The Hardest Thing to Do Was to Let Go of Self

(Minghui.org) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!

I am a local coordinator, so I know many practitioners. I often handed out notices, such as reminders about the local time for sending forth righteous thoughts, delivery of materials, and so on. When I discussed or told fellow practitioners something, rarely did anyone object. Many practitioners who did not agree with me wouldn’t say it to my face, so I usually heard such objections through the grapevine.

For example, there was Auntie Wang. The first time I went to her home, I couldn’t enter because the entire yard was full of animal droppings. There were cats, dogs, sheep, and chickens inside the house. I told her many times that she should not keep animals and that Master had mentioned it in his teachings. But it went in one ear and out the other.

I used to be very angry with her and shouted at her without considering how much she could accept. I kept rebuking her again and again for three or four years without making a dent in her behavior. I always thought that I was right and was being responsible for a fellow practitioner. Later, Aunt Wang told my sister that I was too insensitive. I suddenly realized that I had hurt her feelings. I wasn't calm and kind, which is the Fa’s standard. Of course, the result turned out just the opposite from what I wanted to accomplish.

This incident happened a long time ago. Yet, my attachment was only touched on the surface and I didn’t dig deeper for the root of the problem.

This year I live very close to Practitioner Zhang. She often asked me to come along to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa, and we also studied the Fa together frequently. I often didn't agree with her train of thought, but kept quiet. I was unhappy when I heard what she said when she told others the facts about Falun Dafa. I would think that she didn’t say this right or that that was not appropriate. In fact, every time she spoke, I looked for flaws. At one time when she was telling someone the facts about Falun Dafa, I thought she was talking at too high a level. I didn’t cooperate with her by sending forth righteous thought. In the end, the person did not believe us and walked away. At the time, I didn’t know why that happened. Later Ms. Zhang told me that she and other practitioners cooperated very well in clarifying the truth. I felt that when I told people the truth about Dafa, the effect was pretty good, too, so I didn’t enlighten that I did anything wrong, nor did I look within.

Helping a Fellow Practitioner Understand Shortcomings

One night in July, after all the other practitioners had left the group Fa-study, practitioner Wang stayed behind. She said she wanted to talk to me. Ms. Wang studies the Fa very solidly, her understanding of the Fa is also very clear, and she does the three things very well. She told me that she was about to move away and wanted to tell me something. She said that she was afraid that I couldn’t take it, but also worried that, if left unsaid, it could result in a problem for me. I told her to go ahead and say what she had to say and that I could take it.

She said that three practitioners had mentioned my shortcomings recently. I don’t recall exactly what she said, but it was all negative and mentioned my shortcomings, such as I didn’t send forth righteous thoughts to support fellow practitioners when they were telling the facts about Dafa, I didn’t help with new projects, etc. I felt awful, wronged, maligned unjustly, and very emotional as she spoke. I did my best to reject those feelings and control my emotions. I knew that I must have a problem. Why did the three practitioners discuss me? I tried my best to control my notions and wanted to use the Fa and righteous thoughts to think about my problem.

Letting Go of Self

The next morning I watched the video “Teaching the Fa to Australia Practitioners.” I knew that only Master’s Fa could help me resolve my problem. As I was listening to Master, I suddenly understood. I had insisted on my ideas instead of being cooperative. I always believed that my way was better and that my understanding was correct. I asked others to follow my way, and, when they didn't cooperate with me, I stopped cooperating. Such a mindset is very dangerous. I understood why fellow practitioners thought that I had a problem. I insisted on having things go my way and always looked for other people’s shortcomings. Like the evil Party, I was neither tolerant nor compassionate. Once I realized my shortcomings, I was very grateful to Master--I was grateful to Practitioner Wang for speaking frankly and bluntly. Otherwise, my problem could have affected the one-body effort and cause divisions among practitioners.

Since then, I have tried to listen more to others’ opinions instead of pressing my own ideas. I calm down before studying the Fa and let go of the attachment to self. I rectify myself in Dafa and validate the Fa instead of thinking my own ideas are clever. Without Dafa, we are nothing. I can see the virtue of others. For example, Practitioner A knows how urgent it is save people. She goes out every day to clarify the truth and save people; Practitioner B studies the Fa solidly and searches inward; and so on. Every practitioner has his/her own strong points and something I could learn from. I no longer find fault with others. I quietly cooperate with the one-body unconditionally.

Understanding Fa Truths

It took so many years of Fa study for me to learn to look within. In the past, I used the Fa to cultivate others. All the shortcomings I saw in fellow practitioners are human notions left on the surface and are to be gotten rid of. I cannot have an attachment to them or be moved by them. Everyone enlightens to different things in the Fa, everyone displays different states, and everyone’s path is different.

Now, as my mind has changed, my environment has also changed.

Let us be diligent and improve together, walk the path Master has arranged for us, do the three things well, let go of self, meet the standard of a Dafa disciple, and return to our homes with Master.

Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!