The Importance of Spontaneous Thoughts

(Minghui.org) I decided to turn over the soil in my garden. I changed into sneakers, picked up the shovel, and started working. I finished in about half an hour, changed into my other shoes, and started to walked away when, a few steps later, I felt a sharp pain like a needle stabbing my right ankle.

I found a place to sit down, took off my right shoe, and shook it twice. A wasp fell out, and I realized it had stung me. I was upset. I'd heard that once a wasp stings, it won’t survive. Why didn’t I check my shoes before I put them on? It was because I was in a hurry.

At that moment, a neighbor stopped to see what was wrong and said, “Hurry up, step on it!” Of course, I wouldn’t harm it. The neighbor said she was stung by a wasp last year and her swelling lasted for several days. I glanced at the wasp on the ground, and it moved slightly, slowly flew up, and flew away. I told her, “I’m okay.”

Right then, a miraculous thing happened: My foot stopped hurting, as if I hadn’t been stung at all—there was no redness or swelling.

I truly understood what Master said: “... good or bad comes from a person’s initial thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

Master also said,

“As practitioners, you will suddenly come across conflicts. What should you do? You should always maintain a compassionate and calm heart. Then, when you run into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you some room as a buffer. You should always be benevolent and kind to others and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself.” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)

We should always maintain a kind mindset so we can handle sudden events well.