(Clearwisdom.net) A recent incident helped deepen my understanding of how we should cultivate.

A practitioner I know has not been very diligent in her cultivation. She has strong attachments to fame, personal gain, and human emotions. Whenever I see her, she always wants to chat with me about everyday people's things. I pointed this out to her several times in the past, but she never seemed to listen. Later, I realized that this was interfering with my own cultivation, so I contacted her less often. She called me a few times and said that we should get together for a chat, and she also wanted to sleep over at my house. I declined politely, but she was still upset with me.

On another occasion she said that she had left some of her things at my home, and wanted to come by and get them. I said that would be fine, and she came over. I felt that she was unhappy with me, and her words revealed her mood. My habit of being a nice person (to avoid conflict) came out. I didn't want to upset her, and I wanted to keep harmony on the surface. I had the subconscious thought of appeasing her. So I started chatting with her on everyday people's topics and even thought of inviting her to stay for the night, because I knew that she would enjoy the chance to chat at length. But since I had the thought of looking within, I maintained a clear head and didn't let those old habits control me. I recalled that Teacher said,

“If that happens they should just cultivate themselves more, and if they were wrong they should just correct themselves. If they weren't wrong, then they should hold firm and not be affected by those students who have human thoughts.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference")

I suddenly realized what was going on, and became alert. I kept a careful watch on my human notions, especially my attachments to keeping the peace, to pleasing others, and to wanting others to like me. I made sure they didn't surface, and at the same time sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate these thoughts. My mind felt much lighter.

I think that whether we are dealing with fellow practitioners or with everyday people, we should stick to Dafa's principles and follow Teacher's requirements. We should not yield. As another example, another practitioner that I know clarified the truth wherever she went. However, some practitioners have criticized her for being careless, telling her that she should not discuss the facts about Falun Dafa in certain regions, or that she should check to see if she is being followed after discussing Falun Dafa with someone. Actually, she has her own way of taking care of herself. She believes that discussing the facts about Falun Dafa is the most righteous thing in the universe, that she has not done anything wrong, and that she should just continue doing it. Since 2005, she has steadfastly discussed the facts about Falun Dafa and saved many people. If she did not dare to stick to Dafa's principles and was instead moved by practitioners who were fearful or jealous, then fewer sentient beings would have been saved. Her righteous thoughts and righteous actions have gradually changed many practitioners' incorrect notions. They now also discuss the facts about Falun Dafa themselves, and openly advise people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Seeing this practitioner's firm resolve and stable situation, I am reminded of when Teacher said,

“The Dafa disciples who have cultivated well, however, truly cannot be interfered with—not even in the least. Moreover, their righteous thoughts are strong, and they are helping others at the same time. They are truly helping Master rectify the Fa.” ("Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference")

Of course, when we run into a problem we should first look within. If we are criticized by fellow practitioners, we should check whether our thoughts truly meet the Fa's standards, whether we will bring harm to Dafa, and whether we still have human thoughts when criticized. If we have a problem, we should just find its root and get rid of it. In the meantime, we should stick to Dafa's principles and not let ourselves be affected by others. We should also send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate any unintended interference from fellow practitioners.

We are Dafa disciples. We should not be attached to being a good person in the ordinary sense. We should take the Fa as our teacher and truly walk our cultivation path righteously.

Please kindly point out any gaps in my understanding.