך הגלגול מחדש אדם נושא עמו קארמה, ככל שאדם עושה יותר מעשים רעים אז יש לו יותר קארמה. כשהוא מתגלגל כצמח, אז הצמח יהיה מכוסה בקארמה. העיניים האנושיות לא יכולות לראות את זה, משום שקארמה קיימת בממד הנמוך מהשכבה של המולקולות הגדולות ביותר. האדם מתגלגל לצמחים, לאובייקטים, לחיות, או שהוא אפילו מתגלגל לאדמה או לסלעים כשהוא עובר את הגלגול מחדש, אז קארמה נמצאת בכל מקום. אז מהו כדור הארץ? הוא נראה כמו כוכב לכת של קארמה. זו משמעות הרעיון של "התפוח הרקוב" שציינתי. הוא הפך להיות משהו שהוא כל כך רקוב – "מה הטעם לשמור אותו בתוך היקום הקדוש והטהור? להיפטר ממנו!" אז בהחלט ייתכן שהוא יסולק.

כאשר אומרים שלבודהות יש חמלה כלפי בני אדם, זה מתייחס לבודהות הקרובים לכדור הארץ, משום שהם מאמינים בחמלה (צְה-בֶּיי). אלוהויות ברמות גבוהות ביותר אומרות: "מה זה חמלה?" הן חושבות שאפילו חמלה זאת החזקה. האם הן בעלות חמלה? גם הן בעלות חמלה. אבל התחומים והמושגים של החמלה שלהן הם שונים. זה בדיוק כמו מה שאמרתי: החשיבה שונה. הן חומלות כלפי הישויות החיות הקרובות ביותר אליהן, ואלוהויות ברמות נמוכות מאוד נחשבות בעיניהן כמו אנשים רגילים. אז לגבי בני אדם, לְמה הם נחשבים? הם אפילו נמוכים יותר ממיקרו-אורגניזמים ומחיידקים. כשאדם הורג חיידקים בזמן שהוא הולך, מי יחשיב זאת כהריגה, נכון? דברים שאינם טובים – כמו צואת אדם או צואת בהמה – צריך להיפטר מהם. אז איפה יש פה עניין של להיות עם חמלה או בלי חמלה? אין. האדם חושב שהוא יוצא מן הכלל, בעוד שבעיני אלוהויות גבוהות יותר הוא שום דבר. ביקום הנרחב הזה יש הבדלים עצומים בקרב הישויות החיות שבתחומים השונים מבחינת צורות הקיום שלהן וההבנות שלהן. כשאני מספר לכם על תחומים שהם כה עצומים וכה גבוהים – ואם אתם זוכרים, רמה מרכזית כל כך של היקום היא רק גרגיר אבק בגוף הקוסמי העצום – אז לְמה נחשב כדור הארץ? לְמה נחשבים בני האדם, נכון? אלה רק בני האדם עצמם החושבים שהם יוצאים מן הכלל ואדירים. כדור הארץ הזה הוחלף פעמים רבות, זה המצב.

בהיסטוריה של היקום העצום הזה, כדור הארץ הוחלף פעמים רבות. אבל איך הוא הוחלף? היות ששכבת פני-השטח החיצונית ביותר של כדור הארץ מורכבת מחלקיקים של הרמה הזאת – היא מורכבת מחומר הנוצר ממולקולות של הממד הזה – אז יש ליצור את כדור הארץ מחומרים של הממד הזה. גופים קוסמיים שונים בממד הזה שביקום עוברים כולם התחדשות, לכולם יש מצב של התחדשות. האבק וההריסות של גופים קוסמיים מסוימים שהתפוררו נאספים וממוינים על ידי האלוהויות העצומות שביקום, היוצרות מהן כדור ארץ חדש. זאת הסיבה שכאשר המדענים של ימינו חוקרים את ההיסטוריה והגיאולוגיה, וטוענים טענות לגבי מתי חומר מסוים נוצר על כדור הארץ, או כמה ארוכה ההיסטוריה של כדור הארץ, הגישה שלהם אף פעם לא תאפשר להם להגיע לאמת. הסיבה היא שכמה חומרים היו סלעים עצומים, או אובייקטים קוסמיים עצומים, עוד לפני שכדור הארץ [הזה] נוצר. הם הובאו לכאן, אבל הם התקיימו לפני שכדור הארץ נוצר. דברים רבים עשויים להישמע כמיתוסים כשמדברים עליהם. אני מרצה על הפא למטפחים שלי, ואתם יכולים לקבל את זה, שכן לא מלמדים את הפא לאנשים רגילים או לחברה הרגילה.

כשדיברתי על מים ציינתי את האוקיאנוסים. למעשה, מהם האוקיאנוסים? מי ים ומים הם לחלוטין לא אותו דבר. רק מים מתוקים הם למעשה מים, בעוד שמי ים נקראים "מים" על ידי בני אדם כשלמעשה הם סוג אחר של חומר. מים הם האלמנט שיוצר חיים. כפי שאתם יודעים, ביקום הזה, כשמסתכלים על כדור הארץ מרמה קטנה מאוד, הוא כמו גרגיר אבק. אלוהות היא כה עצומה, ונפח גופה הוא גדול למדי. אם היא מזילה דמעה אז כדור הארץ יוצף כולו. למעשה, מי ים הם טיפה מדמעה של אלוהות. מה שאמרתי נשמע אולי כמו אגדה. אתם יכולים ללכת ולבדוק אם ההרכב של מי ים הוא אותו דבר כמו של דמעות של בני אדם. הם בדיוק אותו דבר. אם אפשר היה להגדיל את הדמעות שלכם לאותו נפח של מי ים, ואם הייתם מסתכלים עליהן, אז איזה יצורים חיים הייתם רואים שם? אולי גם שם היה לוויתן. זה נשמע כאילו אני מתבדח, אבל למעשה זה נכון. אני יכול להסביר את המקור של כל החומרים שעל כדור הארץ, כמו גם את המקור של המין האנושי. היות שהדברים האלה לא קשורים לטיפוח שלכם, אז אני לא רוצה לדבר עליהם. למעשה, לכל דבר על כדור הארץ יש המקור שלו.

אתם יודעים מהי האדמה הצהובה המכסה את פני כדור הארץ? היא למעשה הצואה של ישויות ברמה גבוהה יותר מהרמה של הממד האנושי. זו הסיבה שבעבר אלוהויות אמרו שבני אדם הם בעולם מלוכלך – זו המשמעות. היות שחומרים המגיעים מישויות ברמה גבוהה הם נקיים וטהורים, אז הצואה שלהם נראית נקייה לבני אדם. עבור בני אדם, רק דברים הנמוכים מהמין האנושי מרגישים מלוכלכים, לכן כשמדובר במשהו שהוא גבוה יותר מהמין האנושי, בני אדם חושבים שזה נקי. אבל בדברים שהם גבוהים יותר מהממד האנושי אין חומרים מזינים, מפני שאם זה לא מלוכלך אז לא יהיו שם בכלל חומרים מזינים. אז קשה מאוד לגדל משהו באדמה צהובה. אדמה שחורה נוצרה מכך שעורבבו בה צמחים שנרקבו, וזה מאפשר לדברים לצמוח. צמחים רקובים שינו את הצבע של אדמה צהובה לשחור, ואז היא מכילה חומרים מזינים ודברים בעלי טבע אורגני, והמין האנושי משתמש בה לגדל יבולים. דברים שהם גבוהים יותר מבני אדם לא מספקים חומרים מזינים לצמחים.

למעשה, סוגים רבים של סלעים הם אותו דבר כמו אדמה. באופן כללי, זה סלע אם זה נלחץ חזק מאוד בזמן היווצרות כדור הארץ, וזאת אדמה אם זה היה רופף. אבל זה לא לגמרי כך. אדמה אדומה וסלעים אדומים הם למעשה הדם של ישויות עצומות. אנשים רבים כאן הם מהתחומים של פיזיקה וכימיה. אם אתם לא מאמינים לי, אתם יכולים לבצע ניסוי [מעבדתי] ולחקור אותם. מובטח לכם שהאלמנטים שהם מכילים יהיו אותו דבר כמו אלה שבדם, רק שזה דם שהתקשה לפני זמן רב. אדמה אדומה מכילה כמות גדולה של ברזל, וכך גם הדם של בני אדם. אני רוצה לספר לכם שביקום, דם אדום הוא בדרך כלל דם של ישויות חיות ישרות. דם של שדים הוא לבן, אז אבן גיר היא למעשה דם של שדים. כמובן, זה חומר מת ולא פעיל; אין לו שום השפעה בממד הזה. אחרי שהוא עבר פיצוץ או הושמד, הוא הפך לסלעים, חול, אדמה וכולי, אז הם לא שומרים על הטבע הדמוני. לכן זה לא משנה אם אנשים משתמשים בזה כדי לצבוע קירות או לייצר צבעים. 

מדענים יודעים היום שפחם נוצר מכמויות עצומות של צמחים. זה מה שהמדע של ימינו מסוגל לדעת. אבל איך יכלו להיות כל כך הרבה צמחים שהפכו לכל כך הרבה פחם? זה משהו שהם לא יודעים. מדענים יודעים היום שנפט נוצר מגופות של יצורים חיים – את זה הם יודעים. אבל איך יכלו להיות כל כך הרבה גופות שהפכו לכל כך הרבה נפט? את זה הם לא יודעים. הם לא יכולים להבין את זה לא משנה כמה הם מתאמצים. יש אנשים הרוצים להפריך את התיאוריה הזאת, כשהם מטילים ספק בכך שיכלו להיות כל כך הרבה גופות של בעלי חיים, ובכך שיכלו להיות כל כך הרבה אורגניזמים. אחרי הכול יש פשוט כל כך הרבה נפט. למעשה, ביקום העצום ולאורך ההיסטוריה הארוכה שלו, החיים ממשיכים מחזור אחרי מחזור. וכאשר כדור הארץ הזה נבנה, דברים מהסוגים האלה הוכנסו מרֲחֲבי היקום בכוונה לתוך מבנה כדור הארץ החדש – כדי שמאוחר יותר ישמשו לאנרגיה. זו הסיבה שיש כל כך הרבה מזה. זה לא שייך רק לישויות החיות של מחזור אחד בלבד. גם הישויות על כדור הארץ הממשיכות מחזור אחרי מחזור ואינן מאותה תקופה. המחקר המדעי של ימינו לא יכול להגיע מעבר להיסטוריה המוכרת כיום, ורבות מההבנות שהמדע מחזיק בהן לגבי ההיסטוריה המודרנית הן מוטעות. המדע מאמין שאפילו אם האדם מתקופת האבן ועד היום היה הורג את כל החיות, לא יכול היה להיות כל כך הרבה נפט! יתר על כן, יש כל כך הרבה פחם וכל כך הרבה צמחים. אבל הם לא רק ממחזור אחד, והם לא מהיצורים החיים של תקופה אחת בלבד. כמובן שיש גם דברים רבים אחרים, רבים מכדי להתייחס לכולם. 

יש גם דברים כמו יהלום, זהב, כסף וכדומה. יש אלמנטים מתכתיים מסוימים שהם גורמים הנדרשים ליצירה של היקום ברמות שונות. הם שונים מהאלמנטים המרכיבים את כדור הארץ שעליהם דיברתי. אבל זהב וכסף אינם אלמנטים מתכתיים מהיקום הזה. לגבי זהב, אתם יודעים שגוף הבודהא עשוי מזהב, הגוף של כל האלוהויות שהגיעו לתחום של טאתאגאטה הוא מזהב. במילים אחרות, זהב הוא השיירים של גופים של ישויות ישרות עצומות. כאשר יקום נרחב מתפורר, הכול מתנפץ בן-רגע. בעבר גם דיברתי על כך שיש זהב של רמות שונות וזהב של חלקיקים בגדלים שונים – דיברתי על הנושא הזה בעבר. לגבי כסף, הוא שיירי הגופים של חיים שהם נמוכים יותר מרמת הבודהא, חיים ברמה של בודהיסאטווה.

אנשים רבים יודעים שליהלום יש עוצמה מסוימת, ושדברים רעים מפחדים מיהלום. כלומר, דברים רעים שיש להם מעט אנרגיה מפחדים מיהלום משום שיהלום יכול לספוג את האנרגיה שלהם. זאת הסיבה שאנשים אומרים שיהלומים יכולים לסלק רוחות רעות. זה לא בהכרח שיהלומים יכולים לסלק רוחות רעות, אבל יהלום נוצר מאנרגיה שנופצה והתפוצצה, משהו דומה לגונג. כמובן, הוא מת ולא פעיל, ואין לו כל השפעה. אבל אחרי הכול הוא משהו שיש לו הטבע הזה, אז יש לו עוצמה.

אל תפתחו עכשיו החזקות כלשהן לגבי מה שזה עתה דיברתי עליו ותלכו לקנות יהלומים אחרי שתחזרו הביתה. מה שאני מדבר עליו הוא הפא. אי אפשר לקחת שום דבר מהממד הזה, ובנוסף, בדברים האלה אין כל תועלת למטפחים. מדוע הם נהרסו על ידי פיצוצים? כפי שאמרתי קודם, למרות שזה היה זהב, הוא כבר לא היה זהב טהור, אז הוא נהרס בְפיצוץ. מדוע גונג התפוצץ? הוא כבר לא היה טהור. על פני השטח הוא נראה טהור מאוד. אבל אם מסתכלים עליו מהמיקרו-קוסמי, או מהמיקרו-קוסמי ביותר, אז הוא כבר לא טהור. לא אדבר יותר היום. הבה נקשיב לנאומים של המתרגלים שלנו.

מחר תוכלו להעביר פתקי שאלות ואני אענה על השאלות שלכם. אבל לגבי מתרגלים חדשים, עדיף שלא תגישו אותם, משום שהזמן יקר ולא אוכל לענות אם כל אחד מכם יגיש שאלה. רבים כאן בקהל כבר נכנסו לרמות מסוימות בטיפוח, אז השאלות שהם מעלים הן קריטיות לשיפור שלהם בטיפוח, וזו המטרה של ועידת הפא שלנו. לגבי סוגי השאלות שמתרגלים חדשים מעלים, אתם לא צריכים לשאול אותי – אתם יכולים לקבל תשובות ממתרגלים ותיקים או ממי שיושב לידכם. אז בואו לא ניקח מהזמן. זה דבר אחד. דבר נוסף הוא, נסו לא להעלות שאלות שאינן קשורות לטיפוח, או שאלות מתוך רצון לידע וכדומה. אל תבינו לא נכון את מה שהסברתי לכם: זה לא נועד כדי להעשיר את הידע שלכם, אלא משום שזה קשור לטיפוח שלכם. טוב, זה כל מה שאני רוצה לומר (מחיאות כפיים). בואו נשב בשקט ונקשיב לנאומים של המתרגלים שלנו. אני לא אעזוב וגם אני אקשיב. אבל אל תנסו למצוא אותי – לא תצליחו (מחיאות כפיים).

Hello everyone! At the beginning of the conference yesterday, I met with you all and talked about a few issues. I said that this conference is mainly an experience-sharing conference for the Western United States region and wasn’t intended to be a large-scale conference for the entire United States or for more people, and that this was because they still have some problems of their own to solve—it is for this purpose that I have come here. I could see from how things went yesterday that there are students who have rushed here from other countries. Perhaps students from other regions as well as some new local students, or people who aren’t yet students but are interested, have also come today since they might want to learn about Dafa. Since you are here, I might as well answer some questions for you related to Dafa, which is also teaching the Fa at a Fa conference. Now I will answer your questions. (Applause)

Question: Master said that if deep inside a cultivator still stubbornly holds on to his most fundamental interests, his cultivation is not genuine.

