(Clearwisdom.net) One day I read an article in Minghui Weekly about a fellow Falun Gong practitioner that has been actively doing the three things, but ended up passing away recently. The practitioner's most visible attachment was that he adamantly refused criticism.
Many Falun Gong practitioners in my area, including myself, have the same attachment. It is very difficult for me to remove the attachment of rejecting criticism. On the other hand, it is critical that we do remove it. I would like to share my personal experience of eliminating this particular attachment.
I started practicing Falun Gong in 2001. My husband also practices. When we first started practicing, we both refused criticism from each other. Neither one of us would give ground. We fought so intensely that we talked about getting a divorce. We both repeatedly made up our minds to eliminate this attachment after we calmed down from having the arguments, but we still ended up getting defensive and upset the next time it happened. Why was it so difficult to accept criticism? Eventually we found the answer to our problem in Teacher’s books and articles. We calmed down and began to study the relevant passages of the Fa.
Teacher said,
“In addition to human beings and animals, plants are also lives. Any matter’s life can manifest in other dimensions.” (Zhuan Falun)
We realized that notions are acquired, not inborn, and that notions are matter and a form of life capable of thinking. Notions exist in human bodies. When someone points out your notions or tells you that your notions are wrong, it is a threat to those lives, so they will manipulate you to defend them with anger or rage as a byproduct.
After I came to understand and accept Teacher’s words, I knew it was not I who gets upset when someone points out my faults. It is my acquired notions who get upset. Now that I know the root cause, it becomes easier to remain calm when my faults are pointed out to me. When people speak ill of me, righteous thoughts will come forward. “I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I rejoice in listening to criticism. I am determined to purge the notions that will manipulate me to get upset.” I had to persevere for a long time before the attachment of rejecting criticism became markedly weaker. These days my husband and I rarely bicker. We both are determined to remove the attachment thoroughly.
It is easier said than done, but it becomes easier when I am determined. I know a lot of fellow practitioners who are not receptive to criticism. Some of them are not even aware of their attachment. It is high time to become aware of the issue. There was one practitioner who smoked. When someone pointed out his attachment, he would insult the person right away. For many years the practitioner did not quit smoking, and he ended up passing away. Teacher has taught us in many different lectures to eliminate the attachment of rejecting criticism. It goes to show the significance of eliminating the attachment.
Teacher said,
"Be sure to pay heed! From this point on, whoever can't take criticism is not being diligent, whoever can't take criticism is not displaying the state of a cultivator, or at least on this issue. (Applause) If someone still can't pass this test, I'll tell you, he is in a very dangerous situation, because for a cultivator this is the most fundamental thing, it's at the top of the list of things to eliminate, and it has to be eliminated. If you don't get rid of it, you won't achieve Consummation." ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles")
It has been five years since Teacher gave this lecture. The Fa-rectification has come to the end. Has each and every Falun Gong practitioner eliminated this very attachment yet? We ought to reflect deeply upon ourselves. While we are doing the three things, let’s not forget to cultivate ourselves. My humble insights are limited to my current level of cultivation practice. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate
