Click on the below-mentioned, numbered subjects:
- Welcome
- What’s Happening?
- Thoughts About a Practitioner's Article, "Master Endures Practitioners' Suffering"
- The Harm of the Comparative Mentality
- Thoughts about Illusions of Sickness Karma
- Looking Inward to Find Attachments Is Actually Not Difficult
- Thoughts about Notions
- A Discussion on Responsibility
- 1. Welcome
Welcome to the April 2015 Falun Dafa India Newsletter.
In this issue, we have a compilation of experience-sharing Articles gleaned from Clearwisdom that always shine through because of their insights and fine quality of sharing. It is important to read the Clearwisdom, Pureinsight and other Dafa sites.
We make an effort to select Articles from the Archives which people don’t go back to and are relevant even today. Contributions are welcome from practitioners.
Heshi! Hope, you like the selection of Articles and gain some new insights!
Note: "All the contents in this newsletter - except for quotations and excerpts of writings of the founder Mr. Li Hongzhi - are only ideas and experiences of practitioners and do not represent Falun Dafa in itself."
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- 2. What’s Happening?
Practitioners from Jamshedpur and Nagpur participated in the 15 day celebrations of the Founders Day
of the Steel city. Practitioners distributed thousands of informational material and taught the exercises to many. The Senior Executives of TISCO requested for a workshop and presentation in the future.
Mumbai practitioners continue to be there at 'Equal Streets' every Sunday to do the follow up on exercises with those who have been coming on Sundays and to teach others. There have been inquiries to go to Housing Societies to teach large groups. Also since the school vacation will be starting soon, many parents want their children to learn the exercises.
Practitioners from Pune continue to participate at 'Happy Streets' every Sunday where they distribute fliers, demonstrate and teach exercises.
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- 3. Thoughts About a Practitioner's Article, "Master Endures Practitioners' Suffering"
By a practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
In a practitioner's article, "Master
Endures Practitioners' Suffering," the author writes, "The
prison inmates were ordered to persecute me... One time, some of the inmates
tied my hands behind my back and pierced each of my fingers with steel needles.
At first, they stabbed one finger at a time. When I did not cry out in pain they
inserted two needles into each finger and left the needles there. However, I did
not feel any pain, so I still did not react to the torture... The inmates became
angry and thought of other ways to persecute me. They used an electric baton to
shock my ears, which caused them to bleed. However, no matter what means they
used to torture me, I did not feel any pain. I knew that Master had endured all
the pain for me."
Sharing my realization about the article with Practitioner A had him
tearfully comment, "Master has endured too much for us." Hearing this
made a thought cross my mind, "Master should not endure the suffering of
the brutal torture. The evildoers should take the suffering that they imposed
upon me." We then shared thoughts based on example of using righteous
thoughts to stop the evildoers. Practitioner A finally said, "The evildoers
should take all the suffering of the persecution they caused onto themselves.
Master should not take any of the suffering!" I said, "This will
frighten the evildoers."
Practitioner A added, "When sending righteous thoughts, I sometimes
return all the attachments and bad things the old forces arranged for to
persecute me back to them. I don't acknowledge anything not belonging to the
Fa, and I don't want these things forced on me." Practitioner A
related the story of the police beating Practitioner B in our area. Practitioner
B directed his thoughts to have the beater experience the suffering. The
policeman's arm swelled and he was in such pain he had to stop the beating.
Practitioner A later said that he wished all practitioners could realize that
the evildoers could be made take the consequences of what they put us through.
In conclusion, the author stated that "Just as Master said in
"Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005" when he answered a
practitioner's question:
"Master can take on the suffering for you, and I can even bear the
pain in your place, but can you position your mind in a righteous way when
under such cruel and harsh pressure? Are you treating yourself as a god or as
a human being? Do you have ample righteous thoughts? All of these things
depend on you, on you yourselves."
Even if we didn't realize we should have the evildoers take the consequences
for their persecutory acts, and knowing Master's enormous endurance for us, we
should have raised our level of comprehension about the principle of the Fa.
However, in this article, the author only expressed his gratitude to Master. The
practitioner's comprehension did not go above a certain level. The author quoted
Master's words in the lecture, cited above, but failed to rationally comprehend
the inner meaning of Master's words in that paragraph.
