(Clearwisdom.net) In the Book of Changes it says, "A metaphysicist calls it the Dao; A materialist calls it a tool." The mental world has no form and is metaphysical. You can call it a world of concepts or ideas. The material world is tangible and has physical phenomena. The principles of Falun Dafa include both. When we do things in this world to affirm Dafa, the different kinds of forms we utilize are all tangible. We must use Falun Dafa's principles to guide all the things that we do. At the same time we must use our skills in the real world to display the mighty power of Dafa. What we are calling "skills" and "methods" is used in a broad sense. For instance for dancers, dancing is a skill; for singers, singing is a skill; for writers, writing is a skill; for managers, managing is a skill; and so on.
Metaphysical ideas and physical skills coexist, except that they exist at different levels. They are connected, and mutually complementary. Shen Yun is a perfect model of integrating lofty ideas and superior skills. It is the same with other successful projects.
Below I have drawn comparisons from a few projects that have not been so successful. The problems were either that the ideas were not up to par, or that the skills had not reached the desired standard, or that the ideas and skills had not been properly integrated. Everything has a reason. There is nothing in the world that can compare with Falun Dafa. Dafa is the very best, so every project Falun Dafa practitioners do to rectify the Fa should be the best. If we do poorly, how can we say that we are validating Dafa? When we help Master during Fa-rectification, we should be resolute in everything that we do. The only way to truly help Master rectify the Fa is to do well in our responsibilities.
We need to look within to find the reasons when things have not developed as we would have wished. We need to note that concepts in this context are not straightforward like everyday people's equations or formulas, nor are they notions that practitioners should tenaciously defend. They also cannot be equated with the Fa principles. Fa principles are not mechanical in nature, they are not simple like points or lines in mathematics. They exceed the standard of any human knowledge. Furthermore, the Fa principles manifest differently at every level and are directed at different levels of xinxing. Practitioners' thoughts are most profound and their lives most powerful when they can truly assimilate to the Fa. Practitioners will block themselves when they don't understand the Fa principles well. They will then do things according to human notions. They will be blocked when doing them and their cultivation will be obstructed. We should improve ourselves wherever we have not reached the standard. We should cultivate while doing things and we should do them well.
I have often found that when practitioners have conflicts during a project, it is brought about by a lack of distinction between idea and execution. If it is a problem of lacking skills, as long as practitioners can perfect their skills at an ordinary person's level, then everything will be fine. But when one practitioner thinks the issue is with the concept and the other thinks the issue is with the skills of the person executing the idea, then the discussion bogs down and goes nowhere.
There is something we must be clear about. Concepts cannot take the place of skills, and skills cannot replace concepts. No matter how well a practitioner has cultivated, if she is completely lacking basic training in dance, and you want to have her join Shen Yun and perform on stage, it is impossible for her to be qualified. This is completely an issue of skill and it is not philosophical in nature, which cannot be resolved by cultivating one's xinxing. If it is a matter related to skills, then the problem must be resolved there.
As practitioners do projects together during Fa-rectification, conflicts will occur, but practitioners shouldn't be fearful. Fear merely conceals the conflicts, and conflicts will expose the problems. Covering up the conflicts merely covers up the problems and prevents them from being resolved at the fundamental level. It will then manifest in other forms. When conflicts arise, we should find out where we went wrong. At what level is the problem located? Is it a philosophical issue? Can it be resolved through studying the Fa and cultivating xinxing? Is it a problem of lacking skills that needs to be resolved by perfecting them? It will be very difficult to resolve the problem if the parties involved mix these things up.
Conceptual ideas can turn stone into gold, but if you don't even have stone, what is there to enlighten to? Skills are like that piece of stone, which are to be enlightened by conceptual ideas.
What I have talked about is what I have learned from experience, which cannot sufficiently explain these issues. The intention of this article is not to rigidly separate the issue of skills from the issue of concepts, nor is it my intention to separate doing things from studying the Fa and cultivating xinxing. My wish is that practitioners will not go to extremes on these issues.
