Thoughts on Going Against the Current

(Minghui.org) I was quite shaken after reading the article “Eliminating My Deep Attachments Made All the Difference” published on the Minghui website. The article touched upon my own shortcomings in cultivation.

The author recounted her internal struggles when she was given posters to put up in a public area. I had a similar experience.

The author wrote: “I asked myself, ‘If Master gave me those posters to distribute, would I do it? Would I think it unfair?’ My heart calmed down.”

To ensure that practitioners in our area do Fa-rectification projects and elevate in cultivation as one body, our local coordinator has worked tirelessly during the past 20 years. He was available in all kinds of weather and around the clock. He greeted everyone with a smile and never showed any resentment.

In contrast, I often looked at other practitioners with the critical eye of an ordinary person.

Our coordinator frequently encouraged us to hand out Falun Dafa brochures. I was unhappy about this. Like the author, at times I, too, saw Falun Dafa brochures as “dangerous material.” Yet they are quite the contrary; those brochures contain life-saving truth!

Ms. Wang is a practitioner in our area. Throughout the years, she took on whatever projects our coordinator assigned to her, regardless of how difficult they seemed. No matter how many posters and banners she was given, she put them all up in public areas. When there were conflicts, she searched for her own mistakes and cooperated with others.

A few days ago, our coordinator gave me 1,600 New Year posters to hand out before the Chinese Lunar New Year. I took them without resentment.

We trudged through deep snow and walked on icy roads. Working together, the practitioners in our area visited all the neighboring villages and markets, and we distributed all the posters before the New Year.

Master said:

“With no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy. An enlightened person has no attachments at all.” (“Realms,” Essentials for Further Advancement )

“Let joy be found in hardship.” (“Tempering the Will,” Hong Yin)

“On the boundless sea of Dafahardship is your ferry” (“Falun Dafa,” Hong Yin)

My understanding is that we should see all hardships in cultivation and in saving sentient beings as good things. Not only that, we should overcome them with a smile. Any uphill battle is a way to cultivate ourselves and harmonize ourselves with the Fa.

Nothing Can Stop Us

I also want to briefly share some of my own personal cultivation experiences and some we as a group had to overcome.

For example, when I struggled with feeling sleepy during Fa study and meditation in the past, I searched within myself for any attachments I needed to eliminate. Once my xinxing was elevated, I no longer felt sleepy during Fa study.

Having strong faith in Master and Dafa helped us overcome sickness karma. We knew that nothing should stop us from doing the three things that we ought to do.

We also learned to remain calm when conflicts arose. Two practitioners in our area had a personality clash. They had to work together as the project was already very shorthanded. After working together for three weeks, apologies were made and their xinxing elevated. They remained supportive of each other.

We did not run away from the police. Whenever we happened to run into them, we clarified the truth to them about the persecution of Dafa. After talking to a practitioner, one police officer repeatedly said, “Falun Dafa practitioners are good people.”

Master said:

“This characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is the criterion for measuring good and bad in the universe. What’s good or bad? It is judged by this.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)

“As a cultivator, one must then conduct oneself by following this characteristic of the universe rather than the standards of everyday people. If you want to return to the original, true self and move up in cultivation, you must conduct yourself according to this criterion.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)

“As a cultivator, if you assimilate yourself to this characteristic you are one who has attained the Tao—it’s just such a simple principle.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)

My understanding is that following Master’s teachings and doing what practitioners should do will be difficult—it is like going against the current. In contrast, following the standards of ordinary society is like going with the current—it is the easier way. Going against the current is what practitioners should do.