(Minghui.org) I’ve practiced Falun Dafa for 29 years and under Master’s protection and guidance I went from being an arrogant girl to gradually becoming a humble, patient, and selfless woman. I’m now in my 50s and every day I appreciate even more the happiness and extraordinary blessings of Falun Dafa.
From Arrogant to Humble
I grew up pampered by my family, and from childhood to adulthood my talents and abilities were praised. Influenced by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture, I thought being arrogant was high-minded and being conceited showed I was confident. I practiced cultivation for many years before I realized how dangerous arrogance is for cultivators.
The book The Ultimate Goal of Communism says:
“Cultivation requires a righteous heart and sincerity, and arrogance is the nature of the devil, which is completely contrary to the requirements of cultivation. The evil communist spirit has no regard for God. In the process of destroying the culture of cultivation, it specifically instills demon nature and arrogance in people, not allowing them to be humble but encouraging them to be complacent and arrogant, such as fighting against heaven and earth and being lawless, which leads people to rebel against and disobey God.”
When I eventually realized that arrogance was the biggest problem in my cultivation, I created a folder on my computer: “Eliminating Arrogance.” I saved relevant articles written by practitioners in this folder and read them frequently. The articles about how other practitioners eliminated arrogance helped me a lot. By reading the Fa (teachings) I realized that arrogance is a manifestation of demonic nature in a cultivator and should be eliminated.
Arrogance comes from evaluating other people’s abilities. People who feel they are capable become arrogant, while at the same time admiring (and sometimes feeling jealous of) those who are capable and talented. They look down on honest and kind people who have limited talents. This thinking is fundamentally rooted in the CCP’s ideology: the weak are prey for the strong. However, divine beings value human virtues and character, not their abilities or knowledge.
Weren’t the talents and abilities that I was so proud of, bestowed on me by Master? Wasn’t I given them so I could better assist Master in Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings? But I wanted to take all the credit and I used everything Master bestowed upon me to belittle others. How shallow and ignorant I was! Human reasoning is contrary to the truth. Acting haughty only shows how bad one's character is, while being humble demonstrates our nobility.
Once I realized this, I acted on it. I gradually got rid of my arrogance, disdain, and contempt—instead I became humble, respectful, and kind.
Tangyu is not well-educated and has little experience. She seems unremarkable to others, but she is very kind and sincere. We often study the Fa together and cooperate by going out together to talk to people about Falun Dafa. She admires my knowledge and talent, and I’m touched by her kindness and simplicity. We’ve always gotten along very well.
But sometimes when we do things together, I become impatient and I look down on her. I feel that she needs to be repeatedly told something before she understands, or that she knows nothing at all about certain topics. She’s willing to listen to my opinions and suggestions when she has something to discuss. In the past, I used to be condescending and a know-it-all, but she never minded and always listened attentively.
I am ashamed and humiliated by my former arrogance and condescension. Although Tangyu didn’t mind, I became strict with myself, paying attention to my words and deeds. I no longer judged her by her knowledge and ability, and sincerely valued her kind and generous character.
When I noticed my arrogance surfacing, I apologized to her, and she always smiled innocently. Sometimes, arrogant thoughts flashed through my mind. Instead of quickly letting them go, I caught them and eliminated them. I gradually became more respectful of her. Whenever she asked me something, I tried to answer patiently.
In the past, when I was very arrogant, I wouldn’t tolerate the slightest contempt towards me from other people, because I put myself on a pedestal and looked down on others. Now that I’ve become humble, I’m more tolerant of others.
Once on the bus, I accidentally made eye contact with a woman, and she glared at me viciously as if I was her enemy. In the past, whether she was targeting me or not, I would have just glared back at her, but this time I just looked away immediately. When I accidentally made eye contact with her again, for some reason, she still glared at me with hostility. I looked at her in a friendly way for a couple of seconds before looking away, without feeling any trace of displeasure in my heart.