Master endures enormously for Dafa disciples' ascent in levels. This doesn't
mean that we can unreasonably shift our pain onto Master, as this would be
taking advantage of the Fa. Master hopes for us to raise our levels through
dealing effectively with experiences and trials.
Master wants to witness His disciples manifesting the magnificence and
dignity of the Fa, to stop the persecution without any losses, and to ascend
based on the principles of the Fa during this period of Fa-rectification.
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- 4. The Harm of the Comparative Mentality
By a Falun Dafa practitioner from China
(Minghui.org)
I have found that one particular type of human attachment is relatively common among our fellow practitioners—the comparative mentality. It manifests in practitioners who often measure themselves against other practitioners, or compare one practitioner's cultivation state to the cultivation states of other local practitioners. Many take the results of the comparisons very seriously. When the results of the comparison suggest that some are not as good as others, practitioners will sometimes develop jealousy. The less serious case is that practitioners become not willing to cooperate with others while doing Fa-validating work; the more serious is that they sometimes undermine a project secretly. An even more serious case is that they form a separate group and break up the one body of practitioners. Sometimes practitioners may develop a feeling of inferiority and become frustrated, worried, or lacking in confidence. Some may develop impatience. Some may feel that they are behind and become eager to catch up. This can lead to practitioners becoming very extreme in doing Dafa work, seeking after the quantity of doing things, or using this quantity as the criterion for cultivation. Because of this loophole, these practitioners can become easy targets for persecution by the evil. When practitioners feel that they are better than others, the attachment to zealotry may surface. They may feel quite pleased with themselves. Sometimes they may develop complacency in thinking that they have cultivated well and become satisfied with their cultivation state. They may then start slacking and no longer take the initiative to continuously improve themselves. This can also be the case where practitioners are easily moved by the attachment to comfort and want to relax. Sometimes they can become very opinionated and feel that they are better than others, and that they are remarkable. Such practitioners may feel higher than other practitioners, which results in them becoming complacent, supercilious, and maybe eventually to disrespecting Master and plundering the Fa. When comparing the majority of local practitioners to another particular practitioner, if one thinks that this particular practitioner is doing a better job than the rest, one could easily start to idolize him. Eventually, one may view this particular practitioner as a model and follow him as an example, instead of measuring oneself against the Fa. This can result in the idolized practitioner becoming arrogant, and the evil can thus take advantage of this loophole and arrest this practitioner. On the other side, if one thinks that this practitioner is not doing as well as others, then one may have the tendency to focus on this particular practitioner's shortcomings and what he is lacking. The longer one looks at this practitioner, the more he or she becomes unhappy with this practitioner. If this tendency is developed further, one may come to think that this practitioner does not seem like a real practitioner and will look down on him or her. Eventually, one may even ignore and reject this practitioner. If further developed, one may treat this practitioner as a demon that interferes with Dafa practitioners' cultivation practice and try to kick him or her out of the group. The reason why practitioners can be moved by the comparative mentality is due to being unclear on the principles of Fa. Master said, “Study the Fa and gain the Fa, Focus on how you study and cultivate, Let each and every thing be measured against the Fa. Only then, with that, is it actually cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation” from Hong Yin) Master also told us, “There are also such people among veteran disciples. And a most outstanding manifestation is that they always compare themselves with humans and with their own past, but fail to examine themselves with the requirements of the Fa at different levels.” (“A Dialogue with Time” from Essentials for Further Advancement) My personal understanding is that, as practitioners, we should measure ourselves against the requirements of the Fa instead of comparing ourselves to one particular person. Master telling us to “Focus on how you study and cultivate,” (“Solid Cultivation” from Hong Yin) is to tell us to look inward to examine ourselves and get rid of our own human attachments so that we can truly cultivate and strive forward in the Fa, regardless of what we see in others. If every one of us practitioners can learn to use the Fa as the sole criterion for our actions, then we may soon realize that in the boundless Dafa, every being is very small and insignificant. We could then become compassionate and rational, harmonize each other, focus our effort in doing the three things solidly, and save more sentient beings.
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- 5. Thoughts about Illusions of Sickness Karma
By a Dafa Disciple in Mainland China
(Minghui.org)
Recently many practitioners from our local area have experienced “sickness karma.” Different understandings and approaches have emerged from this situation. Some people have developed additional human attachments after not being able to clear the interference over a long period of time. I hope that this article can help to reach a clearer understanding of this issue.
