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Letting Go of Self and Doing What Master Requires

December 03, 2011 |   By a practitioner from Hebei Province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!

With the progress of Fa-rectification, the Minghui website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom) has advocated setting up truth-clarification material production sites everywhere. People like me who are old, have little education, and don't know a single English letter, act as the coordinators and technicians in our local material site. Dafa's magic has truly manifested in me: "Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master." (“Lecture One” in Zhuan Falun)

1. Removing My Attachment of Fear and Materials Sites Open Everywhere

Material production sites are needed everywhere during Fa-rectification. Realizing this, I asked a young fellow practitioner to take the lead and told him I would provide support. Six months later, nothing had happened.

Master said in “Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.:”

“Also, you need to pay attention to one issue: you are Dafa disciples, so you should always look within whenever you run into problems--it's guaranteed that many of the problems are your problems, whether you want to look at yourself or not, or whether you think of them or not. In the future, when you see the truth, you'll realize that everything had a reason.”

Looking inward, I found the attachment of self-protection firmly holding me back. After July 20, 1999, I was one of the key local practitioners that was persecuted. The attachment of fear was constantly interfering with me. I let fellow practitioners take the lead because I was afraid of stepping forward and coordinating. Then I decided to break through the attachment of fear. I knew I must go out and coordinate this effort.

I first went to share my experience with practitioners I felt were suitable for producing truth-clarifying materials. In the process, I encountered a variety of opportunities to cultivate my heart. For example, after I shared experiences with one practitioner, she did not say anything to me, but said to another practitioner behind my back, “She wanted others to do it, so why didn't she herself do it?” These words touched me and I felt wronged: I had been involved in the work of the material sites and knew first-hand the hard work of practitioners who were producing the materials. They are sacrificing quietly. I kept silent about fellow her misunderstanding and finding fault with me. After looking into it, I found it was an attachment to fame. Master told us: “There is no fame, self-interest, or official titles in Dafa, but only cultivation practice.” (“A Heavy Blow” in Essentials for Further Advancement) My fellow practitioner's not cultivating her speech was due to my attachment of self-protection. I realized I just needed to do what I had to do. With the cooperation of fellow practitioners, little flowers (material production sites) blossomed one after another.

2. Breaking Through the Difficulties and Learning Technical Skills

Originally, I was responsible for the processing, binding, delivery, and coordination of materials. I had only touched the computers and printers a few times. This caused a lot of difficulties in setting up the material sites. I took the initiative to learn from practitioners who were familiar with printers. For computers, since there were no local practitioners who were experts, I took the initiative to learn about computers. If I had problems I asked my children or relatives. Later, whenever there was a problem, I asked them or asked practitioners to help. But the problem did not go away. I realized that I had an attachment to relying on others.

Master said:

“...each Dafa disciple is taking his own path, and each Dafa disciple needs to have the opportunity to take his own path. So as your Master, I can't take away your opportunity to validate the Fa yourself. I have to let you do this yourselves.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference”)

I also needed to take my own path, so I learned to use technical forums. With practitioners' help, I was able to solve the problems I encountered. Under the care of our revered Master, I have outperformed my skill level every time. Sometimes when we set up a new site, practitioners who had just started learning made the computers malfunction. I simply did not know what went wrong. However, when I just dragged the mouse, I was able to fix the computer like an expert. I knew that I was simply cultivating my heart, that everything is done by Master. I now have learned how to install a variety of software and make all kinds of system disks. This was previously unthinkable for me.

3. Removing My Attachment to Treating People Differently

A few years ago I met two practitioners from another area. I knew they didn't have a coordinator in their area. However, when they asked me to share experiences with them, I did not go for all kinds of reasons. Later, a fellow practitioner was persecuted to death, and another practitioner was persecuted to the point of breaking down mentally. I felt that I did not fulfill my responsibilities. That was my regret caused by my attachment to treating people differently. Later the production site in that area was destroyed, and all the practitioners involved were persecuted. In order to form a one-body there, I went there several times to share experiences on the Fa with practitioners there. I learned that a practitioner who was the former coordinator was no longer stepping forward to coordinate efforts. I rode a motorcycle with another practitioner to ask that practitioner to be the coordinator. After sharing experiences, the practitioner agreed, and local practitioners in that area started to form one-body.