Teacher: Let me tell you that cultivation is precisely about cultivating one’s mind—that’s true cultivation. For instance, nowadays there are laws, and there are some requirements and restrictions imposed on people, but none of them can change people. Let’s say they can change and restrain you on the surface, and on the surface you don’t make mistakes and do things a little better. But the fact is, when you aren’t being watched or when your interests are threatened, you do bad things just the same, because you haven’t changed inside. So in other words, cultivation must genuinely change a person inside. If you want to reach high realms, if you want to reach the realm of a god, you must reach a god’s realm of mind. If only your surface is changed while your nature remains the same, it’s not genuine. At a certain time or at a critical moment, [the attachment] will still show up. So if a person’s mind isn’t changed, that is just covering things up with a false appearance. Changes must occur starting with your nature. Only that counts as genuinely changing yourself. In other words, you have to be responsible to yourself in cultivation, and you have to genuinely change yourself and let go of the bad things that you are attached to deep inside—only that is true letting go. If you seem to do everything right on the surface but deep inside you still guard and hold on to the things that you don’t want to let go of, that’s absolutely unacceptable. As you know, a Buddha or a God can give up his life for living beings and for the interest of the universe; they can give up anything, and even remain unmoved by it. So if you were taken up to their position, could you be like that? You couldn’t. Of course, I would say that Buddhas and Daos won’t really encounter things like that, but that is their realm of mind. A person must truly change himself before that realm can be reached.

In the past, many people involved in religion said that as long as you have religious faith you can go to heaven, go to a heavenly kingdom, and that as long as you have faith you can become a Buddha. I would say that’s deceiving people. What does it mean to become a Buddha? What does it mean to go to a heavenly kingdom? There are different requirements for beings at each level. It’s just like your going to school: When you’re in the first grade, you have to reach the level of the first grade; when you’re in the second grade, you have to reach the level of the second grade; when you get to high school, you have to reach the high school level. If you keep using elementary school textbooks and go to college while remaining at the level of the first grade, you are still an elementary school pupil, and so you can’t to go to college. That’s the idea. This is to discuss it at a superficial level. What we teach is that you have to truly reach the standard deep inside before you can go to a heavenly kingdom and reach Consummation. Some people believe in what is taught in religions and are very pious when they pray, saying “I did something wrong…” Nevertheless, they make the same mistakes once they step out the door, in which case their prayers are useless, for their hearts haven’t truly changed. They think, “As long as I believe and pray, I can go to heaven.” If you always pray and always remain at the same level, you will never go to heaven. What Jesus said, “If you believe in me, you can go to heaven,” didn’t mean that if you go pray to him and believe in him—merely following a formality—you will be able to ascend to heaven. That’s not how it works. Only when you stop making the same mistakes after each time you pray, do better and better, and get closer and closer to the requirements of Jesus’ kingdom, will you be able to reach the standard of that heavenly kingdom. That is true belief. Was this not the case, why would Jesus bother to say so much? Wasn’t his purpose to ask you to do as he said and conduct yourselves better? That is what I mean. In today’s religions, including Buddhism, people don’t cultivate their minds and have fallen into formalities, it’s feigned. That’s all I will say about this.

Question: After one’s main spirit leaves the body and doesn’t return, how long is it before this causes the flesh body to die?

Teacher: How long after one’s main spirit leaves the body and doesn’t return—there’s no set timeframe. Let’s put it this way. You might think in your mind, “I really don’t want to go back,” and then as soon as that thought comes up, your flesh body might be dead, since you don’t want to return. But there aren’t things like this in Dafa, unless it’s those who cultivate in Dafa while practicing other things and who fail to be single-minded and can’t genuinely practice “no second cultivation way.” That’s when people run into this kind of danger. With people who don’t genuinely cultivate themselves and who straddle two boats at once, in this case it’s hard to say what kind of problems they will encounter.

Question: The first time I read about Buddha Shakyamuni in the “Lecture in New York,” I couldn’t help bursting into tears and silently calling out to Master. I don’t understand why it happened myself.

Teacher: This is due to a predestined relationship. I would like to talk about an issue. Through studying Dafa, many people have understood at a profound level that none of the world’s religions can save people now. One reason is that the standards are no longer good, and the other is that gods no longer look after man. There are various reasons why gods don’t look after man. One is that the thinking of today’s human beings is that of warped humans, brought about by aliens, and never in history has there existed this kind of human—one like today’s. History repeats itself, and there have existed human beings of different time periods multiple times. But the human beings in each period have never been like today’s. Jesus, Buddha, and Gods did say that when mankind meets with disaster they would come and receive man, and that they would return to save people. But when people are no longer human, as they see it, they will no longer come to receive them. Those who they receive are the ones who still qualify as human. Of course, this is discussing it in general terms; there are still many, many facets as to why warped human beings have come about. That is why gods don’t consider people human. This is most dangerous.

Let’s not comment on those religious figures who are politicians or angling for money. I’m talking about those in religions who still have the heart for cultivation; there are some people who care much about the affairs of cultivation. They know about our Dafa, or under certain conditions they have other gods giving them hints and telling them that only Falun Dafa can save them and allow them to return. Many people have received this kind of message and understood the situation, and so they too have come to study Dafa. Yet they obstinately cling to the innate things they originally had. Their purpose is to preserve what they originally had and use my Dafa to return. I would say that’s absolutely impossible, and that they are only fooling themselves. If you don’t let go of what you originally had you won’t be saved whatsoever, and you can cheat only yourself.

You know that time in the human dimension is very slow when seen from other dimensions—seen from within a particular time, that is. The process of thinking about anything in your mind is a very slow one when seen from other dimensions. Whatever you are going to think about is known before you even start to think; whatever you are going to do can be seen very clearly. People believe that others don’t know what they are thinking in their minds. That might fool ordinary people, but not gods. What this means, then, is that if you don’t have pure thoughts that are responsible to yourself when you are faced with a matter as serious as this [of cultivation and salvation], you won’t be saved and won’t be able to return. In my Dafa there are many people who were disciples of Shakyamuni, and there are those who were disciples of other Buddhas and other religions. Another thing is, those of you sitting in the audience, even though you appear to be Caucasian, Asian, or another ethnicity, you aren’t necessarily of that ethnicity. In other words, it is hard to say which heavenly paradise you came from. When you reincarnate as a particular race, that race might not be in your original image; it can’t be judged from appearance. What’s more, a person might have reincarnated in all of the races over the course of his transmigrations. Nevertheless, I can allow you to successfully return to the original place where you really belong.

I’m not saving all of you to the Falun Paradise. The reason is, I teach the Fa of the universe on the basis of Buddha Fa and have discussed such an immense Fa. The cultivation form of any cultivation way or practice in the universe that is left on Earth was passed down by gods in heavens at different levels (I’m referring to the true cultivation methods left to human beings by gods). Those gods who offer salvation at different levels are also living beings of different levels in the universe and, as I see it, are sentient beings of the universe at different levels. This Dafa of the universe has created for sentient beings at different levels living environments as well as standards of existence for their realms. It is such an immense Fa—all lives are encompassed. That is why I can solve your problems and save you such that you return by using this Dafa. It can be done no matter which discipline you [originally] belonged to. No religion, cultivation way, or cultivation form in history could do this. That’s because they cultivated only what they had in their disciplines, and couldn’t involve things from other disciplines, since that was the layer of things they had affirmed and enlightened to from the Great Fa of the universe. But what I am imparting today is the Great Fa of the universe, which is different from the cultivation methods known to human beings before. However, if you are disrespectful to Dafa and you still firmly hold on to something, then it is a serious issue.

Question: Are levels of the universe and levels of cultivation the same?

Teacher: I just explained that Dafa has created different living environments for beings at different levels in the universe. In other words, Dafa has different requirements and standards for them in different living environments. In cultivation, therefore, if you want to reach different levels, you must meet Dafa’s requirements at different levels. In that case, the advancement in cultivation, the ascending in realms, and the continual transcendence are matters of breaking through levels, which is also breaking through levels of the universe. You reach the standard of the first layer of the heavens today in your cultivation, and a few days later you reach the standard of the second layer of the heavens—that’s what it means to break through levels in the universe, to break through levels in cultivation. When you continue your cultivation further, breaking through the Three Realms and going beyond the Three Realms, you will no longer be subject to transmigration. When you go further in cultivation, you will cross into the boundaries of even larger cosmic bodies. The higher you move up, the higher the standards for cultivation levels are, and perhaps the more the states that will manifest.

Question: Everything from the past no longer exists. Will this still exist in sentient beings’ memories, or has it already left a deeply profound lesson?

Teacher: The question you have raised is quite far-reaching. Some things will be known, some won’t be. Why do I impart the Dafa of the universe? It is because living beings at all levels of the universe have deviated from the Dafa that Fa-rectification has to be done. So the universe will return to its best state. You all know that many prophets predicted that there would be major catastrophes in a certain year. People only knew there would be catastrophes. Why would they happen? Because mankind has deteriorated to this extent. As you know, in society there are crime rings, homosexuality, drug abuse, sexual freedom, and promiscuous sex. Everything is in disarray. Those involved in these things are not behaving like a human should, while those who aren’t involved have still been polluted such that they are indifferent and apathetic, so that they are not behaving like humans either. Everyone is submerged in this big dye vat, and unconsciously your notions are going along with and conforming to all of this, drifting further and further away from what is human. The occurrence of human deterioration is thus not accidental. Why didn’t gods do something about this? Why did they allow things to deteriorate to such a point? It has to do with living beings at different levels all having deviated from the fundamental Fa of the universe. If one level deviates, other levels can see its deviation; if one being becomes bad, he can be cast down or drop down. But if the entire universe has deviated over a long period of time, then the living beings within it won’t notice its deterioration. It’s just the same as mankind’s not knowing that today’s human beings have deteriorated to this degree. Only people who cultivate in Dafa will know, upon looking back from certain levels, that it is really dreadful. Mankind has reached this point today.

Everything is to be returned to its original and best state so as to prevent disaster from befalling the universe; in other words, it’s to prevent disasters from hitting mankind. Changes are already taking place now. Many people in the human world have become good. There are 100 million people cultivating in Dafa, and each is conducting himself in such a way that he requires himself to be a good person, a better person. Then, as more and more people in this world are conducting themselves this way—as people are aspiring to goodness and morality is rising—then will those catastrophes take place? Absolutely not! No phenomena are just “natural,” as everything has its arrangement. What is called “by chance” doesn’t exist. It is merely that human beings don’t believe in gods. They term what they don’t know “natural phenomena” and explain away whatever they can’t explain as being “natural.” There are no natural occurrences at all, though—gods are in charge of each and every level. But when the standard for living beings at each level has deviated, it is just like a person shooting a gun: If his aim is a bit off, it will be hard to know where the bullet is headed. That is to say, when the top deviates a little, the Fa will deviate so terribly when it gets to lower levels. When manifest at the human level, it is the degree of deterioration found in today’s mankind. So it needs to be restored to its original state.

While this undertaking is being carried out, some people might come from different levels. When they return, they will discover that the environment of their original living space is not what it was before. You will know that it’s roughly the same as the original form and that it’s still the original world, but it will have become so wonderful that it is even more wonderful than when you were born. Many beings were born after sentient beings had deviated from the Fa during the long passage of time, so they don’t know what the beginning of the universe was like.

As for leaving “profound lessons,” there are no lessons for enlightened beings who have reached Consummation. Once you have cultivated up to high realms everything will be wonderful. And you will know what once happened in the universe, that’s all. What will happen to human beings in the future? Many people are cultivating, and the objective of cultivation is to reach Consummation. Suppose many of our disciples complete their cultivation. Those who would remain would be bad people and those who hadn’t obtained the Fa. What should be done, then, when those people keep deteriorating? They definitely wouldn’t be allowed to deteriorate further like that! It’s absolutely prohibited that there be a piece of excrement placed in the universe that sentient beings and high-level lives have to smell, so it has to be dealt with. Of course, I’m not talking about catastrophes. The catastrophes that people have spoken of no longer exist. I can tell you this: The type of catastrophe in such-and-such year that people talked about no longer exists. Many prophets knew that if a certain thing took place in a certain year, their prophecies would no longer be valid. The reason for this is that Dafa is being spread today and so many people’s hearts aspire to goodness. If the problem were to occur, what would become of these good people? That’s the issue. But those who will remain and enter the next epoch will remember the deeply profound lesson learned at the very last moment.

Question: Many of us are in scientific fields. How should we view this situation?

Teacher: Many people who are learning Dafa are established intellectuals; in other words, many people were brought up on science. Nowadays, actually, as long as you have attended school—which is everyone—you are someone who was brought up on science. This science has penetrated all facets of human society, so everything you use, everything you come into contact with, and everything you see was born of this science. Therefore, you can’t break away from it, and so the issue you just raised doesn’t exist. Since human society has become like this, it’s enough if you just go ahead and do your work well. As for cultivation, that’s a different matter from work. But the realm you achieve in cultivation and the state of your cultivation will be reflected in your work; you will do very well and will always be a good person wherever you are. There are many people who do work in scientific fields. After learning Dafa, they find that only this is the real truth, and what’s more, that mankind’s present science can in no way be compared to Dafa. Dafa disciples in the audience, the situation and the truth of the universe that you know have far exceeded mankind’s science today; even its most advanced parts have fallen behind you. Ordinary people are forever prohibited from knowing things higher than human beings; they could never discover the state of the universe that I have disclosed to you. No matter what professions you are engaged in, you can all cultivate in Dafa. As your understanding of the Fa gradually becomes deeper and deeper your thinking will naturally change, for a person will believe the truth when it is before him. But there’s one thing that has to be explained clearly: No one is allowed to achieve Consummation while holding on to ordinary people’s attachments, and this includes the attachment to science. You are allowed to begin cultivation with various human attachments, but they have to be eliminated during cultivation.

Question: Is the personality of an ordinary person a manifestation of only this life? How much of it is related to the realm where his life was created by the Fa?

Teacher: If a person’s life came from a high level, then he will carry with him his strong characteristics from that high level. This is difficult for ordinary people to detect. Most of what you do, how you behave, and how you act are all of ordinary people and are manifestations of this life—your behavior patterns, attitudes, and ways of thinking resulting from your perception of life, matter, and the objective world in this life. What is from your original nature can faintly emerge, but only when you are in a very kind (shan) state of mind. When you are strongly attached to ordinary people’s things, when you get angry and think the wrong things, then it can’t emerge one bit.

As to the part that has met the standard in cultivation, it’s very difficult for more of it to emerge among ordinary people before you reach Consummation.

Question: Buddhas not only have immense compassion but also the ability to save people. Will this ability manifest during the course of cultivation?

Teacher: When you study the Fa, you should really let go of these attachments. A god—as long as he is a life beyond the human world, even if he’s a low-level being within the Three Realms—is capable of controlling human beings. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas beyond the Three Realms are capable of saving people. Because they are gods, they possess such abilities, just as human beings are born with certain behaviors. They are gods so they have this ability. It’s not quite what you have imagined—where there will be certain manifestations in the course of cultivation. You can’t be thinking of these things in your mind, such as, “I want to save someone after I complete my cultivation; I want to save my family members, my relatives and friends, and save sentient beings.” I would say that’s far-fetched fantasizing. That is an attachment and a strong obstacle, and it will make you fail in cultivation. Only when you let go of all notions and attachments will you be able to advance unimpeded on your path of cultivation.

Some religious people have made vows, saying, “I’ll return to save people after I succeed in cultivation.” This is actually their attachment to showing off and human behavior that results from complicated psychologies found among ordinary people. They don’t know a Buddha’s state of being at all. You won’t even succeed in cultivation if you have this attachment, as you would be attached to saving people. Whether a Buddha saves people or not is something that happens naturally. Do you know how many Buddhas have come to save people over the past centuries and millennia? There was Jesus in the West and there was Shakyamuni in the East. How come in such a long time only the two of them have come down here? The reason is that no matter which god wants to descend to the human world to save people, he must first get approval from all gods in the heavens before he can come. That’s because the problems that he will face and run into have a certain degree of universality, and they will involve the things of other Buddhas, Gods, and even Daos. It’s very complicated and not how people imagine it. Once you become overzealous and your attachments flare up, you will say, “I want to save people too.” That is your human attachment, an attachment to showing off, and attachments that you haven’t let go of affecting you.