Actually, if “sickness karma” occurs to a group of practitioners in a certain location, it means that the local practitioners have not met the standards of the Fa on this issue. In other words, practitioners as a one body do not have a clear understanding of this issue. Therefore, the problem serves as a reminder and a “stick warning.” If we can elevate our understanding, we can turn a bad thing into something good.
I think there are three different groups of people that need to be taken into consideration when we look at this situation. They include the individual practitioner with “sickness karma,” the family members of the practitioners with the sickness karma that are themselves practitioners, and other fellow practitioners. There are different requirements and approaches for different situations in cultivation. However, one common thread is to unconditional look inward. I will illustrate my understandings by talking about the three groups of people I just mentioned.
1. Practitioners Should Look Inward
a. Steadfast Righteousness
How do we react when fellow practitioners experience “sickness karma?” What is our first thought? Some people may think: “What is the loophole this time?” Is this thinking wrong? There must be some omissions that evil has taken advantage of for this sickness karma to take hold. However, how can something be that absolute? For example, suppose someone falls into a pool of deep water. Our first priority is to quickly get him out of the water, not to understand why he fell in.
b. Rectify Our Understanding
Practitioners need to rectify their own understandings and thoughts in order to send forth strong righteous thoughts and completely negate the evil persecution inflicted on fellow practitioners.
This opinion has been popular in my area for a while. When fellow practitioners experience interference, whoever has heard about it or seen it needs to look inward. Once all other practitioners have looked inward, the issue should be resolved. The interference should disappear. For example, those who have enlightened on an evil path will rectify themselves. Those who have been abducted will be able to break out of the prison. Those experiencing interference from “sickness karma” will be relieved of their symptoms. But for the person experiencing the interference, it doesn't seem to matter [as much what other practitioners do] if they themselves look inward. Also, people call it “looking outward” when someone talks about problems they have seen in others.
Looking inward is Master's Fa and Master's requirement to cultivators. Looking within should be done by all practitioners. When we see fellow practitioners having problems, we should look inward and rectify ourselves. The practitioner experiencing the problem should look inward even more so. Can there be resolution for the practitioner who is being interfered with, when only others look inward and elevate? How can we cultivate for others?
When disciples asked how to help fellow practitioners in tribulation, Master said:
“So as for how you can help the person, what you can do is, first off, to help him understand things from the Fa and improve. And another thing is to have all of you send righteous thoughts together, and do more of what a Dafa disciple should do to save sentient beings. All these things can help the person.” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
Sending forth righteous thoughts alone doesn't solve the issue fundamentally.
Master said: “If he himself isn't rational, whatever we do amounts to nothing. Sending righteous thoughts can eliminate what's outside him but not what's inside his mind. Whatever a person wants to do comes from a single thought of his--it's he who decides if he wants something or not. When this situation occurs, I think there has to be a knot in his mind that stems from attachments. If he's really not able to do it, you can go and help him. There's no problem with doing that. Try to help him understand things on the basis of the Fa-truths and by studying the Fa more.”(“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
We should send forth righteous thoughts and look inward to purify ourselves when helping another person. We should also study the Fa with those who are experiencing the tribulation and share with one another to elevate together. This is the fundamental solution.
There is the opinion that other practitioners cannot talk about the shortcomings of practitioners who are experiencing a tribulation. Once the tribulation is talked about, it's similar to adding a bad substance into the practitioners' field and worsening their tribulation. The situation and the manner in which someone speaks, also needs to be taken into consideration. It is inappropriate to gossip about practitioners' problems behind their back. This is bad behavior even for ordinary people. When pointing out shortcomings in another person, we need to watch our tone of voice and our state of mind.
Master has taught us: “Master will definitely have those come out and be affected in conflicts, and will for sure have everyone see that, and the goal will be to have them get rid of those. When you see one, you need to point it out to them. If you don't point it out that is because you have an attachment of fearing to offend others.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York”)
Master has also said: “But let me give you an example: When Master sees the attachments of a person, he purposely exposes them to you and lets you see them so that you can point them out to that person. Will you then tell him about them? Since every one of you is cultivating Zhen-Shan-Ren, you should be a good person in every circumstance. If you see his shortcomings and see when he can't move upward, why not point them out to him kindly?” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Canada”)
When we are aware of a fellow practitioner's problems and kindly point it out, we are fulfilling a requirement of the Fa while cultivating ourselves. But we shouldn't take doing this to the extreme. We cannot rely on others to point out our problems for us. Neither should we refuse to look inward amidst conflicts.
