In the Washington DC Conference, Master pointed out the origin of human beings, especially the origin of the Mainland Chinese. Later in the Minghui Editorial, it is once again made clear to us that,
"The present state of today's humankind is formed by countless tragic but magnificent historic stories that are little known to humankind.
In an era a long time ago, in the immense colossal firmament, the lords and kings of cosmic systems at different levels -- out of compassion for sentient beings and in order to attain the Fa at this moment in time when the Fa rectifies the cosmos and thereby save the beings that they represent -- fully experienced the hardships of history and endured disgrace and dishonor by coming down to the human world. Upon entering the three realms they became lost in the mortal world, and exhaustively suffered the mistreatment of low-level beings in the three realms, and in order to survive, they also created innumerable quantities of karma. Many were high lords, divine and holy Fa kings that confronted danger in the three realms and the human world, hoping to attain the Fa. Finally in this lifetime, they reincarnated in the eastern land of China at a time when Dafa is being widely spread. Their lives and futures directly affect many cosmic systems and the future of those sentient beings in the universe."
A Toronto practitioner cried when we read this article. I knew that it was not a cry of sentiment, but of compassion, the compassion that Falun Dafa disciples have obtained through cultivation practice in the Fa rectification. She truly understands that all of the lords and kings have born great suffering for the beings that they represent in coming down to earth to obtain the Fa. However they are deceived and polluted by the evils and many of them face the danger of destruction of mind and soul. It is this practitioner who spends hours to call China after work everyday. Her financial situation is not good, but one time she discovered that only over one dollar was deducted from the phone card though she had made several dozens of long-distance calls to China. As Master said in Touring North America to Teach the Fa, "When you conduct yourselves righteously Master can do anything for you." When I heard this story, I could see that her heart is righteous.
Although we often made mistakes, our Toronto study group has nurtured an environment good for finding and correcting these problems. After we realized an omission with regard to the German trip, over eighty practitioners reached the Chinese Consulate that night and sent forth righteous thoughts for six straight hours. Several practitioners just returning from Germany came directly from the airport to join us and share their touching stories. Later, we sent 60 hours of righteous thoughts in the rain and snow.
I often argue with practitioners, sometimes even non-stop. When others point out this problem to me, I am unconvinced, feeling that I am protecting the Fa. Despite many practitioners mentioning my shortcomings, I secretly thought,"Sometimes only a few know the truth."
July last year on the way to attend the Washington DC Conference, several of us took two cars, each with a big "SOS" sign on the top. We drove three days visiting local newspapers, receiving TV interviews and clarifying the truth along the way. We constantly held discussions during the breaks and reflected on how we could do better to clarify the truth to the Mainland Chinese. Our exchanges were harmonious. At the DC Conference, Master told us clearly the origin of Chinese people and that the beings there are more worthy of being saved.
After listening to Master's teaching, I felt urgency and anxiety. When I came back to Toronto, I raised this issue on many occasions but seldom got any response. I began to complain. Though I myself hadn't made any concrete improvement, I always thought others' states were not right. With this mindset, compounded by other human mentalities, I often argued with other practitioners.
Some practitioners concerned for me spoke to me in tears, "Gongshi, it has been a long time. Why can you not get rid of this shortcoming?" I reacted immediately: "I am worried about you, too. Why can't you improve yourself" Other practitioners told me, "We didn't mean that what you said was totally wrong, but why do you always complain?" I said, "If you don't think what I said was wrong, then don't criticize my attitude. That should be left for me to cultivate." In this manner, I messed up many precious sharing opportunities that practitioners spared from their tight schedule. I even felt wronged. Luckily, Toronto practitioners have formed a very healthy cultivation environment through various forms of group studies. Every week we have a large-scale 150 to 180 people group study as well as 30 to 40 persons group studies. This is a cultivation form that Master leaves to us and is an important factor that can help us to improve. Therefore, we all voluntarily maintain the purity of this environment.
One time in a small group study, the practitioner who was worried for me gently said to me with smile, "May I read an article written by a Russian practitioner?" I heard every word of the article clearly, but was still not convinced. "I simply worked hard to push people to clarify the truth to Mainland Chinese. How come I become a demon?" However I could not get angry in face of the peacefulness and the pure heart of the practitioner who only thinks of others. I smiled with him. During that period of time, practitioners often discussed how to break through the arrangements by the old forces. When I included myself, I had these enlightenments:
Master told us in the Lecture to the US West Conference: "According to their thinking, the things that are happening and unfolding today were all arranged by them. Nothing in the process has been coincidental, ..."
Master also told us in the Fa-Lecture at at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.,
"Even each Dafa disciple's every move, every action, every word, and even the questions you ponder, none of it is that simple. In the future you'll see that everything was very carefully arranged. But it's not me who arranged this, it's the old forces who did."
I understand that, though the old forces intend to arrange and control everything, there is at least one thing that they cannot arrange, that is the Fa our Master teaches us. Accordingly, if we break through the human understanding of the Fa through constant study of the Fa, if we truly understand the Fa from the Fa, isn't this itself breaking through the arrangement of the old forces? What Master teaches us is the Fa and there are numerous layers of profound inner meanings behind the Fa. If we constantly argue with each other and cannot reach agreement in the name of protecting the Fa, isn't that going in a wrong direction? "The Fa is harmonious." Is arguing with human attachments a demonstration of the harmony? When we hold on to our understandings of yesterday and try to protect the Fa from a mindset that is not in the Fa, what we protect in the end would be nothing but our own thoughts.
