November 27, 2002
(Clearwisdon.net) I was often distressed over the fact that I had so many attachments and couldn't get rid of them. Sometimes I would intentionally focus my efforts and target these attachments, but in the end I not only didn't eliminate them, I also felt exhausted. One day, a part of the Fa appeared in my mind, and all of a sudden I became more clearheaded.
Teacher said,
"Over the course of prehistory, everything of yours was being created, all along, according to how magnificent the disciples would be in the Fa-rectification period. So, it was arranged that when you reach the standard for ordinary Consummation, you still have, in the human world, all kinds of ordinary human thoughts and karma. The purpose is so that while doing Fa-rectification things you bring in, through your clarifying the truth and for the consummation of your paradises, beings that can be saved. As you consummate your own paradises you are, at the same time, eliminating your last karma, gradually getting rid of your human thoughts, and truly stepping forward from humanness. Most fundamentally, you all still need to establish your great mighty virtue in the process of shattering the old forces' persecution, and return to your highest positions. So this isn't a matter of reaching Consummation in ordinary realms, nor is it achievable in ordinary Consummation. It might seem that you have done what you should do for Dafa, when actually, you are doing it for your comprehensive Consummation and return" ("Fa Rectification Period Dafa Disciples", Essentials For Further Advancement II).
My understanding is that the process of conducting ourselves with righteous thoughts and righteous actions is the process of eliminating attachments. It's the process of Dafa practitioners reaching Consummation during the Fa-rectification period. Righteous thoughts and righteous actions mean doing well in the three things Master has told us: studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth. This is the essential difference between Fa-rectification cultivation and individual cultivation.
My previous attitude toward attachments was actually an attachment to eliminating attachments, and I was not truly having righteous thoughts or righteous actions. What are attachments? Aren't they notions with selfish pursuits? When I clench my teeth at the attachments, am I not dealing with one attachment with another?
I came to the understanding that when all of our words and actions are from within the Fa, we are already in the state of Dafa practitioners' righteous thoughts and righteous actions, from which all unrighteous things would melt. There is no need to "clench our teeth," which in itself is an unkind action.
I think strengthening one's main consciousness and determination is a prerequisite for keeping righteous thoughts and righteous actions. When attachments come out, I must keep my main consciousness clear and distinguish between what is me and what is not me. At the same time, I should eliminate them with righteous thoughts and steadfast determination. Looking back at my cultivation experience, whenever I was determined to let go of selfishness, the attachment would be like a piece of paper that tears with a slight poke. Whenever I found it hard to give up selfishness, the attachment would be like a wall, a mountain that was difficult to overcome. Sometimes I would feel everything was hard and there was no way for me to pass through it; however when I broke through with determination and looked back, it was hardly anything at all.
I feel that some attachments can only be fully exposed and eliminated under certain circumstances. When we step out to clarify the truth, the first attachments that are exposed are fear and laziness. These are the two main attachments at present, and many other attachments are derived from them. When I wanted to clarify the truth to someone, many impure thoughts would occur in my mind: Would he listen to me? Would he tell on me? Would I be able to do it well? These are all the manifestation of fear. When I spoke without any concern for self, I could feel those attachments disappearing little by little. In the end, when I felt the other person understood what I said, I found my attachments were actually nothing. On the other hand, if I did not clarify the truth or did not clarify it well, I could clearly see the attachments still causing trouble. Teacher told us, "Following [the Fa] in everything, Compliance is cultivation" ("Solid Cultivation" from Hong Yin, unofficial translation). I believe that in fact, Teacher was telling us about the importance of righteous thoughts and righteous actions in eliminating attachments.
For example, when I thought of clarifying the truth to several street vendors, all kinds of thoughts emerged. I felt inappropriate in all kinds of ways, and this state dragged on for days with me doing nothing. One day, when I broke through and forgot myself, words came out of my mouth like a stream of spring water. Those people listened with a smile as if they had been waiting for a long time to hear me. In fact, it only took me several minutes to clarify the truth, but it took me many days to break through the attachments. From this we can see that fear and indolence are like two tigers that block our way on the path of Fa-rectification. If we fail to keep righteous thoughts and righteous actions with firm mind-power, they will forever remain an obstruction; however, if we endeavor to conduct ourselves with righteous thoughts and righteous actions, the tigers will turn into paper tigers.
On the surface, clarifying the truth is giving, but in fact it is receiving. Every time I did well in clarifying the truth to someone, I would feel especially light-hearted. I now understand that this happiness is a feeling experienced by the human body after attachments are eliminated. The change in our corresponding microscopic bodies must be tremendous. On the surface, I told someone about the truth, but actually what I have gained is beyond description in words.
Righteous thoughts and righteous actions must be harmonious and without omission. Doing well in the three things Master mentioned must also be harmonious and without omission. It's not like, "I have studied the Fa well, so beings in my system are completely saved," or "I have clarified the truth, so I don't have to study the Fa or send forth righteous thoughts." The letting go of certain attachments and improvement of xinxing is done through truth clarification. If I don't clarify the truth, I won't necessarily be able to eliminate the attachments even if I study the Fa all day long. On the other hand, studying the Fa well and sending forth righteous thoughts are the prerequisites of truth clarification. When we emphasize one thing and ignore another, we are in fact covering up our selfishness. If we choose to do things that look easy and safe on the surface and think that by doing so we can make up for our shortcomings in other aspects, we are in fact judging Master and Dafa with human notions, which is extremely disrespectful and irresponsible to ourselves.
Righteous thoughts are the basis for righteous actions, and righteous actions in turn strengthen righteous thoughts. Righteous thoughts can produce diamond-like determination that can destroy all evil. When our righteous thoughts are strong, we are eliminating attachments and evil with Dafa, and we can be omnipotent. Righteous actions in turn reinforce righteous thoughts. When I wanted to do something, but could not take the step forward, I was actually controlled by illusion. When I broke through the illusion with righteous actions, I found everything that obstructed me was illusion. Sometimes I didn't do everything out of righteous thoughts, but I discovered that certain attachments were reduced or eliminated during the process of doing things. I think everything has its material form, and actions based on righteous thoughts can form a field of righteous thoughts, and the strengthening of righteous thoughts can help us take righteous actions better. Therefore, righteous thoughts and righteous actions complement each other.
From these experiences, I further understood the profound meaning of:
"With righteous thoughts and righteous actions
He is diligent without letting up
Eliminating demons that damage the Fa
He is good to all beings"
("A Righteous God")
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