Master has given us clear instructions: “I am not saying that you can't point out other people's problems. What I am saying is that the overall cultivation form of Dafa disciples has to be one where each person looks within! (Applause) The overall environment of Dafa disciples must not be one where people improve by criticizing and blaming each other! (Applause) So as your master, I can only encourage you to look within, and to, when problems arise, try to find your own shortcomings. If everyone could do this, that would be the best. When a person can't recognize an issue, of course it's not wrong for him to point it out. But when you point something out, it must be done with kind intentions. You are cultivating compassion, so you must have kind intentions. So you need to be mindful of both of these things and be able to do both. Then, I think, you will be able to resolve a lot of problems with ease.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
Oftentimes, fellow practitioners who are experiencing “sickness karma” do not take criticisms well. This is partly due to their weakened physical condition. Therefore, when we remind them of certain problems, we should act according to Master's Fa: “While working, your tone of voice, your kindheartedness, and your reasoning can change a person’s heart, whereas commands never could!” (“Clearheadedness” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
We should use positive words and be encouraging and hopeful. I think this is the power of kindness.
When helping others, we should also pay close attention to our zealotry, pursuit and impatience. Our local practitioners once added the thought of 'demanding the practitioner's immediate recovery' when sending forth righteous thoughts. I personally think that this demand was a manifestation of pursuit and impatience.
Master has said: “No matter what happens, nobody should be affected inside. Each student should think only of giving help as a Dafa disciple as he's able, and there is nothing to get worked up about. Even if you can't help that person you should still face this issue with righteous thoughts. Continue to do whatever you are supposed to. Don't become attached to it by looking at it in a human way, don't make these problems worse in your minds, look very righteously at how it relates to everything else and don't think of it as being very important, and be very calm.” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
When fellow practitioners display a good cultivation state, we should not become zealous. When their cultivation state is not so good, we should not be impatient. We shouldn't be affected by the upgrading or downgrading of a practitioners' superficial cultivation state. We must simply focus on what we should do, look inward, rectify ourselves, and cultivate ourselves well in the process. In this way, we are truly helping fellow practitioners.
2. Looking Inward for Family Members
Practitioners who are part of the same family have a huge responsibility to one another. They are in a key position to influence one another.
a. “Saving Face”
Some practitioners still worry that if others see them having problems over a long period time during cultivation, they will become a 'laughing stock'? Therefore, whenever the “sickness karma” issue occurs in a family, family members don't want to tell anyone. They simply send righteous thoughts and look inward at home. Normally, looking within and sending righteous thoughts advance our cultivation and are part of what we must do to uplift ourselves. However, when we look inward with a strong attachment to “saving face,” it is in fact, covering up our attachments.
b. Dependence
Fellow practitioners' righteous thoughts are no doubt a big help for those experiencing a tribulation. However, family member of practitioners should be careful not to become dependent on the help of other practitioners by developing the attachment of dependence. When other practitioners come to send righteous thoughts, family members express their happiness. When they cannot make it, family members become desperate, hopeless, or even resentful.
We should be aware that every disciple has to do the three things well. We must harmonize our family and social environment because Dafa cultivation takes place in ordinary human society. Every one is very busy and has a lot of responsibilities. It is quite normal for someone to be unavailable. Whether practitioners are available to send forth righteous thoughts for another or not, as family members and cultivators, we should do well with what we should do.
c. Let Go of Emotions
When our family members experience “sickness karma,” it's very hard for practitioners to stay unaffected. Once a practitioner is affected, they will become emotional and take on the human perspective. Always working to stay clear of sentimentality is precisely the process a cultivator needs to go through during cultivation.
