(Clearwisdom.net) I thought about submitting articles to the Minghui website a year ago, but I didn't start writing until now. I always thought that I had not cultivated well in some areas, and writing articles would be acting just like an "armchair quarterback". I thought about it carefully and realized that I still have not put personal cultivation and Fa-rectification into proper perspective. If I am aware that I have not cultivated well, I should try my best to catch up, and should not stall and wait passively.
I realized that when I went to Beijing to appeal on July 20, 1999, I went with a selfish idea in mind. I feared that I would miss an opportunity for Consummation if I did not go. I did make it for the peaceful appeal in Tiananmen Square, and fearing that I would miss another opportunity, I switched from riding a bicycle to taking the train in the middle of my trip to Beijing. Whenever I was faced with unexpected evil persecution, I was always thinking about how to pay off my karmic debt, improve my character and walk toward Consummation. I seldom thought about clarifying the truth in order to safeguard the Fa and save sentient beings. I always considered Consummation and personal cultivation my first priority. Facing all sorts of persecution, I failed to free myself from the restriction of personal cultivation, in other words, I failed to assist Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. This is also the reason why I have taken a detour. At this time many practitioners in our area have the same problems. This has consequently brought considerable losses to the Fa-rectification.
In fact, this issue not only applies when making appeals to the government or in our ordinary Dafa work, but also, every time we encounter a tribulation. It doesn't matter if the tribulation is big or small, there always exists the issue of whether or not we consider things and handle conflicts from the standpoint of personal cultivation. Are we conducting ourselves with the idea of assisting the Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings as our primary motivation, and putting this idea above all others? This indeed is an issue that we should not overlook. If we overlook this issue or put our personal cultivation above everything because we don't have a clear understanding, we will cause losses to the Fa-rectification.
In "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America" Teacher says:
"Actually, a cultivator in the past wouldn't care at all about whatever those everyday people thought: 'Whether you think I'm good or bad is all everyday people's thinking, and it doesn't matter to a cultivator. Who cares how you everyday people are? What I cultivate is myself.' One would depart after reaching Consummation, and wouldn't care at all about what happens to everyday people: 'When people have committed sins, they'll have to pay for them; and when they're no longer good enough, let history weed them out.' That's how it was in the past. The mercy exhibited by our Dafa disciples today has never been achieved by any beings before in their cultivation. A Dafa disciple--a most magnificent, merciful being--is the most remarkable and most merciful in every environment of human society, and is beneficial to other beings."
I came to understand that, over an incredibly long period of time in history, all beings have gradually deviated from the cosmos's nature, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and have formed many selfish notions without being aware of it. In the history of cultivation, for instance, it is all about Consummation and liberation through personal cultivation. The notion of personal cultivation has become deeply rooted in human society. Faced with Teacher's Fa-rectification, practitioners often failed to put personal cultivation and Fa-rectification into proper perspective. Personal cultivation in the past has always been permeated with "selfishness," whereas Teacher's Fa-rectification requires "selflessness". We must put the idea of assisting the Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings above everything, as we promised so long ago. Teacher has been treasuring and saving each and every being with the greatest compassion. Therefore, today, when we are faced with any problem we should view everything from this standpoint.
In "Touring North America to Teach the Fa" Teacher says:
"So for you, personal Consummation is minor. You have cultivated multiple times in history, and have gone through journeys like this in many time periods. The current test of your reaching the standard for personal Consummation isn't a big deal at all. That's the standard for measuring how much of Dafa you grasp. Your process of personal cultivation and Consummation was actually laying a foundation for your safeguarding the Fa and validating the Fa later on. This is because you have to have certain qualities, and you have to have a deep understanding and grasp of the Fa; at the same time, in your own cultivation process you have to fully meet the personal standard that you are able to reach. Only then can you truly validate the Fa and do what a Dafa disciple should do at critical moments. So a Dafa disciple's responsibilities aren't for the sake of personal Consummation, but to save sentient beings while validating the Fa--that is a Dafa disciple's historic mission, and that is why Dafa disciples are truly magnificent."
Teacher reminds us in his lectures that we are here at the same time as Teacher and during the special period of Teacher's Fa-rectification, we are particles of the Dafa, and we are one whole body. Accordingly, we all know that no one except Teacher is worthy of testing this Dafa. Any interference with and damage to our assistingTeacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings is committing sins against the Fa-rectification.
