(Minghui.org)
Greetings to Master! Greetings to fellow practitioners!
I’m honored to participate in the annual China Fahui held by Minghui.org. I would like to share some of my cultivation experience with fellow practitioners.
Master said:
“When human thinking gains the upper hand, that person heads toward humanness; when divine thinking and a person’s righteous thoughts gain the upper hand, he heads toward godhood.” (Teachings at the 2005 Conference in San Francisco)
My understanding is that, on the path of cultivation, we are constantly choosing between human thinking and divine thinking.
If I have studied the Fa well, been relatively diligent, and maintained strong righteous thoughts, it becomes easier for me to let divine thinking guide me when I suddenly encounter conflicts and trials. Otherwise, my thoughts easily stray from the Fa, and I will be led by human thinking to do things that are not in accordance with the Fa.
Home is where I feel most relaxed, yet somehow, it is also where many conflicts arise.
My husband and I both practice Falun Dafa. However, I often find myself using the Fa to judge him rather than to cultivate myself. When I failed to look inward unconditionally and identify my own shortcomings, conflicts only escalated, leaving our family mired in tribulations for a long time.
We were always focused on each other’s shortcomings and behaved just like ordinary people. Without realizing it, we followed the path arranged by the old forces and remained trapped in human thinking for a long time.
I could clearly sense that my energy field was filled with resentment. I knew it was wrong, but I found it difficult to break free. This state lasted for two or three years, something I had never experienced in my 20 years of cultivation.
I resolved to change my incorrect state of mind, which had deviated from the Fa. I devoted more time to reading Dafa books; identifying my human thoughts, attachments, and notions; and correcting myself according to the Fa. I worked to improve myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, hoping to turn bad things into good ones.
After a period of genuine cultivation, my mind gradually calmed down. Looking back on those conflicts, I realized that they were actually opportunities Master had arranged to help me improve my xinxing.
Later, whenever I encountered conflicts, I would first examine myself to see where I had gone wrong. In this way, the divine thoughts gained the upper hand. Of course, I could not always get it right immediately, but ultimately, divine thoughts prevailed over human thoughts.
One day, my casual tone and attitude unexpectedly angered my husband. While we were eating, he launched into a fierce tirade against me. I was caught completely off guard. But I forced myself to hold back and told myself, “No matter what he says, I won’t talk back.”
I managed to restrain myself, but I felt deeply hurt. I hurriedly finished my meal and went into the bathroom, tears streaming down my face. After wiping them away, I went back into the dining room.
By then, my husband had left for work. Sitting by myself, I thought, “How could a few words upset me so much? This is really terrible.” As soon as I had this thought, my anger disappeared, and I felt calm.
Master’s words came to my mind: “You have gained four ways in one shot.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
Exactly! Not only should I not resent my husband, but I should actually thank him because he had given me an opportunity to improve my xinxing.
When my husband came home from work, he said, “If you can’t get over it, maybe you should go stay somewhere else for a few days.”
I replied, “I have come to terms with it. Not only should I not blame you, but I should actually thank you because you have given me an opportunity to improve.”
He looked at me, seemingly trying to figure out if I was being sarcastic.
I repeated, “I really do thank you.”
Actually, at that point, I had not yet examined deeply the attachments that had caused me to feel so wronged. Thanks to my husband’s reminder, I finally realized that I liked hearing compliments. When someone said something that didn’t align with my views, I felt uncomfortable and wanted to argue.
Whenever I felt offended, I used to vent my anger without considering the consequences. In those moments, I completely forgot I was a practitioner. I spoke recklessly and even used vicious language to attack the other person. I must have created a great deal of karma. My molars on both sides even became loose.
Although I changed my perspective, deep down, I still believed the other person was in the wrong; I just didn’t argue anymore. This still did not align with the requirements of Dafa.
As I write about this experience, I feel truly grateful to my husband from the bottom of my heart. Through this experience, I have come to recognize just how many shortcomings I still have.
I would like to share some of my experiences in dealing with physical discomfort. Master has told us that practitioners have no illnesses. My understanding is that the symptoms we experience are the result of eliminating the karma accumulated over countless lifetimes. These are good things. Of course, during the process, I do experience real physical discomfort. However, when I maintain firm righteous thoughts and am not deceived by the illusions, the miraculous power of Dafa manifests itself.
Twenty years ago, I was unable to urinate shortly after 4 a.m. My abdomen was swollen and distended, and my face had become extremely pale. I felt terrible. I kept going to the bathroom, but nothing would come out. When I could no longer endure the discomfort, I went to a clinic. The doctor said, “Something is wrong with your bladder.” His words suddenly brought me to my senses. I stopped thinking like an ordinary person and left.
Around 3 p.m., while sending righteous thoughts with my family, the divine aspect of my being suddenly grew powerful. I thought to myself, “I will not regard this body, which is suffering intensely, as myself. Let it suffer. I will focus on sending righteous thoughts.”
In that instant, I felt as though my body had become incredibly tall, and the sensation of pain disappeared immediately. Right then, my urine began to flow. I rushed to the bathroom and felt immediate relief. It was truly a battle between good and evil, in which divine thinking triumphed over human thinking.
I once read a practitioner’s sharing article about a loose tooth. When the tooth fell out, she immediately pushed it back into its original position, telling it to grow firmly in place. When the tooth fell out again, she pushed it back in. After repeating this several times, the tooth eventually became firmly rooted and never fell out again.
A few years ago, my molars on both sides became loose, making it difficult for me to eat anything hard. I was even afraid to brush those teeth because it made my gums hurt. I simply rinsed my mouth out.
I looked inward and realized that I had problems in my cultivation. I had failed to watch my speech, and I had a strong attachment to food.
I dug deeper and realized that serious problems had arisen in my cultivation several years earlier. My failure to cultivate myself properly had led to constant conflicts within my family. My mind was filled with thoughts about other people’s faults, rather than examining my own shortcomings. Whenever conflicts arose, I retaliated with the harshest language. When someone behaved in ways that did not align with my own views, I would vent my anger without considering the consequences. This hurt both parties and caused me to accumulate karma.
Furthermore, I often gossiped about others behind their back. These were serious deviations from the Fa.
I realized that my dental problems were a reflection of these issues in my cultivation.
After recognizing my shortcomings, I resolved to change myself and cultivate myself properly.
At the same time, I said to my loose teeth, “We must all actively assimilate the Fa according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Let’s work together. My teeth will become firm, and my gums will heal.”
After a while, all but one of my loose molars had become firm, and I was able to eat normally again.
Master has given us the precious tool of looking inward. When facing difficulties, we must first examine ourselves to see if we have any shortcomings and correct them promptly. When my thoughts align with the Fa’s requirements, the divine thinking takes the lead, and I take another step forward on the path to divinity.
In addition, when I experience physical discomfort, I should hold myself to high standards and approach difficulties with divine thinking rather than human thinking. This often helps me recognize what I need to do.
These are my limited understandings. Please kindly point out anything not in line with the Fa.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Selected submission for the 23rd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org)