Question: I feel that the principles of the Fa that I have enlightened to from Zhuan Falun aren’t as many as those I have enlightened to from Teacher’s lectures.

Teacher: Zhuan Falun is a systematic work of Dafa, secrets of Heaven that can enable a person to Consummate. Meanwhile, except for the Lectures in Jinan, Lectures in Dalian, and Lectures in Guangzhou videotapes, which are similar to Zhuan Falun and have been published, lectures in all other regions are only lectures given in keeping with individual, different realms, or given targeting the situations of students in different regions. They aren’t universal. Holding on to their attachments, many people want to obtain this and want to pursue that, as if that’s the only way they can feel satisfied about how they cultivate. Those are attachments. If you don’t cultivate yourselves in a steady and solid manner, you are actually wasting your time. If it weren’t for this spreading of Dafa that was arranged in history, think about it, everyone: Would there be any other arrangement for the development of mankind? You shouldn’t be so irresponsible to yourself, as if it were child’s play. When the opportunity is missed… If my Dafa today can’t save you, no one will ever save you again, nor will anyone be able to.

You haven’t yet realized what I was most concerned about when I began imparting the Dafa in the early days. Mankind has so many theories and doctrines that people don’t even believe what is said in religions. How many people genuinely believe in Jesus or Buddha? What many religious people uphold is the religion, and they are not serious about real cultivation. Do they still have that sacred heart toward Jesus (or Buddha)? How many people can cultivate themselves? You should read the book! I had already taken this issue into consideration back in the early days. What I would face are a great many people, and in the future it would be impossible for me to teach every one of you face to face, telling you how to cultivate and covering each and every aspect.

So, to allow you to cultivate, to reach Consummation, and in order to be responsible to you, I have left to everyone Zhuan Falun. Through Zhuan Falun you can achieve Consummation. I have pressed into this Fa everything you are supposed to obtain. That’s why when reading the Fa you will feel changes in your body, experience and enlighten to the Fa’s principles at different levels, and improve in Dafa. This Fa is just so precious. No matter whether it’s the lectures I gave in person or the explanations that you consider very detailed, the things I expound on are all in Zhuan Falun. Meanwhile, everything discussed in Zhuan Falun is encompassed in “Lunyu.”[1]

Question: Is it all right to have the Association organize some disciples to translate the books of Teacher’s overseas lectures?

Teacher: That’s excellent. You may do that. As for organizing some students, it can only be said that you have to have the enthusiasm for it. Any of you who have the ability can do it. But you should explain it clearly to your local contact persons and communicate with them well. This will make it convenient for the Association to contact you and look at and verify your work.

Question: Teacher’s words are quoted in introductory materials on Dafa, but these materials might be thrown away. Is it appropriate to do this?

Teacher: If something like this is done outside of China, I can only say that at present you are allowed to do it and that you can do it this way. Doing it inside China is not allowed, since almost everyone there knows about Dafa and now there’s no need for you to do such things, and whether a person wants to cultivate or not is his own business. But in many regions outside of China, people still don’t quite know about or understand Dafa, so I have allowed you to do this. As to my words that are quoted, if there are no factors and inner meanings behind them, they are only black ink on white paper, and don’t achieve any effect. You can rest assured on this point. But you should know to cherish Dafa, to cherish every word of it. You should know to be serious when it comes to these things.

Question: Some students want to use their marriages as a way to have people learn the Fa. How will Teacher’s Law Bodies arrange this?

Teacher: About this matter, I want to tell everyone this: Don’t mix together your personal life with cultivation, and don’t mix your work with cultivation. Cultivation is very serious. Dafa is solemn. It’s not like we have to beg people to obtain the Fa. If they don’t want to, so be it. Certainly the student’s intention is good, thinking, “I’ll sacrifice my marriage so that you can obtain the Fa.” I can see that the intention is excellent. But I think you don’t necessarily have to handle it like that. The Fa is solemn, and your sacrifice for him would then mean that he obtained the Fa out of pursuing something; he would be learning the Fa only to gain something, and that wouldn’t work for him, since he didn’t qualify from the outset. It’s not that Dafa has to be obtained by him. Some people say: “Teacher, you should teach your Fa such-and-such way. Why don’t Buddhas save people such-and-such way?” Do you think Buddhas have nothing better to do and are obligated to save you? Buddhas are compassionate toward human beings, but they are great gods! Their compassion is absolutely not the kind of humanized compassion that people imagine; the compassion man speaks of and imagines is merely kindness. Buddhas are kind, for sure. But that compassion is a manifestation of the great power of Buddha Fa. No matter how bad a person may be or how wicked something may be, things as strong as iron and steel will melt before the mighty power and compassion of Buddha Fa. That’s why demons are scared when they see it—they are really afraid. They will melt away and vanish. This is absolutely different from what man imagines.

Question: It’s easier to experience the magnificence of Zhen’s and Shan’s realms first. Is there only suffering in Ren?

Teacher: This is the understanding of your ordinary person’s thinking. It’s just like the principle I explained: If when you are attached to something and can’t accomplish a goal, you get so angry that you can’t put up with it but don’t dare to lose your temper out of fear of losing face and concern for your reputation, then I would say that’s the Ren of an ordinary person and absolutely not the Ren of a cultivator. You have completely misunderstood it. Our Ren has utterly no attachment and generates no anger at all. This is the kind of Ren you should want, and only this is the Ren that meets the standard. Your heart isn’t moved at all in front of those things. In the eyes of others you are good at forbearing, when in fact it’s that your heart hasn’t budged. And that is the Ren of cultivation.

When some people first obtained the Fa and began reading Zhuan Falun, they said, “Oh, I can manage Zhen and Shan.” In fact, you weren’t able to do even Zhen or Shan. You merely used the deteriorated, human standard to measure yourself. When you really enter into cultivation you will discover that you are far from meeting the standard. What’s more, when you constantly raise your level during cultivation, you will discover that your previous understanding of Zhen, Shan, Ren at different levels was not so high. As your cultivation level goes higher and higher, Zhen, Shan, Ren will at different levels have different manifestations, different requirements, and different states. And that is exactly what’s meant by realm of mind and Attainment Status. Ren can bring about beautiful realms, and that is the only way to look at it. When you can’t accomplish the goal of what you are doing, you burrow into the horn’s tip[2] and can’t eat or sleep well, you are basically having your emotions controlled by others and your life led by others. You lead a tiring life without waking up to it, living for others. If you can really take one step back and let go, then it’s like “With green mountains, there is no fear of lacking firewood,” and although that’s an ordinary saying, if you can take a step back, you will find your horizon broadened endlessly and your perspective totally changed. Steel your will to let it go, and your realm will change immediately. In that state you will find yourself light and spry. This is Ren. But I ask that you study the Fa more and reach realms higher than this.

Question: Sometimes I can’t tell the dividing line between the realm of a cultivator and the realm of an ordinary person.

Teacher: I don’t need to say much about this to you. As long as you continually grow more diligent in cultivation, you will understand everything. You are cultivating so it’s impossible for you to shed all of your attachments at once. It’s just as I said before: The realm you reach in cultivation will manifest itself in every setting. People will say you are a good person—at work, in everyday life, at home, or out in society. Why? The state of your cultivation will manifest itself in every aspect of your life. It’s not about doing something intentionally, as if you are doing something with intention; then you are forcing things. Yet as cultivators, we should have restraint and a calm mind. Do everything with a kind heart, for that is what we should do, and it can’t be called an attachment. This is the method we use to suppress demon-nature, to reach the standard of Shan, and to meet the requirements and standards of realms that are progressively higher. It’s not an attachment.

Question: Understanding the Fa rationally can directly eliminate the notions of ordinary people and thus expedite the progress of cultivation.

Teacher: Even when you were coming to understand the Fa, you all had a period of initial understanding in the beginning. After reading Zhuan Falun, many people say it’s good, really good. How so? If you really ask them they can’t explain it clearly. In that case it is a perceptual understanding, a feeling that it’s good. If someone asks, “Just what exactly is so good about it?” only after you enter into true cultivation can you find out what is really good about the book, for you will have raised your understanding to a rational level. If in your everyday life all your behavior meets the standard of a cultivator and you don’t use human thinking or notions to understand the Fa, then you are understanding the Fa with rationality and in a sober-minded way, being responsible to yourself.

Question: Can we use things from cultivation to pay off things among ordinary people?

Teacher: No, you cannot, and I haven’t told you to do that. That is because things from cultivation are priceless. Master takes care of them for the sake of your cultivation, yet you place so little value on them. They are not just what you have cultivated: A part of it is what Master has endured for you and done for you. You shouldn’t even have a thought like that. There is no reason for it.

Question: Can disciples who are semi-enlightened see the Fa’s principles in other dimensions?

Teacher: You should stop probing into this. There is a large number of students who have entered that state, in particular those who obtained the Fa quickly or at an earlier stage. They know everything, see everything, and they can understand everything. But with the levels they are at, they can’t express it in words, so they don’t talk or say anything though they know everything. The only thing is that their divine powers and abilities can’t be used. That’s because so many of you are cultivating, and if their divine powers were used Earth wouldn’t be able to take it. There are many people like that.

Question: Some people have incredibly great confidence in Buddha Fa cultivation, even to the extent that they’re not willing to use ordinary people’s methods to solve some problems of everyday life.

Teacher: I can tell you that there is this type of state in our cultivation: Some people say, “After obtaining the Fa, I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to do my work, and I don’t want to conduct business anymore.” I would like to tell you that it appears as if you have placed the Fa in the most important position and made cultivation your only priority. But seen from another angle, you haven’t really understood the Fa. I would like to tell everyone that you must be in keeping with ordinary people to the greatest extent while cultivating. People usually don’t pay enough attention to what I just said. Think about it, everyone: We have 100 million people cultivating, and what if there are more in the future? If nobody were to do anything, what would happen to society? How would society view Dafa, then? Wouldn’t that be tarnishing Dafa? Of course, I don’t need to say anything about the states that appear after high realms are reached—what I am talking about is what’s commonplace at present. For those of you who haven’t reached that kind of state, it is wrong if you want to force something. As to the questions you encounter in everyday life and how you are to deal with them, those are things in your cultivation, and I won’t answer specific questions for you. How you deal with them and how you improve yourself is up to you.

Question: Teacher said, “After obtaining a Falun, it is as good as having completed half of one’s cultivation.” Some students understand “having completed half of one’s cultivation” as meaning, “having succeeded in half of one’s cultivation.”

Teacher: When it comes to things concerning cultivation, why do today’s Chinese people have this kind of thinking? It is because ever since ancient times your mode of thinking has been shaped in a way that allows you to use this kind of mindset and thinking to understand the Fa. For your cultivation I have given you Zhuan Falun, have installed a Falun for you, Master has purified everything of yours by using the Great Falun, and half of the problems in your cultivation are indeed solved—this is absolutely true. But it’s not limited to just this. Because the power of this Dafa is so immense, people are made able to cultivate even faster. As for the thought, “Master has installed Falun in me, so I have succeeded in half of my cultivation, and even if I stop cultivating today I will have succeeded half way,” that’s not the idea.

Question: You said that on one occasion you connected with four or five high-level great enlightened beings and great Daos. I don’t have a good understanding of why you talked about this.

Teacher: It’s because there are obstructions in your human thinking. The Fa can’t be taught according to your liking! Your not understanding it well indicates that the obstruction you are attached to is substantial. Don’t dig into the words with some intent. If you dig into the meaning of every sentence and every line with intention, then you are completely wrong. I have always told you that you should read through to the end when you read Zhuan Falun, but you must know what you are reading. When you are supposed to enlighten to an understanding at a certain level, Buddhas, Gods, and Daos will hint at it to you and you will immediately understand the meaning of the sentence. You won’t be given hints about what you’re not supposed to enlighten to; you won’t get it no matter how you dig. If you say, “I just have to understand the principles of such high levels based on just those words,” then you are forcing it. Cultivation is up to the individual, while gong is up to the master. No matter what methods you come up with on your own, those won’t get you to heaven—that’s what it means. There are a few sections in Zhuan Falun that some people don’t feel like reading. They only want to read the parts about xinxing. Let me tell you that although it seems that some of the parts I discuss are about supernormal abilities or other things, they all have different principles within them, and there are the states of the different requirements that one has to reach in cultivation woven throughout. You have to read all of it consecutively. Each time you read, you shouldn’t leave out one section or one word. You must read it this way. The sequence of the book plays an extremely precise role in a person’s cultivation.

When I taught that section of the Fa, I wasn’t just casually talking or just telling you some story. On the surface, I was telling you what the state is like after one reaches tranquility at that realm, and how I felt after connecting with them. I still have things to complete among ordinary people, still have an ordinary person’s body, and still want to save you. Were it otherwise, their tranquility might not count as tranquility in my realm. If you, as an ordinary person, were to connect with them, your mind would be completely wiped out in an instant. All human thoughts would be completely eliminated. That’s how powerful their thoughts are. You would probably meet the requirements of very high realms instantly, but it would not be what you had cultivated. There is very deep inner meaning in it. Don’t use human thinking to judge the Fa.

Question: What’s the difference between the two very microcosmic substances in the universe and the nature Zhen, Shan, Ren? Why is it that the lower the level, the more these two substances oppose each other?

Teacher: Actually, when you ask these questions using your human thinking, you are really being disrespectful. If you could be like a god, you absolutely wouldn’t dare to ask questions that way. This is what the Great Fa of the universe has created for living beings; the two substances were created by the Great Fa. That’s about the only way I can explain it to you. As a being lives in an environment, its life should be varied and colorful. Take human beings for example: If human beings didn’t have any joy, they would lead a boring, tedious life—that’s just about what they would feel. Living beings need to be allowed to live an enjoyable life. The Great Fa can create flourishing societies for lives at different levels. This isn’t something human beings can come up with. I only spoke briefly about the existence of the two substances that cause mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition, as well as yin and yang, and only in discussing the origin of yin and yang and mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition have I mentioned these two substances. Yet the complicated factors in the universe are way beyond that in number. I don’t talk about anything that isn’t directly related to your ongoing cultivation. I have chosen to discuss things that can allow you to enlighten to principles of the Fa and allow you to improve, and I have done so in general terms. If you knew too much, your mind would always circle around a certain thought and your cultivation would be affected.

Question: Many students go to the same park to practice together on weekends. Would it be more beneficial for spreading the Fa if people went to different parks?

Teacher: This has to do with the specifics of what you do. Your feeling is that when you practice together, with more people, the field is stronger and the effect might be considerable. When other people see it, they will say: “Wow, there are so many people practicing Falun Gong! The energy is so strong! Let’s go practice it too.” There may also be people who think: “People from this place already know it, but people elsewhere don’t. Let’s split up and go to other places to encourage people at those places and help them to obtain the Fa.” These are your own specific matters. Go ahead and do whatever you feel you ought to. With these things, you can’t have me stipulate something for you. There are different regions, different situations, and then there are the states of your understanding of the Fa at different levels. All this is part of your own cultivation. Discuss how to do things, and do whatever you feel is best.

Question: Some people think that spreading the Fa means doing the exercises and making Dafa books available, and that there’s no need for large-scale group practices or showing videos of Fa lectures.

Teacher: It is up to you how you handle the specifics of these things, the same as carrying out your cultivation. I can tell you that watching the videos, group study, group practice, and conferences like the one we’re holding today are the only forms of Dafa cultivation that I have left you. Everything else is loosely organized, including whether you come here or not. Nobody does roll call and asks you to come. Everyone comes voluntarily. Cultivation depends on your own heart. If you don’t want to come and you don’t want to cultivate, you may do as you like.

Question: Caucasian students are enthusiastic about community service and consider it an expression of compassion and of being a good person.

