(Clearwisdom.net) Some intellectual practitioners consider that they only have an analytical ability if they know both the positive and negative side of an opinion, and then they are able to refine the "Golden Eyes" (1). Thus, while they are learning the Fa, they also read many reference books, such as religious and political books that interest them. They also watch all kinds of TV programs, including the propaganda of the evil party, and then claim, "I only compare everything they are saying in order to see who is right, or who is reasonable." They say that if you do not know the fake truth, how can you tell it from the real truth? They think that they know more than do others, and have the ability to distinguish. Actually this is a fallacy, as they take the "fake" as the standard.
Cultivators are to return to their true selves, and during the process of cultivation continuously eliminate contaminated non-congenital matters. They need to return to their congenital level of life and be noble, exerting pure kindness and truthfulness. This is the solid advancement of a human being. As a cultivator, we not only need to be far from all evilness, we have to exclude the evil spirit, and at the same time take the initiative to eliminate the evil.
Reputedly, the British Bankers' Association organizes a two-week training program each year in order to assist their staff in distinguishing forged notes. However, no actual forged notes have ever been used during this training. Only the real ones are used. During the class the only things explained are the characteristics of real notes. How can one distinguish between real and forged if one is not able to feel the difference? Someone was suspicious about this teaching method during this training class. The banking system also tracked and investigated those trained employees and others who had been taught to distinguish between the forged notes elsewhere. Interestingly, the statistical result showed that employees who had been trained this way had a stronger ability in distinguishing the forged notes. So what is the secret of success of this method? The expert explains that by repeatedly touching and feeling the real notes during the training, the students' fingers and eyes get used to the feeling of the real money. When they receive a forged note at work, since they are not used to the feel of it and know nothing about its characteristic, they will subconsciously feel that the note is not real!
Distinguishing between right and wrong is the same as distinguishing between forged and real money. The standard of judging good or bad cannot be based on the comparison of what is being more reasonable. For example, that which looks more real cannot be taken as the standard for deciding which note is real and which note is forged. Even though one may know many characteristics of the forged note, they exist only in comparison to the real note. Thus, the idea that the ever changing characteristics of the forged notes can be used as a frame of reference to distinguish them is incorrect. If we are driven by curiosity and the attachment of competitiveness, we may simply pursue this kind of knowledge and neglect the real significance of returning to one's true self. How are "Golden Eyes" refined? Only by ceaselessly assimilating to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," assimilating to the correct principles, will what you hear, say and do, and associate with be all noble. When you assimilate to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," those fake, evil and ugly things will not be able to escape your eyes.
Confucius said, "Don't see the incivility, don't listen to the incivility, don't say the incivility, don't act the incivility." That means not to see, listen, say or do uncivilized, immoral, unattractive things. This includes not watching the howling, ugly and dispirited music and pictures. We also should eliminate the Communist Party's propaganda that actually destroys the kindness of human nature. In particular, the Communist's ideology of struggle and the so-called "brave words" are contaminants that should be purged from our thoughts. No matter how small an opening you allow, as long as there is one, all the information from the crowd (including wicked living beings) will come and rush through it. When you watch its program, read its book, get mixed up in it, its characteristic and elements will affect, contaminate, and control you. They will seize any opportunity. Just because you may not be affected by one thing, does not mean that you are not affected by other things.
Of course, some fellow practitioners exclude the bad interference of the evil party's media by using strong righteous thoughts. In order to save sentient beings, they have to talk about its evilness and expose it to human society. That is different. Hopefully, practitioners who are fond of watching TV entertainment programs and reading those so called "reference books" with negative examples to sharpen their analytical abilities will examine their fundamental attachments and thoughts. Cultivation is serious.
Teacher said in "Stealing Qi" in Lecture Eight of "Zhaun Falun":
"When one is healing an illness, one must try to discharge the pathogenic qi. Yet the person who steals qi will not discharge qi and will collect all kinds of pathogenic qi all over his body. Even his internal body becomes very dark."
"... what do we need qi for in the practice? Our own bodies need to be purified. Why should we need that impure qi? Definitely not. A person who wants qi is still at the level of qi. Being at that level of qi, he cannot distinguish good qi from bad qi, as he does not have that ability."
My understanding of one of the principles is that cultivation can't be pursued like pursuing knowledge. The enlightenment of the Fa principles can't be pursued by "extensive reading" with the attachments of curiosity, seeking knowledge, and showing off, etc. That "knowledge" does not belong to you. Everyday people want to have more knowledge (or living skill). They think the more they have the better. Among cultivators, however, this idea is wrong.
As Dafa practitioners we need to make good use of our time and do the three things we are supposed to do. Time is urgent. Practitioners who hold on to the notion that it is fun to be a human being and don't step forward will be interfered with, controlled, and driven by the evil. Cultivation has no short cuts. Only by truly cultivating oneself, and in accordance with Teacher's requirements and the requirements of a cultivator, can we eliminate our attachments, improve our thoughts, and enlighten to the Fa principles on each level. This is true advancement of oneself.
Please kindly point out any mistakes.
Note:
(1) The Golden Eyes - In the classic work of Chinese fiction, Journey to the West, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) refined his eyes into the Golden Eyes, which have many supernormal abilities. One of them is to see the true nature of an object. It was said that no demon could deceive Sun Wukong with any disguise because he had the Golden Eyes.