Master said,
"Their apparent purpose was to allow our Fa to establish its mighty virtue, and to have the Fa be truly respected by beings throughout the entire cosmos for its mighty virtue. On the surface, this was the purpose of their arranging all this. But this has instead become an obstacle for Fa-rectification..." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference" In: Guiding the Voyage).
We are doing our best to protect and validate the Fa. As Dafa disciples in the Fa rectification, we must be fundamentally different from the old forces. If we are stubborn and disguise our attachments in the name of "protecting the Fa," aren't we indeed similar to the old forces that "have tried their best?"
Master says,
"But the layers upon layers of beings have become impure, and even the last being has become impure. When they're helping me, at the same time they hide their selfish intention of protecting themselves. They all want to change others but not themselves--no one wants to change himself--and they even try to preserve as much as possible the things they're attached to and won't let go of." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)
From these, I understand the deeper meaning of "looking inward" that Master has constantly taught us. I have seen the tragedy of those deviated beings. They are so bitterly opposed to changing themselves that, even today when the great Fa has been spread far and wide, they still refuse to change. This deviation will mislead them; they will totally lose the opportunity to completely renew themselves and thus they will face a most terrible end.
We were once beings of the old cosmos and we have deviated. However, the immense benevolence of our Master offers us this most precious opportunity. We have come to understand what the deviations are and we have come to understand the principle of looking inward in all situations. We are truly willing to change ourselves.
Master says, "... cultivation is one's own business, while the evolution of cultivation energy is done by one's master. You only have such a wish or thought, and it is your master who has actually done the job" (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Two).
I realize we have been given so much during Fa rectification. What our Master wants from us is nothing but this heart for cultivation.
Continuously studying the Fa, I found a lot of my shortcomings in comparison with other practitioners. Because of my own human mentality, our petition to suffocate evils in front of the Chinese consulate got a litter harder than before. However, none of our practitioners complained to me. Together with them, I stood in front of the fence erected in the so-called legal way, appealing peacefully and sending righteous thoughts 24-hours a day, bearing rain and dust. The blatant evil serves as a foil to the unyielding petition of Falun Dafa practitioners. Our steady righteousness attracted many people; some brought us hot coffee, and others voiced their support. It is the evil itself that drops stones on its own toes.
Practitioners often say: "It doesn't matter if we have a different understanding [when treating something]." It is true that we can have different understanding, but in the face of different understanding and opinions, we should let go of the bit of arguing. We shouldn't mix human mentality with Fa rectification; Dafa will manifest what we ought to do; we should not separate ourselves into "yours" and "ours," as the mighty Fa provides everything.
During the 2000 holiday season, we participated in Christmas Parades in 10 towns and cities. It was an excellent opportunity to exhibit the character of Falun Dafa Disciples, and to tell people the truth about Falun Gong. Once we were in a series of parades in 3 cities in row. Over 100 practitioners drove and walked the whole day with no rest and no time for a regular meal. During the parade, when someone would find a nice time, our practitioners would sit on the road to demonstrate the "Strengthening and Tranquil Meditation" for the thousands of spectators. With all the noise and excitement in the background, the harmony and peacefulness of our exercise amazed the onlookers. Seeing this touching scene, one young practitioner not used to practicing in public sighed, "It proves right to come out."
For this series of parades, our practitioners quickly printed 60 thousand [Falun Dafa] newspapers in full color. The newspaper had a bright red title "Wonderful Futures." Members of the editing team worked over 36 hours without sleep. It was my responsibility to go over the draft. Due to my oversight, there was an extra character in one key word. Time was very tight; the parade was going to start. We could not send out those newspapers with such errors. Our practitioners came up with the idea to correct the typo by covering it with some sticky paper. The parade had started; and our practitioners continued working on fixing the newspapers. Standing or squatting against the chilly wind, over a hundred practitioners showed no complaints and were full of joy. My heart was like boat turning in a storm. I might have felt a little better if any of our practitioners had come to criticize me. Nevertheless, this is the wonder of our practitioners; how noble they are!
As Dafa Disciples during the Fa rectification period, we now know that we come from different celestial bodies, and from different realms of Fa. We are taking on the historical responsibility to offer salvation to sentient beings. We do not have any personal pride or resentment. Nevertheless, we have the sacred and predestined relationship endowed by our Teacher with Mighty Benevolence, to be Falun Dafa Disciples, unprecedented throughout the ages in the universe!
A while ago when I clarified the truth to Mainland China's people over the Internet, a screen name "God, save me" popped up on the screen. I immediately clicked on his name and typed, "Let me tell you how god will save you." I then told him the story of "lion's eyes turning red." It's those sentient beings in the other dimensions waiting for us [to save them]. No shirking or lingering, as true practitioners, we ought to step out of humanness, from the shadow of the old forces' arrangement, to exhibit the benevolence that Falun Dafa has given us, beyond any boundaries, to save sentient beings, and to create the most brilliant future!
Category: Improving Oneself
