(Minghui.org) As cultivators, we know that we should look inward to solve our problems. I have realized that only with a sincere mind and holding myself to Dafa's standards can I truly find my attachments, correct myself, and take the righteous path of cultivation.
Master Arranged for Xiao Bao to Give Me a Hint
Xiao Bao is my cousin's daughter. She is two years old and very smart. After her family, I am her best friend.
Every time I saw my cousin, Bao would stay with me. Whenever she saw me sending forth righteous thoughts, she would cross her legs. I had already taught her to recite “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good! Falun Dafa is good!”
Once, at a family gathering with relatives, Bao saw me coming, ran over to take my hand, and asked me to play with her. I told her to wait for a while, but she wanted to leave right away.
I knew she wanted to go out and buy snacks and toys. Seeing that I had no intention of playing with her right away, she recited, “Falun Dafa is good.”
That was the first time she took the initiative to recite it. In the past, I always said “Truthfulness” first, then she would say. “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, Falun Dafa is good.”
That day, she recited the phrase to me purposefully, and I pulled her over and said, “Bao, you know that if you recite ‘Falun Dafa is good,’ I will be happy to take you out to play and buy things?” She nodded.
On the way out with Bao, I began to examine myself: Why did she behave like that today? There is nothing accidental on the path of cultivation. Did I also have the intention to use Dafa for my own benefit?
At that time, the words “Dafa Can Never be Plagiarized” (Essentials For Further Advancement) came to my mind.
Master Li Hongzhi has already compassionately taught us:
“I don’t emphasize any specific approach; I use various means to expose your deeply-concealed attachments and get rid of them.” (“Digging Out the Roots” in Essentials For Further Advancement)
I was shocked: Did I have this problem? I must have. Bao's behavior was just to let me see it. I thought about it more.
In the past few years when I wrote experience sharing articles, I sometimes quoted Master's teachings without a solemn and humble attitude. I even cited Master's Fa to prove what I had enlightened to. Of course, I am not saying we cannot quote Master's teachings, but what is our motivation? Is it to validate the Fa, or is it to use Dafa to validate ourselves?
I was stunned. Such an unrighteous heart had been hidden for so long. It was Master who used Bao to remind me so I could discover and get rid of this subtle attachment.
Possessing ulterior motives for citing Master's Fa can lead to completely different consequences. Through this incident, I truly felt the seriousness of cultivation.
Only by looking inward at all times will we not miss the opportunities that Master has carefully arranged for us to eliminate our attachments.
Correcting My Mentality
I went to my uncle's home twice recently. After seeing my aunt, I thought that she was irritable and lost her temper easily. She kept complaining about things and had a bad attitude towards her husband (my uncle) and others.
When I mentioned this to my husband, I judged my aunt with an ordinary person's standard and thought she was too much for my uncle to take.
One day, I suddenly realized: Is there a problem with me? Why did I see this? After looking inward carefully, I found my problem. When I did the housework, I was afraid of spending too much time on it and was often in a hurry. When I went out to post truth-clarification materials with other practitioners, I thought they were too slow. In short, I was impatient!
Isn't this an attachment? Aren't we cultivators walking on the path of divinity? Would divine beings do things like this? What we do should be a manifestation of rational, steady, and peaceful behavior so that we can validate the Fa and save sentient beings.
Master said:
“You should always maintain a heart of compassion and kindness. Then, when you run into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you room to buffer the confrontation.” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)
When I studied Master's teachings again, I re-examined myself and found that I was far from his requirement. I realized that when my mind was not right, I had a strong attachment of fear and did not clarify the truth well.
Thus, the more I felt I did not do well, the more anxious I became. I was no longer in line with the Fa. Master warned us:
“There are also such people among veteran disciples. And the most outstanding evidence of that is that they always compare themselves with humans and with their own past, but fail to examine themselves with the requirements of the Fa at different levels.” (“A Dialogue with Time” in Essentials For Further Advancement)
Only by following Master's requirements and assimilating to the Fa as soon as possible can I eliminate my attachments and do the three things well.
Master said:
“So what's their state of mind? It's tolerance, an extremely immense tolerance, being able to accept other beings, and being able to truly think from other beings' perspectives. This is something a lot of you haven't achieved yet in your cultivation, but you're gradually catching on and achieving it.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.” in Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)
I now have a deeper understanding of conforming to the state of ordinary people as much as possible.
Some practitioners thought that interacting with people whom they knew—including family members, relatives, and friends, especially those who had learned the truth and quit the Chinese Communist Party—was wasting time.
My understanding is that Master has carefully arranged our cultivation. What happens every day is not accidental and is meant to improve our xinxing. We cannot arrange our own path of cultivation and avoid ordinary society.
Master told us that Dafa practitioners must consider others first in whatever we do. In an incident that happened recently, I realized the beauty of being “for others.”
One day, a practitioner mentioned to our Fa-study group that practitioner Cao, who lived nearby, was absent and in poor health. He was almost blind in both eyes and could only listen to the Fa. The practitioner hoped we could help him and suggested we go to his home, study the Fa with him, and help him out.
As soon as I heard this, I didn't want to go. I didn't know him or his family situation, nor what his family members thought about Dafa.
I said that I didn't want to go. After getting home, I kept thinking about why I said that. Another practitioner was having difficulty and needed help, so why was I so indifferent?
Aren't we all Master's disciples? Master cherishes every disciple, so why couldn't I cherish and help other practitioners? I won't do anything extra, but just study the Fa with other practitioners. Isn't my selfishness exposed, and didn't this happen for me to improve?
Master said, “Dafa disciples are one.” ("Teachings at the Midwestern U.S. Conference")
Other practitioners’ problems are also mine, so why would I be unhappy to help him? Isn't that unwillingness a reflection of my selfishness? I thought this notion should be removed immediately.
After realizing my attachment, I corrected myself and went to Cao's home to study the Fa the next day. During that time, we studied the Fa and learned to communicate with each other.
Cao looked inward for his shortcomings, realized the reasons for his current situation, and removed many of his attachments. The chest tightness and irritability he used to experience were lessened, and his mood was much better.
When studying the Fa one day, I said to Cao from the bottom of my heart, “Today, your mentality is much better. My heart is brighter seeing you like this. You should try to maintain this frame of mind in the future.” He said what he’d held in his heart was gone. Our group was happy to hear this.
In the remaining cultivation time, I will listen to Master, do well, and remember His teaching:
“I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. So from now on, whatever you do or whatever you say, you must consider others—or even future generations—along with Dafa’s eternal stability.” (“Non-Omission in Buddha Nature” in Essentials for Further Advancement)