(Minghui.org) I've lately begun to ask myself if I’ve fulfilled my responsibilities as a Falun Dafa practitioner, and if I’ve let go of my human attachments. The universe is about to undergo fundamental changes, and it’s time for people to make a choice. This also applies to us practitioners who have to decide which path to take.
Everything we experience is arranged to help us get out of our humanness. Every problem we face presents us with a choice. Are we still acting like ordinary people or are we practitioners? From which perspective are we cultivating from, thinking and behaving?
Master said:
“There’s over four thousand people here, but as for how many can successfully complete cultivation or how many will attain the Dao in the future, I’m not optimistic. It all depends on how you cultivate yourselves.” (“Explaining the Fa for Falun Dafa Assistants in Changchun,” Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)
“In the end how many people will be able to come through, and how many people will truly be able to meet the standard for a Dafa disciple’s consummation? Sometimes I’m really not optimistic. The Fa-rectification is bound to succeed; that’s certain. And for sure there will be Dafa disciples achieving consummation. But how many? I’m really not that optimistic at the moment.” (Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference)
During a recent xinxing test, Master pointed out to me the standards a practitioner has to reach and what our missions are.
Just before the new year in 2020, a practitioner said that I didn’t cultivate myself and that I had a strong attachment to doing things. They also pointed out that I had a strong Party culture mindset and I put myself above other practitioners. This shook me and my heart was truly moved.
These issues had been discussed in my experience sharing articles for years, and I had paid attention to cultivating myself regarding them all these years. Moreover, I was confident that I had cultivated diligently. But according to the other practitioners, my situation was just the opposite.
Whenever anything happens, I always look within. But this time I was unwilling to examine myself. I sincerely felt that I had been cultivating well and always shared my experiences with the other practitioners.
But on second thought, I realized that the old forces utilized the specter of Communism to persecute the practitioners in our Fa study group. We had separations between us. Many practitioners were arrested and persecuted and some went through manifestations of serious karma elimination. We had practiced together for more than twelve years. Why was our group of practitioners still in such a state? We had to become clearheaded!
As I continued looking outward, my thoughts became wild. I had thoughts of jealousy, resentment, deviated notions, thought karma and Party culture. I couldn’t sleep that night. The following morning when I looked in the mirror I looked very ugly. It was truly as Master said, “the appearance stems from the mind.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
I immediately sent forth righteous thoughts. I’m a Dafa disciple in the Fa-rectification period. I came to assimilate to the Fa, validate the Fa and help Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings. I would not accept the old forces’ arrangements. I reminded myself that the thoughts I had were not from my main consciousness and were forced upon me by the old forces. I did not accept them.
Immediately these substances became weak. I watched over my own thoughts and dispelled the thoughts that were not in line with the Fa. I kept reinforcing my righteous thoughts. Soon my mind became clear. I could feel a layer of black substances being cleared out. I realized that everything happened for a reason and was a good thing. I was extremely thankful to those practitioners who pointed out my attachments. Master was indeed watching over me and helping me.
I began reading Master’s lectures. The first one was “What Is a Dafa Disciple”. I gained new insights after I studied it again. I could feel that Master was with me. Master enlightened me as to what a Dafa disciple was, the standards Dafa disciples have to reach and what our missions are. Master was awakening the nature of me as a Dafa disciple.
I realized what the following paragraph really meant. Master said:
“It’s only this question, of your managing to fulfill this mission, that counts as critical. Your own completion is not the goal. You already established that mighty virtue in the past, and it is on those grounds that you are worthy of being a Dafa disciple.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
Master let me understand that the difference between Dafa disciples and the cultivators of the past was that our cultivation basis was different. Someone following another cultivation way only seeks to consummate while our basis is to save other people and was to safeguard Dafa.
When I understood this, my compassion was awakened and I broke out of my human shell. I did the three things more effectively and focused on saving sentient beings.
After I read “Touring North America to Teach the Fa”, I understood that there were two paths ahead of us. One was the path arranged by the old forces which was selfish and destructive. The other path was arranged by Master for us to safeguard the Fa; we came here for other people and we have a mission. I sent forth righteous thoughts at that moment: I am a Dafa disciple; I will only walk the path that Master has arranged and deny any arrangement by the old forces. Instantly I felt that the path arranged by the old forces collapsed.
When we cultivate in the Fa-rectification period, we must maintain righteous thoughts during every layer of our cultivation. We have to completely deny the old forces’ arrangements. If we cultivate ourselves according to the criteria for a Dafa disciple then we will truly deny the old forces’ arrangements. We will walk on the path arranged by Master, not be interfered with, not be persecuted and we can save more sentient beings. If we don’t cultivate ourselves, we are walking on the path arranged by the old forces. That path is selfish and we may be under the old forces’ control. When a problem comes up, we must rectify it immediately because we are Dafa disciples with missions and we are beings for others.
If we experience sickness karma, are interfered with or persecuted, we must review our cultivation journey from the very beginning. We need to examine our motive for cultivation. We need to make sure that our goal is to save sentient beings from the bottom of our hearts and safeguard Dafa. If our purpose is selfish or for personal consummation then we may have loopholes that can be taken advantage of by the old forces.
The gods in other dimensions are watching everyone. Master has given us this great gift: the opportunity to practice Falun Dafa and save people. We have the choice to become genuine Dafa disciples, cultivate ourselves and fulfill our missions.
Category: Improving Oneself