Teacher: That is merely the kind of loving heart that ordinary people have, but I don’t oppose it, since I ask people to be good persons in every setting. But if these things are given priority over studying the Fa and cultivation, I would say that’s wrong. Being attached to anything might be an attachment. On the other hand, though, if you can’t conduct yourself well in every setting, then you have not met the standard for a cultivator. In other words, as you constantly grow more diligent in the Fa, these issues will be resolved and you will know what to do.

Question: If one perseveres in doing the exercises outdoors during winter, could this way of karma elimination replace the karma elimination in sitting with the legs crossed?

Teacher: There isn’t anything like that. You want to find yourself a way out of hardship, to take a cultivation path that’s free of suffering or that offers easier ways to bear suffering. That’s unacceptable. But as I see it, cultivation is for improving, and you won’t always remain in the same state. Isn’t the fear of sitting with legs crossed also an attachment?

Question: Even if one’s assistant consciousness (fu yishi) has cultivated into an enlightened being, one’s main consciousness (zhu yishi) might still enter the cycle of transmigration. It seems that they are different entities.

Teacher: I have explained this issue very clearly. In this world, to you, both your main consciousness and assistant consciousness are you. You have to acknowledge each. They share your name, do the same things as you, and control your brain—they’re both you. However, as to who really governs a person—when you are truly being most clearheaded, that is—it is your main spirit who controls all of your consciousnesses. Why is that? It’s because when your assistant spirit (fu yuanshen) achieves Consummation through cultivation, you don’t know about it. He is the same as you, has the same appearance, and leaves after concluding cultivation, but you still have to enter the cycle of transmigration. When your main consciousness succeeds in cultivation, you yourself know it—“Wow, I have succeeded in cultivation and am going to Consummate.” Yet your assistant consciousness is also a part of you, so he cultivates with you while you are cultivating. When you reach Consummation he will reach Consummation with you. That’s their relationship.

Question: I used to be a pharmacist and know some therapeutic massage techniques. Can I still do massage for others on a voluntary basis?

Teacher: Here you have emphasized doing massage voluntarily and not making money, so is it considered doing a good deed? I would like to tell you this: Cultivation is a very serious matter, I have been purifying your body constantly, and you shouldn’t pollute it again—that’s what it means. The reason is, bodily contact with another person’s skin can connect the two persons’ fields. Why is the energy of the practice site very strong when you do the exercises in a group? It is because each of your fields, such good fields, are connected, so progress is rapid and everyone feels great. As for ordinary people, they don’t cultivate and the fields that their bodies carry are full of karma. As soon as I say this a lot of people will think, “Oh, does that mean I shouldn’t be with my family?!” You are cultivators and I have already solved this problem for you, so you don’t need to think about it and you shouldn’t consciously be afraid of something. That is to say, if you want to do something with intent, it is as good as your accepting that thing with intent. When you are massaging someone, you might have the thought, “I have to make him recover.” Since you’re not using modern medical means or medicine to treat him—instead, you are using your body to treat him—it’s very likely you will be polluted. That’s what it means. As for those students of ours who work as massage therapists to make a living, in the event that they really can’t find another profession I will seal their bodies in order to solve the problem of making a living. But if you’re not in that profession you had better not do it. That’s what I am saying. As for doing acupuncture or being a doctor who prescribes medicines and injections for others, that doesn’t matter. Those are techniques.

Question: Can a person cultivate if someone in his family has had mental illness but the person himself hasn’t had it?

Teacher: I have said that you won’t necessarily become mentally ill if someone in your family is. Isn’t that how it should be looked at? It should be viewed from both sides. In other words, it’s fine for a very rational person—someone with a strong main consciousness—to do cultivation. If you have a family history of mental illness then you need to be cautious, though. If you are mentally ill you cannot practice. That’s because a mentally ill person’s main consciousness is usually in a daze, so it’s not that I don’t want to save you. My Fa is to be given to the main consciousness and is meant to save the person, but if the person is muddleheaded, who are we giving the Fa to? When the mental problem attacks you, that is your karma, bad thoughts, and foreign beings at work. Can we give the Fa to them? No, and this is the reason. So those with a family history of mental illness must be cautious while cultivating! If you feel that you can’t control yourself, don’t participate. Those who currently have mental illness: You are not welcome at the practice sites, and you shouldn’t attend Fa conferences to listen to the Fa.

Question: My child is twelve years old. He practices once a week and listens to the Fa before going to sleep at night. Is his practice and studying the Fa considered normal?

Teacher: Children have their own states. If they have been exposed to the Fa and are studying and practicing, they are actually cultivating too, for sure. We have strict distinctions between children and adults. Because children don’t have the stuff formed by those notions and complicated thoughts that adults have, they are very simple, and so they obtain the Fa quickly.

Question: When I think bad thoughts in my mind, there will be bad substances generated in other dimensions. What do I do?

Teacher: Try your best not to think bad things, and you will be gradually progressing in your cultivation. Even if you think them, don’t pay attention to them and don’t be afraid. Once you become afraid—“What do I do now?”—that is an attachment. That’s why we should study the Fa and read the book as much as possible, and it’s better to maintain a pure and calm mind. But it’s impossible for you to not think of bad things at all. You won’t be able to do that if you haven’t achieved Consummation. As far as what kind of stuff is generated, you are a cultivator now, so I can tell you that you, a cultivator, are not viewed in the heavens as being human. They regard you as a god. You will be the future gods at different levels after you reach Consummation. That’s why once you transcend ordinary people and carry in your body things that transcend ordinary people—and especially when you are cultivating during Fa-rectification—not only am I looking after you, but there are also a Buddha’s Eight Types of Heavenly Law-Guardians around your body guarding the Fa. It’s just that you don’t know it. Many people become brave after they start practicing. Why is that? It’s not merely due to factors on your part. It is because you have a side that knows things. That’s why your courage is boosted.

Question: I have been very shy since childhood. Is that a strong attachment?

Teacher: As a human being, if a person doesn’t have a sense of shame I would say that he is a very bad person. If as a cultivator you are attached to these types of things, then you are just a human. Yet there have been many people in the past who, after starting to cultivate, became slovenly, unkempt, and dirty. If a Dafa disciple is like that, then I would say you are tarnishing Dafa’s image. As you know, when I lecture to you on the Fa on whatever occasion, I think I’m dressed rather neatly, relatively speaking. The fact is, I do that to show you an example. There are even people who mimic how I talk and how I live, so I pay special attention to these things. I can’t leave you with a bad example. Since you live among ordinary people you should pay some attention to this.

I have noticed something: Chinese don’t pay attention to superficial things and are rather casual. It’s like the joke I told last time: Chinese people pay a lot of attention to substance, have an abundance of things in their heads, are loaded with great skills, and the dishes they cook are delicious, but their presentation is sloppy and dirty. But Caucasians—just take this as a joke—their food doesn’t taste as delicious as what Chinese cook, but their knives and forks are nicely placed and there’s different silverware for different foods and different glasses for different drinks. They place a high importance on appearance and are very polite. That’s the difference between Caucasians and Chinese. But I think if these traits can be combined, with Chinese people being more attentive to etiquette and Caucasians having a little more substance, that would be better. (Applause)

Caucasians pay a lot of attention to their civilized manners. That’s their culture. Why are Caucasians sometimes angry with you? Some people even feel they are angry with you for no reason. If you harm their culture, even if it is a minor thing, they will be really angry. Many Chinese people aren’t attentive to little things. For example, when you enter a store and someone is behind you, you don’t bother with anything else after opening the door, and the door bangs shut behind you. If the onlooker is a Caucasian he will be really angry, for you are harming his culture and he doesn’t consider it a small thing. He will get really angry at your rude manners and speech. You are living in their society, so you should pay attention to this.

Question: I am a student from China. This time when I saw Master I couldn’t help shedding tears and I can’t express myself in words.

Teacher: You see, while I am in the United States, it seems that I have been meeting you again and again over the past six months and that it’s quite easy. But in mainland China there are so many students who can’t see me. They miss their master very much, and I in turn am thinking of them. That’s the situation.

Question: There is a “me” existing in various individual dimensions. Are the various individual dimensions in the Three Realms?

Teacher: It’s true, they are within the Three Realms. Dimensions in the Three Realms are the most complex. If there is an opportunity I will explain the composition of matter for you further in the future; the extent of the complexity is astonishing. Yet there is no language to describe it, nor can drawings illustrate it. That is why sometimes when I teach you the Fa it is so challenging that even when all human expressions have been exhausted it’s still hard to capture the magnificence of the universe.

Question: I heard that scientific research departments in China are replicating pandas.

Teacher: You mean cloning, right? Let’s not dwell on those things. Mankind is destroying itself. The other day I said that mankind is cloning this and cloning that, and that as soon as mankind starts cloning human beings it is the beginning of accepting aliens’ replacing humans. Precisely because people can’t see the side of existence that is divine, people still feel that their relentless pursuits, their so-called explorations, are nice-sounding things. In fact, they are destroying mankind. Human beings are destroying themselves.

Question: Some individuals in Buddhist circles attack Dafa for not being a righteous Way.

Teacher: Then just ignore it. They have reached the final stage of the Period of Dharma’s End. If with these problems we were to adopt their ways of handling things—where they attack Dafa and so you send out materials to fight back—wouldn’t Dafa be the same as them? Our Dafa is the Great Fa of the universe, and even though they appear to be doing damage, they are actually nothing. Going way back to when Shakyamuni came along, the Brahman religion did the same thing.

Question: Is the process of transformation from the microcosmic portion to the macrocosmic portion the process of benti[3] transformation?

Teacher: You may understand it that way. The quicker a person cultivates himself, the faster the transformation.

Question: Why is it that in the many, many other dimensions within a certain area of the universe, there is a “him” simultaneously?

Teacher: That’s how complicated the universe’s composition is. At the time when you are born, there is a “you” born in many, many dimensions. You look just about the same, do almost the same things, have the same name, are born at the same time, and die at the same time, but the quality of life is different. How are they related to you? I just said, they are born at the same time and die at the same time, and other than this there isn’t any other major connection. I said that you are born at the same time, and that means that if they were not born, you couldn’t be born, even if you wanted to be. And if they didn’t die, then it would be very hard to die even if you wanted to. So the reason those “lonesome spirits and homeless ghosts” that people used to talk about can’t reincarnate is that not all of the “hims” have died. Only one of the “hims” committed suicide and insisted on dying, so he doesn’t have any place to go after dying. He has to wait until all the living ones have completed their life journeys before they can look for their destiny together. As for the main spirit, as I just said, your spirit is you—your main spirit is you, yourself—and the source of your thoughts is you. And as for the Immortal Infant (yuanying), that is the Buddha-body developed in your cultivation from your wisdom and Fa. Our Fa can enable the human body to undergo fundamental changes, and this body itself can transform into a Buddha’s body.

Question: Master mentioned, “Perhaps when you attain the Dao, many people will benefit in the future.”

Teacher: That is true. Think about it: If a person manages to cultivate into a Buddha, his parents and siblings—or let’s just say his parents, who gave birth to such a wonderful son or daughter—won’t they have their share of the blessings? They sure will. As to how great this blessing is and where they will be placed, that is definitely done according to how big their share of the predestined blessing is. But the person achieving Consummation and becoming a Buddha, with his parents also becoming Buddhas despite not having done cultivation—that’s utterly impossible, for they have not cultivated. It is decided according to their share of predestined blessing and their xinxing. The amount of one’s karma is also crucial. Such being the case, this isn’t limited to just parents and siblings. It also includes the many, many people and lives that the person has dealt with in the human world, and the karmic relationships born of spite. You have killed, but then you become a Buddha, so what about those lives you killed? You have to save them. Of course, Master will take care of these things for you when you succeed in cultivation and achieve Consummation, and these too count as what you have saved. They have to be saved to your paradise, so the problems are solved for you in this manner. There are also many, many people who once did things that benefited you, and those can’t be ignored. There are all sorts of factors. Even cultivation is not a simple matter, and you can’t resolve on your own the many kinds of predestined cause-effect relationships that are present in many things. That too is done by Master.

Question: When Master met with some students from different regions, nobody wanted to be left behind. Is it also an attachment?

Teacher: That might be the situation today. When I was teaching the Fa in China, students all knew—and maybe you have heard—that everyone looked for front-row seats on the first day of the class, hoping to get closer to Teacher and receive greater energy. By the end of the third day of class, nobody moved to the front anymore. Everyone saved the good seats for the elderly or for others, nobody fought for seats, and the whole hall assumed a peaceful state. People all have a process of changing. Of course, many of you here today hurried here from out of town or haven’t seen me for a long time. You want to get closer to see Teacher better, and I can understand the feeling. Fighting for seats, though—Caucasians wouldn’t do anything like that. For the most part these are surface-level things.

Question: Veteran students’ xinxing is high and their gong potency is growing greater and greater. Their words and deeds have great influence on new students. How should veteran and new students each handle themselves?

Teacher: The majority of veteran students have cultivated very well, but it can’t be said that every veteran student is that good. At the same time, I can’t say that you don’t meet the standard and so I won’t let you come practice—how could I be like that? I can’t. So, many of your words and deeds can affect others. Yet there is the Fa, so don’t be afraid. Even a new student will use the Fa to evaluate everything after he has studied the Fa a few times. Even though you are a veteran student, he will still know where you have done something wrong. People have their own minds, and there is the Fa, so these problems aren’t problems. You have all come through like that. As assistants, as veteran students, you might be concerned with this problem. The point of concern and the considerations are all good. If you see it, find a way to solve it and try to ask people to pay attention to this as best you can. Then as veteran students, you should really watch yourselves in front of new students. Even if you aren’t concerned with your own reputations, you should still consider Dafa’s reputation. It is a pure land here, so I don’t want you to not look inside yourself when you run into problems. It’s unacceptable if it develops into something similar to [Chinese] society’s work units.

Question: Prior to my cultivation, I felt very cold and couldn’t move one night.

Teacher: I would say it’s better not to ask any questions concerning personal conditions. With tens of millions, tens of billions of states—you alone have so many of them—how am I to answer this for you? I can tell you that the states are all good. I mentioned something yesterday: Whether you feel good or bad, in reality you can’t tell the difference. I’ll just tell you one thing: It’s enough if you treat all of it as something good. (Applause) Let me give you an example. Think about it, everyone: The dirt in human society is high-level beings’ feces. Living in an environment as filthy as this, as if man had jumped into a manure pit—you’re all in a manure pit now, yet you still fret over the implications of something feeling good or not so good. What point is there in caring about those things? You should hurry to cultivate and think that it’s good no matter what you run into. And it really is good. If you didn’t cultivate you would never have those sensations, and that includes unpleasant ones. No matter how good a change is, it won’t feel pleasant when it manifests in your body. That’s because the presence of any type of gong or energy carries electricity, and it will cause reactions to manifest in your body. The gong is so strong and you still have a human body. If it moves just a little inside the body, your human body will of course feel discomfort. When you have completed cultivation you won’t have those sensations. When some people levitate in the air they have certain states in the air. Ignore them all, they are all good things. The more afraid you are, the more likely you will have those things happen a few times, because it’s wrong for you to have an attachment of fear.

Question: To exist for ourselves yet at the same time be selfless and altruistic—how should we understand this?

Teacher: Think about it: A person is a life that exists at an individual level, and if you are taking selflessness and altruism to the point where you don’t even want to cultivate yourself and you are no longer returning to your original, true self, well, that’s just too “selfless.” How could you understand it like that? Isn’t your cultivation for yourself? However, during the course of cultivation you cultivate yourself to become more and more kind, to the point where you think of others whenever you think about anything, thus succeeding in becoming a selfless being. Cultivation is about you cultivating yourself: You reach Consummation and at the same time succeed in becoming a great living being who thinks of others and can make sacrifices for others. Individual lives should always exist. If you were all to cultivate yourselves to the point where you no longer have your individual entities, could that be permitted? So I would like to tell you this: You want to return—you want to achieve Consummation—and accordingly, your sacrifices will bring you immense happiness. That’s what you gain through the sacrifices. Returning to a realm that is higher and more splendid—that is aspiring to kindness and being inspired to transcend. Some people understand wuwei[4] to mean having no self, having no existence of self. The fact is, it’s not like that at all. The universe does have levels and, strictly speaking, living beings do have hierarchies; those are made up of the Attainment Status and mighty virtue you affirm and attain through cultivation.

