(Clearwisdom.net) After going through a traumatic event involving a fire, I discovered Falun Dafa and have been practicing it for more than ten years. I know that it doesn't matter how long one has practiced cultivation, but it does matter how well he understands the principles of the Fa and whether he solidly follows Master's requirements to cultivate xinxing. It is very important to firmly believe in Master and Dafa, to get rid of attachments and human notions, and to constantly improve. Obtaining the book Zhuan Falun seems very easy in ordinary society, but that does not amount to obtaining the Fa.
Master said,
"... what gods want are not the formats that mankind uses, but for you to utilize the formats here and ascend. When you elevate by making use of these formats, you are validating Fa, validating gods, and saving sentient beings." ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles" in 2006)
Master also said,
"During a human being's journey toward divinity, since it is a human being--and not a god--cultivating, he will definitely make mistakes in the process of cultivating, and there will definitely be tests that he doesn't pass well. And of course there are those who make huge mistakes. Once you have recognized your problem, the key question is whether you are determined to get rid of it. Only when you are determined to emerge from it can it be called cultivation, and that is cultivation." ("Pass the Deadly Test" in 2006)
I have practiced cultivation for so many years. It seemed that every day I studied the Fa and continuously did what Dafa disciples should do. However, it was only recently that I came to understand what true cultivation is and how to practice cultivation. I feel very ashamed in the face of Master's salvation, Dafa, and the sentient beings in my world, since for such a long time I didn't cherish the time to cultivate myself well. The reason is actually very simple. It is because I didn't truly commit myself to studying the Fa, looking within to cultivate myself, and eliminating my human notions.
Over the years and previous lives, I developed very stubborn human notions. Regardless of what I encountered, I subconsciously looked at it with human notions. Human thoughts and human notions came first. Some examples of such notions might be: when it gets colder, we are likely to get a cold and fever; when it gets hot, we are likely to get sunstroke; being comfortable is good, while suffering is bad; gaining something makes me happy, while losing something makes me upset; after seeing an attractive person of the opposite sex, I am tempted; and so forth. When such expressions of my human mindset emerge during Fa-rectification, I would get arrested when I went out to validate the Fa, or other forms of interference would come forth. These human notions, along with those that were forced into my mind by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture over a long period of time, kept me from becoming mature and doing the three things well. They are also the very reasons that the old forces persecute Dafa disciples.
While practicing cultivation, I have often felt that these bad notions were inseparable from me, and they always interfered with my righteous thoughts and righteous deeds. However, as a Dafa disciple, I knew that I should get rid of these bad notions and attachments. If my every thought and deed is based on the Fa, it will be the righteous thoughts and divine thinking that belong to the thoughts on a high level; otherwise, it is just human thoughts and attachments that belong to the thoughts on a low level. If during Fa-rectification cultivation, I can move away from the low level, then I can maintain righteous thoughts and be in a divine state. I would have all the abilities of a divine being and do well in the three things to save more sentient beings and reach Consummation.
Gods never go down to the thoughts of a low level, or else they will drop down accordingly. As a Dafa disciple, if our thinking is not in accordance with the Fa, we will actually stay at a low level. If our every thought is in accordance with the Fa, we can then reach a divine state. While practicing cultivation, we should only measure everything with the Fa. In this way, human notions will be restrained, and divine thinking and righteous thoughts will gain the upper hand.
During the past few years, I developed a very bad habit in which I would put myself above fellow practitioners. It seemed that what I said was always right, and that others should follow me because I was seemingly a leader. This was the mentality of showing off and the attachment of pursuing fame. It's hard to get rid of those notions, but if we don't, we will be forever human beings. One evening, I felt a lot of pain in my right eye. It seemed that the eyeball was bursting out of its socket. My wife became very fearful and asked my children to take me to the hospital. At that time, Master's words in Zhuan Falun came to mind. If I measured that matter with human notions, I probably would be in the hospital and have needed an operation. But what I thought about at that time was the Fa, which was a righteous, divine thought. About half an hour later, everything was fine again. The following day, I could actually see better than ever before.
I have experienced quite a few incidents like the one mentioned above. I believe that as long as we maintain righteous thoughts and divine thinking, we can cultivate out of the human shell. As long as we harmonize with the whole body and do well in the three things during the process of Fa-rectification, we can return to the origin with Master.
