(Clearwisdom.net)
One day on my way to work, I bumped into a fellow practitioner. I laughed and said, "Finally we can go to work together." Previously, that practitioner repeatedly said to me, "We live so close and we work at the same company. We can set a time so we go to work together. Then we can share experiences or recite Fa on our way to work." However, we had never done it. Since we were almost late, I walked very fast and said, "It's almost eight o'clock. It's almost eight now."
Meanwhile, I had a wicked thought, "Didn't you claim that you always leave for work by 7:30 a.m? Liar, I caught you today!" Suddenly, the fellow practitioner criticized me, "Look at how you walk. It's so ugly. Chest out and chin up!" I thought, "You always criticize me with a reason. However, I didn't do anything today, how come you are not happy with me again?"
From my perspective, that fellow practitioner is always mean to me as if she has held hatred towards me since her previous life. She never speaks to me nicely. Whatever she says, it hurts my feelings.
A few days ago, when I was complaining about her to another fellow practitioner, I suddenly remembered the following sentence from one of Teacher's articles, "A Dialog With Time",
"...search within themselves for the things that they have been able to find in others." ( Essentials for Further Advancement)
I came to realize that I actually have all of her shortcomings! Didn't I talk to my family in such a hurtful way? Teacher made me see her shortcomings since I have them myself! I'm so ashamed that I have been unable to realize this until now.
Some practitioners have said that other practitioners are a mirror for us since we can see our own omissions and shortcomings in them. It is so true. The reason that the fellow practitioner criticized me was because of my wicked thoughts. Would that practitioner speak to me like that if my dimensions were pure without any dirty thoughts? No. Would that happen if I had removed my attachment to fighting? No. Would it happen if I took it an opportunity to improve myself instead of judging the fellow practitioner? No. It happened all because of my own issues. Simply because I hadn't reached the level to maintain a pure heart, I thought those words by the fellow practitioner were hurtful. But actually, would I realize my problems if she had not spoken to me in such a way? No. Therefore, I want to sincerely say "Thank You" to my fellow practitioners.
