Fellow Practitioners’ Behavior Reflects Our Hidden Attachments

(Minghui.org) Other practitioners’ cultivation issues may be pointing out our attachments, so these are good opportunities for us to look inward and cultivate ourselves.

About two years ago I noticed that Aping bragged and sometimes didn’t exactly tell the truth. For example, when she saw another practitioner make mistakes when she copied the Fa, Aping said that she tore off the entire page if she wrote one word wrong. However, I noticed that when she copies, she is the messiest.

When another practitioner said rain was coming into her house and she needed to repair the roof, Aping said it meant that she had a shortcoming and she needed to look within. However, when Aping’s house leaked she spent a few thousand yuan and replaced the entire roof with a metal one.

When other practitioners can’t overcome illness tribulations for a prolonged periods of time, Aping says, “Come to my house,” meaning she’ll help them overcome the tribulation. However, a practitioner only stayed at her house for one night and then left.

When a local practitioner was arrested and detained, Aping said, “We must go there and ask that the practitioner be released!” However, when rumors came up and the atmosphere suddenly became very tense, Aping and her children went to another city to hide. The other practitioners stayed and tried to think of solutions.

After I started noticing Aping’s shortcomings I started to look down on her. Her behavior made me feel uneasy. My heart was moved but I didn’t know which of my attachments was triggered. I also know that fellow practitioners’ behavior are my mirrors. I asked myself, “Is it because I have similar problems so I see this? Do I also like to brag?” However, I only stop at the superficial level and did not dig deep within myself.

Identifying My Attachment

Recently, one practitioner fell, and the injury was so bad that her bone protruded. Aping said, “You need to reject it. Do not acknowledge it.” Aping later hurt her waist. While she was going through that tribulation she frowned and didn’t seem to have any righteous thoughts. I laughed and said, “You make it sound so easy when you talk about others. You told them to not acknowledge it. However, when it happened to you, where are your righteous thoughts?”

On one hand I was anxious for her, hoping that she could quickly overcome this tribulation but on the other hand, I gloated a little. I thought, “You always make it sound so easy when you talk about others, let me see how you overcome this tribulation!” I quickly realized that my attitude was wrong. I formed a notion about Aping and this would cause a division between us. Aping’s behavior was not coincidental. Why did I get to see it? Why was my heart stirred? I must have the same problem.

One day I discovered that I have similar problems. This discovery shocked me. Local practitioners decided to do a relay and send forth righteous thoughts focusing on the problems about the current tribulation and also to save fellow practitioners who were detained. Everyone chose time slots and I chose the period from ten to ten thirty at night because I need to help the children with their homework and they go to bed at ten. For two nights my daughter, who already started sleeping by herself, suddenly wanted to sleep with me. I was not able to join the relay to send forth righteous thoughts. I suddenly realized that I wasn’t doing what I promised. How was I different from Aping?

When I attended the group Fa study, I talked on and on about how we should improve our understandings about the current Fa tribulation, about sending forth righteous thoughts and also about saving practitioners, who were detained. When I shared these thoughts, I spoke with righteousness but what happened when I actually got down to doing it? Did I improve in my own understandings? I still wasn’t able to treat saving fellow practitioners as my own issue.

When I talked about another practitioner’s cultivation, I said he read three lectures in Zhuan Falun every day and copied the book for five to six times. I compared myself to him and I rambled on for very long. But, I did not change my own Fa study habits.

Every day I tell the other practitioners that we’ve reached the last phase of Fa rectification so we must attain the standard. I remind them that Master extended the time because the number of lives saved are not enough and that practitioners haven’t met the standard.

I also looked within to see where I did not meet the standard and after searching for a long time, I found that I could not persist in practicing the exercises every day. I was still attached to my mobile phone. I was attached to fame, personal gain and emotions, and I still have not fully assimilated to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

Thinking about my words and actions, I wept and thought, aren’t I deceiving Master? Wasn’t I letting Master down? I brag in front of fellow practitioners, but do things my own way and slack off when no one sees me. My behavior is shameful. To put it more seriously, I am cheating Master!

But I still looked down on Aping for boasting, bragging and not doing what she said. My actions are even more serious than hers.

Actually, Aping’s cultivation is quite good. She knows how to look within when conflicts arise and she cultivates her xinxing. When I see other practitioners’ issues, I should reflect on and cultivate myself. However, for two years I ignored this problem. My understanding of the Fa is so poor! I really should thank Aping for helping me see my problems which are so hard to detect!

Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!