(Minghui.org) If a cultivator sees some bad deeds of others, it often points to some attachments to be removed on his own part. If he does not pay attention, these attachments will follow him everywhere like a shadow.
Master Li said,
“Cultivation is about working on the human mind and heart; it is about cultivating oneself. Only when you are able to examine yourself, looking inward amid problems, conflicts, difficulties, or when being treated unfairly, is it true cultivation.” (A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Taiwan)
If one’s righteous thoughts are not strong, or if he is controlled by acquired notions, he gradually becomes too attached to worldly matters. Recently, I realized that since practitioners are among everyday people, Master knew that some of them would become confused, so he used others to make us notice, reflect and further cultivate ourselves.
Whatever we see, listen to, or think about, Master uses others as mirrors to reflect on the notions we have not removed and helps us identify their origins and cultivate them away.
For some time, I did not know how to cultivate myself or how to search inward. I always viewed the people and incidents around me from the perspective of an everyday person, which left me feeling inferior and upset. When encountering others' behaviors, I did not think to reflect on myself and search inward.
Master stated,
“As Dafa disciples, you mustn’t let up in your own cultivation. You need to seize the opportunity to cultivate yourselves. The more chaotic things are, the more so you can cultivate yourselves amidst the chaos; the more you encounter ordeals, or unpleasant things, the more it is an occasion for you to look at the problems in a different way and think to yourself, “All of these are stepping stones by which to cultivate and improve.” Isn’t that the case?” (Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference)
I finally enlightened that what I witnessed in other people’s bad deeds indicated that I also had that same notion. Master used other people’s behavior to show me and let me clearly see my fake self; those things that I acquired postnatally. If we can realize this and ask Master to strengthen us, we can eliminate these postnatal notions with righteous thoughts. Now looking back, I regret losing so many opportunities to cultivate myself.
The Mirror I Met at Work
I am a deputy school principal and my work performance has been excellent. I felt that I had gained the capabilities to be a boss. For many years, I have worked with several supervisors, always thinking that their abilities were mediocre, and that they were not qualified to be my supervisor. Jealousy made me see myself as better than them. I was very proud and competitive. I always commented on their opinions and forced them to adopt my suggestions. Only then did I feel satisfied.
With my current chief executive, his comprehension skills are good, but he is very competitive. He also likes to criticize and look down upon others. I have worked with him for a dozen years, all the while competing with each other. And sometimes, we even enjoyed playing tricks behind each other’s backs.
I did not treat my time with him as Master’s careful arrangement for me to improve my character (or xinxing), nor did I use it as an opportunity to reflect and cultivate myself.
Not until recently did I begin to realize the true reason: Master transferred me to work with him. He reflected each of my notions and attachments. It was exactly the same as my false, postnatal notion-filled shadow self. As a practitioner, I must remove my attachments while guarding against my shadow self.
The Mirrors In My Family
I have two brothers, and we all do well with our careers. We love to compete and chat with each other about our own businesses. My father is in his 70s, and he is also a very capable person. He was the village official for many years and had each of us children hired as government officials.
He was very proud and always looked down upon others with a sarcastic tone. When he talked with people, he would not look anyone in the eyes. Whenever I was home, I used to try to convince him that my opinions were correct; as a consequence, both he and I were unhappy.
Recently, I figured out that Master arranged for my father to be my mirror, with the purpose of reflecting my own pride and prejudices. In addition, my family members’ showing off and admiration of power were also my own attachments. I realized my shortcomings and immediately asked Master for help. I then sent righteous thoughts to remove these notions.
Now people comment that my father is much more polite and friendly. When I go home to talk to him, he listens to me, and we no longer argue with each other.
The Mirrors In Society
Besides our work and family settings, society (at large) provides us with opportunities to cultivate ourselves at any time. Another person’s behavior may also reflect our notions and allow us to cultivate them away and improve ourselves. So we always have to look within and cleanse ourselves as we walk on the divine path.
Category: Improving Oneself
