(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I have been undergoing a number of xinxing tests. In particular, I have been experiencing problems cooperating with fellow practitioners. I thought I found the root cause, and therefore drew a conclusion without knowing the facts. The result was in stark contrast to what I anticipated. Fortunately I discovered the problem and promptly corrected it so that it did not have too much of a negative impact.
I started to look inward, and asked myself: in getting along with fellow practitioners or everyday people, did I have a mindset to kindly point out to them or help fellow practitioners to resolve issues with truly great tolerance? Or was I so self-opinionated that I aggravated conflicts between fellow practitioners without knowing the facts? In the face of a conflict, did I understand it from the perspective of the Fa or simply with human attachments or mindsets? Did I truly cultivate myself together with fellow practitioners by letting go of my own attachments, or did I look externally at others?
When calmly looking inward, I found quite a few problems within myself. If we would think about how Buddhas or Bodhisattvas act whenever issues come about, how could we possibly not handle them well? If we truly look inward with the criteria of the Fa, we will certainly find the root cause.
One day when I was doing the Falun Gong exercises, the following passage of Master's teaching came to mind,
"Study Fa, obtain Fa,
Compare in studying, compare in cultivating,
Examine each and every deed,
Accomplishing is cultivating." (From "Solid Cultivation" - Hong Yin)
Although I kept reminding myself, "Study the Fa, Study the Fa with concentration, and do well the three things," did I compare how I study and cultivate with practitioners who don't do well or who advance diligently? In terms of "examining each and every deed,"
have I really followed Master's teaching? How closely did I follow? Do I always keep in mind that the Fa has different requirements of us at different levels?
When reciting Master's poem "No Obstacles" recently I realized that I might have misread a word. So I opened up Master's "Hong Yin II" to double check. Suddenly I saw the two poems right before it, which shocked me.
"Washing away attachments to fame, sentiment, and gain,
What hardship can hinder the divine?"
("Journeying in Dao" - Hong Yin II, Provisional translation)
Wasn't it exactly the fame, profit, and human sentimentality that impeded some practitioners and me who don't cultivate diligently? Instead of letting go of my attachments, I was looking for external reasons.
"Although cultivation matters are discussed
Attachments in the heart must be discarded
What is given up is not one's self
Everything is foolishness in the maze"
("Discarding attachments" (Hong Yin II, Provisional translation)
Indeed, although we all seem to be cultivating ourselves, we sometimes are so deeply in the feelings of gratitude and resentment that we get entangled in the lust and desires of everyday people, and get cornered by fame, profit, and human sentimentality. Still, we gladly talk about them, or feel happy or sad about them. Aren't they attachments? While everyday people enjoy them and feel good about them, in the end these attachments are as empty as dreams. When we as practitioners try to let go of them, we often feel pain and difficulty. Finally we manage to let go of these bad things and elevate ourselves to a higher level. Are any of the things we're obsessed with in the maze part of ourselves? Do any of them belong to us at all? Recalling what I did, I was actually "obsessed" with attachments.
The bottom line is, we often don't examine each and every deed. To become worthy of the name of a Dafa practitioner, we must do the three things Master taught us to do, genuinely cultivate ourselves, and truly
"Examine each and every deed; accomplishing is cultivating."
In fact, what I understand all comes from Master's teachings, which are certainly more enlightening. Nevertheless, when speaking of Fa, we seem to understand it, yet we don't truly do so for an extended period of time. Only through constantly studying the Fa and letting go of the mentality of everyday people, can we slowly enlighten to the true meaning of the Fa.
Shared above is just my shallow understanding at this stage of my practice.