(Minghui.org) I recently read an article published by a fellow practitioner on Minghui, talking about his and his family's experiences in cultivation. I was truly moved by the way he spoke sincerely about how his mother had passed away after falling behind, how shaken he was by the event, and how dearly he wished that the most diligent practitioners with the most insights could have shared their experiences more, so as to help those who were lagging behind. In particular, I was struck by how the practitioner wrote the article from the perspective of “someone outside of the main body” and had referred to himself as a “former practitioner” at different points. A lot of the article resonated with my own past thoughts and challenges, and I wanted to share my perspective.
I learned Falun Dafa in 1995. My cultivation path can be divided into two sections. Before 2005, I actively searched for help when I felt lost or confused; after that I tried to do the best I could on my own.
This morning, I repeatedly memorized a section in “Your Mind Must be Right” in Zhuan Falun:
“What’s not a right mind? It refers to a person’s inability to always treat himself as a practitioner. A practitioner will come across tribulations in cultivation practice. When a tribulation comes, it may manifest as an interpersonal conflict. There will be mind games and the like involved, which directly affect your xinxing. There will be many cases in this regard. What else will you encounter? Our bodies may suddenly feel uncomfortable. This is because repaying the karma will be manifested in different ways. At a certain point in time, you will be made unable to discern clearly whether something is true, whether your gong exists, whether you can practice cultivation and make it, or whether there are Buddhas and if they are real. In the future, these situations will surface again to give you this false impression and make you feel as though they do not exist and are all false—it is to see whether you are determined. You say that you must be firm and sure-footed. With this determination, if you can indeed be firmly resolute at that point, you will naturally do well because your xinxing will have already improved.”
After I repeated it several times, I had a new understanding and as I was mulling it over, I thought about you.
In 2005, I read an article on the Minghui website that included this exchange: In the police station, an officer asked a practitioner, “Do you really believe in your Teacher?” He pointed at a bucket of water, “If he said this was dirt, would you believe it?” The practitioner replied calmly, “It is dirt if my Teacher says so.” His words solved my problem of not cherishing the Fa since I had obtained it.
The problem with me was that I did not respect and believe in Teacher. Belief can be such a simple thing. To have it, you don't need to verify the Fa over and over, and you do not have to be well-educated. The only thing you need to believe is the innocence of a child. If we think and do what Teacher says, then we are practitioners. This is how I learned to practice. In the article, the practitioner was not talking about me, but what he said was truly the key that unlocked my mind. But think about it, if I felt full after the tenth slice of bread I ate, was it because the tenth slice did something special? Obviously, the first nine slices all count. Now think about all the Fa principles Teacher told us regarding gradual enlightenment and sudden enlightenment. If you are enlightened to the Fa, no matter how you do it, you are not “outside of the main body.”
Memorize “Your Mind Must be Right” in Zhuan Falun and think about this: when you are facing a test that requires you to be “firm and sure-footed,” will you be given the time or opportunity to find another practitioner to help you?
Many practitioners around me went astray in their cultivation. I once pointed my finger at a practitioner's nose and said, “You have no idea what cultivating is about.” In time I discovered that some veteran practitioners did not know how to cultivate, either. I did not want to point it out, so I exchanged my experiences with them on other topics. The experience sharing was, in fact, just me talking. I also met quite a few former practitioners who had stopped moving forward since the persecution began in July 1999. I tried very hard but, like you said, some of them remained at the starting point. For them, I was not, apparently, the tenth slice of bread. Perhaps my words won't be the key to overcoming your obstacles. Nonetheless, your challenges helped me to see myself from a different angle.
Before, I blamed the environment for preventing me from truly cultivating for 10 years. When I tried to write to you, I quickly realized that it was wrong for me to search for external help after I had learned the Fa. I didn't have my priorities right between the “Great Law” and the “Small Me.” I arrogantly wanted things my way and did not know that it was not my decision as to whether or not I deserved the Fa. As for looking within, it involves the right attitude and method. As long as we can let go of the “Small Me” and change our notions, we can have a breakthrough. Of course we need to learn how to change our notions, and that is why we have Zhuan Falun!
Two weeks ago I met a veteran practitioner who went astray. He said that he was still cultivating but he was reading Sutras from other Buddhist and Taoist teachings. I talked with him twice and eventually he agreed to read only Zhuan Falun. I once complained to him, “Why are there so many confused people around?” His reply was: “I have Teacher and the Fa, and do not need to ask for help from anyone.”
What I want to tell you is: You have the book Zhuan Falun. Have you started memorizing the Fa? Memorize it word by word and let it sink into your heart. Keep it going and you will indeed find:
“After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!” (Zhuan Falun)
I know that I am a practitioner who is far from meeting the standard of being a Dafa practitioner during the Fa-rectification period, but I AM a particle of Dafa.