(Minghui.org) People who practice Falun Dafa are very fortunate. However, being a cultivator is extremely serious. If a practitioner's behavior is not in line with Dafa’s standard, they give a bad impression of the practice to the people around them.
We need to be responsible and correct our behavior that fall short of the Fa standards.
My mother was fortunate to have listened to Master’s lectures. However, she has not been a true practitioner. She had moved to live with my brother, who lived in a different town.
When my brother, sister and sister-in-law asked her to take care of my father, she said that it was all up to his own fate how long he could live. My sister-in-law did not know that my mother was not truly cultivating. Thus, she developed doubts about the goodness of Dafa.
I said to my sister-in-law, “People's attitude may change if they see a Dafa practitioner conducting himself or herself well. But, please do not judge Falun Gong simply because of deficiencies you witness in certain Dafa practitioners.”
While I was explaining it to my sister-in-law, I recognized how one's actions could turn into a misunderstanding.
Master said,
“I often say that if all a person wants is the well-being of others and if this is without the slightest personal motivation or personal understanding, what he says will move the listener to tears. I have not only taught you Dafa, but have also left you my demeanor. While working, your tone of voice, your kindheartedness, and your reasoning can change a person’s heart, whereas commands never could! If others are not convinced deep down inside but only superficially comply, they will still conduct themselves according to their own will when no one is around to see them.” (“Clearheadedness” from Essential for Further Advancement)
Friends often said that I was doing well during arguments. After I practiced Dafa, some people said that I had become less aggressive.
An incident showed that I had not truly given up being argumentative. After I had clarified the truth about Dafa to somebody, she said, “I didn't interrupt you because I did not want to be rude. However, this does not mean I agree with you. You want to force your ideas on me. Although you did not explicitly say that, you implied it.”
I realized that I had not truly looked within, and thus my attachment to validating myself and being selfish had not been eliminated.
I understood that my attachment to self pushed this person away. She did not agree to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which I greatly regret.
Recently, there was an assignment to monitor a project's progress in a different location. I told the employee that the company would pay room and board directly instead of giving an allowance, given that this was a long-term project. Then, upon completion of the project, he would receive a one-time bonus.
Inadvertently, I forgot to inform payroll, who paid out the regular monthly allowance. Thus, his first month’s paycheck still had the extra allowance.
I thought the employee would be happy to get the extra money for the first month. Surprisingly, when he was informed that the change would be effective the following month, he was unhappy. He said that he would resign upon completion of this assignment.
I realized that I did not think of others first and view this incident from the employee’s angle. I was merely considering the company’s benefits, and did not handle this properly. I looked inward and let go of my attachments. I tried to understand what the employee needed and promised that any proper expenses would be covered by the company. He was no longer angry and did not bring up his resignation again.
Looking back, my selfishness, attachment to money and self almost lost my company a valuable employee. I did not do well as a practitioner. If due to this incident, he developed negative thoughts about Dafa, I would be solely responsible for that.
Master said,
“When a tribulation arrives, if you, a disciple, can truly maintain an unshakable calm or be determined to meet different requirements at different levels, this should be sufficient for you to pass the test. If it continues endlessly and if there do not exist other problems in your xinxing or conduct, it must be that the evil demons are capitalizing on the weak spots caused by your lack of control. After all, a cultivator is not an ordinary human. So why doesn’t the side of you that is your original nature rectify the Fa?” (“Expounding on the Fa” from Essential for Further Advancement)
With His words, Master gave me a hint and looked for me to return to my true self. How could I continue to ignore my xinxing issues? If due to my attachments and unkindness, people turned against Dafa, how could I face Master and sentient beings when the Fa-rectification ends?