(Minghui.org) Yesterday when studying Master's lecture, “Teaching the Fa at the Conference in New Zealand,” I came across this passage,
“If a person has simply gotten close to Dafa but not truly entered it—if he passed by it or has only been watching from the outside—that is the saddest thing! Everything I teach here is to tell you how to be a cultivator. If you can’t let go of your attachments, you will never become a cultivator.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in New Zealand”)
Teacher's words made me ponder.
How does one let go of the fundamental attachments and become a true cultivator, a disciple of Teacher, and the most glorious life of the universe? Now that the Fa-rectification process is near the end, I feel very ashamed, and sense the seriousness of the issue. After experiencing a long period of trials and tribulations, I question why I chose to stay in Dafa. Is it because I truly want to practice cultivation, or is it because of my fundamental attachments?
I'm a persistent person. Because of my perseverance, I have received good results in many of the things I've done. During the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, I persevered in my cultivation. I felt extreme pain when the thought of leaving Dafa crossed my mind. My knowing side was reminding me to not miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.
On the other hand, I knew that my fundamental attachments played a part in my cultivation. Teacher said,
“After cultivating for a period of time, are your thoughts still the same? Are you continuing on the path because of those human attachments? If so, you cannot be counted as my disciple. It means that you haven’t gotten rid of your fundamental attachments and that you are unable to understand the Fa from the Fa.” (“Towards Consummation” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I analyzed myself and found that one of the reasons I continued to cultivate was because of my attachments, human notions, and desires.
I was attached to the peace, quiet, calmness, and the spiritual insights about the world that Dafa gave me. I was attached to the health and beauty Dafa brought me. I was attached to the Fa principles that guided me to commit fewer wrong deeds, accumulate less bad karma, and encounter fewer tribulations. I was attached to cultivating in Dafa so that I could have a sense of direction and a goal in life, while living a happy and fulfilled life. I persevered in cultivation to keep a spiritual anchor. I continued to cultivate so that I would not have fear, emptiness, boredom, and pain in my life. I continued to cultivate so that I could receive Teacher's protection, advice, and guidance, so that I would not be at a loss, terrified, anxious, worried, and afraid of life's impermanence. When the thought of leaving Dafa crossed my mind, I would recall my state of mind before I began the practice. I was confused and had no sense of direction. I didn't know where I would end up. I was worried about everything, had a lot of anxiety and fear, and there was no joy in my life. These thoughts made me extremely nervous and lose my desire to live.
Did I really want to cultivate? Did I really think that cultivation was a wonderful and mighty undertaking? I only thought about using Dafa so that I could live a good life in ordinary people's society. I did not really think about returning to my original true self. How dangerous and scary is that! Did Teacher spread the Fa to the human world so that human beings could live a good life? Teacher taught us the Fa so that we could cultivate into Daos and Buddhas. These are not ordinary people's principles and are not meant to simply guide us to live in the ordinary society. Using Dafa to live a good life in the human world is to steal from the Fa.
I realized that Teacher spread the Fa to guide practitioners' path to divinity. Instead, I used the Fa, both intentionally and unintentionally, as a tool to obtain material and spiritual things in the human world. I only wanted to use Dafa and didn't really cultivate.
The Fa-rectification process is near the end, and when it reaches the human world, how are practitioners who don't eliminate their fundamental attachments going to be positioned? I hope practitioners who share my situation can look inward, and examine your real intention in remaining in Dafa. Are you truly cultivating or are you still attached to human things? Let's eliminate our fundamental attachments and be true Dafa disciples.
My understanding is limited. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
