Understandings Gained from Small Things

(Minghui.org) I would like to share my understandings through three small things.

The First Small Thing

An older woman at our practice site has three children who are all practitioners. The woman is very kind and gets along with her children very well. Her eldest daughter is very polite. She looks very delicate and speaks very softly. I was touched by their family. I kept thinking, “It would be wonderful if I also had such a mother and sister.”

I often envied fellow practitioners and friends who have sisters or daughters. I knew cultivators shouldn’t be jealous, but I didn’t realize envy is also an attachment. It’s a form of comparison, driven by emotion. I came to understand that Master arranged the best path for us. Why do we compare ourselves and envy others when we know that our human relationships are karmic? We should eliminate the attachment to emotion. Without the bondage of affection for family, we should have more time for cultivation.

The Second Thing

Character formations and Fa conferences are important annual events for Taiwanese Dafa practitioners. Preparations start a few months in advance for such large-scale events.

This year, like previous years, I was responsible for event registration in our local area. This year’s formation of characters required four colors of clothes. Most practitioners already have clothes in these four colors, so they don’t need to purchase any, especially since we do a survey of the colors that practitioners already have and make assignments based on that. However, when each practice site reported its number of participants, one coordinator asked that only yellow be used for their practice site like in previous years. Since every practitioner has yellow clothing, they don’t need to buy clothes regardless of what characters are formed. I wondered why we should designate the practitioners at that practice site to wear only yellow.

After the registration deadline, the number of participants was still not certain as some were still registering and some were canceling. Even on the day of the character formation and the Fa conference, some participants didn’t show up even though they'd registered to attend. I complained a bit. Later, I realized that I should be more understand of others and think positively. For example, I could have been positive about the practice site that asked to wear only yellow; perhaps the coordinator’s intention was to save money for fellow practitioners. Those who registered after the deadline, quit, or were absent at the event, perhaps didn't do it on purpose. Maybe something suddenly came up and they couldn’t attend. I understand that as long as I keep thinking positively and understand others compassionately, my heart will not be moved by any changes, and I can get things done smoothly.

It rained a few days before the day the characters were formed. When I received photos of fellow practitioners busily setting up the event at Freedom Square in the rain, I was very touched. My thanks to so many fellow practitioners for their hard work. It’s a great opportunity and honor for our Taiwanese Dafa practitioners to hold such a large-scale activity during the global pandemic.

The Third Thing

After the Fa conference, our local phone team coordinator Mei (alias) asked me to read her text messaging conversation with coordinator Hai (alias). Mei told me she didn’t find anything wrong with it. This happened during the Fa conference. Practitioner Chen (alias) told Mei that coordinator Hai said very few practitioners in Mei’s area participated in the truth-clarification by phone team, although the team had been in operation for more than a year. Chen explained that she made phone calls from home without attending the phone team sharing. Then Mei sent messages to Hai explaining that many practitioners made phone calls from home and didn’t attend the group phone calling effort and sharing in her county.

After reading their conversations, I told Mei not to think negatively. Hai might just want to encourage Chen to make phone calls in the phone team. Hai was not blaming her as the coordinator of the local phone team. Instead, there might be a factor for her to improve, as her heart was moved.

The next day, Mei told me she found her fear of being criticized and many other attachments. She thanked me for sharing with her.

The above things were not accidental but were to help me improve. My understanding is that we should think positively when we encounter conflicts. When negative thoughts do occur, we can immediately deny them and eliminate them. In the meantime, we should kindly understand others and not have opinions of others. On the path of cultivation, everyone is improving constantly. Their cultivation status also keeps changing. Therefore, we should not have set ideas about others and should look at their good points.