(Minghui.org) Here I would like to share my understandings after reading the two recent articles from Master.
Shocked After Reading the Articles
I was shocked after reading these two articles. Basically, I felt that as Falun Dafa practitioners, we need to have deep humility, gratitude, and respect.
Humility
Being humble and respectful of Dafa as well as Master is fundamental for us. It is also a basic quality for all beings in this cosmos. This is because all of the beings, whether positive or negative, and regardless of their levels, were made by Dafa.
The two recent articles from Master seriously pointed out practitioners’ human notions and the attachments of resentment, jealousy, and boasting. This may not be limited to those few practitioners who have gone awry. Rather, it could indicate practitioners in general are not respectful of Master and Dafa. The articles from Master led me to once again examine myself on this regard.
Gratitude
All genuine Dafa practitioners know that we should be grateful toward Master’s compassionate salvation. These new articles further clarified that all difficulties and tribulations on our cultivation journey came from our karmic debts in the past. To save us, Master has quietly endured unimaginable karma for us.
Master wrote,
“While saving you, your Teacher is also bearing sins and karma for you, and is trying everything to offset them.” (“Stay Out of Danger”)
“Those ordeals and the suffering, no matter how great or harsh you find them to be, are good things, because they take place solely on account of your cultivation. A person can eliminate karma and shed human attachments when he goes through ordeals, and through ordeals he can improve.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference”, Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume VIII)
It is Master who has quietly arranged everything for us, endured karma for us, and sacrificed for us. Master has cleansed us with the Fa and created our future.
Master does not owe us and it’s us who owe Master. Master never told us how hard it is to save us, and he keeps encouraging us to cultivate diligently and save sentient beings. He also pointed out the areas where we have deviated, so that we will not fall into the trap of the old forces.
Respect
The Buddha Fa is compassionate and sacred. These two articles from Master were serious and had exclamation marks to emphasize the points. I understand that Master not only seriously pointed out our problems on the surface, but also compassionately eliminated our karma and degenerated substance accumulated in other dimensions, so as to help us remain safe.
Master’s new articles revealed the true cause of the chaos and resolved our tribulations. That is, he has quietly endured this enormous karma for us during the process.
If, with such unprecedented compassion, some practitioners are still unable to correct their mistakes or cherish Dafa and Master, they will likely be phased out together with the old forces.
Understandings Based on the Fa
On the surface, it seems that we are putting in much effort practicing Dafa, but the reality is, Master has paved the path for us and has been guiding us all the time. It seems as if we have walked out of the earthly world toward the divine. In fact, it is a process for Master to cleanse us and push us toward the divine.
Master arranged for us to work in various projects to validate the Fa. This allows us to eliminate karma, improve our xinxing, and return to the place where we belong. In addition, through assisting Master with saving sentient beings, we are accumulating mighty virtue for our own futures. It was not a process for us to make so-called “contributions”; rather, they are opportunities that Master gave us for us to establish ourselves.
Master did not owe us, and we owe Master a lot. If we are clear on this point, we will not try to calculate how much we gain or lose in Dafa projects, nor will we show off our abilities or boast about our achievement. We also would not criticize or look down upon other practitioners. This is because every one of us was saved by Master, and everything is given by Master. No one is superior to others. It makes no sense to argue among ourselves about who is more capable or cultivates better.
Secondly, I understand that the new articles didn’t only point out those few who had gone to extremes, but it’s because many practitioners have developed similar issues to different degrees.
I know that practitioners working in the media project have packed schedules with intense workloads. When tests suddenly come, it is hard to remain clearheaded with righteous thoughts at all times.
If some practitioners did not truly improve their xinxing, they may get into conflicts or handle things with human notions. Their karma was not eliminated and their human notions remained. When more conflicts and bigger tests come, one may feel even more unsatisfied and unfairly treated. The complaints and jealousy will lead to resentment and even hatred.
With resentment and hatred, one would no longer be able to look within as a Dafa practitioner. It will lead one down the deviating path away from Dafa. Plus, hatred is something related to the communist specter. When our dimensional field is filled with resentment and hatred, it may invite more negative beings to come and make things worse.
Hatred also allows the communist specter to instigate people to fight with the divine. In that case we cannot remain calm and would easily explode. If we can’t stay rational, we could misinterpret others and be jealous of everything they do.
These negative feelings also make one feel good about themselves and look down upon others. It may even make them feel that the entire world misunderstood them and failed them. They would no longer bear respect toward the divine or gratitude toward Master. They may make disrespectful remarks about Dafa and Master, and the old forces will use that as excuses to pull them all the way down.
Moreover, the new articles helped me better understand the persecution by the old forces. Inside China, the persecution is carried out by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through the state apparatus. But outside of China, it’s our human thoughts and human notions that were exploited by the old forces to pull us down.
From Master’s lectures, we know the old forces forcibly got involved in Fa-rectification and made various arrangements without Master’s permission. My understanding is that the old forces have instilled degenerated substances in us in many of our past lives. If we do not have a strong, clear main consciousness and follow the Fa principles, we might fall into the old forces' traps. This will lead to more conflicts and problems, and it further deviates from what Master wants.
