(Clearwisdom.net) Many times in Fa-lectures, Teacher has mentioned the old forces. We know based on Fa principles that the old forces are elements impeding Fa-rectification and meant to be eliminated during Fa-rectification. Then, what are the old forces?
In the past I always thought of the old forces as evil beings that did damage to Dafa who had nothing to do with me. Later through studying Teacher's new articles and reading fellow practitioners' experiences and understanding on Clearwisdom, I realized that the old forces are all the elements in the universe that, in their lengthy existence, have become warped and impure after they deviated from the Fa. Our Dafa disciples' own attachments and selfishness are also manifestations of the old forces. The old forces exist not only externally but also within our bad thoughts and notions. Therefore, our conduct and xinxing that are the expression of and motivated by our selfishness and attachments are very similar to the bad behavior of the old forces during Fa-rectification.
Take myself as an example, previously I thought that I had a pretty good understanding of the Fa and had enlightened to many Fa principles. I was very perceptive and keenly aware of fellow practitioners' attachments. However, quite often I was not very tolerant of others' attachments and even treated the practitioner with disdain. Teacher has told us repeatedly that we should look inward whenever we come across problems, but I stubbornly thought that I had insight into others' attachments because I understood the Fa well. Later I realized that this was actually a manifestation of my limited capacity to tolerate others. Recently I was shocked to find out that my attitude towards fellow practitioners was similar to the old forces' treatment of Dafa disciples.
In reality, the ability to discern others' attachments and problems is not indicative of one's attainment in cultivation, nor are the knowledge of and the ability to talk about many Fa principles. Those old forces can see clearly Dafa disciples' attachments and know many Fa principles. The key is one's attitude and actions upon seeing others' attachments, which is a reflection of one's xinxing level. The old forces' reaction is to nit-pick, castigate, and take pleasure in our misfortune with cruel indifference while being devoid of kindness. So long as their requirements have not been met, they could not care less if Dafa disciples were destroyed. This manifestation reflects exactly the disposition of their xinxing. Meanwhile, Teacher always deals with our attachments with patient and compassionate guidance, sincere words and earnest wishes, and treats our difficulties with understanding. When we don't do well, he feels sympathy for us while encouraging us to do better in the future. He also bears a great deal on our behalf.
Among fellow practitioners, the inability to tolerate each others' attachments, or underscoring others' attachments while disregarding their cultivated side, or discounting someone totally just because of his attachments, are all in reality manifestations of one's xinxing that is under the influence of the old forces.
In fact, we know that we Dafa disciples as a whole still have many attachments and omissions in our xinxing, and we have not done well enough in many respects. Teacher sees them clearly and has also pointed them out. But why did Teacher say time and again in many Fa-lectures that Dafa disciples were magnificent and remarkable, and affirmed repeatedly what we had done? It is my understanding that although we still have attachments, Teacher places more importance on our hearts, our determination to cultivate, the entirety of our lives' journey, and our courage to cultivate in Dafa firmly amidst tribulations. Also, Teacher makes allowances for the reality that it is impossible to let go of all the attachments that had been formed through the many lives in our numerous reincarnations overnight. Therefore, Teacher does not make demands but instead bears a great deal in order to give us enough time to cultivate. He treats the difficulties and pains in our trials and tribulations with understanding, and continuously teaches the Fa to us, in order to guide us through the problems in our cultivation, truly taking into account everything for our benefit from our perspective. Therefore, I think we should also treat our fellow practitioners with a compassionate, tolerant heart, using our kindness to understand each other.
All of the above xinxing problems I mentioned resulting from the influence of the old forces have manifested themselves in my cultivation and that of my fellow practitioners close by. I would like to expose them to enable all of us to see through them and recognize them as a part of the old forces' arrangement, so that they can no longer hide in Dafa disciples' bodies.
