(October 21, 2000 in San Francisco)

It’s been a long time! (Applause)

Alright, let’s stop applauding now and listen to your teacher.

When any being in this cosmos has enlightened to his Fa, his Fa-principles, or his Attainment¹ Status—no matter at what level—he has to go through a truly serious test. This determines whether what he has enlightened to can hold ground in this cosmos, and it establishes his mighty virtue. That’s why all beings encounter in their cultivation the kind of situation we’re experiencing today. As you know, when Sakyamuni was in this world, when Jesus was in this world, and when other upright religions and righteous Fa were imparted in this world, they each ran into something like this and underwent this type of test. This is a law of the cosmos. But as to our Dafa, let me tell you that nobody is worthy of testing It. Because all beings—and this includes every being in the cosmos—are created, made, and shaped by It, no one is worthy of testing It. (Applause)

Then why are we encountering these things? As you know, Li Hongzhi is doing this undertaking in an ordinary human form, with a human body, using the lowest form of language among beings in the cosmos—the human language, this most simplistic human language of today—and using the lowest form of cultivation, qigong. This has left all beings throughout the cosmos unaware. The reason for this is that to evaluate and determine the xinxing position of each sentient being in the cosmos and reposition them, it was necessary that each one’s true xinxing level be revealed. So they weren’t allowed to know the true situation. No being in the entire cosmos knows the true situation. They regard me as a cultivator, and so they dare to do what they have. As I told you before, no sentient being knew about the Fa of the cosmos. That’s why they think that I’m establishing a system of things that I’ve enlightened to—when I’m really doing Fa-rectification—with the only difference being that it’s exceptionally pure and righteous, and extremely high level. In their view, that’s all it is. This is why they’ve dared to bring us this disaster today. In other words, a higher Attainment Status and a Fa this immense require a test this massive. Yet on the other hand, if this hadn’t been allowed to happen it wouldn’t have. My intention was to utilize all the things they arranged so as to see their xinxing displayed in their actions. They arranged this matter long, long ago. Human history is cyclical. They haven’t realized that such an enormous Fa is being spread, something extraordinary. The humankind of the last cycle underwent a process like this as a test run, and went even further than today’s humankind. In the end, environmental pollution caused the deformation of human beings and their eventual elimination. This is what happened to the last humankind. What happened last time is now being repeated, but this time it’s true Fa-rectification. In other words, this matter was arranged ages ago. They established a system in order to avoid deviation and to ensure that nothing would go wrong with this matter today. According to their thinking, the things that are happening and unfolding today were all arranged by them. Nothing in the process has been coincidental, even though things appear coincidental among everyday people and manifest among everyday people in an entirely human fashion. Yet these were indeed arranged by them. In their words, one God would be more than enough to make arrangements so that nothing would go wrong with any sentient being on the entire earth. Countless Gods, so many Gods, are watching this. How could there be any mishaps? Nothing in the process could go wrong. But this is only the arrangement, which I mentioned earlier, by the Gods of the old cosmos. They don’t dare to ruin all of these things, because they, too, see the problems the cosmos will face and they know I’m doing this undertaking. But they, too, don’t know who I am. So what they wanted to do they arranged. Do you understand? (Applause) Their apparent purpose was to allow our Fa to establish Its mighty virtue, and to have the Fa be truly respected by beings throughout the entire cosmos for Its mighty virtue. On the surface, this was the purpose of their arranging all this. But this has instead become an obstacle for Fa-rectification. I knew they would definitely do it this way, so I used the opportunity to examine their xinxing in everything they arranged and reposition them accordingly. In the course of your cultivation, each one of you should understand correctly the relationship between your personal cultivation and Fa-rectification. How should you view the tribulations and trials that you experience? I can tell you that if a person doesn’t have that much karma, he absolutely won’t have tribulations that severe. You should clearheadedly distinguish personal cultivation from evil’s persecution of the Fa. All of the arrangements that have interfered with Dafa, that have tried to forcefully impose something on me or the Fa, are absolutely unacceptable. So they have to bear responsibility for everything they’ve done. How is this any different from the persecution of Jesus and the harming of Sakyamuni’s disciples back in their days? They have to bear responsibility for all these things—they must bear responsibility for all these things. There’s something I told you before. I said: what is a Buddha? "Tathagata" is what human beings call someone who’s come with the truth and the power to do what he wants, whereas real Buddhas are guardians of the cosmos and are responsible for all righteous elements in the cosmos. Nevertheless, in this affair, they have also fully shown the positions of their xinxing after their deviation from the Fa and have fully revealed their impure side. This has resulted in many things that shouldn’t have occurred in certain situations and all kinds of interference; this is quite similar to the display of our students’ xinxing at present during their personal cultivation. All sentient beings in the cosmos are amidst the Fa-rectification, and all the manifestations might appear in this human place since I’m doing this in this human place. I can tell you that the suffering and tribulations endured by our Dafa disciples are not only aimed at their personal cultivation—there are also factors related to high-level beings’ testing Dafa using the fact that the students have karma, using "improving them" as an excuse, and using degenerate beings at low levels to carry out the persecution. In fact, all of these have harmed the Fa-rectification. You’ve not only been enduring tribulations created by human beings. Since parts of you have been fully cultivated, you are great Gods, and Gods at very, very high levels have been testing you. This is why what’s happening today is unprecedented—a tribulation like this has never taken place in history. This is understanding it from a cultivator’s perspective. But from another angle, I’d say that no one is worthy of testing Dafa. Yet they have, so they’ve committed a sin, and they will have to bear responsibility for everything they’ve done. I’ve only given you a general explanation of this situation. As I said, I just wanted to use their actions to see their xinxing clearly, arrange their places, and in turn examine the disciples and enable them to reach Consummation. They’re also using the most evil beings to do all of this in a destructive manner.

