Noticing Another Practitioner’s Shortcoming Motivates Me to Cultivate Myself

(Minghui.org) Our group Fa study is held at a couple’s home. There are 12 practitioners in the group and we cherish our cultivation environment.

Before everyone arrived one day, Zhang told Ang, “You look like an old lady sitting on the kang (a heatable brick bed used in the cold weather).” Ang had a blanket over himself, and, by saying this, Zhang implied Ang was not serious enough about Fa study. Bing stopped Zhang and said that each practitioner had their own way of practicing.

I thought Bing had a strong emotional attachment to Ang, but I was new to the group so I didn’t share my opinion on the issue.

At Fa study two days later, Ang again had a blanket over him again. I asked if he was cold, and he said he was. “Then why don’t you wear cotton padded pants?” I asked. He replied that he didn’t have any.

I went to the market after Fa study and bought him a cotton padded jacket and cotton padded pants, but the couple refused to take them and asked me to return the items. Ang told me, “Don’t use your human thinking, use your divine thoughts.”

Seeing that the couple lived a simple and hard life, I brought them liquid hand soap and hand towels, but again they refused to take them. I knew they were diligent practitioners and strict with themselves, so I couldn’t understand why Ang studied the Fa under the blanket.

We sent forth righteous thoughts that evening after Fa study, and Master showed me a scene—Ang sat on the kang sending righteous thoughts, and a Buddha statue appeared on the wall behind him. I understood that it was his image when he would reach enlightenment.

I also understood that Master arranged the Fa study environment so we could help each other improve. There is no right or wrong because we are at different levels. We should kindly point out each other’s shortcomings, but at the same time, we should use the attachments as a mirror and search inward to cultivate ourselves.