(Clearwisdom.net)
In our cultivation, we often face xinxing tests among fellow practitioners.
We should not dodge any question that has been raised. No matter who raises it, if we have problems, we need to correct them without any excuse. Yet as cultivators, I think we should pay attention to two things:
First, we have to believe that we are one body. Then we can believe that everyone is determined to do better when we encounter problems and advice.
Secondly, we should give more encouragement to fellow practitioners. We should be good at seeing the good qualities of others and finding the shortcomings within ourselves. We need to look at issues positively.
I used to be very critical and arrogant. I have changed a lot over the years. One important thing that I have learned is that it's easier to find others' strengths when I am humble and calm. A practitioner told me a story that left a deep impression on me. She said that on one occasion, a practitioner joined the project and took over part of the work that she had been responsible for. The newcomer learned quickly and did a really good job. However, she felt that it did not quite measure up to what she had accomplished in the past. So when other practitioners complimented the newcomer, she did not say anything and thought quietly, "It was not bad, but it did not deserve such praise." Later she realized that this was also a kind of jealousy. She was quite shocked, as she assumed that she would only be jealous of practitioners who did better than she. How could she be jealous of a newcomer?
In reality, we think that we can always see and do things better than others. Thus, how can we notice the strength of others ? How can we keep everyone in a caring group? How can we encourage others to do better? We also tend to fall into the trap described in Lecture 7 of Zhuan Falun,
"It can evoke one's jealousy, for if someone is doing well, instead of feeling happy for him or her, people's minds will feel uneasy."
May 25, 2005
