(Clearwisdom.net) In "Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital," Teacher asked,
"‘What counts as cultivating?’ Well, doing the things that Dafa disciples are supposed to do, such as things that validate the Fa and that save sentient beings, among others, is one’s duty-bound responsibility and a part of establishing mighty virtue. But being able to improve yourself is the most crucial. That is because if you don’t improve yourself, you won’t be able to do any of those things well. So when you are strict with yourself, discover your shortcomings, and constantly get rid of them, then you are cultivating."
In this lecture Teacher pointed out how we should cultivate at the present time and the importance of cultivating oneself well. Great and Compassionate Teacher is here to rectify the cosmic body, and at the same time, he attends to the cultivation and the consummation process of all Dafa practitioners. Teacher said,
"Your true improvement will always be first and foremost, and the consummation of your cultivation is always first and foremost." ("Teaching the Fa in Canada, 2006")
From the lecture, I realize that Teacher is carrying things out in an orderly manner according to the arrangements of the Fa-rectification process.
"Most all of the entire cosmos has been completed in Fa-rectification." "The formation of the new cosmos is basically fully done." ("Teaching the Fa in Canada, 2006")
The process of Fa-rectification is advancing at a tremendous speed, and the task of saving sentient beings is extremely urgent. The consummation of Dafa practitioners and the returning to our true origins, in my opinion, is the most important and the most prominent reason for Teacher saving sentient beings. Only when we practitioners cultivate ourselves well and assimilate to the standard of the new cosmos are we able to consummate and return with Teacher. Therefore, in his recent lectures, Teacher has repeatedly advised and warned Dafa practitioners that, in addition to doing the three things well, we should also cultivate ourselves well.
The importance of cultivating oneself well is self-evident. When I look back on my cultivation path, I realize that cultivating oneself well also involves a basic issue. When the persecution began on July 20, 1999, practitioners entered the stage of validating the Fa and clarifying the truth to save sentient beings. The main manifestation is in the degree of faith in Teacher and the Fa. When faced with the extensive evil rumors and lies and the unprecedented extreme persecution, whether a practitioner could let go of life and death, step out of mortality, resist the persecution, and clarify the truth to save sentient beings, have become the criteria for Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period. This method of cultivation is unique and unheard of in the history of the universe.
During the seven years of bloody horror and red terror, practitioners have walked with righteousness the path of cultivating in the Fa and have established eternal magnificence in the universe under the merciful protection of Teacher. During this period of time, practitioners who have stepped out have poured their energy into validating the Fa, clarifying the truth to save sentient beings, and done the three things well. This is the required mission and the prerequisite for consummation that Teacher entrusted with the Fa-rectification practitioners. Of course, it also involves the issue of cultivating oneself well.
During the last several years, because I have spent most of my energy clarifying the truth to save sentient beings, I have failed to cultivate myself well. I partially understood Teacher’s words about doing the three things well and everything falling into place. My understanding was that, with this being the Fa-rectification period, the stage for self-cultivation was over, and Teacher had elevated us to our positions. Every day I thought about how to save a few more people and wishfully expected that on the day of consummation, Teacher would eliminate the remaining attachments and parts that were not cultivated well. Thus, I loosened up in my self-cultivation. Cultivating oneself well and clarifying the truth to save sentient beings compliment one another, yet I separated the two. No wonder some of the human attachments I have surfaced from time to time, preventing me from doing the three things well. As the environment became more relaxed, my desire for a comfortable life, idleness, and numbness increased. Although sometimes I know that they are matters involving fame, profit, and sentimentality, I cannot always treat those attachments seriously.
At times I ask myself if I can reach consummation with so many attachments. Sometimes I even console myself with Teacher’s words about practitioners having human nature until we reach consummation. In the most recent lectures, Teacher mentioned practitioners’ inability to accept criticism, and that we explode once we are criticized. Teacher has warned us that if this attachment is not eliminated we cannot reach consummation. This truly jolted me. If I do not get rid of this attachment I cannot consummate. Then, how many more attachments do I have? What should I do?
In fact, it is not that I do not want to cultivate myself well. I have realized from Teacher’s lectures that the reason I have not cultivated myself well is because the basis of my understanding was wrong. I thought that cultivating oneself well was self-cultivation, and was for the sole purpose of consummation. Of course, there is nothing wrong with cultivating ourselves well and keeping the goal of reaching consummation. It’s just that the starting point is not right. Throughout history, self-cultivation has been to reach consummation, and although that is not wrong, it is the selfishness of the old universe. Today we are cultivating in the righteous Fa, and Teacher requires us to cultivate to be selfless, to think of others before we think of ourselves, so that we can truly consummate in the new universe. Therefore, it is important to set the basis right. When the starting point is righteous, then one will be able to walk with righteousness and validate the Fa to save sentient beings.
For example, when I do a good job at work and perform well in every aspect, better than the model worker, the leader and my colleagues will all admire me. But I don’t do it for the sake of being a good person, but as a starting point to validate the Fa and to save sentient beings. I tell my leader and colleagues that, had I not practiced Dafa I would not perform so well, thus I’m showing the goodness of Dafa. My colleagues tell me that they do not understand Dafa very well, but they can tell that Dafa is good from the behavior that I display. Once they recognize the goodness of Dafa, they have chosen their future.
When it comes to doing the exercises, I was very diligent prior to July 20, 1999. After July 20, I slacked off quite a bit. I did not practice when I was busy or when I did not want to. Besides being lazy, it was mainly the issue of basis. I thought that, since Teacher had elevated me to my position and cleansed my body pretty well, it did not matter how often I did the exercises, and that as long as I clarified the truth to save more people and establish my mighty virtue, I would then have everything. But when I felt uncomfortable physically or showed signs of premature aging, I realized then that I needed to practice the exercises more, and yet I could not be diligent. Later I understood that I should do the exercises on the basis of validating the Fa to save sentient beings. When people see that my body is free of illnesses because I practice the exercises, they will recognize the amazing beauty of Dafa and thus be saved. From another point of view, the microscopic particles of our body correspond to our heavenly body in the universe. When the particles of our physical bodies become good, then the corresponding heavenly body in the universe will become good as well. Aren’t we then saving sentient beings?
Teacher asks that practitioners cultivate themselves well, because this is necessary for the Fa-rectification process. Saving sentient beings is such an urgent matter, thus the issue of cultivating ourselves well should be based on validating the Fa to save sentient beings. Whether it is eliminating our attachments or balancing the relationship between family and society or doing well at work and in society or resolving conflicts, as long as we place them on such a basis, we can then cultivate ourselves well. Actually, cultivating ourselves well is validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. Therefore, when our basis is right, we can then cultivate ourselves well and not disappoint Teacher’s compassionate heart of saving us. Then we can truly be responsible to the Fa and to ourselves.
This is only my shallow understanding; please kindly point out anything inappropriate.