"All beings in the cosmos are repositioning themselves. Humans aren't worthy of testing this Fa, and neither are Gods. Whoever touches it commits a sin. They've seen all of this as well." (From "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America")
Then today while doing what a Falun Dafa practitioner should do, we should not be trapped in the framework of personal cultivation. As we look inward to purify and rectify ourselves, we should at the same time be aware of our mission. In other words we should safeguard the Fa of the cosmos, be compassionate to sentient beings and do what a Fa-rectification period Falun Dafa practitioner should do.
Of course, we still have this final factor of karma, but we must not acknowledge the evil test of "karmic retribution," which is arranged by the old cosmic forces. As long as we establish a correct standpoint from which to operate, maintain righteous thoughts and act selflessly in the Fa, Teacher will be able to resolve everything benevolently. We don't have to follow the old forces' arrangements in paying off our karmic debts. Instead, we should eliminate the evil beings' interference and achieve the goal of saving sentient beings.
Now that the main current of the Fa-rectification is approaching, there are fewer evil elements. As they become fewer, their efforts become more crazed and desperate. Thus different forms of persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners' reputations, physical bodies and finances still exist. Whether we are able to eliminate the persecution, walk our path righteously and save sentient beings to the greatest extent is very important. Whether we are pure and righteous or not decides the future of countless sentient beings'. The issue of assisting the Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings persists from the beginning to the end of Fa-rectification cultivation. In the three things that Teacher has requested us to do, studying the Fa well; send forth righteous thoughts; and clarify the truth, there also exists an issue of having the correct mentality while doing these activities. We indeed should be clearheaded and carefully search for the starting point in our minds--have we acted selflessly? This is an issue that we should not overlook.
In the end I would like to present some real examples in our area as an explanation for the above Fa-principles that I have referred to.
Practitioner A has been a top performer in his workplace every year. After the persecution against Falun Dafa started, he was judged to be a top performer in anonymous votes for three years in a row. Nevertheless, his supervisor vetoed recognition for him each time based on the "grounds" that he practiced Falun Gong. The practitioner thought that as long as Falun Dafa's name is not cleared, he would not be evaluated as a top performer. Also, he could let go of his attachment to the recognition and good fortune this designation had gained for him in the past. Through experience sharing, he realized that he had tacitly acknowledged the evil's arrangements and overlooked the fact that while purifying and rectifying himself, he should at the same time fulfill the mission of rectifying the Fa.
Practitioner B tried to be a good person by following "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Last year the supervisor at the city award level overturned the vote to evaluate him as a top performer based on the grounds that he practiced Falun Gong. So, while purifying and rectifying himself, he sent strong righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors that manipulated sentient beings to commit crimes. To everyone's surprise, he was announced as a top performer in the city. His supervisors did not interfere. Accordingly, he validated the Fa. (Note, the above two cases are only examples of persecution relating to one's reputation and how to establish a correct mindset when encountering something like that.)
Practitioner C had diarrhea. He thought that he had some shortcomings and karma, so he kept looking inward, but his condition persisted for about a month without making improvements. Through experience sharing, he discovered that he had still acknowledged the old forces' tribulations and tests.
Because practitioner D did not let go of the attachment to money, he was taken advantage of. One day he suddenly passed out and showed symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage, which panicked his family members. The practitioner's master soul left his body and saw the Teacher. He told Teacher firmly, "I will never acknowledge the old forces' taking advantage of my weakness to persecute me and destroy my physical body. I don't care what arrangements have been made in history; I definitely do not acknowledge it. I'll take the path Teacher arranges for me." As a result, he woke up on his own after two hours. His physical condition was back to normal. His family members were shocked. (Note, the above two cases are only examples of tribulations of the physical body and how to establish a correct basis when encountering something like that.)
Practitioner E's family own a factory. Their customers owed them a lot of money. Her husband (a Falun Dafa practitioner) thought that they should let go of the attachment to money. Consequently, their customers' debts grew larger and larger, and they themselves were in debt too. Through experience sharing, they discovered that this had something to do with the way they approached their cultivation and the evil beings had taken advantage of their weaknesses.
(Note, the above case is just an example of tribulations relating to financial conditions and how to establish a correct basis when encountering something like that.)
This article expresses my understanding at my current level. Fellow practitioners please kindly correct me.
