(Clearwisdom.net)
Letting go of fame and benefits, using earnings in saving sentient beings
During individual cultivation, I spent most of my time in Fa study and cultivation. I gradually let go of the attachments to fame and benefit, and began to follow the course of nature. One time, our workplace assigned apartments to young staff. I did not get one. I was not affected since I remembered the Fa Master taught in Zhuan Falun regarding a similar situation. I have several non-practitioner friends who own big companies, do big business. They have houses and cars, and I neither envy nor am I jealous of them. On the contrary, I feel sorry for them, as they are deeply bogged down in fame and benefit. I feel I am the most fortunate person in life, as only cultivating Dafa is the happiest way.
After the persecution began in 1999, besides maintaining a private and social life, my earnings and savings were mainly used for saving sentient beings. I established a materials center in my home. I handled everything from equipment to supplies, and I purchased high quality paper, CDs and DVDs; my materials center has run smoothly until today. When Shen Yun performances became available for download in China, I made high quality DVDs with a beautiful cover, and as soon as people saw them they liked them. Besides meeting the needs of my own materials center, I also offered help with other centers in nearby counties and suburbs. Their income is relatively less compared to people in cities. I donated according to my situation and ability, sometimes, three to four thousand, sometimes three to four hundred. I noticed on the web that fellow practitioners used cell phones to save sentient beings. I gradually purchased three cell phones, using them to send truth-clarification messages to save people.
When I offered others financial help, I did not think of anything such as how much virtue I was going to accumulate, or what would be the returns for me. I did not even feel that was special; I felt it was so natural. This is what a Dafa disciple should do. Everything, including our life, is granted by Dafa, and it is very proper to use my earnings to save people. I also understand that we are in the Fa-rectification period, and numerous projects need funding. As a Dafa practitioner, the purpose of making money is to use it at the critical time to save people. This is particularly true for those fellow practitioners who have a strong financial base. Maybe it was arranged before, or one vowed to make money for Dafa, and not leave it for family and later generations. If you do not use the money now, when will you? Of course you should not go to an extreme, you have to guarantee your normal living needs.
Balancing well the relationship between cultivation and work
Master said,
“Right now every minute and every second is crucial. If you miss out during this period of time, you miss out on everything. History won't recur. The history of the cosmos and the Three Realms have gone through so many, long, long years--what have all the beings been waiting for? What are they all here for? For exactly these few years! Yet there are [Dafa] students who are squandering their lives during these few years, not seizing the time. And yet you are shouldering such huge responsibilities for all beings and for history!” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference”)
After I learned this Fa, I realized the great responsibilities we carry as a Dafa disciple and the preciousness of time. Besides working, I spend most of my time in doing the three things. I cut down my sleeping time to the bare minimum, and I do not take on any unnecessary ordinary people's social activities. I still feel the time is not enough.
I work for a large corporation. The job is very intense and requires constant overtime. It occupies most of my time and energy. I thought that might be the old force interference. The precious time was for me to save people, how could I waste most of it on a job and meaningless things? I talked to my boss regarding changing my status from full-time to part-time. Now I work half a day, my time is more flexible, my income is reduced, but it is still enough for me to live on.
Since this change, I have more time to do the three things well. I can memorize Zhuan Falun two hours daily, have time to read Master's other teachings, and I am able to do both the standing exercises and meditation. I am able to send forth righteous thoughts at the four global times and also send forth righteous thoughts at other times. I am able to get online, download information, burn CDs or DVDs, and print materials. I also have time to clarify the truth face to face and persuade people to quit the CCP and its related organizations. I send out all the material that I print, and I use my lunch break to send out information through cell phones.
This is the crucial and final moment of Fa-rectification, I do not dare to waste a minute. Master said,
“This instant is precious beyond measure. Completing the last leg of this journey well is what's most magnificent.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago”)
Handling the issue of marriage on the basis of the Fa
I am a young fellow approaching the age of forming a family. I noticed some interference surfacing when I did not handle well desires and lust, such as people introducing a girl to me, or a girl seeming interested in me. In order to have a clear understanding of this issue, I downloaded Minghui articles related to cultivating xinxing and abstention, and Master's related teachings. I understood that I needed to consider the issue of marriage from the angle of benefiting Fa-rectification and cultivation.
My understanding of my individual case was that I would rather not get married. This way I can completely devote my time to cultivation and saving people, and be less burdened by family involvements and small matters. Now, most diligent fellow practitioners already have reached the state of abstention. But I still have a strong attachment to lust and desire; if I did not handle things well after marriage, it might keep me from doing the three things well. There are articles on the Minghui website advising veteran practitioners not to marry ordinary people or new practitioners. From that point on, I turned down anyone who wanted to introduce girls to me. When I met girls that I liked, sometimes my heart might be affected but I could handle myself well by not associating with them. I understand that the interference surfaced because of my heart, my attachments. I will do my best in the future, completely eliminate the attachments of lust and desire, not be affected by sentimentality, and strive forward vigorously on the path of cultivation.
I will end with a poem:
Life coming for the Fa,
Do not be lost in the mundane world.
Let go of fame, benefits and sentimentality,
Fulfill our prehistoric vows.
Thank you Master, Thank you fellow practitioners.
Heshi!
Category: Improving Oneself
