Some Realizations About Eliminating the Attachment to Jealousy

(Minghui.org) I didn’t feel I was jealous, so I didn’t think about how to overcome this attachment. I just accepted certain things as differences between Eastern and Western cultures. I thought I should be outgoing and happy for others when they got something good. I never examined myself to see if I was jealous.

I recently read what Master said in Zhuan Falun:

“How can they be the same? People all wish to be equal, but if something is not a part of someone’s life, how can they be equal? People are not the same.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun)

I realized that others benefited because it was in their destiny, and I didn’t because it wasn’t my fate. This involves the relationship between virtue and karma, as well as cause and effect and predestination. The Divine arranges everything in other dimensions. Once I understood this principle, I decided to think this way whenever I encountered conflicts and change my old mindset that gave rise to jealousy.

While I wrote this article someone mentioned something good that happened to other departments in the company, but not to my department. I felt a little disappointed, but I immediately realized this happened because it exposed my jealousy. I had to remind myself to think positively: others are destined to receive benefits, but I am not. I have to accept this and let it go.

Master also told us:

“I am telling you this principle that everyday people are unable to realize. You may think that you are good at everything, but your life does not have it. That person is good at nothing, but his life has it, and he will become a boss.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun)

In the Fa Master talks about the principle of what is in one’s destiny and what is not. Ordinary people don’t accept their destiny. They don’t believe in the Divine, and don’t believe the Divine arranges their fate, so they struggle their whole lives to create more comfortable living conditions for themselves. But cultivators must look at things in the opposite way, accept their fate, and remind themselves that everything is arranged by the Divine.

I also realize that envy is the prelude to jealousy. Ordinary people turn love into hatred, envy into disappointment, and jealousy into something even worse. Those who cultivate themselves must follow this attachment to its source and eliminate it, in order to thoroughly get rid of jealousy.

This reminds me of the story Master mentioned about Buddha Shakyamuni’s disciples, who compared their bowls made of gold, silver, and copper. This is similar to people today who compare their cars and homes – it is all a comparison of material conditions. The objects may be different, but the principle is the same.

Perhaps in the future, practitioners will all display supernormal abilities. Will we still compare the differences in our supernormal abilities? If we don’t eliminate this jealousy now, we may get into trouble in the future if we don’t handle it well.

When discussing jealousy, the Fa also requires practitioners to follow the course of nature, maintain a balanced mind, and eliminate competitiveness. The more I read the Fa, the more I see that this section of the Fa contains a great deal of information and teaches us how to eliminate jealousy.

There has been considerable discussion among practitioners about jealousy. Digging deeper into its roots, I find factors such as selfishness and self-interest. These are my recent insights, and I hope they will be of some help to other practitioners.