(Minghui.org)
Master said:
“If people don't want to listen whenever you assign something and they just want to do whatever suits their fancy, and each does things his own way, could that ever work? It's just like when this fist goes out--it's strong when everyone is clenched together. (Master makes a fist.) But if you're saying that this one wants to do this, that one wants to do that, and the next one something else (spreading the five fingers apart and pointing to each finger), then that's weak, and as soon as it goes out, it will be repelled, right? You need to have a plan and organize things, coordinate well, and cooperate with each other.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference”)
After studying this Fa, I realized that Master requires us to form one body and cooperate with each other so that we can clarify the truth in a more powerful way.
For a long time I was not able to cooperate with the whole body as requested by Master. After studying the Fa, I realized that this was caused by selfishness and the attachment to myself.
I'd like to share with you my experience in letting go of selfishness and harmonizing with the whole body of practitioners.
1. Cultivating Away the Selfishness of Not Cooperating
I have mainly clarified the truth at tourist scenic spots. I think this project is very important. We only have a few practitioners there, and sometimes it is only myself. Thus I seldom participated in other projects.
One coordinator asked me to help distribute The Epoch Times newspaper. I didn't agree to help her. I said to her: “My project is very important. You should ask other practitioners. It is easier to find practitioners to distribute the newspaper than to clarify the truth at a tourist scenic spot.”
Because I thought my project was so important, I didn't participate in the monthly group practice that was organized. I thought my project was more important than the group activity. My thinking then was that the practitioners who were not involved in any project should attend the group practice.
Master said:
“Actually, you don’t yet know that this selfishness reaches all the way up to very high levels. As a matter of fact, for cultivators in the past to say, 'I’m doing such and such,' 'I want to do such and such,' 'I want to obtain such and such,' 'I’m cultivating,' 'I want to become a Buddha,' or 'I wish to attain such and such,' none of that was outside of selfishness. But what I want you to do is to truly, purely, and unselfishly Consummate with the real righteous Fa and righteous Enlightenment—only then can you achieve eternal non-extinction.” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Switzerland)
This was me. I only thought of myself, not the whole body. As a Dafa disciple, instead of doing what I wanted to do, I should do what I was required to do. Practitioners at the scenic spots made some arrangements with me so that I was able to attend the group exercises and activity once a month.
One day in August 2014 one practitioner asked me if I would like to attend the Lantern Festival Parade. I was unwilling because I hadn't had my dinner. Again, I thought that practitioners who were not involved in any Dafa projects should attend. However, other practitioners encouraged me to go. After further thinking, I thought that I shouldn't differentiate between projects. As long as a project could save sentient beings, I should attend.
When I was walking in the parade wearing a yellow T-shirt with messages about Falun Dafa and accompanied by Dafa music, I was very proud to let many people learn the beauty of Falun Dafa.
However, only more than 20 practitioners attended the parade. We have hundreds of practitioners in Singapore. Why did only around 20 practitioners attend? The reasons varied, but the main reason was that practitioners were not concerned.
I was like that before. I felt a bit of regret for our not doing well in this parade. If every practitioner was attached to his/her own projects and didn't attend the activities that were organized, how could we Singapore practitioners form one body?
Master said:
“The way Singapore has treated Dafa disciples in recent years has gotten too similar to [the treatment by] the wicked CCP. In terms of persecuting Falun Gong, it has practically become a province of China.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference”)
Why did practitioners not cherish this opportunity of the Lantern Festival parade, where practitioners could participate and wear yellow T-shirts with Falun Dafa messages? If more practitioners had attended, the energy field would have been more powerful. I regretted my not doing well in the previous one body projects and for practitioners missing a good opportunity to display the beauty of Dafa to the public. We lagged far behind other practitioners in other countries in this regard.
I shared my thoughts with other practitioners at the large group Fa study and sharing session. Our coordinators happened to be organizing practitioners to attend the “Big Walk” event held by everyday people at that time. Many practitioners registered their names. One young practitioner said to me: “Auntie, I didn't want to attend because I attended it last year. But after I listened to your sharing, I decided to attend the walk this year as well.”
Over 100 practitioners participated in this event. We attracted the attention of a lot of people. They were very happy to see us. I felt the power of the whole body and realized why Master asked us to harmonize together.
Being Selfless, Coordinating and Harmonizing Together
At the RTC Platform (a platform on the Internet used to clarify the truth to Chinese people), a few practitioners pointed out that the RTC team was not disciplined and hadn't yet learned to cooperate together. When I looked inward, what they said was true. Because we considered ourselves most important, we did whatever we wanted. We couldn't even guarantee our Fa study time. I was one of them.
I was unwilling to be a coordinator when the previous coordinator resigned, because in my heart I didn't want to spend more time on the RTC project. A coordinator had to deal with all sorts of things; so I would not have as much time to spend clarifying the truth at the scenic spots. I knew this was selfish, but I didn't want to be a coordinator.
Master said:
“I brought up these matters long ago. When are you going to do something about it? When are you going to do something about it? Time is running out.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference”)
When I was studying Master's lecture, I asked myself: “When am I going to do something about it? When am I going to let go of my selfishness? Can I take this selfish heart with me to heaven?”
I realized that Master provided me with the opportunity to be a coordinator of the RTC team so that I could get rid of this selfish heart and improve in cultivation.
When sharing with practitioners in the RTC team, I exposed my selfish heart and made up my mind to cultivate it away when I became the coordinator. I helped new practitioners with telephone calls. We made phone calls together. Though it was slow and time consuming, I helped them. Master also gave me hints.
I encouraged them when people would curse, and I sent forth righteous thoughts for them. While helping other practitioners, I felt the joy and the meaning of my life. Superficially I sacrificed for others, but actually I was cultivating and improving.
Master also gave me hints that I should be patient in helping practitioners who were new at making phone calls to China, and that I should persist. I will remember Master's hints and gradually cultivate away selfishness. We are doing our best to cooperate and harmonize to awaken more sentient beings.
Master said:
“As a Dafa disciple, no matter what setting you are in, you should do well, do even better, and quickly eliminate your shortcomings and the things you shouldn’t have.” and “Let go of everything and—openly and with breadth of mind—act like a cultivator.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference”)
I will remember Master's teachings and keep improving myself according to Dafa. I will become more selfless and cooperate and harmonize with practitioners to be worthy of Master's saving grace.
Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Category: Improving Oneself
