A Better Understanding of Tolerance

(Minghui.org) Tolerance is a human characteristic. As a cultivator, the amount of tolerance we have is linked to the fruits of our spiritual efforts. 

Along with cultivating diligently, our tolerance will be constantly improved. Here are my personal understandings of tolerance from three aspects.

The first, maybe the easiest, is physical tolerance. Some fellow practitioners did things wrong when being tortured because they could not endure the pain or hardship.

They realized their lack of endurance after the fact and thought that they could do better next time with a righteous mind. Such a thought, in fact, might indicate they would be persecuted again.

We should let go of such attachments. We practice a righteous law and should not be persecuted.

In other words, with physical endurance, the old forces would not be able to take advantage of us.

The second is spiritual endurance. For example, when people accuse you or when your fame or fortune is undermined, you can be tolerant of them.

The third is the tolerance with temptations of emotion, fame, and fortune. This is often overlooked but is very critical.

There must be something bad behind those temptations. It looks like bait from a hook that one may not able to see clearly, or is aware, but cannot control themselves.

I recalled a clip of a movie I saw many years ago and it still remained fresh in my mind. An official attempted to bribe a female to keep her silent on a certain issue.

He made an offer with money, but she refused. The official commented “money at a certain level can’t be resisted. It is just like a piece of mantel which will melt when it reaches a certain temperature.”

He then offered a huge amount of money to her, which ordinary people could not resist, but she refused again. This person had very good inborn quality.

She knew there was a good short-term benefit if she accepted the offer, but would encounter very bad consequences in the long run.

This is just an example of the temptation of money. Other temptations are quite similar.

Ordinary people can endure those temptations to avoid disasters and have a good future. In the meantime, cultivators can improve the level of their spiritual practice.

Practitioners with their inner eye open will encounter temptations, and so will the practitioners who have their inner eye closed.

When tolerance reaches a certain level, you may find temptation useless, because there is nothing to attract or affect you in the worldly setting.

It is like things of ants attempting to attract a human being.

With the improvement of your xinxing, karma will be reduced. As true cultivators, the bad things ordinary people have would rarely fall on us.