A Few Thoughts about the Extreme Danger and Harmfulness of Jealousy

(Clearwisdom.net) Jealousy is a very serious issue that Teacher has talked about in the Fa. Every time I read Zhuan Falun, I read this section very carefully. But it was a recent event that made me truly come to understand the extreme danger and harmfulness of jealousy.

I was unwilling to be outdone ever since I was a child and I have had smooth sailing in my career. After I started to cultivate in Dafa, I became an assistant and took responsibility for certain projects; I always thought of myself as capable. I turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to my own mentality of jealousy. One day, I noticed that I could always find other peoples' mistakes, but I looked to myself as perfect as a flower. I looked for flaws in others, enjoyed being the center of attention and liked to draw conclusions about others. I clung to my own notions while doing projects together with fellow practitioners and emphasized self. I was narrow-minded and could not tolerate others; I liked to talk about others, to comment on and to judge others subjectively. I felt upset if others did better than I did. When I felt that my self-interest was hurt, even though I knew that I should look inside for the attachment and remove it, I still felt uneasy and could not let go of my own attachments. I only wanted to change others while not changing myself. I felt that I was really trapped in a sea of jealousy.

Our ancestors had a saying about jealousy: "Doubting when hearing about other people's good deeds; believing without a doubt upon hearing of others' bad deeds; feeling miserable as though having lost something personally upon seeing others gain; feeling at ease as though having gained something while seeing others lose." This saying portrays jealousy most vividly. The saying also reveals that the core of jealousy is self-centeredness and selfishness. Jealousy is to protect one's fame, benefit, status, and ideology with the center being selfishness and with the radius being self-interest.

Not feeling happy for others when they have achieved gain, but feeling upset instead; not feeling sympathetic for others nor willing to help when they are suffering, but feeling at ease instead--this kind of person, on one hand, likes to hear compliments and likes to flatter others; as a consequence, he breeds the mentality of zealotry and showing off, regarding himself as infallible, clinging to his own opinions, feeling extremely conceited, and persisting in his own way while ignoring others' comments. On the other hand, he does not like to hear harsh words and different opinions, and dislikes honest people who speak frankly. In this way, he breeds the mentality of suspicion and competitiveness, and he may even frame cases against others who are better, and attack them. We can clearly understand this from Master's teaching:

"'I've practiced for over twenty years without developing any supernormal abilities, and he has developed them. What sort of supernormal abilities has he got?' This person will be infuriated: 'He's got spirit or animal possession and is experiencing cultivation insanity!'" (Zhuan Falun)

Since he has not developed supernormal abilities after over 20 years of practice, he is then suspicious about other people's supernormal abilities. He feels uneasy and further denies and slanders them; he badmouths others as being possessed by animals and experiencing cultivation insanity.

"With this Unlocking of Gong, enlightenment, or semi-enlightenment, his supernatural capabilities will all emerge. The monks in the temple will all come to ask him questions, and everyone will respect him. But the abbot will be unable to put up with it: 'How can I still be the abbot? What enlightenment? He is experiencing cultivation insanity. Get him out of here.' The temple thus expels the junior monk." (Zhuan Falun)

His own selfishness deep down was offended, and he felt that his position as an abbot was threatened. He then slandered others as being possessed by animals. He even used his power to attack and retaliate, and to expel others from the temple. Monk Jigong had powerful supernormal abilities, yet he was still expelled from Lingyin Temple. This shows the harmfulness of jealousy.

The mentality of jealousy does great harm to both oneself and others, and a person in a powerful position will cause even more damage.

Master mentioned in the Fa:

"In the book Investiture of the Gods, Shen Gongbao found Jiang Ziya to be both old and incompetent. But the Primitive God of Heaven asked Jiang Ziya to confer titles on immortals. Shen Gongbao felt in his heart that it was unfair: 'Why is he asked to confer titles on immortals? You see how capable I am. After my head is cut off, I can put it back on my shoulders. Why wasn't I asked to confer titles on immortals?' He was so jealous that he always caused troubles for Jiang Ziya." (Zhuan Falun)

Shen Gongbao felt that he was more competent than Jiang Ziya, so he should be asked to confer titles on immortals. Since it didn't happen his way, he made trouble and caused damage. It looked as though he was causing trouble to Jiang Ziya, but he was actually showing dissatisfaction and disrespect towards the Primitive God of Heaven who arranged all that, and caused great trouble and damage to the grand task of conferring titles to the immortals. This showed how big of a damage jealousy can cause.

The jealousy of an ordinary person can cause such significant harm. If the person has a strong desire for power and for monopolizing power, his jealousy will not only cause the country to lose wealth, it will also cause many kind and righteous people to be tortured and killed. More significantly his jealousy will destroy the morality of the whole nation and it will bring to the nation sins that can never be paid off. Today, Jiang Zemin, due to his jealousy against the founder of Falun Dafa, is leading the persecution against Dafa practitioners. Isn't he committing such a huge crime in history?

As Dafa practitioners, we must discard the mentality of jealousy; otherwise we will not only be burdened with this attachment, we will also be trapped in haggling over personal likes and dislikes and be impeded in our task of saving sentient beings.