Question: Is stiffness in the legs caused by large amounts of karma?

Teacher: I have already discussed this. Some people’s leg pain is caused by karma, while for some, they feel stiff because their legs have never been bent like that before. These are the body’s physiological conditions at the surface. But whether it’s due to large amounts of karma or physiological factors, everyone can sit with the legs crossed. As for not feeling any pain, there are very few cases of that.

Question: There are already over 100 million people around the world who have obtained the Fa. Is spreading the Fa still as important as it was in the past?

Teacher: Are you really that unwilling to do things to spread the Fa? As you know, you cultivate Shan in cultivation, and when you see people in the midst of suffering, you want to help them obtain the Fa. That’s something you should gradually come to possess in cultivation. No matter what you give to others, it’s not as good as giving them the Fa. No matter how good what you give someone is, or no matter how much money you give him, he is happy for only one lifetime or one moment. But if you give him the Fa, his life will be happy forever. What could be better than the Fa? (Applause) So I think that introducing the Fa to others is itself spreading the Fa and a good deed. But you shouldn’t force it. If a person doesn’t want to learn and you force him to learn, then that’s not good. You have done what you wanted to and let him know about the Fa, and that’s enough. Whether he takes up cultivation or not is his own issue. Many people have done a lot to spread the Fa and have spent a great amount of time, and that could never be called meaningless. The time you lost will be fully made up for you during cultivation since, after all, you are doing things for Dafa and doing a good deed. Of course, there is something you should pay heed to from now on: Don’t try to push people. It’s enough if you let them know about the Fa in some natural way. If they know about it but don’t want to learn, then let them be.

Question: The essay “Be Clearheaded” says that a person must distinguish thought karma from normal incorrect thoughts.

Teacher: That is right. It’s not easy for ordinary people to distinguish interference coming from thought karma. If a cultivator is not diligent and doesn’t look for the fundamental motives behind his thoughts, it is going to be hard for him to tell which is which. Why do some people go a long time without being able to eliminate thought karma? It’s because they don’t try to distinguish which thoughts are their own. Why do we ask you to cultivate yourself? You should first of all eliminate bad thoughts through cultivation. The reason you can get rid of those bad things is that you don’t acknowledge them as you. That is extremely crucial. It is because you don’t acknowledge them as you that you can then eliminate them. The fact is, they really aren’t you. They are the various notions, or even karma, developed from the things you have done after birth—those things. But people usually see them as part of themselves: “I have a clever mind, and nobody can get the best of me. I’m better than others in every respect.” They see those postnatally formed things as part of themselves or even believe them to be the best. Whatever a person wants is up to him, and only when you don’t want that stuff can it be eliminated for you.

Why is it hard to save someone who is mentally ill? It’s precisely because he can’t discern things at all. It’s very hard for a new student to identify thought karma and distinguish which thoughts are not himself. If he can manage to do that, he is truly outstanding. You can use Dafa to judge. Actually, none of the bad thoughts are you. If you can do it, you will distinguish them and see: “Oh, this thought isn’t good and should be eliminated. I should get rid of it. I shouldn’t think like that.” That in itself is your eliminating it. Do you think that those who do bad things, like committing heinous crimes, or even those who engage in homosexual acts, want to do things that way and are born to do that? It owes to their wrong, postnatal notions having grown stronger and stronger, and their notions have turned around and taken control of them. That’s how they become like that.

Question: The enlightened beings who save people are usually Tathagatas, but how do they transform gong for cultivators starting from root sources of matter?

Teacher: I have never told you anything like that. I didn’t say that Shakyamuni did it that way, did I? A Tathagata’s Fa can’t be compared with the Great Fa (Dafa) of the cosmos. An ordinary god won’t be able to do this in the future, nor was one single god able to do it in the past. The Fa that was used to save people in the past was small. Saving people was done with the help of other Tathagatas or even higher gods. They too needed to worship the heavens and honor higher gods. It’s not like what people imagine, that a Tathagata Buddha is number one in Heaven—it’s not like that. If a Fa is small, one lifetime isn’t enough to save a person, and the person has to be saved for a few lifetimes before he can truly be saved. But Dafa is capable of doing it [in one lifetime]. (Applause) That’s because it is the Great Fa of the cosmos, which transcends all other Fa. All other Fa are what enlightened beings affirm and enlighten to, in cultivation, from the Great Fa of the cosmos. I don’t know if you have understood this relationship clearly. Whether it be any enlightened being who saves people or any Tathagata, Buddha, or God in the heavens, the characteristics of their own paradises or the Attainment Statuses they have achieved are all what they have affirmed and enlightened to from the Great Fa of the cosmos. (Applause) Those aren’t things they copied directly from the Great Fa of the cosmos, since they were not permitted one bit to know about the Great Fa of the cosmos before. They only knew the standard at different realms that living beings in different levels should adhere to, and knew only that. That’s why they could affirm and enlighten to their own understandings as well as how to reach that standard. Those are the things they have affirmed and enlightened to. What Shakyamuni affirmed and enlightened to is called “Precept, Samadhi, and Wisdom.” Have I explained it clearly? (Applause) They rely on the Fa of the universe and rely on higher gods to help them. They themselves can’t do it.

What’s more, some Tathagatas are different. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha is not like what you’ve imagined—an ordinary Tathagata. In this realm he is a Tathagata, when in fact, he also has states that are more microcosmic and that other Buddhas don’t know about. The level he came from is very high. He affirmed and enlightened to the Four Greats: “Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.” Some of you might have seen this term in the scriptures. That level is very high, far beyond the cosmic bodies where average lives exist. It means that he has affirmed and enlightened to very high levels, showing that where he came from is very high. But he only brought with him the Fa-power of the Tathagata realm in coming here to save people.

Question: Is one of the reasons human society has warped that the molecular cells of most ordinary people have been changed by aliens?

Teacher: The life and the substances of the human body that people refer to—namely, the composition of this body—together with the warping of the mind can change a person’s behavior and way of life, while ways of life can also change the composition of the particles in the human body. If this type of warping is passive, one that is controlled by some kind of creature, then it is utterly dreadful for human beings. It’s similar to the question of why humans can develop notions postnatally and why those notions can turn around and control man. If you don’t eliminate them, they will become part of you in this life, and may even become a part that dominates you. In other words, this cultural framework that aliens have imposed upon people on Earth has completely formed a set of methods for living and perceiving the material world; it has already become that way. So, once they have something like this in place, the kind of body I mentioned can be developed. How do you drive a car? You have to use their methods. How do you build a machine? How do you operate the stuff they created? This series of things has penetrated all of man’s ways of living. It has developed this kind of body, formed this kind of thinking, and developed these sorts of things. I said last time that everybody who operates a computer has been cataloged by aliens with a number. That’s absolutely true. But our disciples don’t have this problem. I have cleaned it out for them, and moreover, aliens are in the final stage of being cleaned out. Yet there are still some that are hiding, but they are rarely seen now. They used to hide in those super-material dimensions in order to control human beings. I have talked about super-matter, and that is where they hid, so it was very difficult to detect them. Human beings believe that only the existing molecules are the most material, when in fact there are things more material than molecules. They hid in those places in order to control human beings. We have already completed those dimensions—things in those dimensions have been cleaned up.

Question: When one goes beyond In-Triple-World-Law, hasn’t one already reached the Attainment Status of Arhat? Why would one still be a sentient being?

Teacher: You have not read the Fa carefully or tried to understand it thoroughly. Some people do cultivation but haven’t succeeded at it, and so they can only live at whatever level in the Three Realms they reached. People in the heavens, heavenly people, are also gods in the eyes of human beings. If a person goes beyond the Three Realms, the first Attainment Status he reaches is Arhat. There is another special situation, in which a person has not taken up cultivation but has reached a very good standard. But he doesn’t have Attainment Status. It’s likely he has a predestined relationship with a Buddha or has a predestined relationship with one of you in the audience who will succeed at becoming a Buddha in the future. He is likely to become a sentient being in your paradise, that is, a citizen in your paradise. In a Buddha’s paradise there are not only Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Rather, it’s a flourishing paradise. Buddhas are the lords of the Fa and are kind. That’s the situation. If you want to use human thinking to try to understand things in Heaven you will never figure it out. With a head full of those things you won’t be able to cultivate. A cosmic body as large as I have told you about is but a speck of dust. The complexity of the universe cannot be described, it’s beyond words. On Earth you see people of white skin color, yellow, and black, and there are certain differences among the races. The various races in the cosmic bodies are countless—there are all kinds of them—and there are even multicolored ones. It means that this universe is immensely complex.

Question: Mankind’s karma has accumulated more and more, but why is the average life expectancy increasing?

Teacher: You might have noticed that the average life expectancy for people today is longer than for people in the old days. While Dafa is spreading widely, it is a person’s great fortune to get the life he has during this time when Dafa is spreading widely. (Applause) Those who I want to save, I will certainly give every one a chance. It’s not easy to reincarnate into a lifetime when Dafa is spreading widely, or to encounter this Dafa. People are given a chance. But whether or not a person takes up cultivation is his own business. There are many regions that Dafa hasn’t spread to, so people have to hold out and keep living in order to listen to the Fa at some point, at which time their minds will be examined to see how they respond. That’s why letting people know about the Fa is of primary concern and is crucial. What I mean is that when you spread the Fa, you should let people know about the Fa, but whether or not someone wants to cultivate is his own affair. Let’s say you reincarnated as this life here, ran into the Buddha Fa and heard it, but didn’t care, didn’t cultivate in it, and didn’t study it. Then that would be your regret! The question you asked just now was about why karma is so large yet life hasn’t been shortened but instead extended. That’s the reason.

Question: Is it all right for veteran students to still keep in their homes statues of Guanyin and others if they have been consecrated with Master’s picture?

Teacher: Keeping them isn’t an issue, since those are all great gods. If they have been through consecration it’s all right to have them, and if you have put them there, it’s okay. But you should know in your heart which cultivation way you cultivate in. You should know in your heart who you should pay respect to.

Question: Is it accurate to think that we are all living in Teacher’s body?

Teacher: You can understand it that way. (Applause) Actually, I can tell you that during a person’s cultivation, his body is constantly increasing in volume. After a person drops to this dimension, in order to go back, to cultivate back, his body needs to change. In order to begin the changes from the most microcosmic level, he must meet the standard at the microcosmic level of the universe and return to the utmost microcosm. In that case, the volume of his body has to conform to the original state in that dimension. So it will enlarge. The more microcosmic, the bigger the volume. Every cultivator will undergo this type of change. Ordinary people won’t be able to see you, though. They aren’t allowed to see it. Many students have seen that the bodies behind Teacher’s body are countless, layer upon layer, and that each layer is bigger than the last. Some are so big that the end can’t be seen and everything is encompassed. If Earth is encompassed… aren’t you at this place where Earth is? That’s the idea. (Applause)

Question: Since we cultivate our main spirit, why does everything around us occasionally seem odd and unfamiliar?

Teacher: As for this feeling, yes, there are situations like that. If a certain part of your mind has gone through cleansing or your ways of thinking have changed, it can bring about something like what you described. No matter what, though, if you know that you are still here and this person is you, then it’s not a problem.

Question: I feel that Zhuan Falun has already explained things clearly. There’s no need to discuss with others and exchange experiences.

Teacher: That’s your own state in cultivation, then. Something like that can’t be forcefully imposed on others. I can’t say you are wrong, though, since each person has different states. Also, there’s the fact that new students are entering all the time, so you should have a piece of pure land.

Question: Can it be said that the deeper one drops to among ordinary people, if he can return, the greater his mighty virtue after he succeeds in cultivation?

Teacher: No, it’s not like that. The deeper one drops, the less hope there is for him. If it weren’t for the wide spreading of Dafa it would all be over.

Question: Why is the subject of a master’s eliminating karma for his disciples always not very explicit in religious cultivation?

Teacher: There isn’t any “why.” Why are the things Jesus taught different from what Shakyamuni taught? Why should everyone be the same? Shakyamuni did talk about the subject of eliminating karma; it’s not that he didn’t talk about it. Eliminating karma is also discussed in contemporary Buddhism. Shakyamuni talked about many things during his forty-nine years of teaching his Fa. Those things that people didn’t understand were not passed down. Later generations picked out the parts that suited their frames of mind. It’s just like students who selectively read the Fa—“I feel that this chapter is good, so I just read this chapter.” They only understood that part, so they inherited it and passed it down. What they couldn’t understand or what didn’t agree with their notions was not passed down. When Shakyamuni was imparting his Fa back then, there wasn’t anything written down. It was only five hundred years later that Shakyamuni’s words began to be sorted out. How many errors occurred during those five hundred years of being passed down orally?! Buddhism did talk about eliminating karma, only you don’t know about it. Jesus was nailed to the cross. Don’t Christians say that Jesus redeemed people’s sins?

Question: The term “fellow cultivator” is often used by some students when they address other students. Since Teacher has never mentioned this term, I feel that this isn’t appropriate. There are conventions like this in Buddhism.

Teacher: This is a term invented by people in this world and isn’t something unique to Buddhism; it isn’t a special term. Actually, the special term definitely is not “fellow cultivator.” It is yet another term that people later on, such as in the past few years, have created. As to what term we should use, it doesn’t matter much. Dafa isn’t particular about this as far as its superficial form goes. You should be in keeping with ordinary people to the greatest extent while you cultivate. There were people who used to ask me about how to address each other. I would tell them it’s okay if you call each other John Doe or Jane Doe. If we were to stipulate some unique terms, others would really think that we are an institutional religion. It’s better if we can be a little more flexible in this regard when dealing with ordinary people.

Question: How should we look at the problem of “man sealing himself off?”

Teacher: This is a broad issue, one that applies to mankind in every way. Let me give you the simplest example. For instance, let’s talk about today’s laws. You know that in ancient times there were no laws. Since people’s hearts were all relatively kind, there wasn’t any need to regulate people with so many laws. They knew how to conduct themselves on their own and behaved well. Nowadays people’s hearts aren’t good and have become depraved, and that’s why so many laws have been made to manage people. Human beings are being managed the same way animals are managed. It is an intangible cage. Yet people are still getting ever more depraved, and laws are still being constantly created. How far will this law-making eventually go? Laws will become so numerous that people won’t even know when they have committed a crime since there will be too many to remember. Eventually it will even become such that you will violate a law whenever you move a muscle or as soon as you step outside your house. Isn’t it likely to develop to that extent? Mankind is simply sealing itself off without end. They are sealing themselves off not only in terms of laws but also in every aspect of every thing. Eventually, human beings will be so sealed in that they don’t have any way out, and the laws people have made will turn around and start punishing people. People who make laws all have the intention of punishing others because, with an ordinary person’s heart, they don’t like how others are and want to punish them out of jealousy. They didn’t think about the fact they are part of the people, too, and that the laws will apply to them, as well. Eventually people will be so sealed in that they don’t have any room to breathe, at which time they will no longer have any alternatives. When it reaches that point, how are people to still live? Therefore, what solves human beings’ fundamental problems are not laws but people’s hearts. (Applause)

Every country is frustrated by the turmoil and instability their societies face, such as public security problems and the like, and there are no good solutions. They want to keep them under control by making laws that target the bad phenomena. More and more such laws are coming about. But those who do bad things still do them when they are not being watched by the law. In fact, nobody has found the fundamental cause, which is that people’s hearts need to be tamed and people’s hearts need to aspire to kindness. Were people’s hearts to become good, there wouldn’t be a need for so many laws any more. Though there wouldn’t be police, people wouldn’t do anything against the law. If every person restrains himself from doing wrong, there is no need for police. Imagine what kind of society that would be. Isn’t that right? Meanwhile, if there were so many policemen that in the future every person was watched by one, people would still do bad things if their hearts were not good. Police are human too, and there are policemen who do bad things. Then what do you do? Judges are ordinary people too, so who is there to intervene if there are judges too who do bad things?

What I mean is that the solution to people’s fundamental problems does not lie in making a certain number of laws and regulations, nor is it about how to restrict people, restrain people, or control people. It is about how to awaken people’s kindheartedness and have human society become truly noble. No external restraints that are imposed on people can restrain their hearts. In other words, those measures don’t resolve the root cause.

I know everything about mankind. Of course, even though I have unveiled these things, I don’t want to do anything about mankind right now and will leave it alone. I don’t interfere in political affairs, either. As for what people refer to as “politics,” I utterly dislike it, and I don’t want to hear or ask about it. Yet I can explain clearly everything about mankind, and at present I am responsible only for my cultivating students. However, after more people do well in cultivation, this strong righteous power will make society change in some ways. People will for sure aspire to kindness and society will stabilize. But that’s not something I meant to do. It is the outcome of spreading Dafa.

Question: Teacher, you said that you are the only person imparting Falun Gong in this world and that no other person dares to come down here to teach.

Teacher: That’s correct. I am simply Falun Paradise’s… Falun Paradise was created by me. (Applause) I am the only person imparting Dafa, and in fact there is nobody else [that can do it]. The concept that you have imagined doesn’t exist.

Question: We often feel that we can notice a thought being wrong as soon as it arises.

Teacher: That is good. Although your main consciousness isn’t as strong as that of an enlightened being, whenever an incorrect thought comes up you can catch it and you know it is wrong. That’s because the part of your mind that has completed cultivation is already very strong, so it is playing its role. As soon as bad thoughts arise, you are aware, and so they are caught.

Question: What does the Lotus symbolize? Does it symbolize cultivators’ emerging from the filth without being stained?

Teacher: The Lotus Flower[5] is not created in the human dimension. People think a lotus flower looks like the Lotus Flower, but it’s not the Lotus. The Lotus Flower is created in Buddhas’ worlds. In Buddhas’ worlds the Lotus Flower isn’t considered a flower, but rather, it is Attainment Status and the mighty virtue of a Buddha. The Lotus Flower is not the flower understood by human concepts, though it can be likened to a flower. Nowadays the lotus flower is used in Buddhism to symbolize sacredness and purity—emerging from filth without being stained. It grows from mud and yet it isn’t stained, and remains so clean, sacred, and pure. It’s used as a metaphor, but it is absolutely not the Lotus Flower of Buddhas.

Question: During the course of cultivation, how do we experience the advancement and breakthrough of levels? I often experience relapses in my body.

Teacher: This is all natural. So you think that you should be able to sense whichever level you’ve reached in cultivation? That’s not possible. How should I put it… There are so many people. And moreover, telling every single person his situation in detail is, for one thing, impossible, and secondly, you would get attached to those tangible things because of this, and you can’t focus your attention on that. As Dafa disciples you cultivate yourselves according to Dafa, and only this way is it the fastest.

Question: Is a person’s personality related to his inborn quality?

Teacher: If it’s your idiosyncrasies formed postnatally, that is not your personality but your attachments, and they are formed postnatally. If, let’s say, some people indeed have their own traits—this person acts quickly while another is just very slow—or if there are differences among them in terms of their innate traits, then that is something that belongs to their origin. What is formed postnatally are things like, for example, the thought that goes “I just like it this way,” “That’s just how I am,” “I just like to do it this way,” or the “That’s just how I do it” that come out when doing certain things. It is wrong to treat these attachments, these idiosyncrasies, as your own traits or personality. These things all have to be removed.

Question: How should we understand the concepts of “universe,” “cosmic body,” and “space-time”?

Teacher: A discussion of the concepts of universe, cosmic body, and space-time needs to start from these three words. The reason is, human language is extremely limited. People usually believe that the universe is what the eyes can see and what people can imagine. I have told you about so many levels of the universe and about the concept of so many levels of the universe, and going even further up, there are still levels beyond the concept of the universe. I call them cosmic bodies. This is the term and perceptual concept that I have explained to you, and what human beings mean by “cosmic body” is different from that which I discuss. So there exist different dimensions in the different universes within a cosmic body, and different dimensions certainly have their own times. Those are their space-times. The dimensions that exist in different times are called different space-times. That’s how the concept is understood on the surface.

Question: Dafa’s wide spread in society is the laws of the universe remanifesting in the human world. Is it correct to understand it this way?

Teacher: Yes, but it’s not entirely accurate. That is because such an immense Fa is not remanifesting in the human world: Never, for as long as heaven and earth have existed, has this taken place—it’s the first time in all of creation. (Applause)      

Question: When they have just begun to learn the practice, Americans wish that the instructions on the music tape had simultaneous English translation.

Teacher: The translation work is underway. However, I think that adding translated instructions to the exercise tape is not so good. It’s just like the word “Buddha”: Westerners didn’t have any idea about what the word means, but now everyone knows. That is to say, certain things just can’t be translated, although the explanations on the exercises tape can be. Terms like jieyin and heshi won’t be quite the same once you translate them. They will lose their original meanings. So those terms can’t be translated.

Question: How can we help those who have demonic interference from their own minds continue on the path of cultivation?

Teacher: First of all, I can’t say that they are good students, for a student who has done well in cultivation would never have this problem. His mind, so steadfast in Dafa, solid as rock, would strike fear in demons at the mere sight of it, much less could they interfere with him. (Applause) Trying to touch him would be like throwing eggs at a rock, and they wouldn’t dare touch him in the least. So it’s still because these people have problems in their minds, and that is especially so when there are foreign beings taking advantage of the attachments in their minds so as to interfere with them through deception. It is one hundred percent due to the fact that they still have things from the past that haven’t been given up—[that’s what you would find if you were to] look at the reasons behind it. If they didn’t pursue that thing, it absolutely wouldn’t dare to come. No matter whether it’s the living beings in the universe from the past or all the living beings who have now been rectified, they are all watching. It’s only because your mind isn’t righteous that you attract those evil things. If your mind is righteous, nobody will dare to come. And even if they really could come, gods wouldn’t allow it. As to how to correct that person, help him to understand it; the only way is for him to let go of his attachments and study the Fa more. Once demonic interference from one’s own mind develops, it is very difficult for the person to enlighten to things on his own. The more others talk to him about it, the more obsessed he gets; he just doesn’t want to understand. There is no way out when that is the case, so just let him be. Nobody should bother with him anymore, then. Don’t give him an audience—just act as if he didn’t exist. Perhaps he will calm down when he starts to find it meaningless. But those who have done great damage to the Fa will never have another chance to obtain the Fa, and what’s more, in the future they will have to atone for their sins. It’s of their own doing—it’s not because we lack compassion toward them. I have repeatedly discussed this facet of the Fa.

Question: I’m very aware that I am constantly overcoming ordeals, but I have never felt any special changes in the body.

Teacher: Many of our students have endured a lot of hardships; their sacrifices and the hardships they have endured are indeed greater than those of others. There are two reasons behind this. One is that the karma they generated in the past is really enormous, or the bad things they did were even worse than normal. You might say that now, in this life, you don’t know about that and that you won’t pay it off, but how could that be allowed? You have cultivated in Dafa, so I will look after you. I also have to have you improve in cultivation and have you achieve Consummation. But at the same time, I can’t tell you that you once did those kinds of things. Yet you still ask me about why this and that. (Of course, I’m not referring to the student who asked the question. I’m just giving you an example to explain these things.) So what do you think can be done? When I see that you are enduring hardships and suffering, I really worry about you. But relatively speaking, what has been eliminated is already quite substantial. What Master has eliminated for you and borne for you is already tremendous; removing any more of it would not work or be allowed. So what’s to be done? You have to endure a bit more hardship for what’s left.

Another scenario is that some people are just attached to their own things and don’t let go. You just don’t let it go, and it is so deeply concealed that even when you have realized it you still don’t want to let it go. As soon as it’s hit upon, you immediately evade it and don’t want to give it further thought. Because you don’t want to let it go—you don’t want to let it go yet you still want to cultivate, and I see that you have the makings and are capable of cultivating—I then have to make you understand. When you are always stuck in that state of being, the ordeals you go through will become extensive. What [else] could be done, then? There is no other way. This is one scenario, then, where ordeals are imposed by the person himself.

Also, while cultivating not everyone experiences changes in the body as noticeably as others do. There are some people who just don’t feel anything noticeable. No matter what, they just don’t feel anything. There have been cases like that. Let’s put it this way: No matter how great a change you have had in the microcosm—even one that turns heaven and earth upside down—your body at the surface has been desensitized by your postnatal life, has become numb, and doesn’t feel anything. There are cases like that, too. But regardless of how your body at the surface has become degenerate and doesn’t feel anything, your cultivation will not be affected, and your progress will not be any slower than that of others. When you finally achieve Consummation, the obstructions at the surface will be nothing. As soon as your gong comes over everything will be done in an instant. But those [postnatal changes in your body] might indeed make you insensitive.

Question: Master talked about warped society and warped human beings. Could you please elaborate on this further for disciples?

Teacher: You know, whether it’s people from the East or from the West, in ancient times people’s thinking, behavior, and the forms their societies took were completely different from those of today. Gods all regarded that as the human way of life. But it too had a process of development. You know that China has gone through many dynasties. Even though clothing styles changed and were different in each dynasty, people’s notions, their thoughts about how to live like a human being, and everything they did in society was really the life of a human being. So what about things now? This society appears to be very advanced, but that was all brought along by today’s science.

Why have gods allowed human society to become warped, then? As soon as this question is discussed a whole range of issues are involved, so I would rather not discuss it. But I can give you a brief overview in a few sentences. Namely, there are old forces in this universe. These old forces are not demons: They are the lives that came about after things deviated from the Fa over a long period of time. They have no idea that the universe has degenerated. It’s precisely this type of being who, in order to safeguard everything of his own kind, obstructs living beings’ obtaining of the Fa, impedes Fa-rectification, and has formed an extremely evil force. But they are not demons, though they are doing things that demons could never even remotely aspire to doing. They hypocritically pretend that they look out for people’s well-being, but their damage is real. The appearance they have is that of gods, when in fact they are not benevolent beings. These forces have had a seriously obstructive effect during my imparting of this Dafa today. As soon as my gong reaches them, they actually become nothing. Once they come to understand this they will discover that they themselves are in the midst of being completely annihilated, and none of them will escape the fate of being eradicated by the Fa-rectification. That’s the process during this undertaking. Anyway, once this subject is discussed it involves something enormous, the issues are just huge. So put differently, these old forces have existed for quite a long time, and they thus don’t believe that living beings have deviated from the Fa, and nor do they believe there has been any change in the universe.

So, as to this undertaking of mine, living beings from top to bottom all know about it. The gods who are the highest want to cooperate with it, so they have made a series of arrangements. They believe that doing it that way is best for me. There has been an arrangement like this at different levels, linked from top to bottom. Yet they haven’t realized that their standards and their arrangements have become, to the contrary, obstacles to my undertaking. They have even been arranging human society from ancient times to the present so as to determine how today’s mankind would obtain the Fa. They want to use human bodies and minds to preserve the wisdom of aliens. This is also a trouble, a difficulty, created for me at the lowest level of my Fa-rectification and saving people. So while everything they have done is meant to help this undertaking, all of it in fact acts as an impediment. But the greatest harm it brings to mankind is the obstruction to people’s obtaining the Fa. This is especially evident in the disbelief in divine beings that is seen in modern science, as well as its negation of the traditional ways of thought and conduct of real human beings. These things are all obstacles to people obtaining the Fa. Aliens are not gods, and they don’t know that those gods have arranged things this way. It’s merely that gods have controlled them and opened the door to let them in. With this, the aliens gained an opportunity, for the human body is something they have long desired. Nobody can restrict them anymore then, no matter what they do, so they are doing everything they can to obtain the human body and occupy places that belong to man. So this is something really complicated if we’re to talk about it. Saying what I just told you already involves huge issues. This is why the warped society and the state of today’s mankind have come about.

Some students have said, “Regardless of how many disciples there are now, Teacher can only take a few disciples to Consummate in the future.” I have heard people saying this in different regions. That is seriously damaging Dafa. If what you said were the case, what would be the point of my lecturing on the Fa here today? It would be enough for me to gather those few and teach just them. Why would I offer salvation to all sentient beings? Still, some of our practitioners actually believe those words. How have you studied the Fa, I ask? This is one problem. There are also people who say, “Teacher will attach to a certain student’s body to speak, to give hints to others, or tell certain things to others.” That is something that absolutely will not happen. I may often use other people’s mouths, your family members’ mouths, or anyone’s mouth—I might use their mouths to tell you a few words and give you hints—that’s possible. But attaching to some person’s body… who’s so special? There is nothing like that whatsoever. Whoever is saying that has a problem. It’s guaranteed that he is the one with a problem, and it’s the result of what possessing spirits (futi) have done.

Question: When I promote the Fa to ordinary people, I ask them to read Zhuan Falun three times first. If they then want to learn, I will teach them the movements.

Teacher: Don’t make it so absolute. Beginners always have considerations of one kind or another, so you can teach them the movements as well, and their gradually coming to understand things is okay too. Or, you may give them the book, and it’s fine if they want to learn after reading it. There isn’t anything absolute. Don’t standardize it. Some people find it good after reading the book once and are anxious to learn the movements. But you tell them, “No, you have to keep reading it first.” Doing it that way isn’t good.

Question: Some students say: “Newcomers shouldn’t read the book first. They should contemplate, enlighten to things, and reflect on things.”

Teacher: Whether it be enlightening, contemplating, or reflecting, under the circumstance that they haven’t obtained the Fa, no matter what it is you ask them to think about or enlighten to, they won’t become enlightened, right? Everyone should read the book and read it more, and then you will be able to correctly deal with some of the circumstances that manifest during the course of your cultivation. That is right enlightening. What’s meant by “enlightening”? It is what a person enlightens to. That’s right enlightening. So if you were to go off contemplating and reflecting, what would you be thinking about? You should really filter all the thoughts that come up, and see which ones are you and which ones are bad thoughts. If it’s a bad thought, you can’t let it continue to be thought. As for contemplation, you don’t have to try to contemplate something. When you came to understand the Fa, you all had a process like this: You found it good right after you picked up the book and read it. Why did you find it good? You are rational, you have your thinking, and you have real life experiences in ordinary society, so you know the Fa is good. You knew it the moment you read the book, but that was merely on a perceptual level, though. By constantly reading the book you come to understand its value more and more, and this elevates your understanding to a rational one. So what else is there to contemplate? If you think, “Is the section of the Fa I studied today correct? Does this chapter make sense?” then your understanding is going astray. Doing it like that is definitely wrong.

Question: Due to shortcomings in spreading the Fa, up to this day there are still not a lot of senior personnel in the scientific and technological community who are true cultivators. What should we do?

Teacher: About this, it doesn’t matter what department it is or what social class it is, the spreading of Dafa aims at people’s hearts, it aims at individuals, and not at any social groups. For example, let’s say a person has some authority and he commands people: “Everyone has to come learn. Not learning isn’t an option.” Then who would sincerely come? They would come because you forced them, you ordered them, or out of consideration for friendship; they wouldn’t come for obtaining Dafa. It only works when a person truly wants to learn of his own will. So no matter how high people’s positions are or how much power they have, we only look at their hearts. Nobody can represent someone else. Some of us say that after people in certain organizations obtain the Fa, they may benefit us more in terms of spreading Dafa and affirming that Dafa is scientific. I’m not against your having thoughts like that. It’s excellent that you want to safeguard Dafa and do work for Dafa. However, things usually aren’t how you have imagined them. It depends on whether the person wants to obtain it or not. It works only if he wants to obtain it. If he doesn’t want to, it won’t work. Dafa won’t suffer on account of somebody missing out. Some students get all worried and say: “We’re afraid to tell students how to do things at the practice site. Once we tell them how to do things, students will stop practicing and leave.” I’d say that might be acceptable when a student lacks an in-depth understanding of Dafa. But if a student is still like that after a period of study, then let him go if he wants to. What we want are cultivators, not people who mix in with the crowd to try to gain something, or people who are here to fill some quota. If ninety-nine out of a hundred were not sincere and left, with only one sincere person remaining, that would still be your achievement. Even if there were just one person saved, it would be outstanding. But it won’t be like that. After all, there are already so many people cultivating in Dafa now.

