(Clearwisdom.net) After so many years of cultivation, although it seems that I have been studying the Fa every day, doing things Dafa disciples are suppose to do, and have never stopped cultivating for a single day, it has been only recently that I truly realized what cultivation is and how to cultivate. To mention this is very embarrassing: I have not really cherished this precious period of cultivation. As a matter of fact, the reason for my poor understanding is fairly simple: I have not put my heart into Fa study and did not truly look inward, cultivate myself, or let go of everyday people's notions.
During lifetime after lifetime of reincarnation, human rationality is set deeply in our bones, in the form of everyday people's notions. No matter what we encounter, we judge things automatically using such notions. Those notions are always the first thoughts that come to our minds. Some examples are: it is easier to get flu and fever when the weather is cold; it is easier to have a stroke when the weather is hot; it is a good thing to be comfortable and a bad thing to be uncomfortable; we will be happy when we gain something and angry if we lose something; we will be moved when seeing beautiful people of the opposite sex; etc. In Fa rectification cultivation, similar notions are manifested as: we will be arrested, sent to forced labor camps or sentenced to prison if we step forward to validate Dafa; we will be reported or persecuted if we clarify the truth and advise people to do the three withdrawals; we will be caught and persecuted if we go on-line to read articles on the Minghui website, etc. Those kinds of bad thoughts were formed through the forced brainwashing in a closed environment by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Those notions and the logic of the CCP, in addition to the fear deeply planted in people's hearts through the CCP's terrorist tactics of killing and bullying people during the numerous political movements, are basic barriers and a tremendous impediment for Dafa disciples to become mature and do the three things well according to Master's requirement; they are also the major excuses that the evil forces use to persecute Dafa disciples.
During cultivation, I often feel these kinds of notions, especially fear, following us like shadows, interfering with us and destroying our righteous faith, righteous thoughts, and righteous actions. However, as Dafa disciples, we should continuously eliminate these notions and attachments. If each one of our thoughts are on the Fa, we will have very righteous thoughts, the thoughts of a divine being, namely, a high-level way of thinking; if we are not in the Fa, our thoughts will be on a human level-- notions, and attachments, namely, a low-level way of thinking. In our Fa rectification cultivation, if we do not fall into a low-level way of thinking, we can then keep the thoughts of a divine being. We can remain in that state and be equipped with all kinds of abilities, and do the three things arranged by Master well to save more sentient beings. The interference from the evil will then not have any effect.
Master has given us a hint in Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Vancouver, Canada, in 2003:
"Your thinking at that time won't have this human way of thinking or structure, that is, the thought structure of your fully-cultivated part will have been shaped according to a God's best standard. That way, the way of thinking won't be a low-level way of thinking, but you'll know everything at lower levels. Actually, you know, be it Buddha Shakyamuni or some other God or Buddha, they know the thoughts of even cattle and horses, and they know the thoughts of even lower beings, they know it all, and fully, but they won't go inside there. They just know everything, that's all."
Obviously, a god absolutely does not fall into a low-level way of thinking to figure things out because once he enters that state, he would fall from his world to a lower level. As Dafa disciples, if our thoughts are not on the Fa, we are thinking on a low level; conversely, if every single thought of ours is on the Fa, we are then thinking at a high level.
Therefore, during cultivation, if we can continuously judge and measure everything with the principles of the Fa, we will be able to inhibit the human thoughts and the thoughts of a divine being and righteousness will prevail. This way, we will not fall into a low-level way of thinking; actually, we will enter the state of high-level beings, miracles will happen, and we then can better validate the Fa.
I remember once not long after the CCP's National Day, while I was biking home after work, it suddenly thundered and was about to rain. Right after I rode through the gate of my company, it began to rain quite heavily. I then wanted to wait for a while under a bridge. At that time, a story suddenly came into my mind. After Master finished teaching the Fa in Dalian City, he accepted an invitation from Jinzhou City to teach the Fa. On the way there, it started to rain really hard. Master then said that it was not easy to drive in the rain. As this rain had already been arranged, it had to happen, then we just let it rain behind the car. We just drove along without the rain.
As a result, on the way to Jinzhou, in front of the car, the sky was clear and shining; however, behind the car, there was a torrential downpour. The driver at that time was also amazed. After thinking about that, a thought emerged in my mind: I am a Dafa disciple. As the rain had to happen, please let it happen behind me. Right after I had the thought, the rain stopped after a few drops fell from the sky. Because it was quite late, I just drove along without paying attention to whether it was raining behind me or not.
Thinking back on this, I was not paying much attention at that time and felt it was very normal and usual. I did not realize it was a very miraculous and supernormal event until sometime later. This made me realize that we are often impeded by the interference and barriers coming from our own attachments and notions. That is why we cannot manifest our divine power obtained through Buddha Fa cultivation and are often controlled by everyday people. Otherwise, what can everyday people do to Dafa disciples? What can everyday people do to divine beings? Therefore, as long as we can assimilate into the Fa and fundamentally change our way of thinking as everyday people, the mighty power of Dafa can manifest and our righteous thoughts will be able to do anything.
The above is just my personal understanding. Please correct me if anything is not on the Fa.