I Finally Learned To Identify My Attachments and Eliminate Them

(Minghui.org) Even though I have practiced Falun Dafa for many years, it wasn’t until recently that I learned to treat everything with righteous thoughts.

Eliminating Resentment and Fear

My uncle lives across the street. He is very religious and has many pictures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on his walls. A few years ago, I gave him and his wife a copy of the book Zhuan Falun. They read it a couple times but didn’t start practicing.

A strange man began visiting him recently. My uncle returned the book and expressed his disapproval of my belief. I tried to tell him more about Falun Dafa but he would not listen. I thought perhaps he was not predestined to cultivate in Dafa—I stopped thinking about it and almost forgot about the strange man.

However, the strange man seemed to be watching me, especially when I left my house. Master let me see through my celestial eye what they’ve been doing. My resentment and fear surfaced.

I started sending righteous thoughts to rectify myself. “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Why should I be afraid of those who are doing wrongful things? Is it because I still have fear that is being exploited?”

I immediately sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate my fear. I rectified myself and all elements related to me that were not right. I told those elements, “I am a Dafa practitioner and I am doing the most righteous thing—helping Master rectify the Fa and all things not righteous in the universe.”

I told them, “Stop interfering with Fa-rectification and change into being positive. Only then will you have a chance to stay after Fa-rectification, otherwise you’ll be eliminated.” I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the bad things behind my attachments. I feel that I’ve elevated in the Fa since then, when I solve problems with righteous thoughts.

Master said,

“Since we cultivate in a righteous Fa, we should care for and save beings and the people of the world who are good. So we should act with goodness in everything we do. Yet removing the evil beings that manipulate people into damaging humankind is also protecting humankind and sentient beings. Dafa is spreading widely, saving all sentient beings. Although those evil beings who are completely unsalvageable cannot be saved, they still can’t be allowed to do evil without end and thus persecute Dafa and its students, and the people of the world. Eliminating evil is thus doing Fa-rectification, and is also saving the world’s people and sentient beings.” (“Dafa Disciples’ Righteous Thoughts are Powerful,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Eliminating Abnormal States During Exercises

The Fa can rectify all that is not right, including our xinxing and any abnormal states of our bodies.

Right after I started doing the exercises one day, my throat itched, causing me to cough. I sent righteous thoughts, “Coughing and itching are an abnormal state for a practitioner and Dafa will rectify it.” After this thought, the itching and coughing disappeared.

When I did the second exercise, I was distracted by my human thoughts. I sent forth righteous thoughts, “A true cultivator does not have these human thoughts. Having them is an abnormal state and the Fa can rectify it.” The distracting thoughts immediately disappeared. With a peaceful mind and a calm heart, I finished the rest of the standing exercises.

After meditating for almost two hours during the fifth exercise, I suddenly thought of my family. With this sentimental thought, I saw a black field pouring onto my body. I immediately eliminated these thoughts, and the black substance was gone. I thanked Master for letting me experience this. I’ve learned that when doing the exercises and studying the Fa, I must be strict with myself. If we don’t know how to control our thoughts, we’ll be controlled by our human attachments.

Look Inward and Truly Eliminate Attachments

While studying the teachings, I realized that we must know how to use our righteous thoughts and abilities given by Master to resolve things that are inconsistent with the Fa. We should not let our human attachments and notions drive us.

Master said,

“Whenever there is interference of one kind or another in qigong practice, you should look for reasons within yourself and determine what you still have not let go of.” (“Demonic Interference in Cultivation,” Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun 2014 Translation)

I didn’t previously understand how to cultivate. Whenever there was a conflict I focused on others’ shortcomings instead of examining myself for attachments. This caused me to progress slowly in cultivation. I only realized this after I started to study the Fa with a clear mind and a calm heart.

Instead of looking outward, I now know to look for and solve my own problems first. I look within for the cause and find my notions and attachments that led to the conflict. For example, the attachment to fame wants me to be well-known and show off. The attachment to competitiveness makes me put too much emphasis on loss and gain, and I don't want to admit when others are right. I single out each attachment and eliminate them with righteous thoughts.

While I meditated one day, I saw through my celestial eye that I was taking an exam in another dimension and was being tested on “catching my own thoughts.” When I was able to control some of my thoughts, Master showed me that each human attachment has its own form. I saw an opaque substance that came down from above and went right through me to connect with that particular attachment. When I let go of one of the attachments, I saw that in another dimension I was holding the root to that attachment.

For example, the attachment to zealotry tied me to that attachment, and each of my attachments was connected to it by a string. When I grabbed it in my hand and tied it up, it would not grow on my body. When I let go of all human attachments, I saw that in another dimension I was tying up those strings. We do not see them in this dimension but in another dimension, we see them clearly each time we have a human thought.

Master said,

“The entire cultivation process for a cultivator is one of constantly giving up human attachments.” (“Genuinely Guiding People Toward High Levels,” Lecture One, Zhuan Falun 2014 Translation)

“Our practice has a focus and truly points out those attachments. By abandoning them, one will make very rapid progress in cultivation.” (“Consecration,” Lecture Five, Zhuan Falun 2014 Translation)

Staying Unmoved

While studying the Fa one time, I realized that I have to “not be moved.” Regardless of how chaotic of an environment I am in, as a cultivator, I should not be moved.

Master said,

“Steadfast cultivators, when the heart does not move, ten thousand moves are subdued.” (“To Vietnamese Students,” Blue Team Translation)

If cultivators are affected by our surroundings, then how do we cultivate? We need to quietly and calmly observe and learn. Only when we remain “unmoved,” can we emit a powerful field of compassion, change everything around us, and turn sinful karma into good karma. This is being considerate of others and is what Dafa practitioners are doing during this Fa-rectification period—saving sentient beings.

A true cultivator needs to “be aware of different types of attachments and notions” and recognize them. When such thoughts surface, we should recognize it right away, not acknowledge it, and eliminate it. When I realized this, I applied it to my cultivation and daily life right away. My cultivation has since improved. Each time I get anxious about a tribulation, I try to stay calm and look at it as a process of climbing up a flight of stairs and an opportunity to elevate my cultivation.

These are some of my thoughts and they are limited to my own level. I ask fellow practitioners to kindly point out anything that is not in accordance with the Fa.