(Clearwisdom.net) We pay attention to our words and deeds in front of non-practitioners. Even if it is the other person's fault, we do not overly criticize them and can still maintain our xinxing. However, whenever encountering problems with fellow practitioners, with whom we work or live, we often have opposite reactions. We think that because we are all cultivators, of course we should all know how to do well. Especially when we look inward in conflicts, we hope even more that our fellow practitioners are looking inward as well. Actually, this becomes conditionally looking inward. People don't always do what we wish. They either don't pay attention to the matters or the situation becomes worse. When we look inward conditionally, we blindly allow ourselves to be drowned into arguing for the sake of an argument, finding out who is right or wrong, and focusing on analyzing other party, and yet we cannot find our own faults.
Fellow practitioner A had worked with me in a wood processing plant for years. We knew each other very well. In my eyes, he was very lazy. Our work space isn't very large, so I needed to put wood shaving bags into a high pile. I had to lift them myself and the higher I had to pile them, the harder it was. When this fellow practitioner fired the boiler during the night shift, he always troublesomely got the bags from the top and wouldn't use the bottom ones. I became very angry after I realized this and wondered why he wasn't being lazy this time. Why didn't he just take the bags off the bottom? I hadn't done anything wrong, so why did I need to look inward? After a while I calmed down and looked at my heart. No matter who was wrong, wasn't getting angry an attachment of resentment? Afterwards, I asked him, "Why don't you consider others? Look inward!" But he just calmly answered, "I was being considerate of the workers on the next shift, so I took the bags off the top. This way they can easily take the bottom ones." I was shocked by these few simple words. I had gotten along well with him for years, how could I so easily misunderstand him? I had to honestly look inward and examine myself!
What I learned from this experience is that looking inward must be absolutely unconditional. Do not sink into the argument itself. The situation that you are assuming to be true may very well be false. We must examine our own heart at that moment and measure it with the Fa. When fellow practitioners looked inward and considered others, I could put in less effort and enjoy the relaxed environment created by them. Under this situation, I had a hidden attachment to selfishness and comfort. The other practitioners' faults that I've seen are just exactly what I need to work on!
I've observed similar problems occurring with other practitioners. Thus I'm writing down my own experience today and sharing it as a remainder to fellow practitioners.
