(Clearwisdom.net) I would like to share my thoughts on certain notions that I feel are a bit difficult to write about. However, I have kept them inside for so long that I would like to talk about them today.
I was taken aback when I saw several practitioners use the Falun symbol as their desktop wallpaper. At the same time, however, I wasn't surprised by this type of behavior because many people who grow up in mainland China under the Chinese Communist Party culture, from my observation, do not truly know what respect is any more. Their notion is “good things should be adopted.” Thus, they feel they should use the Falun as their computer wallpaper because the Falun symbol is good, powerful and looks nice.
Another situation that I would like to bring up is how some practitioners are attached to demanding reciprocity. For example, Practitioner A helped Practitioner B to buy things. Practitioner B felt it was laborious for Practitioner A to do the shopping, and Practitioner A felt the same way. Both practitioners then developed the mentality of “because I do this and that for you, then you should help me in return or I will have to resolve things on my own.” Thus, they helped each other in everything—from everyday things to Fa-rectification work—and lost the chance to truly cultivate and improve themselves. Actually they have forgotten what cultivation is—an opportunity for them to expose and eliminate their attachments and to look inwards.
There are also practitioners who want to follow others without trying to understand others' ideas or situation first because these practitioners have the notion that “since you are capable and have this and that, then I should also follow suit in validating Dafa.” I once helped a fellow practitioner install a software program on her computer six times in six months. However, when she saw a different version on another practitioner's computer, she asked that practitioner to install the same version for her. When she found that it wasn't as user-friendly as the version I had installed for her, she came to see me again. I told her, “If you can't access the Minghui website, I will re-install the software for you. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me and it's probably best for you to go talk to the practitioner who installed it for you.”
For a long period of time, I have been thinking about how to properly reject things. Of course, I'm not referring to rejecting things that should be done in Fa-rectification.
I have also come across those practitioners who know each other well, but do not always urge each other to strive forward and do their best in cultivation because they are too attached to sentimentality. I said to these practitioners, “Practitioners are great lives that should be respected and are not here for our convenience or to make us become more attached.” However, they still didn't consider what “respect” is. One practitioner replied, “You speak with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance when having a dispute with other practitioners.” I realized that she didn't consider it as a serious matter. Although she was very diligent in doing the three things, she hasn't gotten rid of these notions yet.
I am impressed with experience sharing articles that mention how husbands and wives in ancient times “respected each other as though one was a guest”. They truly respected each other, from their thoughts, words and actions, and is different from today's superficial politeness or small talk. Lives in the universe are all different, are independent of each other and act autonomously, but all must conform to the Fa at that level. There are many inspiring examples of the relationships between husband and wife and family members in ancient times. Yet today, many of us only regard them as ancient stories and no longer think of them as proper human conduct. In reality, those relationships were passed down and set by divine beings for humans. Also, my understanding from Teacher's Fa is that a husband and wife relationship is a way for humans to have descendants. However, today's modern couple's life is merely to fulfill their own desires.
How can we truly and completely assimilate to Dafa, instead of wantonly harming ourselves under the communist party culture. Practitioners should conform to the Fa's standards from the most microscopic to the most surface level. However, many people do not believe in gods and have a very strong desire to acquire and control, always taking their own desires as the starting point. They take every possible excuse to satisfy themselves and act according to their desires, instead of interacting in society according to the respective path of life created by gods. That's why people today can act differently in front of others and behind their back, and speak impolitely to family members or others they control. Being considerate of others is difficult for them to do. That is selfishness enlarged to the extreme—as long as it is possible, everything has to be adopted and controlled by me, and I should be the center of attention. Today's modern people's selfishness and every manifestation of sentimentality have run rampant, so they (especially Chinese mainlanders) don't understand about respecting life or the Fa.
After practicing for many years now, I realize that there are eyes everywhere and there is also a kind of unconscious awe feeling. Thus, I dress, talk and act the same whereever I am. I recall once while doing the sitting meditation I was thinking about how to save my relationship with my family and other sentimental issues. Suddenly a voice in my head said: “You are a divine being!” I immediately stopped being disturbed during the exercise and sobered up. Along with thorough practice, I feel the condition of mutual respect between lives is really relaxed. Those varied and distorted notions are a burden and is really tiring to tow around!
Through self examination, I have realized some of these notions in my own cultivation, which I suppress and gradually eliminate according to the Fa. Today's practitioners are improving themselves and saving sentient beings in such an extremely complex society due to the old forces. Therefore, let us awaken and rectify ourself in the Fa, and not drift along with the tide of every day society. This is indeed very difficult, but it is also our choice as it is the biggest glory and happiness of a life because we have Teacher!
If I have said anything inappropriate, please correct me. Thank you!