Once a fellow practitioner wanted to get on the Minghui website, but no one could install the computer system. So I went to help them install the computer system and set up a material site. Another time, after I got there, the electricity went out. I was told that the electricity would be back on at night. I thought that I had to finish what I had planned to do before I left. Within ten minutes the electricity came back on. It was all because of Master's help, as long as we have enough righteous thoughts.

But I simply did not do well that day. On the way home I was looking at what I did wrong. I found a hidden attachment: I was thinking that I had to do well this time, because my goal was to not have to go back there again. It was not for the sake of fellow practitioners, but rather because I felt practitioners there were lacking in terms of cultivating their speech. Therefore, I was reluctant to have more contact with them. It was due to this attachment of fear, the attachment of self-protection. How could I do well with such a human notion? Thinking that, my eyes filled with tears. I said to Master in my heart: “Master, I am sorry; I have too many attachments. I am determined to walk the path arranged by Master. I will do whatever Dafa needs me to do.” After that I went there many times. With the help of practitioners there, many materials sites were gradually set up and improved.

In the beginning process of building material production sites, I always picked those practitioners who had come through tribulations. Once I asked a practitioner whom I thought was relatively mature in all respects to discuss becoming a coordinator. But several times that practitioner ignored the suggestion using various excuses. Why? I looked inward and found that I was picking a person using my own notions. I cleaned up this notion and believed that Master would arrange everything. A practitioner took the initiative to step forward and improved very quickly in xinxing and technical skills.

4. Be Alert to the Attachment of Showing Off

When I began to teach fellow practitioners to use printers, I noticed that some who were slow in learning seemed to be embarrassed to ask for my help when they encountered problems. This caused damage to the equipment. I realized that I was looking down on these practitioners and was blaming them for not being more diligent. This is, in fact, an attachment of showing off. How would they feel when they were not doing well? Why didn't I think about it from their perspective? I should help fellow practitioners unconditionally.

One time I was teaching a practitioner to use computers. He was a slow learner. Every time I taught him, his wife always spoke of me in a complaining tone. I did not say anything and still patiently taught him. But I was not too happy when I came back. Master said: “Be considerate of others when you do things, and look at yourself when you get into disagreements.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference”) and “It would be good if they could manage to search within themselves for the things that they have been able to find in others.” (“A Dialogue with Time” in Essentials for Further Advancement) I calmed down and examined myself according to Dafa. I saw my attachments of complaining about others, showing off, etc. After I cleaned up these bad things, I found that she no longer found fault with me.

With the continuous improvement of my technical skills, I hear praise from fellow practitioners. I am immediately alert to the attachment of showing off. As soon as it appears, I clean it up. Master said: “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” in Essentials for Further Advancement) I kept Master's words in mind at all times:

“A demon can also praise you and tell you how high your level is, what a great Buddha or a great Tao you are, and that it thinks that you are terrific—those are all phony. As one who truly practices cultivation toward high levels, you should give up various attachments. When encountering these issues, you should all be on your guard!” (Lecture Six in Zhuan Falun)

5. Everything is Revolving Around Dafa

Master said:

“Cherish the present time and make the best use of it—this time is meant for the disciples.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference” in 2001)

“all beings in the Three Realms came for the Fa, were created for the Fa, and were formed for the Fa. That includes all the myriad things. And everything in the human world has been revolving around Dafa, whether ordinary people sense it or not; whether you think they're aware of it or not, everything is revolving around Dafa.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference”)

In the process of coordinating the material sites, I often run into conflicts between everyday things and Dafa projects. In my opinion, nothing should affect Dafa work. Everyday things yield to Dafa work every time. For example, I needed to take care of my grandson because my daughter and son-in-law worked on Sundays. I felt something was wrong. Looking inward, I found that it was my attachment to sentiment. I cared too much about my grandson. Therefore, I started cleaning up this attachment. I thought everything should yield to Dafa work. After my righteous thoughts came forth, my son-in-law can now take Sundays off, and my daughter also changed jobs and doesn't need to work on Sundays. Now I have more time to do the three things well.

I truly experienced what Master said in Zhuan Falun: “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master. It is good enough if you have this wish. It is the master who actually does this, as you are simply unable to do it.”

In the limited time left, I should walk on the path Master arranged for me, cultivate diligently, and accomplish my mission.