(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I reviewed my cultivation state and I am now sharing it in writing with fellow practitioners.
Letting go of the fear of someone pointing out of my mistakes
I did not like people pointing out my mistakes. During a friend's visit I told my son to greet our guest, but he refused to come out of his room. After our friend left I asked him why he did not come out and he replied, “Because you care too much about yourself and want to show your friends how well you’ve raised your child. That’s why I didn’t want to come out.”
On another occasion a practitioner pointed out some of my mistakes. After I explained myself, she told me I was trying to validate myself. She suggested that I should not try to make other people understand me, but simply tell them, “I will correct my mistakes next time.” After that I no longer needed to justify myself and felt so comfortable, as if a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders. Not having to justify myself felt so good, and from then on things have become much simpler.
Now I understand why I suffered miserably in the labor camp a few years earlier: because I was so attached to proving to myself that I would not denounce Dafa, regardless of how severe the persecution was.
Master tells us in "Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students:"
"There's something you must pay attention to: you are validating the Fa, not validating yourselves. A Dafa disciple's responsibility is to validate the Fa. Validating the Fa is cultivation, and what you remove in the cultivation process is none other than the attachment to self; you can't, instead, go and exacerbate the problem of validating oneself, even if you do it unwittingly. When you're validating the Fa and cultivating, that is a process of removing self, and only when you do that are you really validating yourself. That's because ultimately you have to let go of all your human things, and only after you've let go of all your human attachments can you step out from the throngs of everyday people."
Letting go of human thoughts of looking down on other people
Looking down on others prevents a practitioner from being compassionate and merciful. Looking down on another person when I clarify the truth to him might affect that person who eventually will not be redeemed. In the past I always easily found other people’s mistakes and weaknesses. Once I observed some of my colleagues arguing over trivial matters, which saddened me. However, I soon realized the reason. According to Master's teachings, what I witnessed was not accidental, so why was I so emotional? I found a deeply hidden attachment: I despised people who brought me trouble, who did not fit in with my notions, and who did not have sufficient compassion. I changed my notions that those colleagues were being irrational. I realized they acted like that because some of my thoughts were wrong and that's why I became emotional.
A few days ago a customer was critical of my work. Since Master tells us to look inside and find the positive things instead of the negative, I ordered myself to look at this customer’s positive side. I also reminded myself not to look down on him, and that I should do my best to understand him. Whatever he said, I did my best to satisfy his request accordingly. Very soon he changed his attitude and became reasonable.
Replacing a worrisome mindset with righteous thoughts
Using cell phones to clarify the truth to people is very effective. At first I worried a lot, and was thus always fully prepared before making any calls. By doing that I had become indifferent to the power of righteous thoughts. I realized this was wrong after a practitioner pointed it out.
Master said in “Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference” (2003)
“Yes, that's true. With many things you shouldn't be constrained by human notions. You might say that you've formed certain habits before, but what's been bestowed upon Dafa disciples today is the state of Gods, and you should progress toward the state of a God. You can do a lot of things well if you approach them with righteous thoughts. Of course, thinking things over is a proper thing to do and there's nothing wrong with that. But if you often take too much time to think things over and miss opportunities to establish your mighty virtue in Fa-rectification, then your losses will outweigh your gains.”
Understanding what Master wanted us to do, I sent out 50 text messages that night and have sent text messages to clarify the truth ever since. Since then I have picked up another tool to offer sentient beings salvation.
Clarifying the truth everywhere, at all times
Everywhere I go I carry assorted truth-clarifying materials with me. On different occasions I give different people the materials that best suits them. A judge’s wife was one of my colleagues. She wanted me to teach her some special skills at work. I helped her without constraints. She was grateful, and insisted that she come to my home to thank me for helping her. I took this opportunity to clarify the truth to her and asked her to tell her husband the truth about Dafa. She was very happy to take some materials with her. She told me that she had quite a few friends who were also Dafa practitioners, and her husband had already agreed to do the “three withdrawals” (to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations, the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers). She believed that Falun Dafa was absolutely good. She asked me to show her how I cross my legs in the lotus position in meditation and she herself was able to sit in that position.
The many benefits from participating in group Fa-study
Recently I took my son to study the Fa with the local group and felt the difference between studying the Fa at home by ourselves and with the group. It is especially important for my son, who is too young to know how to discipline himself. If you also have children, it is better if you take them to join group Fa-study. When studying the Fa with fellow practitioners, sometimes a practitioner’s unintentional comments can help me make a break-through in certain conventional thinking. It is impossible to find this kind of environment in ordinary human society.
We have encountered much interference when attempting group Fa-study as well. For example, one day, right before we were about to leave home, my son suddenly had a stomachache. After sending righteous thoughts he felt better. When we stepped out of the door his discomfort was gone. Sometimes the old forces used my family members to interfere with us, because the old forces latched onto my human thoughts. The old forces are afraid that we will form one body, because when we do, they have no place to hide.
Please point out anything incorrect.
Category: Improving Oneself