Question: When overcoming an ordeal, sometimes I feel that I enlighten to it and feel instantly relieved. But later I find that the same test returns.

Teacher: Just now a student asked me why the state of connecting the Heavenly Circuit (zhoutian), which was experienced before, is now repeated. I can tell you that in order to maximally adjust to the condition of ordinary people’s society in your cultivation, the part you have cultivated is separated for you in the microcosm. The part that is yet to complete cultivation may have the same problem and have to continue cultivating; it will be separated when it finishes cultivation. Let me explain this with an example. There are mechanisms at every level of your body. There may be bad thoughts in the many levels of your body. In other words, a bad thought is likely to be composed of the very shallow things at the outermost surface; it also might be composed of matter that is somewhat more microcosmic. So some bad thoughts might be present from the microcosm up to the surface. Therefore, even though this side of you has met the standard and a layer is cleansed and separated, there is still some in the next layer. Elimination of the things you need to let go of in your cultivation has to be repeated.

Some people say: “I feel that I have cultivated pretty well and have been doing well for some time. But why are bad thoughts coming up again now?” It’s that the part you have cultivated pretty well has been separated, while the part that is not yet cultivated has to continue cultivating; it is, however, becoming weaker and weaker. I know—sometimes the thoughts that spring up are just awful. You don’t have to worry; the more microcosmic matter is, the greater its energy, which is to say that the more power it has, the greater its bad influence, and it can control people. At the outermost surface, the closer matter gets to the surface, the lesser its energy, and the lesser the energy, the lesser its ability; but the lesser it is and the closer it gets to the surface, the worse it becomes. So the worse and lower it is, the less energy it has. That’s the relationship. That is why even though you have eliminated and reduced a lot of bad stuff and it has become weak, it is likely to appear even worse. You don’t need to worry about these things, for you have already cultivated to this stage, and this means that you will become aware of a bad thought as soon as it arises. This is something that’s hard to do at the beginning stage. Bad thoughts are being gradually removed layer after layer. But you should understand clearly what I said. You might think: “Oh, that’s what it is. I won’t care when bad thoughts come up again.” If you don’t restrain yourself and resist them, you are not cultivating. That’s exactly the relationship. You distinguish them, you restrain them, and you know to cultivate yourself and restrain bad thoughts. When you do that, you are cultivating and continuously eliminating them, again and again, and the parts that meet the standard are becoming more and more. When they all meet the standard, it is Consummation. That’s the process.

Question: Disciples in North America have used many opportunities to spread the Fa to Americans, but there are still very few Americans who have really obtained the Fa.

Teacher: The old forces in the universe have a set of arrangements, and their arrangements have seriously impeded the things I want to do today.

None of them know where I come from. I have explained a principle to you before. Let’s take gods for example. Regardless of which level a god is at, he doesn’t know if there are still any gods higher than him. And moreover, the existence of gods is different from the existence of human beings. When I tell you today that there are heavens beyond the heavens, you all believe it in principle, but your thinking is different from that of gods. You all understand it from the Fa, while a god thinks that he sees all and knows all. If you say there is more beyond him, he doesn’t believe you—he really doesn’t believe you. This is determined by his Attainment Status and level, and it’s also what his wisdom has affirmed and enlightened to. Below his level or at levels the same as his, he sees everything with one glance and can do whatever he wants to. To all the living beings below his level, he is absolutely venerable. As for me, they can all see my manifested images and ways of manifestation at their levels, but none of them can see my forms of existence that are higher than them. That is why they dare to do as they have.

They think that I too belong where they are—“This is how I have arranged it, and it’s beneficial to you.” In fact, they don’t know that I have higher things to do. They do it this way, level after level, with this level thinking this way, and that level thinking this way—they all think this way—so they have arranged an obstacle at every level, one after another. As for spreading the Fa, I originally wanted to have 200 million people obtain the Fa during the Fa-rectification process. Since there are over 7 billion people in the world, 200 million is still a small number, isn’t it? However, they have limited it to 100 million, stubbornly holding on to their warped things and not letting go. Whenever I break through one level, they still have arrangements at the next higher level. I have to break through all of them, level after level… only then will I not be restricted by this set of arrangements of theirs. So their arrangements have formed an enormous obstacle to my Fa-rectification.

Question: Many people are looking for motivation for cultivating, such as establishing the concept of “going home.” I wonder if cultivating without any intention is better.

Teacher: Establishing a kind of confidence, motivation, or aspiration for going somewhere as the motivation for cultivation isn’t wrong in principle. But I think there is still an omission, because you are still cultivating for something. Of course, if you want to cultivate in order to return, or reach a certain state, I think that as long as you establish a goal or affirm a righteous thought, you shouldn’t think about it further. After forming that wish you should just concentrate on cultivating yourself, as you don’t need to worry about anything else. If you are always thinking like that, using it as a kind of driving force to motivate yourself, then after you reach a certain level the requirement on you will be higher, and at that time I think it might not necessarily be a driving force but instead what looks like an attachment. But there isn’t any problem at the beginning stage. I said that a Tathagata preaches compassion. But when a god at a very high level takes a look, he thinks, “What compassion? What do you mean compassion?” He doesn’t understand it. It’s not that he doesn’t understand—he understands everything—but that he thinks your compassion is an attachment. The principles go ever higher, and the Fa also goes higher and higher. At different levels, there are always requirements upon living beings specific to their realms at those levels.

Question: Every time I attend a Fa conference, I feel greatly uplifted and encouraged afterwards. But after I have returned home for a period of time, I find myself not being diligent again.

Teacher: I was talking about this question with our students yesterday. You’ve all had this experience. You all know you should be diligent after listening to Teacher speak in the Dafa environment. But you are, after all, cultivating in ordinary people’s society, and so everything you come into contact with is about ordinary self-interest, and everything affects your self-interest. So even the atmosphere exuded by the society as a whole is about living for this. In this environment, without being conscious of it, you might feel that everything is just supposed to be like this, and this will make you not diligent. This is a key reason for failing to stay diligent. But on the other hand, it is exactly because this environment can make a person slack off, can make a person turn bad, and is complicated and difficult to cultivate in, that if you can emerge from it you are great, you can go very high, you can return, and you will have others say that you are extraordinary. Isn’t that how it is? So, in any environment, and in this environment today, in order for us to become consistently diligent, I think we should read the book a lot, and read the book more.

Question: The more microcosmic, the higher the level. Teacher mentioned yesterday that the different levels of the heavens progress downward toward the microcosm.

Teacher: There isn’t any “up” or “down” as you have imagined. Earth is round—“down” is also “up.” Earth is round in the first place, and human beings are upside down one moment and right side up again another. There isn’t the human concept of “up” and “down.” The surrounding four sides and eight faces are all “ups.” When I say “moving upward,” it can actually be understood as going toward the microcosm. To be exact, moving up to the heavens is going toward the microcosm.

Question: Teacher used “light-year” to describe time in Zhuan Falun, but doesn’t “light-year” in physics refer to distance?

Teacher: When I talked about the cosmic body, I used the distance of a space-time concept to discuss the time that’s required. Within the same level, distance can be discussed. From the macrocosm to the microcosm, the concept of distance undergoes changes along with the differences in space and time. Mankind doesn’t have a concept or term for distances of a permanent space-time or unified time. I am breaking away from all times in carrying out this undertaking—that’s my approach. But any living beings, as long as they are within a particular environment, are going to be restricted by the time in that environment. That is why when discussing the structure of cosmic bodies, the concept of distance can’t be separated from time and speed. Within a given realm, there exist different worlds or different particles of the same level. They can be measured by distance because they belong to the same level and share a unified time and distance. In the process of moving from the microcosm to the macrocosm, however, there aren’t unified times or unified distances. Everything in the universe is created by Dafa for sentient beings, including the cultures of sentient beings at different levels. Fa-rectification not only rectifies anything that is not upright, it is also creating a new human culture. Past ones are inadequate. I think I have explained this clearly. (Applause)

Question: Whenever I experience challenges with emotion (qing), I always have the feeling of not being able to let go no matter what. Am I one of those people who are unwilling to change their innermost nature?

Teacher: It’s wrong if you treat emotion as your own rationality or something that is part of your body. But if you intentionally push yourself to give up something that you haven’t reached the standard for, then you are forcing it. Through the process of continual cultivation, reading the books, and practicing the exercises, a person can gradually understand the Fa from within the Fa. You have a higher requirement for yourself and try your best to restrain those bad thoughts and things that you are attached to; you do your best to take them lightly and resist them. The portion of you that manages to meet the standard, even if it’s just for a split second, is then fixed there. It continually and constantly breaks through toward the surface in this way. When finally it has broken through completely, when the very last layer is broken through, you will discover that your thinking and thoughts are completely different from before. Even your way of thinking will be different from before. That is your true self, your true nature, whereas everything and anything that you think about and can’t let go of are postnatally acquired notions which are entangling you.

Along with those notions, man also has a special environment in this dimension, that is, emotion. In the Three Realms everything is soaked in emotion. You can’t even be separated from this emotion—you are within it. Actually, what you need to do is find a way to break away from emotion. Although what I said is very explicit, those who have cultivated for a short period of time can’t do it. It’s also hard for veteran students to completely do this before Consummation. Be strict with yourself in cultivation and eliminate those bad things. In Dafa cultivation everything can be changed. If you constantly read the book and try your best to conduct yourself as a cultivator in everyday life, that will enable you to undergo a complete change, since Dafa is tempering you.

Question: There is a region that plans to hold large-scale experience-sharing conferences once every month. So far they have already held three conferences. I think it’s too much.

Teacher: It is too much. Don’t hold them so frequently. It’s enough, I think, if large-scale conferences like this one are held once or twice a year. If they are held too often it’s likely to affect your cultivation. I say this because cultivation is the number one priority; your spreading the Fa is also for the purpose of helping people obtain the Fa. It’s for you to truly improve and to increase your confidence in cultivation that we do things to spread the Fa, but we shouldn’t fall into mere formalities.

Question: Yesterday Master said, “My original plan was 200 million people.” Does this mean the prospect for our spreading the Fa is 200 million people?

Teacher: Everything that impedes Fa-rectification is in the final stage of being eliminated. Yet way too much of the time prepared for people to cultivate has been lost and is irretrievable. If another 100 million people come, it’s guaranteed that they won’t be the same as you, and they won’t keep pace or catch up with you. But does this mean that we then stop doing things to spread the Fa? No, we should still do them. That’s because there are still things for the next phase of mankind that need to be done, and there are still many people who have not cultivated or studied. You should let people who don’t know about the Fa know about it.

Question: When we go to remote areas to spread the Fa, I worry that the cultivation program that Master arranged for the disciples will be disrupted by doing that.

Teacher: It won’t be. If in a remote area no one knows about the Fa, it is not wrong for you to go there to spread it, and your cultivation won’t be delayed because of this. Continue reading the book and practicing the exercises while doing things to spread the Fa, and that in itself is cultivation.

Question: How high a level can “selfishness” penetrate to? How can we break through that level?

Teacher: The reason that lives can deviate from the Fa and lives can drop down from high levels is that they develop selfishness. The reason mankind develops selfishness is that many postnatally formed bad notions develop in people’s minds. Actually, it’s pollution of the mind. Gods at higher levels are purer and more sacred. If they develop things that they should not develop, then they are impure. The concept or manifestation of level that you have perceived doesn’t exist.

Question: Teacher said that we might not return to merely the places where our lives were created, but go even higher.

Teacher: There may be such cases, but it’s extremely difficult to do. There is one point to make, though: As long as you keep cultivating, and this includes those who have obtained the Fa, I don’t want to leave a single person behind. (Applause) I will definitely find ways to have you return to where you were created. (Applause) As for going to higher places, that has to depend on you yourself. There are special cases, extremely special ones. Actually, you are using human thinking to contemplate this. What is most important in your life is to return to your original place—that is your greatest wish and the most joyful wish. The meaning of life doesn’t lie in how high of a level a being is at. Rather, it’s about his being able to obtain what he is supposed to obtain, and then he will be satisfied. That is what happiness is. But it sounds rather crude when described in human words. Human beings all have an incessant desire driving them to explore everything, and that mentality isn’t good. Gods don’t have that mentality. To sentient beings the universe is boundless and its end can’t be seen. So every desire to know about higher things is a kind of insatiable, dreadful thing, and it just won’t work.

Among those who cultivated in the past, there were indeed people who cultivated very high, but the hardships they endured were really enormous! Let me give you an example. When I am carrying out this undertaking, I go all out to continually break through toward the microcosm and do Fa-rectification; the way I do it is from the bottom up. Where do you think I have reached while doing this? I have reached a place that is far beyond having human bodies. In that place there is nothing but matter, and lives in the form of matter pervade it.

During a special historic period of major changes in the universe, there were a few gods who were swept to a particular level and couldn’t get down, so they just stayed there. They felt that it was terribly dull, and they wholeheartedly wanted to come down and return to their original places. It’s different from what you have imagined; it’s not true that the higher the better. Later, when I reached that level during my undertaking, I sent them back and they were all delighted. (Applause) Some of what I’m saying might sound pretty hard to believe. While sitting here, I’m just Li Hongzhi, with the complete appearance of a human being. What I have told you are principles of the Fa; what I have told you are all real events. Yet none of the abilities manifest in the dimension of ordinary people. That’s because I don’t need to use that kind of ability to make you assimilate and transcend. By using principles of Dafa you can consummate everything.

Question: I heard that every time we finish reading Zhuan Falun, we can get rid of a layer of shell? (Laughter among students.)

Teacher: Don’t laugh. I think it does indeed have that power. What you learn reading Zhuan Falun the first time won’t be repeated when you read the book the second time. That’s why I tell you to read more and read a lot. The reason you can awaken to higher principles is that you have advanced to another realm. If you haven’t reached that realm, you won’t be allowed to know principles at that level.

Question: Is there any connection between reading the Fa a certain number of times and the level achieved upon Consummation?

Teacher: The number of times the Fa is read can accelerate the progress toward Consummation. But whether or not you can achieve Consummation also depends on your own cultivation and some other things. Actually, if you are able to read the book [well] like this, I know you will do everything well.

Question: If the social statuses of two individuals who have the same inborn quality are different, will they reach the same level upon Consummation?

Teacher: Cultivation doesn’t take into consideration social status in human society. There is no distinction between rich and poor, or upper and lower class, the way people classify things—all are treated equally. If two persons are from the same level, then there is no difference at all, and their levels are sure to be the same. And if they’re from different cultivation ways, that shouldn’t pose a problem either. If some people have made special contributions, this will help them make a huge step forward in terms of the progress of their cultivation. (Applause) However, I think you shouldn’t focus on that front, and then look for a shortcut and try to do more good deeds when you go back home. It’s likely things would turn out just the opposite. It’s not that you can accomplish whatever you want to do.

Question: Some individual assistants don’t meet the requirements of Dafa, and some students have asked to replace them. How should we deal with this?

Teacher: If this person damages the Fa he must be replaced. Even if he isn’t replaced, I think that none of the students will stay with him anymore, so he will naturally no longer be an assistant. If it’s not because he damages Dafa but just that he has problems with his methods of doing work, then you can kindheartedly tell him where he did wrong. He might realize it, or he might not. But he is a cultivator too and will eventually have to realize it; perhaps there needs to be a process. In that case, have we become really attached to his mistakes during this process and can’t let it go? If so, then you have become attached to it, and it turns out you are looking outward. Why can’t you think about why you saw his mistake? It’s his mistake, but why are you so unhappy about it? Is it because there is something that you didn’t do right? Why do you consider it such a big deal? No matter what the situation, when you encounter a problem you should always cultivate yourself and examine yourself.

