(Clearwisdom.net) A cultivator's mind should be calm. When our hearts are out of balance, that indicates that something has touched on our attachments. We tend to seek outwards to try to achieve an inner balance, or we find excuses and convince ourselves that we have reasons to hold onto our attachments. Hence, these attachments possess our bodies. One more day of failing to get rid of these attachments is one more day that they will manipulate us, and letting them manipulate us means that we have lost ourselves.

The moment we enlighten to our attachments is usually one of the most painful moments in our hearts. Attachments are like spirit possession; in order for them to survive, they will interfere with you and allow you to avoid them. If we think and act according to our attachments, we are pursuing attachments, want attachments, and worship attachments. If we can bravely face our attachments and say to them that we do not want them, Master will help us get rid of them.

I enlightened to the above during a conflict with a fellow practitioner. I was very angry, picked out many of his attachments, and went to sit in the car out of anger. Another practitioner was listening to Master's audio lecture tapes, and Master was talking about someone holding tight to his spirit possession and not letting it go (not Master's original words). I was shocked. Why have I always picked on fellow practitioners' problems? Why have I not first sought inward when I am angry? Am I the one holding tightly onto the attachment and not letting go? I dug deep inside and found my attachment, shivering with fear, fearing that I had found it, and that I was going to get rid of it. Just like Master taught us in "True Cultivation" (Essentials for Further Advancement),

"Cultivation itself is not painful--the key lies in your inability to let go of ordinary human attachments."

Only when we get rid of our attachments will we feel pain. Only when we get rid of the attachment through the pain can we truly conform with the universal character of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, reach inner peace, and truly upgrade.

The above is my limited understanding. Please correct me.