(Minghui.org) The article “Thinking That All Will End in 2012 Is a Big Attachment That Hinders Fa-Rectification” (http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/4/2/132507.html) stated: “According to the practitioner's observations, currently, most Dafa disciples are generally not diligent. Among Dafa disciples, the human mindset is very dominant, and we are lax in doing the three things.” Although my celestial eye is not open, I feel that this is indeed the situation. Truly diligent practitioners are few. Most practitioners are being hampered by all sorts of human attachments and are not self-motivated in doing the three things. Based on what I've seen, I would like to share my perspective about the incorrect mindsets of fellow practitioners.
Attachment to Complacency Is a Strong Obstacle
I believe that the reason why many practitioners are not diligent is because they are complacent, particularly among those who did better in the past. They feel that they have contributed a lot, done a lot of things in Fa-rectification and in saving sentient beings, and think that they will have no problem reaching Consummation. They have become smug and no longer feel the urgency, and are not motivated to save people. They only study the Fa, do the exercises, and share experiences, hoping to coast all the way to the end of Fa-rectification. In particular, some who are attached to time were very diligent in the past. But after a few years, with the Fa-rectification still not having ended, they feel that it will never end. They feel that they have done a lot and that no one knows when the Fa-rectification will end. So they want to relax a bit and begin to live a normal life. They have formed an attachment to comfort, with some even devoting their energy to ordinary people’s lives or businesses. Once I mentioned my observation in talking with a few fellow practitioners. One of them immediately saw in his celestial eye that many practitioners sat in a large, hard shell. They felt that they had cultivated very well and were satisfied with themselves. The shell was the corresponding manifestation of their complacency.
As soon as we begin to have this attachment, we will stop progressing and even invite serious consequences. I remember there was an article on the web talking about a 30-year-old single, female practitioner. She was very diligent working at the information center for several years. But with the passage of time, she no longer wanted to devote that much effort and wished to find a boyfriend, get married, and live like an ordinary person. Fellow practitioners urged her to remain diligent, but in vain. She later passed away due to sickness karma. Teacher said in “Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference” in Teaching the Fa at Conference IIV:
“There is interference from changes in the state of human society and from human notions that were formed in society. All of those things can drag you back to being like an ordinary person.” “Each step might be critical in determining whether each Dafa disciple can reach Consummation.”
Therefore, by no means can we let up now. In this time of urgency, there are so many sentient beings yet to be saved. Teacher is still bearing hardships for us. We have no reason whatsoever to be satisfied and become lax.
Being Selfish and Aiming for Personal Gain in Cultivation
Some practitioners have kept up with their Fa study and exercises, and are also doing the three things. However, they never altered their thoughts of thinking for themselves and doing things with human attachments. I heard about a Fa study group in which there are a dozen or so practitioners. Every week each person brings only one copy of truth clarification materials--no extras. The motivation of these practitioners in making Dafa informational materials is not to save people, but rather to reach consummation. With such strong attachments to selfishness, how can one reach consummation? Teacher said in “Cautionary Advice” in Essentials for Further Advancement:
“If you do not change the human logic that you, as an ordinary human, have formed deep in your bones over thousands of years, you will be unable to break away from this superficial human shell and reach Consummation.”
Such thoughts are very similar to the behavior of the two elderly people in the story “Golden Buddha.” How can one with such attachments become a Buddha? Such a mindset is miles away from the realm of a divine being. So we must always keep our motivation righteous. If our motives are for other people, everything we do will be virtuous. Otherwise, with selfish motives, it is ordinary people doing ordinary things. The best one can get then is a little good fortune.
Some people think that as long as they can persevere and last till the end, they will reach consummation, so they are not very diligent and do very little of the three things. I think that perseverance is dependent on the condition that one follows what Teacher says. Jesus said that if you believe in him, then you will go to heaven. But you need to follow what he said and cannot just superficially believe in him. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun: “Even if you are able to persevere in your cultivation, it remains to be seen whether you can succeed.” Teacher said in “Teaching the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference:”
“Time is running out, and those of you who haven't done well should think about it--you should really take a hard look at yourselves. This is the first time I've warned Dafa disciples this way. (Applause) Whether you can Consummate is up to you.”
“Those who won't be able to Consummate, when that day comes all you can do is just sit there and sob! For the ones who haven't cultivated well, I'd say it'll be too late to cry.”
