(Clearwisdom.net) Saving more sentient beings is an urgent affair for Falun Gong practitioners. In order to fulfill our great historic mission, while we are clarifying the truth and eliminating the evil, let us give up the human notions that prevent us from validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. Especially for the practitioners who have not eliminated their fundamental attachments, please grasp this last opportunity. I have learned many lessons in this area that I would like to share with fellow practitioners.
I obtained the Fa in 1996. In 2004, Master gave me a hint in a dream: I was taking an exam with 10 questions. Due to different kinds of interference, I could not sit at the desk until the exam was almost over. I was only able to answer one question. The time was almost up and I was so anxious. Then I woke up. I felt I was diligent in cultivation. I studied the Fa well and I had been to Beijing three times to validate the Fa. Why was I able to finish only one question? I could not figure out why for quite some time. Later, after memorizing and reciting the Fa and reading experience-sharing articles on "Minghui Weekly", I realized that it must have been that my fundamental attachments were still hidden.
After studying Master's lecture, "Towards Consummation," I realized the importance of eliminating fundamental attachments and looking inward. I felt that my original intention of cultivation was very pure. It was solely because I felt Dafa is good. I carefully examined myself again, and finally found my fundamental attachments to life, to comfort and to self. I came into cultivation with some human notions. It was just because of these fundamental attachments that made me study the Fa and cultivate with a strong desire of "pursuing consummation" and "pursuing advancement." I studied the Fa with human notions and held onto strong attachments that made my Fa-study ineffective.
Looking back on my path, I was holding onto the human world with one hand and holding onto Buddhahood in another. I could not let go of many attachments. This was a profound lesson for me.
There are many fatal attachments that became huge roadblocks in my cultivation. They slowed my pace on the cultivation path. I found my strong attachments to consummation and advancement. I have been so focused on personal cultivation and could not get myself out of it. Therefore, I could not escape from the control of the old forces. Master gave me hints several times in my dreams. I could not recognize the true Master. At that time, I was very puzzled and did not know where the issue was. While reciting the Fa, I suddenly realized and found a deeply hidden attachment that has constrained me for so long: in the human world, I am usually weak in terms of personality or capability. In dealing with complicated human relationships, in order to ensure I do not get hurt, I always protect myself by creating a thick cover. The attachment to consummation and advancement was covered and protected by me using thousands of layers. Master could not help me.
After identifying this strong notion of protection, I felt as if I was a different person. I have eliminated many attachments and eliminated the interference of the old forces. I have moved rapidly on the cultivation path.
Another thought I would like to share is that for those deeply hidden attachments, they are usually easily identified if you start examining your personality and characteristics. I used to think that one was born with one's personality. By studying the Fa, I realized that it was the old forces' arrangements. Through reincarnation, we have different attachments. The roots of these attachments are deeply hidden in our personality and character. Later, I found some other attachments and factors that should have been eliminated. For example, I have a weak personality and I am afraid of evil people. I always avoid conflicts. I am usually compromised in dealing with a lot of things. In Fa-rectification cultivation, these are bad factors. It is one of the main reasons of why I went astray once.
In addition, I usually do not pay attention to minor details. I always thought that was a good characteristic. In fact, to practitioners, these are corrupted things. Cultivation is very serious. The difference between the thought of humans and gods can be reflected in one single thought! This "not paying attention to minor details" characteristic had me go easy on my attachments and made me miss many opportunities to upgrade my xinxing. Not being able to treat seriously every single thought is one of the reasons why I went astray. Plus, I am lazy. Along with that, I am afraid of suffering hardship and have an attachment to comfort. These are all bad factors that prevent me from advancing in cultivation. I realized that the attachments hidden in our personality are tests and challenges the old forces arranged for us. We must completely eliminate them. Otherwise, we will be left behind like sifted sand without even realizing it!
Only when one clearly understands the Fa, will one be able to let go of attachments faster and completely. Only that characteristic of coming to this human world to assist Master in Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings is our true self. Those acquired notions do not belong to us. Those attachments and desires are human ones. We should negate them and eliminate them, especially during tests or challenging times. It is important to clearly define self because our level is determined by our xinxing.
