(Minghui.org) After I attended the 2016 Fa Conference in New York, I could feel how quickly Fa-rectification was progressing and that my path of cultivation was getting narrower. It was a wake-up call for me.
Making Group Fa Study a Priority
I have been practicing Falun Dafa for over ten years, but I have not been diligent or taken cultivation seriously. I still indulged myself in everyday people's affairs and wasted a lot of time. As a result, I have not done well in my Dafa-related projects.
Master said,
“...you must consider yourself a cultivator! You should take it upon yourself to study the Fa! If you do not study the Fa, how can you do this thing? You may say that you can. Relying on a human’s cunning mind and quick-wittedness to do things, it is guaranteed that you cannot do it. Why? You can do it in business or work among ordinary people, but you cannot do it in this thing, because the words you say have no energy and are not aligned with the Fa.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
When I returned home from the Fa conference, I examined my cultivation state. I adjusted my schedule so that I could attend the online Fa study group and the local Fa study group.
I was not used to reading online, read very slowly, and made a lot of mistakes. When other practitioners corrected me, I was a little annoyed.
My thought karma was part of the reason why I reacted this way–my negative thoughts were trying to keep me from studying the Fa calmly. When I studied the Fa by myself, my thoughts tended to wander.
At the local Fa study group, we read the Fa out loud. I could feel our voices forming an energy field that was full of harmony and compassion.
Master said,
“Group Fa study is what I left for everyone, and group exercise is what I left for everyone. Other than in situations of severe persecution, it should be done this way in other areas outside mainland China.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
I now cherish our local cultivation environment even more.
Remembering to Cultivate at Work
I found employment as soon as I graduated from college. At work, I insisted that others follow my ideas and lashed out whenever I disliked something. I lacked tolerance and thus drove colleagues away from the company.
Eventually, I realized these interactions with colleagues offered me many opportunities to look at myself and remove my attachments.
When I realized that my poor conduct might have affected my colleagues' opinion of Falun Dafa, I felt terrible. All my abilities and wisdom were given by Master. How could I develop those bad thoughts and look down on others! Wasn't this a manifestation of jealousy?! Moreover, I had failed to treat my coworkers as people who have predestined relationships with me.
I should use the principles of Dafa to do my job well and treat my coworkers with kindness. If I am compassionate, they will have a good opinion of Dafa. Not only will I do better in my daily life and work, but I will also be able to establish a good relationship with the people I interact with. I must cherish my environment and grasp every minute to practice real cultivation.
Master said,
“As a practitioner, you must cultivate and temper yourself in the environment of everyday people and gradually abolish attachments and various desires.” (Zhuan Falun)
I should consider others first and be respectful. I should accept others' suggestions as much as possible, cultivate my speech, and not gossip about or criticize others.
When I conducted myself using Dafa's standards, my work environment improved very quickly. My coworkers stopped arguing among themselves, issues with customers diminished, and our sales improved.
My work colleagues even helped put up Shen Yun posters and discussed what they read in the Epoch Times newspaper. I have come to understand that cultivating among everyday people is an important part of truth-clarification and validating Dafa.
Taking Dafa Projects Seriously
We were collaborating with Dafa practitioners in Taipei to make a documentary. This provided Tainan practitioners with the opportunity to observe and learn from their professionalism in filmmaking.
Initially, we encountered a lot of interference. There were problems with the venue for filming, then the costumes and props were not available. The schedule for shooting the film had to be changed several times.
None of this happened by chance, and I knew that I needed to cultivate myself.
While working on the film I noticed many human notions, including impatience, selfishness, and showing off.
Even if just one person involved in a project sends forth negative substances, the entire field becomes impure. On the surface, someone's mishandling of things caused the mistakes, but in my understanding, this happened in order to test me and the others involved in the project.
We should not focus on the outcome. What's important is the process, how we cooperate with one another, how we shoulder the responsibilities, whether we are considerate of one another, and how well we work together.
I now have a deeper understanding of the importance of Fa study.
Master said,
“The only way to prevent the old, evil forces from taking advantage of the gaps in your mind is to make good use of your time to study the Fa.” (“Towards Consummation” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Removing the Attachment to Preference
While filming in Kaohsiung, the person in charge had to go overseas on a business trip for a few days. Several matters had to be taken care of while he was away, so I worked with other practitioners to resolve them.
When the main coordinator asked me to get the work assignments and announcements ready, I thought that I didn’t need to do it right then. So I told her, “The person in charge is back from their business trip. He can work on this, and it would help him stay on top of things.”
“You're the person who knows everything from the start,” the coordinator replied. “So you're the best person to do it.”
On the way home, I realized that this was an opportunity to put my preferences aside and place others first.
The person in charge had just come back from overseas. Because he wasn't familiar with the details, it would have been harder for him to coordinate the tasks, and a lot of time would have to be spent explaining things to him.
I was moved how practitioners thought to help each other and felt differently about our team. Everyone cooperated with each other every step of the way, and thus we truly formed one body.
Master has arranged tests for my cultivation. When my attachments are exposed, it's up to me to identify them and improve myself. The problems we encounter give us an opportunity to examine ourselves and do better. The more quickly we remove our attachments, the more quickly we form one body.
Category: Improving Oneself
