(Minghui.org) Before I practiced Falun Dafa, I liked to tell people what to do and I always tried to be persuasive. I began practicing Falun Dafa 26 years ago, and I still haven’t learned my lesson and cultivated my speech. I’d like to share my understandings on this issue.
After I began to memorize Falun Dafa’s main book, Zhuan Falun, I realized that I haven’t cultivated speech like Master required of us. I often gossiped with other practitioners. I liked to show off how knowledgeable I was, and I sometimes criticized ordinary people.
Master said in “Cultivation of Speech,”
“Let us talk about something that is common, such as “I want to do this or that,” or “this matter should now be done this way or that way.” Perhaps it will unintentionally hurt someone. Because interpersonal conflicts are all very complicated, one may unintentionally produce karma.” (Lecture Eight, Zhuan Falun)
I didn’t understand this part of the Fa before, thinking that if I didn’t speak about any person specifically, I didn’t intentionally hurt anyone. So I ignored what Master said and I continued to show off when I talked, which created trouble and I hurt peoples’ feelings.
When I criticized a practitioner behind his back, it might sound like I was talking about cultivation on the surface, but I just wanted to express my opinion instead of trying to help him improve. Wasn’t I hurting others when I wanted to show off and tell people what to do?
If I genuinely wanted to help a practitioner improve, I could have gently pointed out his shortcomings face to face. Talking behind his back is demonic nature at work, which produced karma for me. Master pointed out other practitioners’ attachments to me to show me my attachments, yet I missed many opportunities to improve.
After looking within, I knew that I still had Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture, especially about criticizing others, believing that I was better then them and I could see their problems. Only Master can see practitioners’ real issues and attachments. When I see a practitioner’s problem, I should inward for my own attachments and improve.
One day my daughter complained to me about her boss. As a practitioner, I didn’t think I should comment, but I did. I forgot to cultivate my speech. That evening one of my teeth started to hurt. I knew Master telling me that I failed to control my mouth (speech) and gossiped with my daughter. It happened to be time to send righteous thoughts, so I told Master that I made a mistake. I sent out the thought to eradicate all the evil elements in my dimensions. My tooth stopped hurting.
I didn’t look further to find out the root cause of my not cultivating speech, so I made similar mistakes again. My daughter told me how her in-law was not getting along with other family members, and that her husband should not give their son so many sugary drinks. I tried to show my daughter that I understood and sympathized with her. The tooth pain came back. It was worse this time, and pus oozed from my gums.
Master clearly talked about the issue of cultivation of speech in Zhuan Falun, yet I still couldn’t do well. I am determined to find and eliminate my attachments that prevent me from cultivating speech, especially CCP culture.
Not cultivating speech not only hurts others but also brings karma to myself. I believe that I should start from being a good listener, and treating others sincerely and humbly. A practitioner once told me, “Not watching what you say is like digging a hole on your path. Sooner or later you’ll fall into it.”
Please point out if the views I shared are not based on the Fa.
Articles in which cultivators share their understandings typically reflect an individual's perception at a point in time based on their cultivation state, and they are offered in the spirit of enabling mutual elevation.
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Category: Cultivation Insights