(Clearwidom.net) (Continued)
Part 1: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/5/7/60444.html
2. Carefully Examining My Thoughts, Searching for the Slightest Disrespect for Teacher
Everyone can clearly identify the confusion of the previously mentioned practitioner and the disrespect to Teacher in my mind. However, there are other types of well-hidden and not so easily identified disrespectful thoughts toward Teacher.
Not long ago, I became acquainted with a lay Buddhist. Before the end of last year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was hospitalized. I took care of her for several days without any complaint. She was very touched by my selflessness. She is a very devoted Buddhist, and she also knows about cultivating one's heart. But it appeared to me that she was having a hard time. She did not know and could not let go of many attachments. In particular, the relationships she had with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had troubled her for over twenty years. I explained to her that Falun Dafa is a cultivation practice and I also told her many examples of how other practitioners and I had cultivated our xinxing. I gave her one example about my mother-in-law. When my mother-in-law repeatedly created obstacles for me, I still helped her without complaint or regret. I paid off several tens of thousands of yuan in debts she had. When she was in urgent need of money, I even sold my necklace to help her out. When my mother-in-law was truly moved by my action and the power of Dafa, she became an advocate for Dafa and told everyone how good Dafa is.
She was released from hospital very soon after because her tumor was not malignant. Through her, I had the opportunity to clarify the truth to Buddhists and Christians. They said to me, "I had some prejudices against Falun Gong before I met you, but I have changed my mind. You are genuine cultivators." Usually when this happened, I would explain my understanding of the teachings to them a little more. I told them that thinking about others before oneself is what a cultivator should do; that the highest realm for a cultivator is to be able to sacrifice one's life for the universal truths. In the end, I would tell them the facts of persecution and about the spirit of Falun Gong cultivators who persevere in the face of adversity.
Then I noticed a trend - they started to admire me. They often praised me because I have big ears and a round face like a Buddha. They always said to me, "You are truly extraordinary, you are not an ordinary person." I was alarmed by such praises. I would immediately tell them that my Teacher said,
"For a cultivator, all the frustrations he comes across among everyday people are trials, and all the compliments he receives are tests."
("A Cultivator is Naturally Part of It" from Essentials For Further Advancement)
I reminded them not to worship me. As a result, they admired me even more. They would say that my cultivation was solid and they could not achieve such a state themselves. As I heard these comments so often, I started to feel a little excited and zealous. I carefully examined myself and realized that I had the desire for fame. Thus I repeatedly recited a part of Teacher's article "Cultivators' Avoidances" (Essentials For Further Advancement),
"Those who are attached to their reputations practice an evil way, full of intention. Once they gain renown in this world, they are bound to say good but mean evil, thereby misleading the public and undermining the Fa."
At the same time, I also eliminated the evil factors in my mind.
However, sometimes, I caught myself thinking, "Look at me, how diligent I am. I am so careful in searching within myself!" This time I really searched myself for the root of this thought, and I found a frightening trend. Disrespecting Teacher is the root cause of my believing that I have cultivated to a high level. It manifests in my talking mostly about myself with a less righteous state of mind. What else could cause people to admire me instead of Teacher?
In "Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference," Teacher said,
"[W]hether you respect me or not, as your Master, I really, truly don't mind. Back then, as I was saving you, a lot of you were cursing at me. There were people who were cursing at me even while at my classes. I don't mind. I just want to save you. (Applause) What I'm trying to say is, personally I don't mind at all how you treat Master. I'm not affected by any factors at any level of the cosmos. But there's one problem, which is, if you don't respect Master, it's wrong according to the principles of the cosmos, and the old forces will take advantage of the gap and destroy you because of this. They'll have seized the biggest excuse to destroy you, since they've seen the entire process of my saving you."
[...]
"So, for those students of ours who are momentarily in a fog and whose states of mind aren't right, think about it, once you become disrespectful of me, the old forces will do ruthless things to you, and they'll think that this person is just awful. Of course, they absolutely won't annihilate you right away. They'll guide you, have you see more and more false visions, make your mind less and less righteous, make your heart toward Master change in a demonic way, lead you down an evil path, and by doing so make you commit huge sins."
In fact, this issue was clearly explained in the section "The Mentality of Showing Off" in Zhuan Falun. Teacher said:
"No matter what happens, one must maintain good xinxing. Only through adhering to Dafa can one be truly right. Whether it is your supernormal abilities or your Unlocking of Gong, you achieve them through practicing cultivation in Dafa. If you put Dafa in a secondary place and put your supernatural powers in the primary place, or as an enlightened person you believe that what you understand one way or another is correct, or if you even regard yourself as being great and beyond Dafa, I would say that you have already started to stumble. It would be dangerous and you would become ever worse. At that time, you would really be in trouble, and your cultivation would end up in vain. If things are not done right, you will stumble and fail in your cultivation."
It is more and more clear to me that in past lectures, Teacher talked about all sorts of phenomena that are happening today. All genuine practitioners need to carefully examine themselves. In addition, I can also recognize the existence of the old forces. They are jealous of us because we are the Fa-rectification period disciples, and they are scared because they know they will be eliminated. They eye us covetously. If we show an un-righteous thought, they use it to destroy us because they are evil.
I know a female fellow practitioner. Before July 20, 1999, Teacher enlightened her in a dream. In the dream, she saw a travel-worn goddess with long hair walk into the human realm with a solemn expression. Both she and I knew that she was the goddess in her own dream. She was so determined when she first came to Dafa, but now she has fallen to a dangerous spot where she is no longer seriously cultivating anymore.
Therefore, every one of us should examine our thoughts for the slightest disrespect for Teacher. For example, when we are pleased with ourselves when validating the Fa, when those of us who can see with the celestial eye start to think that our own understandings are great, and when we start to think of ourselves as infallible because other practitioners have praised us, etc. If our hearts are moved even slightly and think that we have cultivated higher than others, we should eliminate those thoughts. We must be responsible to ourselves and clearly recognize the roles we are playing in Fa-rectification.
Finally, I would like to conclude this article with a section of Teacher's article, "My Version of a 'Stick Wake-up.'"
"The path that Dafa disciples have walked in validating the Fa--where as they cultivate themselves they also save sentient beings, accommodate the needs of the cosmos's Fa-rectification, and disintegrate and clear away the dark minions and rotten demons that are negatively impacting the Fa-rectification and doing evil against Dafa disciples, as well as all the elements of interference and persecution arranged by the old forces--such is the complete path of cultivation, Consummation, and becoming a magnificent god that Disciples of Dafa walk."
Above are my limited understandings, please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
April 18, 2005