There was a period of time that in order to eliminate the old forces' interference, I sent forth a righteous thought every day: "I am a Falun Gong practitioner. I am a particle in the Fa. I came to this world to assist Master in Fa-rectification. I will save more sentient beings. Master, please help strengthen me." I felt I made good progress those days. When reading in Zhuan Falun, "In this universe, there is a principle which says: 'no loss, no gain'." (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun) I was surprised that after reading the book so many years, I felt this was the first time I noticed the word "loss." Isn't it "loss" that is the true meaning of cultivation? I have always been unwisely focusing on "gain" and holding onto human desires while cultivating. This is also due to fundamental attachments not being eliminated.
We should pay attention to every single thought of ours. Isn't the purpose of cultivation to cultivate our heart? We should cultivate our thoughts and make them pure and live up to the standard of the Fa. I always think about myself and put "me" in the first and foremost position. Why didn't I think about the lives that came to this world knowing the risks and dangers, but with a purpose of saving sentient beings that have been lost in the human world? When I think about this, I feel a great sense of benevolence. In the meantime, I also feel that in this dimension, this might be merely a simple thought. But in the other dimensions, it might have been a huge fundamental upgrade. I also realized that a test in our cultivation does not necessarily take huge events and challenges. In fact, it exists in that one single thought of ours.
Master said,
"Being diligent means that he is able to watch his words and actions closely every moment, pay close attention to his thoughts, and is able to be strict with himself, and is usually able to conduct himself strictly. That describes someone who is diligent in cultivation." ("Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital")
Master also said,
"Fear can cause one to make mistakes, and fear can cause one to lose a predestined opportunity. Fear is a death trap on a human being's journey toward divinity." ("Pass the Deadly Test")
Therefore, we should let go of the attachment of fear. Master also taught us that clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings is the most righteous thing in the universe. We should just do it with dignity. Nobody dares to persecute us. However, although we understand this from the Fa's principle standpoint, why can't we truly let go? Isn't it because we are still not determined enough in firmly believing in the Fa and Master? Master told us this is the golden path. We still feel that there seem to be cliffs. Where is the issue? Isn't it our heart?
If you think distributing materials and clarifying the truth is something dangerous to do and once arrested by the evil, you will be persecuted, then that one thought has kept you at the human level and as your state will stay at the human level, persecution will naturally be the next step.
If you think, "If I do not step forward, I will not be able to reach consummation and will not be able to build mighty virtue and power," then this one thought will make you stay trapped in the old universe and within the control of the old forces. Challenges and tribulations will become inevitable.
Therefore, persecution is not due to the things we do. It is because of where we put your minds and our points of view. If we put our minds on others and always think about sentient beings, then we are lives of the new universe and they will not be able to reach us at all. How would they be qualified to test us? One's level is determined by xinxing. As long as we have righteous minds, firmly believe in the Fa and Master and save sentient beings with dignity, persecution will not exist.
In fact, the word "fear" is sentimentality. It is a material field formed because we have not let go of the attachment to fear. In the past several years, due worrying about the evil recognizing my handwriting, I have never used my real handwriting when writing the truth on banknotes. Once, I came across a banknote that had my modified handwriting. The handwriting looked so bad it was almost unrecognizable. I felt ashamed. I knew Master was giving me a hint: let go of the attachment to fear. I in fact had that attachment for a while. But I always thought it was safer not to use my own handwriting style and held onto that thought tightly and did not want to let go. I did not truly firmly believe in the Fa and Master. I was in fact pursuing persecution. Cultivation is very serious. Without letting go of that attachment, I would not be able to get out of the trap. I have to let go in order to not miss the opportunities. After I realized that, I started using my own handwriting in a dignified and upright manner. I also felt an upgrade in my xinxing. I had less fear. I also realized that although it is important to do many things, the most critical thing is to maintain a pure heart to truly save sentient beings. What dissolves the evil are our righteous thoughts. In fact, Master has pushed us to the right level. We have been great gods and have had mighty power. The evil can only have fear of us. They are not qualified to persecute us. It was our own enlightenment not keeping up that became our own road blocks. It is the old universe's principle of "mutual generation and mutual inhibition" that constrained us from letting go of the attachment to fear and caused the persecution to continue. In fact, as long as we have Master and the Fa, we should have nothing to fear.
Let us encourage one another and fly on the path to the godhood.
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