As Master sees it, this undertaking has encountered huge tribulations because you coexist with the Fa during the Fa-rectification period. Never before in any historical period have people encountered such huge tribulations, nor will people who cultivate in the future—those people won’t be you, of course, but human beings in the future—since they’ll only engage in personal cultivation. You, however, are linked to the Fa.

During the past year, I was silent for various reasons. When I wasn’t speaking to you, I saw that students were doing really well. This says that you can do well when I’m not around. It’s remarkable! You’ve not only handled yourselves as cultivators, but have also firmly safeguarded Dafa—you are truly magnificent! This is because you’ve kept to the Fa, and because you’ve regarded yourselves as cultivators. This is something everyday people can’t do—everyday people absolutely wouldn’t be able to do it. It is something that’s never been seen in human history. It’s futile for the evil forces that want to damage us to attempt to destroy us—nothing like that has happened in history, nor do human beings have the ability to do that. No matter who persecutes Dafa, it’s a matter of humans battling Gods, and the end result is obvious. Of course, through this series of events our students have gained a clearer understanding; there was a huge difference when the tribulations had just started. Some were shocked. Some were contemplating, "What kind of person is Li Hongzhi?" Some were thinking, "Is this Fa righteous?" A comprehensive test has targeted all human attachments. No matter what attachments you held when you came to Dafa, those attachments had to be tested. Some people thought that this or that aspect of Dafa was good, but today’s test is relentless, as no human attachment can be taken to heaven.

I can tell you that throughout history there has never been any human being who has succeeded in cultivation—regardless of the cultivation way. This is because a person’s Assistant Primordial Spirit doesn’t enter the Three Realms, but controls the person’s body at a microcosmic level beyond the Three Realms. It’s simply impossible for a person to return, never before in history has this happened. But since you’ve encountered this amidst today’s Fa-rectification—not because you have such a great predestined relationship, nor because it’s accidental—you truly can return through cultivation! (Applause)

No matter which level a God comes from, once he enters the Three Realms he can never return. This is absolute. This is also something that no one has ever dared to disclose, because it would lead humankind to rapidly head for destruction: if people knew the truth of the matter, hopeless beings would stop at no evil. Yet our Dafa has allowed [people to return], we’re able to achieve this, and It has played this role. That’s why I’ve revealed the truth of this to you all. (Applause)

Our students are truly remarkable. A while ago, you all did a lot of things that you were supposed to do for Fa-rectification. In this recent period of time, many of you have been doing a lot of work to clarify the truth to the world’s people. As a Dafa disciple, a particle of this Great Fa of the cosmos, you should do that. When people damage the Fa… of course, no one can damage the Fa—how could the Fa of the cosmos be damaged by human beings? No one is able to damage it… But when someone comes to persecute the Fa, what should you, a disciple, a particle of Dafa, do? Shouldn’t you let the truth be known and make people aware of the facts? This is looking at it in terms of you. You are a particle of Dafa, so you should play this role.

