(Clearwisdom.net)

For a cultivator, the most important thing in life is the realm he or she reaches, not worldly interests--so why do we compare ourselves with others based on "accomplishments," like who is more capable, speaks better, or appears successful? If we must compare ourselves with others, we should take a higher perspective, and consider who can truly be happy for others' achievements, rather than being jealous; who cares more about the whole group, and not just themselves; and who can be unmoved in the face of difficulty and conflicts. We are Falun Dafa cultivators. All worldly fame and personal interests are illusions.

Obstacles and interference by the old forces

The obstacles and interference created by the old forces are pervasive everywhere. The effect is like a giant, invisible hand that blocks the Fa from our hearts. As a result, even the Fa principles that Master has clearly explained are often misunderstood by us. Under the influence of the old forces, selfish thoughts, and the evil specter of the wicked Party, our hearts often understand things in whatever way benefits us the most. We come up with twisted interpretations of the Fa and then look for excuses in the Fa. We rationalize our attachments and convince ourselves that we are still striving forward diligently and still validating the Fa, even if we have not met the Fa's requirements. Actually, such a state is a far cry from the true requirements of the Fa-Rectification and Master. We cannot say that we didn't understand or know what to do. Even ordinary people have a knowing side, let alone Dafa practitioners who study the Fa every day. If we don't want to face what's truly in our hearts, we will become confused and muddle-headed, or enter into a numb-like state where it becomes very difficult to become clear-headed for long periods of time.

Certain incorrect understandings in many aspects of our cultivation are commonly found amongst practitioners. Some practitioners think that it doesn't make much difference how much they practice the exercises. In the back of their minds, they think doing a little exercise is good enough. Similarly, some think that if they work on a project, then that fulfills their truth-clarification work, and they don't need to do anything else. When I was in China, nobody in my family could stop me from distributing truth-clarification materials; no danger outside could scare me. But now, I have seen how the old forces used my own attachments and notions to block me. Ironically, the most effective way they found to stop my progress, was to put me on a project team. Gradually, I grew to care only about the project I was working on, and became indifferent to other projects, as if they had nothing to do with me. Sometimes I feel pain over my own indifference. The projects we work on are all for validating the Fa. They are closely related to the Fa-rectification's progress and our progress as one-body. If we no longer have a cultivator's genuine wish to be an integrated part of the group environment, then whatever success we achieve is only that of ordinary people and has no meaning. Just like a drop of water separated from the sea, or a seed without soil, we would have no force to live and grow.

Offering salvation to sentient beings

Fa-rectification cultivation requires a wish on our part to offer salvation to all sentient beings. Everything we do, including all projects, is based on this premise. We ourselves are being saved by the Fa-rectification, and so are our fellow practitioners. It is even more so for ordinary people. But as we work on our projects, we sometimes forget our initial intent and do the work just for the sake of the projects. We work on them to make them grand and successful, and when getting caught up in this attachment--cast aside the sentient beings we wish to save. This situation manifests when we forget our own cultivation and the cultivation state of our fellow practitioners. If a fellow practitioner's mistakes affect something we are working on, we may complain quite a bit inside. If an ordinary person does something that causes difficulty for our project, it may be even harder to tolerate. In our minds it becomes as though the projects are the first priority, and we focus all of our attention on them, while neglecting our own cultivation, the cultivation of our fellow practitioners, and the salvation of ordinary people. Our cultivation is still far from what is required. The only way we can succeed is if we can truly place the salvation of sentient beings as the top priority.

I have shared these shortcomings I see in myself to encourage others to improve.

May 14, 2005