We Need to Eliminate the Attachment to Self-Righteousness

(Minghui.org) I was shocked and saddened upon reading the Minghui editorial “Notice to Stop Distributing All Mainland China-only Editions of Shen Yun DVDs.” The editorial stated,“By bringing Shen Yun videos and DVDs overseas, and ignoring the recent notice from the Minghui Editorial Board, their actions have significantly interfered with what Master has done and wants to achieve.”

I would like to share my thoughts on the attachment to self-righteousness, which was not only demonstrated through the issue of bringing Shen Yun DVDs overseas, but has also been exposed in other ways.

A fellow practitioner in our county was released from prison a few years ago under Master's protection and with fellow practitioners' well-coordinated rescue efforts. However, this practitioner repeatedly stressed how high his level of understanding of the Fa was. Many practitioners chimed in with him, and then brought other practitioners to listen to his sharing. They promoted his understandings, and developed the slogan “deny it.” However, there is nothing about how to “deny it” – meaning the persecution – behind the slogan.

Even though this fellow practitioner's initial intention of sharing his understanding was good, and he didn't mean to show off, the attachments of showing off and zealotry increased, and developed into self-righteousness as more and more practitioners went to learn from him and praised him.

Master has told us,

“If you make Dafa secondary and your divine powers primary, or now that you’re Enlightened you think that some understanding or other of yours is correct, or if you even think you’re so great you’ve gone beyond Dafa, I’d say you’ve started to fall, and you’re at risk, and you’re getting worse and worse. Then you’re really in trouble, you’ve cultivated in vain, and chances are you’ll fall and end up cultivating for nothing.” (Zhuan Falun)

Some fellow practitioners who had been released from long periods of imprisonment failed to reflect upon the attachments that led to their persecution. They instead stressed their righteous thoughts and actions while sharing understandings about their imprisonment. Those who listened to their experience sharing regarded them as heroes, and praised their “great cultivation state.”

Fellow practitioners, let's think about how much suffering Master has shouldered for us! Think about how much rescue work fellow practitioners have done, and how many Dafa resources were spent on your rescue! How can we be self-righteous and brag about ourselves? I don't mean to blame anyone. It's simply a reminder to treat ourselves as Dafa disciples and keep a clear mind.

Being self-righteous is a bad obstacle to looking inward. Though our current cultivation environment isn't as bad as the time of the most rampant persecution, the requirements for a cultivator haven't decreased. Cultivation instead becomes more serious. I would like to share this reminder with my fellow practitioners: we have to look inside for where we fall short, make improvements, and do better helping Master with Fa-rectification.