Master also wrote, “...during these latter days, beings are able to help save one another.” (“Stay Out of Danger”) I also gained more understandings from this.
First, Dafa disciples are saving sentient beings through truth-clarification. Second, the positive attitude and happiness of people after being saved also encourage practitioners to do better. Even if there are difficulties, practitioners could look within and improve themselves. So these people are also helping to save practitioners. Thirdly, practitioners could exchange understandings based on the Fa, learn from each other, and strengthen righteous thoughts to be saved.
This phrase from Master is a manifestation of the boundless wisdom of Master. Master did this to accommodate this earthly world and allow practitioners to study the Fa, validate the Fa, clarify the truth, and help each other. Master gives us everything, quietly helps us overcome all these difficulties, and cleanses the universe. This shows tremendous wisdom and compassion from Master.
Looking Within
I also have a deeper understanding of looking within.
Master wrote,
“A cultivator thus needs to cultivate by correct and upright truths. Going through hardship and suffering is an outstanding opportunity to remove karma, be cleansed of sin, purify the body, elevate your plane of thought, and rise in level—it’s an extraordinarily good thing. This is a correct and upright Fa-truth.” (“The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress III)
But when doing Dafa projects such as news media, we often forget about remaining calm. Instead, we treated them with human thoughts, attachments, and human notions. The negative feelings built up, which led to competitiveness and discord. Without righteous thoughts, we may not like things around us and would probably plan to quit.
For example, I switched from an everyday news media to Dafa’s media project full time 11 years ago. During these years, there were many painful experiences and I wanted to quit. Sometimes I even thought, “I have spent these 10 plus years of the best time in my life here. I do not owe the media anything and I can leave now.”
But I feel very guilty after reading the recent articles from Master. Because the reality is, I owe Master everything. On the surface, I have worked here in the media for 11 years. In fact, it is Master who did not abandon me and helped me in these 11 years. He helped me eliminate my karma and improve my xinxing, so that I can fulfill my mission and vow.
Master has done everything for us. Had I quit the project, I would have brought endless regret and pain to myself.
Moreover, the recent articles of Master also reminded me that I have treated the news media projects with human attachments. My family members are not practitioners. From time to time, they compared my income to what I had received in the past. Sometimes, I was troubled by it myself. Fortunately I was able to overcome the thought with Master’s help.
Master has arranged for us to work in various projects to clarify the truth and validate Dafa. All difficulties and tribulations that we’ve encountered are related to our karma and they presented opportunities for us to improve. The critical thing is whether we treat it with human notions or righteous thoughts. Nobody or no project owes us anything.
From these articles I realized that I still look at things with my notions instead of from the angle of Fa rectification. For example, what should I do to comply with Fa rectification? How can I cultivate better with compassion and wisdom?
Also, after reading the new articles from Master, I learned that no matter what level a practitioner came from, he or she is nothing in this human world without Dafa. Therefore, we must remain humble, grateful, and respectful toward Master and Dafa. Only then can we do well and not be interfered with.
Reflection
The recent articles from Master and Minghui editorials have pointed to certain individuals. My understanding is that, no matter how diligent a practitioner seemed to be in the past, we have to evaluate things based on the Fa. Some practitioners had done well in the past and later fell. We have to be careful not to treat them with our human sentimentality.
Master said,
“Who can really harm this cultivation group, or harm Dafa? No one can, as experience has shown. As I’ve said, that is how things are, and those who are interfered with are people with attachments—but nothing can damage the Fa. Only people within the group can have an adverse effect.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XIII)
We should also avoid flattering practitioners at will. That would nurture conceit in them and cause problems. We should make judgments about things based on the Fa, instead of relying on sharing from other practitioners or what they saw with their celestial vision. If we rely on other practitioners and even admire them, problems may arise.
Furthermore, when practitioners have complaints or resentment, we should remind them with compassion and righteous thoughts instead of venting our emotions together with them.
Plus, for those who have gone astray, we should not follow or pay attention out of curiosity. If we don’t give them an audience, they will disappear on their own.
Master said,
“I said something to you: I said that just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2005 Canada Fa Conference”, Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume V)
Summary
After reading these new articles, I have a better understanding of how profound Dafa is, as well as Master’s compassion and wisdom. I also came to understand the importance and sacredness of Dafa projects such as the news media. Master has done all of this for us, and many things are beyond words.
In summary, we should cherish all these. When something happens, we should not have negative feelings due to human notions. Rather, we should sit down and consider things with righteous thoughts. As practitioners, all tribulations and conflicts are opportunities for us to improve.
Secondly, we should often evaluate things from the perspective of Fa rectification. What role do I have here? How can I do better to assist Master in saving sentient beings? With gratitude toward Master, we can walk every day better.
Also, we need to cherish the practitioners around us. No matter what conflicts we had in the past, we need to work together well. After all, we are practitioners who focus on improving ourselves and we have the mission of assisting Master with saving sentient beings.
The above are my understandings of the recent articles from Master. Please point out anything inappropriate.
Thank you Master. Thank you fellow practitioners.
Editor's note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare in studying, compare in cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)
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Category: Improving Oneself
