(Clearwisdom.net) I met a practitioner by chance, and she was in dire straits. Viewed superficially, she had obvious signs of a fractured wrist, having fallen on a slippery, snow-covered road. Although her righteous thoughts were strong, two months later her condition had still not improved. Her words and deeds were full of helplessness. She complained that other practitioners hadn't sent righteous thoughts for her, which led me to have a feeling of self-reproach. How could I help those practitioners who were suffering from the persecution? They were studying the Fa and sending righteous thoughts, but why didn't it work?
This reminded me of what a practitioner had said on Minghui Weekly, "We deny the old forces. On what point do we stand? At which level are we? If it is for ourselves not to be persecuted, our own comfort, eliminating interference with Dafa work, or a healthy body and so on, are we able to negate the old forces? Those are focused on our own benefit. The old forces then have an excuse. Those practitioners don't meet the requirements of Master and are selfish, so it becomes possible for them to arrange these tests. On the other hand, if we truly do this for the sake of others and for saving sentient beings, we can negate all interference. This will happen only if we wish to save sentient beings from our hearts instead of in the name of selfishness. Because Dafa overrides everything, it is Dafa that doesn't allow the persecution, and it is Master who doesn't allow the evil to stop Dafa disciples from accomplishing the mission of saving sentient beings."
We are Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples. What are the things that fit the laws of the old cosmos and enable the old forces to take advantage of our gaps?
Master said,
"Study the Fa and gain the Fa,
Focus on how you study and cultivate,
Let each and every thing
be measured against the Fa.
Only then, with that,
is it actually cultivation."
("Solid Cultivation" from Hong Yin)
We study the Fa every day, but have we really obtained the Fa? We should measure each and every thing and behavior in our environment against the Fa and see if we meet the requirements. Only by conducting ourselves as cultivators can we prove that we are validating Dafa.
Master said,
"...you should always maintain a heart of benevolence and a mind of kindness. If you suddenly bump into a problem, you will be able to take care of it properly." (Zhuan Falun)
We are using the current environment to cultivate ourselves, which varies from person to person. Each person has a different cultivation path. We should maintain a good mindset, without grudges or hatred. We should look at the sentient beings with the demeanor of a great, enlightened person. Some practitioners often feel that others are dragging them down, complaining about others, and handling themselves as everyday people. They over-emphasize their egos. Although they outwardly validate Dafa, they are really validating themselves. Their actions don't reflect the greatness and glory of Dafa. Non-practitioners judge us by their standards, so our not doing well might create a negative image for Dafa. Are we saving sentient beings, or are we destroying them, then? We should realize that our every action represents Dafa, because we are the disciples of Dafa.
We continually clarify the truth and save sentient beings. I think that cultivating ourselves well, in some ways, amounts to saving sentient beings with our actions. I think that sending righteous thoughts is also a form of saving sentient beings. We all believe that matter and mind are one thing, as Master writes in Zhuan Falun. If the thoughts that we send are righteous, then they will have a field of compassion, and they will save sentient beings who are invisible to our eyes and unimaginable to our minds.
If we truly do believe in Master's Fa and live up to its requirements, we will feel the glory of the Fa that manifests at this level. Truly meeting the standard is a manifestation of truthfulness at a certain level. In doing that, we are validating Dafa and saving sentient beings with a heart and mind of compassion. I think that this is the meaning of compassion at a certain level. Through forbearance, we are making the sacrifice of giving up everyday people's attachments and thereby raising our xinxing.
Master said,
"There is sacrifice in forbearance, and a complete sacrifice is a higher principle of non-omission." ("Perfect Harmony" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
"There is sacrifice in forbearance. Being able to make sacrifices is the result of improving in one's cultivation." ("Non-Omission" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
Letting sentient beings in general know the glory of Dafa by our actions will definitely help them view Dafa in a positive light, and thus hopefully obtain the Fa in the future.
When a practitioner and I talked about this, she saw that her human notions were very strong. She found that she judged everything she did with human notions. Kindness toward her husband and family were based on everyday people's standards. She tearfully held her husband's hands and said, "I will be kinder to you! I will judge myself by Dafa's standards."
This is my understanding after talking with the practitioner. I hope that we can all do a better job of looking inside. Only by meeting the standards of the Fa can we undo the entanglement of evil and set ourselves on the right path.
