(Clearwisdom.net)
Thoughts of Gaining an Advantage
After one has studied the Fa for a long period of time, thoughts of gaining an advantage should not arise. No matter if the thought is regarding an advantage in daily life or cultivation, such thoughts are caused by various selfish pursuits.
If you were told that when studying the Fa, the advantages that you desire are not available to you, and the only benefit you will receive is that you will really be a better person who must first work hard, would you still want to cultivate? Cultivation of Dafa is not for gaining an advantage; it is for striving for righteousness and returning to one's original true self. Cultivating in hopes of obtaining an advantage in the future is not a pure thought, as there is no such thing as trading one thing for another in cultivation. Cultivation is the awakening of our inborn qualities, and we should cultivate in order to be a really good and righteous person.
Is It Genuine Cultivation?
Some people think that they are in cultivation of the Buddha Law, but what is the cultivation of the Buddha Law? Master Li told us in "Lunyu" of Zhuan Falun, "In order to explore this domain, humankind must fundamentally change its conventional thinking." Have we changed our human concepts? Do we really understand the Buddha Law? If we do not change our ordinary human concepts, we will have only our own understandings, as the Buddha Law is boundless. No matter what, we must continue to strive to advance diligently.
Some others think that cultivation is a type of insurance. Buddha saves sentient beings instead of just blessing and protecting them. If we cannot conform to the requirements, will that do? Teacher has said in "Solid Cultivation" of Hong Yin
"Study the Fa and obtain the Fa.
Share in learning and share in cultivating,
Following [the Fa] in everything.
Compliance is cultivation."
We must achieve this to be successful in cultivation. If we knew everything that is within the Fa, yet at the crucial moment we don't act according to Dafa's requirements, instead acting according to our various excuses, old habits, human emotions and notions, etc., then this is not cultivation. That would not be cultivation. That is only studying the principles and saying one thing while doing something else!
The above are my personal understandings. Please kindly correct any errors in my thinking.
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