(Clearwisdom.net) In Zhuan Falun, Teacher talks about the issue of cultivating our speech. Cultivating speech is one of the many issues Teacher and the Fa require of us Falun Gong practitioners. A cultivator must evaluate himself according to the Fa's standard at all times and in all things, and conduct himself strictly.
Sometimes when we encounter xinxing conflicts, fellow practitioners will blame themselves for failing to cultivate speech well or failing to cultivate speech at all. I don't think it is a stand-alone problem, for a cultivator cannot cultivate his speech without cultivating his mind. A cultivator at a high xinxing level is bound to cultivate speech well and knows what to say and what not to say according to the Fa's requirement.
Some practitioners say things at will and rattle on regardless of the occasion, the audience, or the consequence. Sometimes they present their own guesses, imagination or hearsay as facts. Such cultivators cannot possibly be at a high xinxing level (even if they may seem to cultivate well in other aspects) because they fail to cultivate speech well.
Some practitioners seem to always want to pry into matters they shouldn't stick their nose into. This is an alarming issue, particularly in China where the persecution continues to run wild. Even though our cultivation practice is not done in secret, we don't necessarily have to publicize our activities and make it easier for the evil to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. It is our top priority to protect the places where we make materials to clarify the truth about Falun Gong for the sake of saving sentient beings. It is every Falun Gong practitioner's responsibility to protect every truth-clarification materials production site. It follows that no one must talk about, look for, or try to guess which practitioner might be doing what. Some practitioners even try to find out what other practitioners are doing by challenging them. This is even worse than searching for or guessing what others are doing.
Some practitioners will spread hearsay wildly. They even tell others over the phone skittishly, "Don't go out. Stay at home." Naturally it is necessary for practitioners to give each other security reminders out of kindness, but it is important to do it out of a righteous mentality, form, and base. It's important that we ask ourselves first: What will the consequences be if I say this and that? Sometimes one practitioner will pass on hearsay to the next person and soon a large number of practitioners and important truth-clarification work will suffer as a result. Have we ever thought of these consequences?
Some practitioners enthusiastically spread lies that even non-cultivators can identify. For example, some practitioners will claim that they had known this and that "three years ago," acting as though they have invincible foresight. Did they remember that they were Falun Gong practitioners when they spread hearsay? It is most important for a Falun Gong practitioner to believe in Teacher and the Fa. We should measure what to say and what not to say according to the Fa. We must not interfere with fellow practitioners' cultivation practice or cause any negative impact in society.
On the other hand, I thought about why I saw these problems and started to reflect upon myself. I used to be interested in hearsay and in announcing my personal opinions. After I started to memorize the Fa in 2005, one day I suddenly lost all interest in learning or spreading hearsay. I started to cultivate my speech by denying hearsay, thus leaving no loophole for the evil. If a fellow practitioner tries to tell me hearsay, I should evaluate the situation according to the Fa, share my understanding on the Fa with the practitioner, and improve with him together.
A Falun Gong practitioner should fill his head with the Fa and carry the Fa everywhere. Teacher said,
"Dafa is what you carry everywhere, Zhen Shan Ren, rooted in the mind " ("Benevolent Might" from Hong Yin (Translation Version A))
When we meet with fellow practitioners, we should spend more time sharing our respective understandings on the Fa and our cultivation experiences about passing xinxing tests and improving our xinxing. Our each and every thought should be on the Fa. We should let go of every human thought, be impervious to everything we hear and do the Three Things well according to Teacher's requirements. Teacher said,
"In any case, a cultivator must look at things as a cultivator should and with the mind of a cultivator, and absolutely cannot look at things with the mind of an ordinary person. Nothing you encounter is simple, accidental, or an ordinary thing. It must have to do with your cultivation and your improvement." ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles")
On the path of cultivation practice, we must eliminate all human thoughts. We should regard anything hampering us from doing the Three Things as serious interference and deny it with righteous thoughts. When we put our mind into studying the Fa, memorizing the Fa, doing the Three Things, saving sentient beings, and improving and cultivating diligently together, we will be cultivating our speech well!
This concludes my limited understanding on the subject. Please kindly point out anything erroneous.