Watching What We Say

(Minghui.org) When I read Master’s article, “Strong and Urgent Warning,” the sentence “And start watching what you say” lingered in my mind.

Calming down and looking inward, I reflected on my cultivation path over the past twenty-four years. I asked myself, “Have you been monitoring what you say?” The answer was no.

I recalled Master’s teachings on cultivating speech while searching inward and found out that I had failed to meet Dafa’s requirements on cultivating my speech. Sometimes I chitchatted with fellow practitioners about worldly affairs, spreading rumors or even gossiped about who was right and wrong behind people’s back.

Master taught us, 

“Human affairs are thus no more than that. As cultivators we never comment on them.” (“No Demonstrations When Saving People and Teaching Fa,” Zhuan Falun Volume II)

I failed to meet Master’s requirements due to my not paying attention to my own cultivation, and thus my words and deeds were often not in line with the Fa. Being eloquent, I mistakenly believed that I could say whatever I wanted to say. I now realized that my attachment had caused a lot of trouble for my own cultivation and consequently hurt other people.

Avoid Making Random Comments

Because I believed that I was good at talking, I often commented on fellow practitioners. Although it seemed that our topics were relevant to cultivation, I noticed that my intention was not to genuinely help fellow practitioners to improve. 

Master taught us, 

“When you are commenting on who’s good and who’s bad, gods won’t even look you straight on.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Practitioners,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume VI)

Talking about Others Behind Their Back Is Party Culture

There was still a serious Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture in me, which was talking about others behind their backs. I always thought that I cultivated better than others, as if I could see other people’s problems clearly. However, no one knows anyone else’s real situation except Master.

Fellow practitioners’ attachments are actually the reflection of our own attachments. If they are revealed to us, we must look inward to rid the attachments. If it is meant to help fellow practitioners improve, we can gently and sincerely point it out, instead of talking about it behind their backs. 

However, before I gained this enlightenment, I did not know to cultivate myself appropriately, and missed many opportunities to improve. Once, our group discussed cultivation of speech. We shared our thoughts about the importance of watching what we say to avoid unnecessary trouble to our own cultivation. 

Originally I planned to listen only, but gradually I lost control of myself and made some random comments criticizing some practitioners for not following Master’s requirements, and what could happen to them.

As soon as I returned home, a tooth on my lower left jaw began to hurt badly. I managed to eat dinner enduring the severe pain. While sending forth righteous thoughts after dinner, I remembered what I said earlier and realized the irresponsible comments I made about fellow practitioners behind their back. I realized that I failed to watch my speech once again. I confessed to Master in my heart, and at the same time sent out a thought to completely eliminate all the evil factors of the old forces in my dimensions. At this moment, the tooth stopped hurting.

Regarding the issue of making random comments about others, Master has explained it very clearly in Zhuan Falun. I felt ashamed of myself for failing to watch my speech although I had read Master’s teachings many times. 

Talking about people behind their backs is CCP culture. If I do not monitor my own speech, I am harming myself and others, and furthermore, I do not even qualify to be a Dafa cultivator.

Being A Good Listener

To watch what we say, we must first become good listeners. To be a true Dafa cultivator and always treat others with sincerity and humility, I must learn to listen to what others say. 

Cultivation is a serious matter. When we encounter problems, we should look inward first, and our environment will change for the better. Recently, two teeth on my lower jaw hurt again. I knew it was due to my failure to watch my speech, and the old forces took advantage of my loophole. I ought to have a better control of what I say. 

I hope this article helps me to remember to always refrain from making random comments, and at the same time, remind fellow practitioners to cultivate their speech.

Please kindly point out anything that is not in accordance with the Fa.