Looking at it another way, I can tell you that all Gods in the cosmos—whether it’s the ones who have been rectified or the ones who haven’t been—say that, with regard to everything you are doing today, we’re incredibly merciful. (Applause) Did you know: during the time when the evil came in swarming hordes, so many people were fooled by the venomous fabrications and deceitful lies, and they had hatred toward Dafa and my disciples; those people were doomed to be weeded out in the future, yet even so, by presenting the truth we’ve allowed them to know the facts and get rid of their previous views and evil thoughts, and it’s very likely they can be saved. (Applause) Our clarifying the truth to the world isn’t any sort of political struggle, nor is it doing things to address certain matters. I’m telling you that this is your mercy, and you are truly saving the future people! (Applause) If those people’s thoughts don’t turn around, think about it, they’re done for. I think you should, as a student, a cultivator, do these things from the perspective of mercy, too. Inform people of the truth, tell them about it—this is also rescuing people.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to really thank the various levels of government in the United States and Canada for the honors they’ve bestowed upon us and upon me. (Applause) Under this special circumstance, I can’t thank them individually, but I will bring them a wonderful future. (Applause) On the surface, we’re seeking support for Dafa from the world’s people. This is the thinking of the worldly human side, manifest in this human place. Yet it’s reversed on the other side. Whoever supports Dafa or advocates for Dafa is establishing for himself his being’s existence in the future and is laying a foundation for obtaining the Fa in the future. (Applause)

There are a lot of things to talk about, but I don’t want to say too much right now. I’ll choose a time to come forth to formally and clearly explain everything about these matters to you. (Applause) But let me tell you this: all disciples who have stepped forward, Master thanks you! (Applause) Remarkable! (Applause)

Every one of us is doing for Dafa things of Fa-rectification, Fa-spreading, and clarifying the truth. We haven’t been involved in political struggles, whether it be our going to Tiananmen Square, going to Zhongnanhai, or clarifying the truth to people in all sorts of situations. This is because if the evil hadn’t persecuted us, we wouldn’t need to explain the truth to people whatsoever. We also don’t think that our making appeals or clarifying the truth right now is interfering with anyone. When being treated unfairly, people should be allowed to speak—this is a human being’s most basic right.

Of course, through this we’ve fully seen the position of every student’s xinxing. You went through a process of serious thinking at the beginning of this, but no matter what, that’s not to be considered wrong, as you were given the opportunity to think: what kind of person is Li Hongzhi? Is this Fa righteous? For those who’ve been able to step forward from humanness, who have been able to come through today, let me tell you this: you made it! (Long applause) As you already know, at that time the evil forces were really overwhelming, it was as if they eclipsed the sky and covered the earth—they were enormous. These things have already been destroyed. (Applause) Only the evil humans remain and are still acting out. Moreover, all people with righteous thoughts—and I’m not referring to our students—all everyday people with righteous thoughts are standing up against this. This is because the evil was restraining people before, and after the evil was eliminated, people became clearheaded and now they’re reconsidering and reassessing all these. The lies and fabrications will all be exposed one by one. (Applause)

I had wanted to tell you about many things. And you might also have a lot of questions for me, "Is it correct to do it this way?" "Is it correct to do it that way?" I can tell you that overall you’ve all done things correctly. As for those minor matters or few specific things that you’re unsure of, I think you’ll be able to handle these things well on your own path towards Consummation. (Applause) This is because during the past one year plus, what’s taken place has proven that you have truly done well without me around—truly well, exceptionally well! (Applause) Some minor problems and problems with certain individuals that occurred can’t represent Dafa. Those were also arranged. You could say that they were inevitable. They were actually arranged: during which time which person behaves in what way, what a person does during which time, and this includes those in detention centers who behaved quite well all along but in the end reversed themselves—they stopped studying, stopped practicing, and have even encouraged other practitioners [to do the same]. Think about it: could these be coincidental? Probably nothing is coincidental, because for you, a cultivator, in the process of your cultivation you have fundamental tests all the way to the very end. All the same, not one of our Dafa disciples who is truly cultivating has fallen amidst the tests.

I’ll just say this much. I will explain things to you in every detail when the opportunity arises. (Applause) Whether it’s those who’ve had their lives taken by the evil forces, those who’ve been in detention centers or sentenced, those who’ve suffered under all kinds of circumstances or been forced to leave their homes, or our students abroad or students in other environments, all of the things you’ve done for Dafa have established your mighty virtue. Finish up the last step. I hope that you’ll do even better and truly reach Consummation! Thank you! (Applause)

1. Attainment Status—this term is also sometimes translated as "Fruit Status."