If this assistant has really cultivated pretty well, when he has a problem and you point it out to him he is sure to examine himself. If others point out problems to an assistant and he doesn’t look at himself, then I would say the assistant has studied the Fa poorly and needs to make big improvements. (Applause) This isn’t about being lenient with anyone. It’s because you are all in the process of cultivating yourselves and all have attachments and things that you can’t let go. Maybe you’re right, maybe not. And your being wrong might cause you to see another person’s being right as being wrong, or your being right might cause you to see another person’s being wrong as being right.

You are all cultivating. You all applauded a moment ago when you heard me say these words—I said that I would try my best not to leave behind a single disciple who has obtained the Fa. If I can do even that, can’t you at least treat everyone with kindness? (Applause) If you can all search deep within yourselves whenever you encounter conflicts—asking “Is it because I have a problem?”—I would say that everything will be easy to deal with, and the speed of your cultivation will be very, very fast. But I can only talk about this topic with you like this. As you go through your cultivation, you might know very well that you are wrong but still have a hard time handling it, so I can only tell you to try your best to do well and stay diligent. Conflicts are inevitable. Without conflicts there wouldn’t be any improvement. If assistants did well, students did well, and nobody had any conflicts in this setting, who would be happy? Demons would be happy, and I wouldn’t be. The reason is, you would lose your cultivation environment, you wouldn’t be able to improve, and you wouldn’t be able to achieve the goal of returning. So you shouldn’t view conflicts as bad.

I often say that there is no harm in enduring a little hardship. Haven’t you realized that conflicts are also a form of hardship? (Applause) That’s why in recent times things of this sort were relatively more frequent among our Dafa disciples in the U.S.  Of course, you didn’t obtain the Fa as early as the students in mainland China, after all. Your understanding progressed so rapidly, so that process is already over. I think that from now on… Especially in the recent period of time, things have been quite good, and veteran students’ understandings of the Fa are very high, and they won’t do extreme things as before. This is very good. I think that from now on things will become better and better, for you are maturing and your understanding of the Fa is climbing ever higher.

Some people have said: “Teacher, I really worry that my legs don’t feel any pain when I sit with them crossed. Is it true that without hardships my cultivation isn’t moving very fast?” If other people can understand that much, why can’t you feel happy when conflicts arise? [Why not think,] “Ah, here comes an opportunity for me to improve.” When people run into a conflict, they all push it away, trying to put it on someone else. That’s why you become carefree and think it’s pretty good when you don’t have any conflicts, and then when conflicts do show up you don’t like it. Conflict in itself is part of cultivating amidst hardship. Some people say that they don’t interact much with society since they are getting on in their years. Though your age may be advanced, you will be made to, so that you may improve and achieve Consummation, think about distressing things from your past like those “eight years of millet and ten years of chaff,” even when you do nothing more than just sit on your bed. You will be made to feel angry when you sit there, so angry that you can’t stand it, after which you will realize: “Hey, I’m a cultivator. I shouldn’t be angry like this.” It is to eliminate your attachment. In any case, if you just want things to be pleasant you won’t have any way to improve, so I can’t let that happen. (Applause)

Only in the midst of conflicts can human attachments be eliminated, and only in the midst of conflicts can a person know where he went wrong. Whenever you get into a conflict with others, I guarantee that it is because your attachment has surfaced and is quite obvious. If you don’t seize that moment and you stay bull-headed and argue your points, the process of your stubbornly arguing is none other than that attachment showing itself. If you can dig further to see what is behind it, the root of the attachment will be found. (Applause) So, in cultivation you should conscientiously cultivate yourselves, and you can’t always be thinking about asking my Law Bodies to give you hints. Law Bodies will never directly tell you what to do.

As you know, I just told you that during the Fa-rectification I continuously break through toward the microcosm. What makes that possible? It’s because I have grabbed the main portion of all the different individual levels and brought them here with me (applause) so that they can’t escape. Of course, there is one problem: During the course of annihilation, when they are being annihilated into something like dust and are falling down—they’re annihilated because they are degenerate, even worse than demons, and when they are being annihilated, because they are evil beings, they still want to do bad things just before they die—they purposely fall on Beijing.

As you know, people are so worried about the weather in Beijing. What’s wrong with Beijing? The weather in the past two years has been such that it looks cloudy but it isn’t clouds, and it looks foggy yet it isn’t fog. The particles of floating substances in the air are all quite large, and even the naked eye can see them. It’s said that it is exhaust fumes from cars, so people started to control automobile emissions. I think it has nothing to do with automobiles. What automobiles emit is mostly carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, while the floating substances in the air are mostly nitride. There are so many automobiles in the U.S. that cars on highways flow like water; it has been like that for decades, yet they don’t have this degree of pollution that Beijing does. So it’s not a problem caused by cars. It’s also said that it comes from industrial pollution. Even though pollution in developing countries is quite serious, it hasn’t reached this extent, though—not to mention that there aren’t that many heavy-pollution industries in Beijing. Some people say it’s from burning coal. But nowadays people use built-in heating systems, and chimneys are scarce. And even in the old days when coal furnaces were used, and every household had a coal-burning stove, it wasn’t polluted to the degree it is now. Today’s is a different type of pollution. Of course, people won’t believe it, and I don’t need to tell them. Whatever people want to say it is, that’s fine.

It is actually the very degenerate substances from the annihilated microcosmic dimensions continuously falling down. When you fly in an airplane, after the airplane takes off five hundred meters from the airport you will see a nice looking blue sky, but when you look down, “Oh, my”—it looks as if a lid has covered everything. Where did it come from and why doesn’t it ever disperse? It came from the microcosm. That is why its origin can’t be detected. It comes from the particles smaller than the surface molecules, so people can’t figure out where it is from. It was eventually determined to be nitride. About nitride (those of you who study chemistry might know this), it is the dust of organic substances, and it’s the same as the smoke from an incinerator. In fact, it is generated from the annihilation of those degenerate microcosmic lives.

Question: Teacher’s essays “Remaking Mankind,” “Degeneration,” and “Dialogue with Time” were written in 1996 and 1997. Why did you wait until 1998 to let us see them?

Teacher: There were reasons for the timing of when I brought them out and let you see them. They were published later because I wrote them upon seeing certain things surface. Once they became widespread I published them. (Applause)

Question: As the structure of the universe that Teacher discusses gets bigger and bigger, my views and breadth of mind seem to be expanding. The objective of Teacher’s discussing this is…?     

Teacher: Didn’t you just spell it out? As a matter of fact, I am expanding your capacity, and everything belonging to you needs to expand and grow along with it. I said that a cosmic body is still but a speck of dust in the universe. Whatever I told you that you could understand and what is larger than that by billions or trillions of times is still but a speck of dust in the universe. Nobody else knows what the universe ultimately is. (Applause) Moreover, the universe and what it contains is enormous and complicated, and the human mind can’t contain it all. There is no such language, so it is impossible for me to describe it for you. In fact, no matter how I have described it, be it like this or that, it hasn’t gone beyond one system. It’s similar to the fact that Earth is a particle, but I tell you that particles similar to Earth pervade the universe’s cosmic bodies; it’s just like the particles of a certain size in the air that compose air molecules, which permeate everything and are everywhere. So then how enormous do you think their cosmic bodies are?! What I have told you is an explanation from within one system, and the degree of complexity is simply beyond words. And it can’t be illustrated by drawings either, because the complexity of the structure is beyond what trillions of intersecting three-dimensional planes could illustrate, so it is very hard to explain it to you clearly. (Applause) Nonetheless, through Zhuan Falun, or when you reach a certain level in cultivation, you will come to comprehend it in your mind and you will feel its enormity, though you won’t be able to express it in words. (Applause)

Question: Why is emotion so difficult to part with?

Teacher: Let me tell you: A human being, this shell of yours, is born within this emotion and has been immersed in emotion since birth. The bodily cells that compose this shell are born in emotion’s environment. If you part from it you are no longer a human but a god. When people get attached to emotion they are actually being passive, even though they think they are being active.

Question: Homosexuality is sinful, but I have sunk into agony and despair. I believe in Zhen-Shan-Ren, but am I worthy of cultivation?

Teacher: Being incorrectly guided by the prevailing thinking, being corroded by the incorrect, predominant publicity as well as this environment, people might make a lot of mistakes, but that doesn’t mean they are hopeless. You can study Dafa and correct those wrong thoughts and behaviors of yours. It’s just like what I said—why would a person be homosexual? Actually, human beings are passively attached to emotion. And when you are attached to it, it will create all kinds of attachments in your mind. From those attachments, all kinds of notions or even degenerate notions will be generated. You might suddenly like a particular mannerism of that person or maybe his appearance, and then for quite some time you are infatuated with those things. Or perhaps you just like a person’s attitude and manner, and then a notion forms over time so that you just like his particular manner. Then, as that thing gradually becomes stronger and stronger, it will come to control your mind. After your like for something forms a notion, it will grow stronger and stronger. And if that mental state is one that’s warped, slowly that degenerate thought will develop and expand, becoming even more warped. So homosexuality is something warped that exists within emotion. It’s in fact also a notion that has formed, albeit a degenerate one.

But at this time people all treat these things as part of themselves. They are actually things formed by your incorrect postnatal perceptions having gained control of you, yet you think they’re your own thoughts. People never believe that their notions aren’t part of themselves, so it’s certain you don’t know about the thought karma you yourself have formed. You have never thought about whether or not any of the thoughts manifested by thought karma are really you. In fact, the thoughts manifesting in your mind might not always be you. But it’s not impossible for those incorrect thoughts to be corrected, since studying Dafa is to have people take an upright path and do better. I think everything can be corrected in Dafa. There isn’t any problem, and you can study the Fa. But you should be really responsible to yourself and should especially reject those thoughts. They are harming you, they are asking you to do things that aren’t human, and they are dragging you toward hell. Yet people with warped mindsets still believe that it’s part of themselves. As soon as that thought comes up, telling you to like someone of the same sex, you must remember that it is not you and is here to harm you again. But because you have passively gone along with it for a long time, you think it’s pretty good after having gone along with it, and so you have become a homosexual. That mindset must be corrected.

Question: I’m fifty years old, but some students find that I am sixteen or seventeen years old when they look. Is that the “me” in the other dimension or the “me” who is cultivating?

Teacher: I have discussed this question before. While you are sitting here, no matter how old you are, that isn’t the age of your innate nature, and nor is it your real age. This is what manifests within the time and environment of human beings. Perhaps you are in your sixties or seventies, but your main spirit is just seven or eight years old; perhaps you are in your forties or fifties, and your main spirit is only seventeen or eighteen years old. Through your cultivation, however, you—and this includes your surface layer at the human level—are transforming into the best and the youngest state. This is certain.

Question: I am a Westerner and a professional magician. I think that David’s magic can be performed without using supernormal abilities. I believe what you said is true, but deep down inside I’m still unsure.

Teacher: Magic is a technique, and it relies on sleight of hand or the veil of props. It should never be confused with supernormal abilities. However, when a person hones a few specific skills, a state similar to supernormal abilities can develop. For example, some people take off their hats and toss them back and forth—this hand throws and the other hand catches. They throw them very fast, and even though their hands don’t seem to move very fast, they can still catch them. This means that after a long period of time, they can develop a kind of equalized time difference that is similar to a supernormal ability, and so that kind of effect can be achieved.

As you know, Tai-chi Chuan is slow and leisurely. So how is it that it can be used in real combat? Although it appears to be slow and leisurely, its supernormal ability can equalize time. It doesn’t use the time in this dimension. Your human eyes see that it’s slow, but it is actually moving very fast. No matter how fast you throw a punch, you are not as fast as he is; he moves slowly and leisurely but he has hit you before you know it. Due to the fact that none of the mind-guiding principles of Tai-chi Chuan were passed down, people today don’t know the real factors behind Tai-chi Chuan. You know that this difference is one that has to do with time and space, and the disparity is quite large. We Easterners have heard about legendary “magic feet,” where you see an old man walking who walks very slowly and leisurely, but you can’t catch up with him, even on horseback. This means that he doesn’t move in the same dimension. I have found that when magic reaches a very skilled level, magicians sometimes carry a very weak form of this thing, but they themselves don’t notice it. They don’t know it themselves and they think it’s a skill. “Practice makes perfect”—perhaps that’s what it means. But they can’t perform supernormal-ability magic.

Question: When we translate or proofread Dafa books, how can we avoid mixing in our own human notions or human things?

Teacher: In mainland China, back when they had just started translating the English version, they used to argue a lot. Why did they argue? They always felt that others’ translations weren’t good, while others likewise felt that their translations weren’t good. It owes to the fact that any two people will not be in the same realm or at the same level. They can’t articulate with words what they have enlightened to, so they feel that the other person is wrong. As soon as a person expresses it verbally, even he himself doesn’t find it right, and others don’t find it right either. Why is that? Principles at high levels can only be understood cognitively, and cannot be expressed in words. I said something long ago, namely, that if you want to spell out the high-level principles in Zhuan Falun, that’s absolutely not allowed, and you couldn’t even if you wanted to. That’s because high-level principles can’t be shown to people and cannot manifest in the human world. You can only be allowed to see them during the course of your cultivation; cultivators can know them, but other people can’t. That’s how it works. So, if you want to translate the books, you can only translate the most superficial meaning of the words, and that’s enough. If the surface meanings of the words are translated accurately, when I add the inner meanings behind them it will naturally be the Fa and will work. That’s how translation matters are.

Oftentimes you all think, “You’re wrong,” or “I’m right,” and start arguing. Actually, after you say what you want to say, you find that even what you have said is wrong. It means that you can only understand it cognitively and cannot express it verbally. Principles understood at high levels can’t be written down in human language. So if you want to put it into writing, it’s enough if you accurately translate the surface meaning of the words. Try your best to find accurate words to translate the Fa, and this way it will be hard for you to add in your own notions.

Question: I saw a bright, white Falun many times. In the middle there was a red . Did I go astray?

Teacher: No, you didn’t. The colors you saw were caused by reasons related to your Third Eye, and you didn’t go astray. The Falun is a miniature of the universe, and in the universe it has several colors that are ever changing—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple, white, and colorless—there are quite a few colors, not just one. We feel that this color is bright, relatively speaking, so we use it as the symbol of our Dafa. Aside from the gold color of the  and the colors of the Tai-ji that don’t change, other colors may change. What’s more, the composition of color for things in other dimensions is different from that of the colors in this dimension of human beings, which are composed of molecules. Colors in those dimensions are composed of material particles that are more refined. That’s why they look so brilliant and refined, and are incredibly beautiful.

Through the Fa conference over the past two days, and especially through students’ speeches that were given yesterday afternoon, many students have been deeply touched. Fa conferences are an opportunity for you to find where you have fallen behind and to build confidence in cultivation. So you should incorporate what you have gained and understood from this conference into your ensuing cultivation, truly improve as quickly as possible, and waste no time in becoming diligent. This is the most crucial thing.

Holding Fa conferences in and of itself isn’t the goal. The goal is to help you better improve yourselves. I also know that your understanding of the Fa is becoming higher and higher. There are many things I don’t need to say anything about, including the questions I answered today—you understand many things.

Originally this Fa conference was intended to be a regional experience-sharing conference for the Western U.S., but now it has become an expanded one. No matter where you came from, take back with you the insights you have learned from this conference. At the very least, you should have improved yourself some from this conference, and only then will the thousands of miles you traveled not be in vain. (Applause)

Question: Disciples from different regions and different countries would like to, on behalf of disciples in their own regions or countries, send their regards to Master.

Teacher: I thank you all. (Applause)

I don’t want to say anything more. I hope that you will be ever more diligent, have higher understandings, break through levels more rapidly, reach Consummation, and achieve the Unlocking of Gong and full Enlightenment as soon as possible.