(Minghui.org) I would like to share with fellow practitioners my understandings concerning cultivation at my current level.
1. Dealing with a message from the Minghui website
In 2007 the Minghui website published an article about doing the Dafa exercises in the morning. It mentioned that we should use Beijing time when doing these exercises, and many fellow practitioners did the exercises at this time. However, some practitioners raised various issues instead of following the suggestion from the Minghui website. They were not concerned about the fact, nor did they question themselves as to why they had issues. They simply justified why they should not follow the suggestion. This was a human reaction and is not cultivation.
In 2011, another article was published on the Minghui website regarding “Celebration based on rumors.” Some practitioners let go of their human notions and followed the advice mentioned in this article. Others believed that the article was not appropriate and should not have been published. I think that this was another case of knowing or not knowing how to cultivate and assist in Fa-rectification. Practitioners who did well generated a positive environment. However, some were trying to do the same things [to clarify the truth], but used human notions and personal attachments, which caused interference. Others did not want to do anything except criticize the efforts of other people and justify why they were right, which caused division and interference among practitioners. Still others were slow to react, thus missing this chance to assist in the Fa-rectification.
2. Cultivating and doing everything well
Cultivation does not depend on how much effort we put into doing the three things or participating in Dafa activities. It is actually how we approach all Dafa activities and treat them as opportunities in order to put the things we have learned from the Fa into practice.
Teacher told us that we need to do the three things well. He also said in “Cautionary Advice ” from Essentials for Further Advancement,
“If you do not want to change your human state and rationally rise to a true understanding of Dafa, you will miss the opportunity. 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. ”
How much have we learned about the real meaning of cultivation? Certainly, we have learned many lessons already.
Some practitioners were arrested or tortured to death and it had seemed that they did the three things very well. However, they were seriously abused. These incidents caused some practitioners to wonder why these good practitioners had been persecuted. Fellow practitioners, Teacher expects us to be selfless and without any attachments at the time of enlightenment. How far have we truly gone on this path? Have we completely removed all our attachments? We may have done a lot of things for Fa-rectification, but are we closer to the state of a divine being now, or are we still attached to our human side? Suppose a practitioner has done a lot for saving sentient beings, but with human notions. Did he or she actually cultivate?
3. Following the Fa principles and looking within
When we treat Dafa principles as theory or knowledge, attempt to blame others when encountering a problem, do not apply Dafa principles when we tell others what should be done, then we are not cultivating ourselves. Doing things according to one's experience, knowledge and human viewpoint is not cultivation.
Teacher has told us countless times that we must look inward when we have problems. Otherwise, we are not cultivating ourselves. I have been following Dafa's teachings for over ten years now. Upon looking back, I know now that I did not always cultivate myself. Without Teacher's guidance I don't know what might have happened. In a world full of delusion and traps, one can easily get lost. I want to thank Teacher for his guidance. I also want to thank the Minghui website for providing us with a platform for sharing our cultivation experiences.
