(Clearwidsom.net) Self-cultivation occurs as long as we do everything we should to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. I was recently truly moved by one practitioners' sharing. My intentions have been greater than my behavior, however. I often really want to share with others, but my human attachments are so great! I usually think that what I am sharing is not important and everyone already knows what I'm talking about. Actually, while searching my heart, I find that thoughts of reputation and worry surround me.
When I first heard about the exposure of the Sujiatun Concentration Camp, I was shocked and had difficulty accepting this. However, I calmed down and studied the "Fa." I asked myself how an enlightened being would think about this situation. Regardless of what explanation is put forth, I realize this is an old-force arrangement. Sujiatun and similar concentration camps exist to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. In fact, sentient beings are also affected. Dafa practitioners will improve even though they suffer and are tortured to death. However, the death of so many practitioners really hinders efforts at saving numerous sentient beings. We should completely deny and eliminate the old forces' evil arrangements.
Recently, I studied the Fa and realized that we practitioners in the era of Fa-rectification have no predecessors. Formerly, cultivation was for practitioners themselves to escape the suffering of samsara (the cycle of reincarnation). The purpose was to benefit oneself. Our Falun Dafa is not like that. We are practitioners who follow our teacher to clarify the truth. Our task is validating Dafa and saving sentient beings. Self-cultivation occurs as long as our behavior is based on validating Falun Dafa and saving sentient beings. I think that if we are still based in the old principle of "using selfishness to eliminate selfishness," then we are then indeed lacking the Fa's mighty power to deny the old force's evil arrangements. On the other hand, if we truly cultivate to attain selflessness, our Fa's mighty power will be unlimited.
I don't know if I have expressed all of this very clearly. It is true that sometimes what we say may not clearly indicate what we understand. For example, I felt uncomfortable about one practitioner's behavior during the last Los Angeles Fa Conference. I was in a dilemma. If I pointed out his behavior, perhaps I was not being tolerant. On the other hand, maybe I was not behaving responsibly towards that practitioner if I failed to point something out to him. I hesitated for an entire day. As a result of the hesitation, my abdomen became so painful that I could not walk normally. I did not understand what was going on, nor did I think very deeply about it, either.
In the afternoon, practitioners displayed the "Great Wall of Truth" along the side of the street. Our location was good, and lots of people could view our banner and ask questions. Suddenly, a local practitioner asked us to move to another location where many vehicles blocked the view of our banner and people could not see us. Later, she let us move on to another place, but by then our time was limited as the activity was almost over for the day. I said to another practitioner who stood beside me, "We should not move again, or we will not have enough time!" He hesitated and said, "Shouldn't we really tolerate the inconvenience?" I didn't say anything. Suddenly a thought came to me, "Why do we cultivate? Don't we clarify the truth?" "No, just stop right here! We should not move any more!" I was not sure if I was right, but just did what I thought to be correct. Several seconds later, I felt my illness symptoms vanish! I knew what we had done was correct! I understand that no matter what appears on the surface, we are right as long as our hearts are pure.
I was always confused. I felt that cultivation was so difficult! I thought that cultivating in the maze was so difficult because we cannot firmly understand what is right and what is wrong. Now, I finally understand. If we strictly take the Fa as teacher and eliminate all selfish thoughts, we will naturally do the right thing.
We should widely expose the Sujiatun situation and let more and more people know about it and the other concentration camps in China. This is another important opportunity for people to position themselves. Before I do something for Dafa, I check my own heart to make sure that "I am cultivating and I am establishing mighty virtue." Eliminate those selfish thoughts and keep the heart pure. Our thoughts must be selfless when saving sentient beings. Only then are we most effective when clarifying the truth. I think if everyone meets a cultivator's standards every time, there will be nothing that we cannot overcome. We are Teacher's students.
This is only my opinion, and any comments or suggestions are most welcome.
24th March, 2006