My Understanding of “Selfishness”

(Minghui.org) I remember reading an article on reincarnation a long time ago. In the story, the next chapter in history was about to unfold, and many divine beings were hesitant to come to this human world, as they were intimidated by the dark karma engulfing the lower realm.

One of the characters that was yet to be filled was Wei Zhongxian, one of the ten most traitorous ministers in the Chinese history. In the script, Wei committed a lot of evil in his life and incurred a significant amount of karma. While many divine beings hesitated to take the role, as they were afraid of bearing that much karma, one of them jumped down to the human realm and reincarnated as Wei Zhongxian.

I was blown away when I read this story. I was in awe of how selfless this divine being was and how courageous he was to give up all of himself for this piece of history to play out.

Master said,

“Mankind’s history is like a play, and you played all the roles—from kings to common folk, from heroes to villains (laughter), from intellectuals, to famous people, to heroes.” (Teachings From a Tour of North America)

I recalled my first reaction when I learned this paragraph of the Fa was, “I don’t want to be a bandit.” I did not want to play the bad role, because then I had to pay for the karma I generated. I was selfish.

Master told us:

“Selfishness is a fundamental attribute of the cosmos of the past.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume V)

My understanding is that whenever “I” appeared in my mind, I already have “selfish” thoughts that are not in line with the Fa.

Such “selfishness” is also reflected in my other notions. For example, when I clarified the truth face-to-face, if my first thought was “I am shy,” I would immediately enter that selfish state. Even if I did talk to people, I might not have the most ideal result; if my first thought was to save people, I wouldn’t be “shy” and might be able to clarify the truth thoroughly in one shot with unlimited wisdom.

In the video “What does it take to be a Shen Yun dancer?,” a dancer’s words that “the only limit is in our minds” made me think a great deal. Our notion about our own abilities is formed in everyday life. When we were able to eliminate those notions originated from “selfishness,” we might be able to get rid of those notions from the root.

While doing Dafa projects, if I thought “it is too hard,” or “I am not able to do it,” it’s a reflection of my “selfishness” deep down. I did not want the trouble or spend the time. I did not want to have my Fa study or my cultivation affected by the projects. But if my thought was “as long as Dafa requires it, I will do it,” then during the process, Dafa would grant me wisdom and help me get it done smoothly. When my thought was based on “the needs of Fa-rectification,” then I was not limited by my notion and my ability to do anything comes from the power of Dafa.

With the advance of the Fa-rectification, we need more and more manpower in various Dafa projects. If we aren’t blocked by our selfish notions, we can better save people with the ability given by Dafa.

Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s current understanding meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare with one another in study, in cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)