(Clearwisdom.net) I was fortunate to begin Dafa practice in the spring of 1995 at the age of 30. Over the years, I have come to realize that my attitude toward cultivation and determination are extremely important, and that doing well requires studying the Fa well and having steadfast faith in Master and Dafa.
We are Master’s disciples, so we must walk the path that Master has arranged for us and negate the old forces’ arrangements. I was subjected to such severe torture in a labor camp that I lost consciousness repeatedly. I thought I had let go of life and death, but in the end I was confused. The reason was that I had followed the path the old forces had arranged for me, only caring about my personal improvement.
I understand from the Fa that if we were able to hold onto the selflessness and altruism taught by Master, and correct every unrighteous thing, then the evil cannot lay a finger on us. Our foundation would conform to the Fa; we would be in the Fa, and we would connect with the righteous energy in the cosmos. We would possess the wisdom and power that are greater than what the gods of the old cosmos have. Then the old forces would be unable to reach us.
Only by holding onto Fa-rectification - based on selflessness and altruism - can we validate Dafa. Otherwise, we are validating ourselves, just as the old forces do. Only by living based on selflessness and altruism can we enable ourselves to transcend the realms and wisdom of gods of the old cosmos, and truly rescue sentient beings. That is true compassion.
Removing attachments is connected with much suffering if one does not firmly grasp the foundation of Fa-rectification. The attachment to lust and desire, for example, might harbor substances that could be the reason for the degeneration of the celestial body that corresponds to my dimensions. Removing it will rescue sentient beings in that celestial body. Then what excuses could we, the guardians of the truth of the cosmos based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, possibly find to fear suffering?
We are Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples and shoulder the mission and responsibility to save sentient beings. In my understanding, any person’s actions brought about by a thought of his or hers is the manifestation of the sentient beings in a corresponding celestial body; correcting our every thought concerns numerous sentient beings’ salvation. Our inability to look within to find attachments, or harboring these attachments, amounts to pushing our sentient beings to the brink of death. At the same time, our attachments are surrounded by a black, negative field; isn’t that a place for the evil to survive? Keeping our attachments is helping the old forces.
In my understanding, solid cultivation refers to completely letting go of attachments to fame, personal gain, and emotions that everyday people care about. During my first lock-up in a detention center, I could not let go of the qing for my children, and I was severely tortured. The illusion of my children getting sick kept me awake all night. While in a labor camp, my husband told me during his visit that the children often went hungry because their school was far from home and he was too busy at work to look after them. He told me that one day while giving the children a ride to school on his bicycle, he fell right in front of a car and the three of them were almost killed.
I was once attached to having my child admitted into a good college. Not only was my wish unfulfilled, but the authorities seized my child. The evil forces have targeted the attachments that I have not let go of.
We are so fortunate to be able to practice cultivation in Dafa in the Fa-rectification period. Our xinxing rises from solid cultivation, and sentient beings are rescued through our solid cultivation. We need to pay much attention to our xinxing and improve ourselves, so the sentient beings can be saved.
One day I clarified the facts to an elderly Party member in his 70s. When I started to persuade him to quit the evil Party, he stormed at me and tried to drive me away. I kept sending righteous thoughts while looking within and said to him gently, “Uncle, I wouldn’t leave you like this, I’d rather wait until you have calmed down.” I kept talking to him and several minutes later, he understood the truth and said emphatically, “Falun Dafa is good!”
I clarified the facts to a middle-aged man another day. He agreed with everything I said, but when it came to quitting the Party, he hesitated. I asked him, “Do you know why I spent so much time talking with you?” He asked, “Why?” I answered, “I want you to be safe.” He was touched and said, “OK. I will quit.”
Through the more than ten years of cultivation practice, Master has done so much for me: waking me up so many times from my dreams to do the exercises, arranging opportunities for me to improve despite the many times I had missed them, always encouraging me when I am diligent, and constantly giving me hints when I’m in tribulations. I feel so guilty that I have not done well, but will do my best going forward.
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