Master has given us tips: “As cultivators, you should all be very clear on this, and you can't be mired in the kind of concept ordinary people have of being related to someone. Regard him as a sentient being and save him as you would any other sentient being. Then when you talk with him, the result will be different--guaranteed. Don't first think of him as family. When you instead talk to him as though he is someone to be saved, it will be different. In reality, the knowing side of his being is aware that, 'You and I are family in this life, but in my next life I will be in someone else's family.' The core of his being knows this. When you truly have righteous thoughts as you save him, his true thoughts will be able to tell, and he won't be mired in ordinary people's feelings anymore.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
I think that helping fellow practitioners with a “sickness karma” tribulation and clarifying the truth to relatives are similar because it helps us focus on our attachments to sentimentality. We must let go of ordinary people's emotions. Otherwise, we won't be able to truly help our fellow practitioners.
3. Looking Inward while Amidst Tribulation
a. Clear Understanding
Of course, we must repay our debts. However, when the “sickness karma” effects a practitioner to the point that they are unable to carry out the three things, we must realize without doubt that this is the old evil forces at work. It is absolutely not “eliminating karma.” Nor is it Master's arrangements. However, this does not apply to new practitioners.
The practitioner with the tribulation should also realize that they must have a deep-seated attachment, otherwise the evil would have nothing to latch onto to carry out the persecution. One must look inward and find one's fundamental attachment. Steadfastly follow Master with no conditions.
Master has told us: “Why don't you stop and think about it: Why is someone interfering with you? Why is it able to interfere with you? Is it because you have an attachment, or because you have something you can't let go of? Why don't you look at yourself? The true reason lies with you yourself, and that's the only reason it can exploit your gap!” and “When problems arise, when something doesn't feel right, you have to look at yourself! Look at where you were wrong and allowed the evil to exploit your gaps. If you were wrong you should recognize it and do better.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference”)
Another issue worth mentioning is looking inward can help practitioners avoid the evil's persecution. However, the purpose of looking inward is not to avoid the evil's persecution. The purpose of looking inward is to rectify ourselves in the Fa. Doing the three things well is the normal cultivation state of a Fa-rectification Dafa Disciple.
b. Breaking through with Righteous Thoughts
The righteous thoughts of a practitioner involved in a tribulation are very important when breaking through the evil's persecution.
Master has told us: “The other goal applies to that person himself: how well has the person who exhibits the sickness karma cultivated? Is he able to make it through with strong righteous thoughts while in such a state? Does he truly treat himself as a god and pay no attention to any of it whatsoever?” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)“Fa-rectification is utterly solemn. When you first took up cultivation Master at that time did for you everything that should have been done. Now it's up to you to battle through tests with righteous thoughts. Master can help you when your righteous thoughts are sufficient.” “But no matter how clearly Fa principles are spelled out, it won't make cultivation any less difficult, and [the requirements] might even become stricter. For example, one manifestation is that it's not good enough if someone merely comes to realize something: He must be righteous in both thought and action.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
I think righteous thoughts should not just be in our understandings, but also completely negate the old evil forces' arrangements in our actions. The person should maintain their xinxing well, pay attention to the quality of Fa study, do the exercises, and send forth righteous thoughts.
Please allow me to conclude this article with Master's words: “But there is a point I want to make: No matter what, have righteous thoughts and act righteously, and there will be no test that you cannot pass.” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
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- 6. Looking Inward to Find Attachments Is Actually Not Difficult
By a practitioner from China
(PureInsight.org)
During this period of time, I have been faced with unprecedented pressure. The issues that need to be solved are very complicated, and more detailed than anyone can imagine. While unceasingly studying Teacher's lectures, I have looked inward to find the fundamental attachments responsible for this incorrect state.
I worried upon seeing Dafa attacked and fellow practitioners persecuted. What hides behind this worry? If we consider it from a non-practitioner's perspective, it is a feeling of "responsibility." However, if we consider it from a practitioner's perspective, it is not enough to simply believe in Teacher and the Fa.
Why do I feel pain when I see practitioners being persecuted? Why do I care so much about how other people think of me and treat me? In fact, all the reasons are the same. They are for "sentiment" and the thoughts surrounding the problems are all based on sentiments. I ask myself why I have come down layer by layer from the universe to the Three Realms after enduring so many kinds of hardships. Is it due to having sentiment for the Three Realms? Isn't holding onto those sentiments interfering with my cultivation practice and wasting my cultivation time? Wasn't the Three Realms created to delude human beings? However, the Three Realms was not created to delude practitioners. Everything in the Three Realms is actually false, including the behaviors of all the practitioners whom I have seen among ordinary people. Actually the practitioners' cultivated side is a truth which is not in the Three Realms. Therefore, it doesn't matter if what I have seen conforms to my notions or not, since it is all false. Since it is false, then why do I bother to distinguish between them, whether they conform to my notions or not? It doesn't matter who treats me well or poorly--the people are all the same. Therefore, I should treat everyone with same gentle attitude. If I put all my mind and energy into the superficialities, that would dilute my will to assist Teacher in Fa-rectification.