In the past, I looked down on many people and I had no tolerance. I frowned so often that I developed frown wrinkles between my eyebrows. It really is true that one’s appearance reflects one’s heart. As I gradually became humble and peaceful, my frown wrinkles softened and I often smiled.
From Selfishness to Selflessness
Before I got married, my parents doted on me; after I got married, my husband cared for me. Over the years, I became accustomed to being the center of attention, and I was oblivious to others. I learned from the Fa that, as a cultivator, I must think of others first, so I began changing and slowly shifted from selfishness to selflessness.
I invited my sister-in-law and her family to a barbecue. In the past, my husband was always the main “grill master,” and everyone took turns helping him. My husband wasn’t feeling well that day, so I became the grill master. However, no one helped me. I didn’t complain. As long as everyone enjoyed the meal, I was happy.
I have a rental house, and the contract stipulates a one-year lease. When the lease expired, it was summer vacation, so it would be easy to rent the house for a higher price. Before the lease expired, the tenant asked for a two-month extension. When I explained the situation he offered to pay 500 yuan more per month for the next two months. I thought he must have financial difficulties, so I let him stay for two more months without increasing his rent.
After he left, it took me two more months to find a new tenant, after I reduced the rent, but I didn’t mind. I took personal interest lightly; as long as I am thinking of others first, I feel peaceful and content.
Last summer, I saw a pile of garbage on the road in our subdivision. The garbage bag was ripped and there was watermelon peel and other things in the trash. I knew that the summer heat would soon make it rot and stink. I went home, got a big, sturdy plastic bag, cleaned up the garbage, and put it in the trash bin. This may not be a big deal for others, but it was for me. I am particularly fond of cleanliness, and if I hadn’t been a cultivator, I wouldn’t have gone near it.
I was selfish: I was accustomed to taking, but I was reluctant to give. After I began practicing Falun Dafa I feel happier and more willing to do things for others.
From Impatience to Patience
I used to be impatient—I always tried to take shortcuts to get things done faster. This bad habit came from CCP culture. As a cultivator, I knew I must eliminate this Party culture from my thoughts, rectify my words and deeds, and assimilate to the Fa.
I took my laptop to another practitioner’s home to get something installed. It usually took less than two hours to complete, so I stayed. I wanted to wait for her to finish and then take my laptop home. This practitioner was installing the system for several computers at the same time that day. My laptop got stuck halfway through the update, and this kept happening. As a result, I waited for nearly eight hours until it was dark, but my laptop still wasn’t done. I had to leave and come back after it was completed.
If I had been my old self I would have lost my temper. But that day, I waited patiently and apologized to the practitioner because I waited at her house and she couldn’t concentrate on the installation. I didn’t feel frustrated after waiting so long without getting the desired results. On the contrary, I felt that being able to stay calm during the process was my biggest gain.
A vendor at the market sold home-grown Chinese cabbage. There were a lot of customers, so the line was long. Someone cut in line in front of me and bought a lot. The seller had to cut the roots, arrange the leaves and pack them one by one for that customer. When it was finally my turn, I didn’t want to hold up the line even longer as there were more customers behind me, so I only bought a few.
When I cross the road, I no longer take shortcuts like before—instead I go the longer way and cross the road at the crosswalk. If the traffic light at the crosswalk is red, even if there are no cars coming, I just wait for the green light before crossing. If there’s a car, I cross quickly so the driver doesn’t have to wait long.
Master told us: “...he is full of great aspirations while minding minor details.” (“Sage,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
These are all seemingly trivial matters, but there are no trivial matters in cultivation. I try to be strict with myself in every aspect of my life, at all times. In fact, I am not doing well enough and I still fall far short of the standards of the Fa.
Closing Remarks
I repeatedly wept as I wrote this article. A life that had already fallen into hell was plucked up by Master, and has been immersed in and elevated by the Fa for nearly 30 years. During this process, Master has devoted so much effort on me! How much suffering has Master endured? If I think about it, it’s more than just a few decades of this lifetime! Reincarnation after reincarnation, I cannot know or imagine the enormous sacrifices Master made for me.
Thank you, Master!
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