(Clearwisdom.net) In the past, other practitioners' shortcomings were easy for me to see, and I always knew that I also had that same shortcoming. Later, I found that the situations of other practitioners, especially those to whom I was the closest, would subtly reveal even deeper attachments of mine.
For example, a fellow practitioner's mood became very warmhearted and almost happy after learning that our family did not have any income, as he was experiencing the same situation.
I felt very sad, as I could suddenly see my own shortcomings in this practitioner's behavior. I am always sympathetic and may even get tears in my eyes when I meet other practitioners with the same experience as mine; conversely I am not sympathetic to others with different situations. Suddenly I was able to see that my "sympathy" was not pure. It appears that I care about others, but I am actually emphasizing my own suffering or "achievements." On the other hand, my lack of "caring for others" is rooted in a sense of resentment that I feel in my own heart when I believe that I have made "extra" efforts for Dafa, while others have done less. There are so many human mentalities associated with this way of thinking.
I prefer to spend time with practitioners who share a similar understanding as mine and I like to discuss certain things with them as my "confidants." But I do not discuss these things with others. Think about it. Maybe we talk about those things together because we have the same attachments, and through the relationship we can eventually find our own problems.
From those that I empathize with, those I confide in, and also those who have the same character as mine, I can see my own shortcomings and attachments displayed. Once, a practitioner expressed that another practitioner only did the work that he felt was immediately important to him and he did not care other things. My fellow practitioner then said that I was the same way as that practitioner. Actually, I do think it is best if we do what we think we should do in Dafa work, and quietly do a good job. But perhaps we could do even better in validating Dafa if we could form a whole body. In pondering this situation, I realized that I had not formed a whole body with other practitioners!
When I see the situations and attachments of those practitioners that I encounter on my path, and when I can relate to a practitioner's article on the Internet, I always look inside myself to see if I have the same situation and attachment. I find that practitioners are just like mirrors. They can always reflect my attachments.