I should consider problems from a god's perspective, at every moment instead of using human notions. When I run into difficulty, I should think about how a god or a Buddha would treat the issue, how Teacher wants me to treat the issue, and how to lessen Teacher's worries. Shouldn't cultivators cultivate themselves while being unselfish and considering others first? When I always regard my own situation as being so difficult, aren't I putting myself first? Isn't that selfish? When will I stop using that stubborn human mentality to understand Dafa? It is similar to a practice in which people are still unable to sit cross-legged, and even the Bodhisattvas laugh at the practitioners with their hands covering their mouths. Actually, looking inward to find one's own shortcomings is not very difficult. As long as you have determination, Teacher will remind you every time. The key is whether you are willing to give up human notions and whether you are willing to truly cultivate yourself. Teacher has silently shouldered so much for us. How can I repay Teacher? How can I lessen Teacher's worries about me? What result does Teacher hope to see? I understand that Teacher hopes his disciples practice cultivation diligently, and save more people. As Dafa practitioners, how can we forget our prehistoric vows?
After removing my human notions, I feel very rational and light. I am no longer disturbed and controlled by the factors of the human level, and I also no longer feel physically and mentally weighted down.
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- 7. Thoughts about Notions
By a practitioner from Heilongjiang Province
(Minghui.org)
Some time ago, I read an article "Lock in the
Heart," which gave me greater understanding of the Fa truths.
A great magician had learned some secret tricks that allowed him to open
locks regardless of how elaborate or complicated they were. And the surprising
thing was that it only took a very short time for him to open the lock and free
himself. He never failed! Several citizens from a small English town decided to
challenge him. They fashioned an iron cage and put a very complicated lock on
it. The magician tried for two hours and failed to open up this lock. Once
exhausted, he leaned on the door and it opened. Actually, the door was not
locked. His failure was deeply rooted in his subconscious. His focus had changed
from "wanting to escape" to "opening up the lock." His
notion told him that as long as there was a lock, it had been locked.
Throughout one's lifetime, one deals with things in a similar manner and
gradually forms many deeply-rooted notions. These notions not only may
manipulate the person at all times, but also make one reject the truth, even if
confronted with it. One sets up many obstacles throughout one's life.
In cultivation, many of one's so-called "correct" notions manifest.
But when one uses the Fa principles to judge things, one's notions are exposed.
Actually, though, some deeply-rooted notions are hard to identify before one
cultivates to a certain realm. For example, the notion that one should wear more
clothes in winter, otherwise one might catch a cold is deeply rooted in one's
mind. Another notion is that one can't drink hot and cold water at the same
time, otherwise it will trigger a stomachache. I was bitten by a dog some time
ago. Every time I saw a dog, the memory of being bitten by one would surface.
When this notion was strong, the dog would begin to bark wildly when it saw me.
My notion of fear brought about unrighteous factors. When something is stolen,
one will subconsciously cover one's personal belongings, such as purses and cell
phones, in public. Some practitioners who were arrested by police officers, when
they hear sound of police vehicles, they become nervous and alert. By and large,
all these are good examples of our indulging ourselves and how we reinforce our
existing human notions. Many notions may be good things for a non-cultivator.
For a cultivator, however, they might turn into obstacles.
In an article "Cultivation Reflection No. 5 -- Witnessing the Crime in
Secret Underground Criminal Punishment Rooms," it said that police officers
arrested practitioners and took them to a secret underground room especially
designed for torturing criminals. This practitioner did not wish to betray
fellow practitioners. He wanted to leave there in an upright manner, so he said
to the police officer, "I am a law-bidding citizen. I did not do anything
against the law. Practicing Falun Gong is my personal belief, I will not get
others involved." Later, evil police officers used cruel and inhuman
methods to make this practitioner talk.