So we must take cultivation more seriously, and earnestly and devotedly cultivate according to the Fa. We should not miss this opportunity.
Mistakenly Regarding the Amount of Fa-study as a Measure of Diligence
Some practitioners do not fully understand the meaning of studying the Fa well. They mistakenly take the amount of Fa study as evidence of their diligence. They go to one Fa study site today and another site tomorrow. All they care about is how many lectures of Fa they have studied on a particular day, and their Fa study has become a formality. Their xinxing has not elevated. Teacher asks us to study the Fa more and well so that we can understand the content of the Fa at different levels. That way, we will elevate our xinxing as soon as possible, and when faced with problems, we will know how to follow the requirements of the Fa. If one cannot behave according to the Fa, it amounts to not studying the Fa. Teacher said in “Solid Cultivation” in Hong Yin:
“Study the Fa and gain the Fa,
Focus on how you study and cultivate,
Let each and every thing
be measured against the Fa.
Only then, with that,
is it actually cultivation.”
Teacher also talked about the reason why monks cannot succeed in their cultivation in the Dharma-ending period. That is, they treat the Fa as an academic matter and do not actually cultivate themselves. Once I met such an elderly practitioner. She could recite the Fa very well but did not actually cultivate herself. Later her illness karma appeared, and she took medicine and was put on oxygen. She lived by herself and wanted to hire someone to take care of her. A fellow practitioner introduced another practitioner who was without a job to take care of her. She ate by herself and did not let the practitioner helping her touch the food in the refrigerator. Such a mindset is inferior to that of an ordinary person’s. Even if one studies so much Fa, it seems useless if one does not cultivate and act according to the Fa.
Some practitioners cannot rationally understand the relationship between Fa-study and saving people. They focus solely on studying the Fa and doing the exercises, but think of saving people as something extra or incidental to cultivation. Teacher said,
“Some people have not stepped forward and don't take this task seriously, and they don't think that saving sentient beings is all that important. In reality, your responsibilities as Dafa disciples all lie right there.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference” )
“I've asked you to do the three things well. You must do the three things well. You should do those things well all the way up to your Consummation. Your mighty-virtue and everything of your future come from those things.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Washington DC Fa Conference”)
“If someone considers his individual Consummation the most important thing, I'd say that he's not worthy of being a Dafa disciple of the Fa-rectification period.”(“Touring North America to Teach the Fa”)
In fact our individual cultivation and consummation cannot be compared with Fa-rectification. Our individual cultivation is only to build up the required foundation for helping Teacher rectify the Fa, and saving sentient beings is our true purpose. Some people emphasize that we need to study the Fa more whenever we do something. They think that without studying the Fa they cannot do things, and will be more easily exploited. Fellow practitioners, we are at the last phase of the Fa-rectification period. We should all grasp the Fa-principles in each of our own realms. If we keep stressing studying the Fa but miss the opportunity to establish our mighty virtue, that will truly be a pity.
The Attachment of Fear
The attachment of fear is another reason why we are not diligent. It is the largest obstacle for us in saving people. Some practitioners are still not stepping forward because of their fear. They only stay at home to study the Fa and do the exercises. Teacher said,
“A Dafa disciple who fails to achieve the effect of safeguarding and upholding Dafa has no way of reaching Consummation.”(in “Fa-rectification Period Dafa Disciples” in Essentials for Further Advancement II )
“These people who only want to take from Dafa and not give for Dafa are, in the eyes of Gods, the worst beings. Moreover, this Fa is what’s fundamental in the cosmos, so those people who are still unable to step forward today will be weeded out after this tribulation is over.”
What such practitioners will face is truly horrible, but in history they have been very devoted. Teacher does not want to give up on a single disciple. Helping these practitioners is also our responsibility and is part of our cultivation. We should not look down on them. Instead, we need to share experiences with them and let them begin with easy tasks, such as sending forth righteous thoughts near the evil’s dens or telling the facts about Dafa to relatives and friends. Let us help them slowly step forward and get rid of their fear.
There are many attachments that prevent us from being diligent. I have only mentioned a few of the more common ones and hope that it is useful to fellow practitioners. Currently, every second is obtained with Teacher’s sacrifices. We need to start from ourselves, cultivating well and accomplishing what Teacher wants. Let us not allow our attachments to hamper Teacher’s Fa-rectification.
The above is my personal understanding.
