(Clearwisdom.net) I have been bothered by a cultivation issue for a while. As my cultivation improves, I can remain righteous most of the time. However, I haven't been able to be so divinely powerful even though my righteous thoughts seem strong. I have been able to do a better job identifying my gaps after reading about fellow practitioners' righteous thoughts and righteous actions.

Today, I read a fellow practitioner's sharing article “We Truly Respect Master and the Fa Only After Letting Go of Self” published on the Minghui website on December 30, 2011 (English version available at: http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2012/1/17/130791.html). The cultivation stories in the article struck me deeply. I realized that the issue had to do with my first thought. A lot of times, I didn't first think of Master, but instead used my human logic. My human side has a very strong logical mentality and can articulate issues very well. Even though I had a cultivator's righteous thoughts, I still had human attachments and notions.

Master told us,

“I can tell you that although your true self is in control of you, it isn’t strong enough, or is even powerless because the old forces of the cosmos are dramatically larger, and moreover, you have been buried in the inverted principles of the Three Realms, so Master must look after you, help you, and stay on top of everything.” (“Dafa Disciples Should Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference:”)

I hadn't understood the aforementioned Fa principles well, so I couldn't sense my divine power.

As early as before July 20, 1999, Master gave me a hint. Between the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999, I have had several dreams relevant to Fa-rectification cultivation. Once in my dream, several bad people tried to break into my room. I held onto the doorknob to keep my door closed while they tried to force it open. At that crucial moment, I asked Master for help: “Master, Master, Master!” I then felt my strength growing stronger and stronger as I held the doorknob. Shortly after, I had a thought: “A cultivator should handle issues on his own. I cannot always rely on Master's help.” Once I had this thought, my arm returned to the normal human state. Without Master's help, I suddenly felt quite weak. I woke up from the dream.

At that time, I paid a lot of attention to my individual cultivation, so I didn't think much of my thoughts in the dream. After July 20, 1999, I recalled this dream several times. I thought the hint was that I should think of Master at critical moments, but didn't think beyond that.

Now, I realize that whether I am able to think of Master first and foremost is not a trivial issue. It is a serious issue of believing in and respecting Master. Moreover, believing in and respecting Master is the first issue a cultivator needs to address once he starts cultivation. No matter what we encounter, we should think of Master first, let go of self and entrust everything to Master. This means making sure that our thoughts and actions follow Master's requirements. This is believing in and respecting Master, and what having righteous thoughts means.

Master said: “Disciples’ righteous thoughts are strong; Master has the power to turn the tide.” (“Master-Disciple Grace” from Hong Yin Volume II) Our cultivation path will become more and more righteous and broad with righteous thoughts.

The fellow practitioner's following words represented my thoughts well: In other words, no matter if it is good or bad, we don't sense it because once we embark on the journey of cultivation, everything that happens to us is for the best. Simply follow Master's arrangement without adding our own notions. Isn't this the simplest way? “A great way is extremely simple and easy.” (Chapter I The Features of Falun Dafa in The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa).

I just wanted to share some of my recent cultivation experience. Heshi!