As they tortured him, they yelled, "Do you know Ms. Jiang, Xu Yunfeng,
Liu Hulan? I am watching how you are not getting others involved!" On the
surface, it was the police officer proving the practitioner wrong. However, I
came to understand that this was the old forces in other dimensions taking
advantage of this practitioner's loophole. Think about it. His thought was,
"I will not involve others." Would a god think like that? No, he would
not. He wouldn't have this kind of thought to begin with. "I will not
affect others" is using humans thinking because it recognizes the
persecution.
When holding very strong righteous thoughts, the evil should not be able to
test nor persecute practitioners, let alone persecute other practitioners.
Therefore, the old forces should be denied their existence from the very
beginning. Evil forces were taking advantage of the practitioner's undiscovered
human notions to persecute him. Cultivation means that one gets rid of human
notions, detaches from humanness, uses divine thoughts to replace human notions,
uses Dafa's Fa truths as measurements or standards, and assimilates into Dafa,
so that one will not be constrained by worldly principles.
These are my personal understandings. Please point out anything
inappropriate.
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- 8. A Discussion on Responsibility
(PureInsight.org)
I had a small issue at work today with an anonymous
performance evaluation. The first feedback I got said, "Clumsy work, and
troublesome." My heart fell for a second. I felt something was not right.
The second feedback I got stated, "Very frank." I felt a bit happy
and thought, "I'm sure it was A who said a good word about me. I'll treat
A well in the future. I'm sure it was B who said bad things about me, I've had
it with her!" But then I became immediately wary and knew my thoughts
were wrong. Master's words immediately came to mind,
"For a cultivator, all the frustrations he comes across among everyday
people are trials, and all the compliments he receives are tests."
("A Cultivator is Naturally Part of It" from Essentials for
Further Advancement)
I realized this was a test for me, and I needed to raise my xinxing.
Recalling my first reaction, I looked inside and found many attachments: my
strong attachment to recognition, hearing compliments and not liking criticism.
My reaction showed my desire for recognition and reputation, and another
attachment--strong emotions. I treated people according to ordinary people's
mentality. I would treat a person well if he/she treats me well; otherwise I
would treat them so-so. I lacked a compassionate mindset. Nevertheless, reading
my colleagues' feedback created such a huge reaction in me. I really had a
severe setback in my cultivation.
Reflections over the next few days made me aware that my looking inward had
merely amounted to a superficial examination of my thoughts. I often tended to
say something when I saw others' good or bad actions and did not check myself
to see if I had the same issue when I saw others' shortcomings. Reading
Master's lectures also gave me the impression that this applied to others, but
not me. This put me outside of Dafa. Whenever I read the Fa, I should put myself
in the Fa and not exclude myself from the Fa; that is true cultivation.
In addition, sometimes my work was clumsy, like my coworker pointed out. I
had this problem since childhood, but now it was impacting my validation of Dafa.
Because I do things a bit carelessly, other practitioners don't really trust
me. Whenever they give me truth-clarifying materials, they always remind me to
pay attention to security. My attitude of doing things could impact the
relationship among practitioners. Who wants to be around a person who is not
focused? I would not want to go with an unconcerned person either to validate
the Fa. My manner created big pressure for practitioners.
Digging deeper, I found that my unconcerned way of doing things and
clumsiness is due to my attitude and mindset. I was not responsible to Dafa and
to sentient beings. I lacked taking responsibility and accountability in my
life.
I was born in China in the 1980's, when Communist culture prevailed, and had
no education pertaining to traditional culture. My parents have been through
many political movements in their lives and were afraid of such things. They
learned how to survive under Communist rule. This survival skill gave them a
self-centered mindset. They only taught me how to study well and obey the
leaders, but never taught me to be responsible, not even basic responsibilities.
If someone in China is truly responsible to the country and to others, this
could lead them to be confronted with a dangerous situation. That is why, since
childhood, my parents only taught me how to protect myself and never taught me
to be a truly responsible person.
Reading another practitioner's article on responsibility the other day made
me aware of this issue at the right time. Because I lacked responsibility, I
could take things for granted; when doing truth-clarifying work I lacked a pure
mindset, thinking as long as I was doing it, I was okay.
I have wasted much time after thousands of years of waiting, simply because I
was irresponsible. This led to many attachments and issues I had not been aware
of. After I thought this through, I sent righteous thoughts to clean up the bad
things inside me and determined to do well in the future.
This is my personal experience and understanding; please compassionately
point out any shortcomings.
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