(Minghui.org) I came from China and have been living in New York. The pace here is very fast and there are many opportunities to save sentient beings. I'm grateful that Master brought me here so that I can cultivate in this environment, and I've been elevating quickly every day. According to practitioners, the environment in New York is complex and it is a good place to cultivate. I feel that I have elevated somewhat in regards to looking inward, cooperating with others, and letting go of self. I'd like to share my cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
1. Treating Fellow Practitioners and Coordinators with Kindness
When I lived in China, it was difficult to see other practitioners. Therefore, whenever we saw each other, we would study the Fa together. We didn't have much time to tend to other things, and perhaps because of our environment, there were no barriers between us and we were amiable towards each other. When I first came to New York, I didn't feel “friendliness” among practitioners, and maybe those who recently came here from China felt the same way. After I looked inward and noticed their good side, I was able to appreciate the practitioners in New York. Many of them have been working very hard in assisting Master with Fa-rectification. They have so many things to take care of and some of them sleep very little. Thus, there is no time to be “friendly.” I didn't come to New York to seek “warmth” from anyone. Instead, I'm here to look inward and immerse quickly in this environment in order to assist Master with Fa-rectification.
Of course, I realize that practitioners should treat each other with kindness--not just being concerned or understanding one another, but more importantly, to help each other be more diligent in cultivation. We need to open our hearts and eliminate any gaps between us. Conflicts can help us raise our xinxing levels. Conflicts among practitioners are inevitable, but we should not close our hearts and be on guard against one another because they exist.
In regards to treating practitioners with kindness, I think we should also be kind to the coordinators. My project coordinator has a strong personality. And because of his personality, sometimes he appears to lack compassion when doing things. I continued to look inward and tried to forgive and understand him, but it was still hard to get rid of the mentality of judging the coordinator. But when I looked at myself, I realized I was not kind to the coordinator either. Being critical of the coordinator was not being kind, so I began to look for his positive qualities. I also believe the reason Master arranged for him to be a coordinator was that he has the capabilities to lead the project, and I found out later that it really was the case. Behind his strong personality is persistence and determination, and that is what Master wanted. My understanding is that it is not that my project coordinator didn't cultivate well and failed to get rid of his attachments, but it was Master that preserved those qualities so that he could lead the project. Under the complex situation and the different levels of practitioners in cultivation, a little strong personality is necessary to move a project forward. As far as the coordinator being occasionally unkind, I think it is just a minor problem that comes up when he is not able to balance things well.
Once I realized that, I was able to understand Master's arrangements, practitioners sacrifices, and the coordinator's determination in carrying out the project. Not only should I be kind to him but also cooperate well with him, because I'm not doing this for him or for myself, but to assist Master with Fa-rectification.
2. Coordinating Well With Practitioners and Harmonizing According to What Master Wants
Master said,
“So for the beings of the old cosmos, and this includes all the elements of beings, when it comes to the Fa-rectification and what I choose, all beings' harmonizing and completing things according to my choices and contributing their best ideas and approaches--not to change what I want, but to harmonize and complete things according to what I've said--is the best thought a being in the cosmos could have.” (“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
Many practitioners in New York are very capable, and some of them were of high status in China. Although I am an average person compared to other practitioners, I was still attached to the little knowledge and skills that I have. Therefore, when working on a project, my attachment to competitiveness and even jealousy would be exposed, and thus, I failed to meet the standard that Master requires of us.
Master said, “Even if someone were to grasp all of mankind’s knowledge, he would still remain an everyday person.” (“What is Wisdom?” from Essentials For Further Advancement) As an ordinary person, even if he were a president or a scientist, he is pitiful and is still trapped in the cycle of reincarnation, waiting for Dafa practitioners to save him. Therefore, no matter how much knowledge or capability one has, if he is not cultivating in Dafa, he is then merely an ordinary person.
The abilities that we have are given by Master. Why did Master give us this knowledge and these skills? Is it so that we can gain social status in this world? Is it so that we can compete with other practitioners? Of course not. The knowledge and skills were given to us so that we can use them to save sentient beings. We should fulfill Master's requirements and coordinate well with other practitioners, and form one body to enable the project to reach its full potential.
When I understood the above Fa principles, I learned that we should place Master's arrangements and requirements above ourselves, and try our best to harmonize according to what Master wants. This way, it is much easier to coordinate with each other and resolve conflicts. A while ago, because I didn't do certain tasks well, practitioner A was not happy about it. Even though he didn't tell me about his complaints, I knew about it and apologized to him. I corrected myself and tried to amend things. Several days later, practitioner B told me that practitioner A complained to the coordinator about me. Because B knew that I tried my best to cooperate with A, B thought that A was not being fair to me. I calmly told practitioner B, “practitioner A complained about me because I didn't do my tasks well. I know that he worked very hard and I caused him a lot of trouble. I don't have anything to say in regards to his complaints. Moreover, Master wants us to cooperate well with each other. I don't mind practitioner A complaining to the coordinator about me, and I will open my heart to work with him. Because this is what Master wants.”
3. Letting Go of Ego and Experiencing the Power of Being “Selfless”
In order to cooperate well with each other, we should “lower” ourselves, which means letting go of our egos.
I met a practitioner while posting Shen Yun posters. This elderly practitioner had a high social status in China but did not speak English. I'm younger and my English is okay. This practitioner didn't have any notion of social status and age, and he put himself lower. I was very touched by his demeanor, and felt sad for days. I kept asking myself, “Why was he able to put himself lower?”
When we see that practitioners are cultivating well, we should be stricter with ourselves. I began to pay attention and to get rid of my ego in cultivation. Regardless of practitioners' occupation, social status, knowledge, or level of diligence, when someone pointed out my shortcomings, I would listen with humility. If I had those problems, then I would correct them. If I didn't have those problems, I would not argue about it. When encountering conflicts or problems, I would sincerely look inward, and let practitioners know about my shortcomings. If my shortcomings affect other practitioners, then I would sincerely apologize to them. During the process of lowering myself, I have gradually forgotten about where I “excel,” and have lost the attachment to “being extraordinary.” Sometimes I even feel that I'm a “nobody.” I realized that being part of the one body, every practitioner has come from somewhere, had an extraordinary past, and is gaining great virtue while assisting Master with Fa-rectification. However, as part of the one body, we are just one of the particles. No matter how high of a level we cultivate to or have come from, we are just a speck of dust in the cosmos.
Once I let go of self, I noticed a transformation. Many conflicts could not touch me, and would melt upon reaching me. Whenever I sensed conflicts arising, I would look inward and harmonize, thus, the conflict would dissolve quickly, and I would not be moved by it. I also noticed that when I promoted Shen Yun, I felt that all the bad elements disappeared from the sentient beings. When I approached them, the bad things they carried were dissolved in my dimension. I felt that Master gave me some sort of power that was like “still water,” as if nothing existed, and anything that fell into this dimension would be immediately disintegrated. I realized that this was “selflessness,” and it is a very powerful gong. It is a capability that the old universe does not have, and it can disintegrate any bad elements.
If every Dafa disciples can let go of self and coordinate well with each other, then all the elements that are interfering with Fa-rectification will be thoroughly eliminated, and the glory of Dafa will be revealed in the human world.
Category: Improving Oneself
