(Clearwisdom.net) I began to practice Falun Gong in 2008. Through several recent incidents I noticed my human notions were being transformed and assimilated to the Fa. I would like to share my experience with fellow practitioners. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Taking time off from work
It was near the end of the year and I had not taken any of my vacation time yet. I wanted to ask my manager for some time off so that I could work on some Dafa projects at home. Recently however, our work unit undertook a large construction project, and most of my coworkers had been working overtime. The majority of us had not taken any vacation and we had been discussing this amongst ourselves. Under these circumstances, no one wanted to ask our managers for a vacation. My manager had treated me well and I was not sure if it would create problems for him if I asked for time off. Would I set a bad example at work? I shared my thoughts with other practitioners and they said that this is the Fa-rectification period, and our number one priority is to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. Time off for vacation is covered by the employment laws and it is a right we have as employees, and I should not be hindered by notions or be afraid to ask.
Practitioners' sharing really made me think. Although I decided to talk to my manager, I was still hesitant. When I sent forth righteous thoughts that evening, I thought of Master words:
“I have long noticed that a few individuals do not have the heart to safeguard Dafa, but instead intend to safeguard certain things in human society. If you were an everyday person I would have no objections—it is certainly a good thing to be a good person who safeguards human society. But now you are a cultivator. From what standpoint you view Dafa is fundamental—this is also what I want to point out to you.” (“Digging Out the Roots” from Essentials For Further Advancement)
I suddenly realized that I was looking at the issue with a human mindset. I was trying to be a good person and was not looking at the issue from a practitioner's perspective. If I could take time off from work, I could do many things to save sentient beings, and that is making good use of my valuable time.
As soon as I understood this, my notions changed and my heart was calm. I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the bad elements that were blocking me from getting time off work to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. Subsequently, I was able to take time off from work, and my coworkers were surprised that my manager approved my vacation.
Getting rid of the attachment to wanting to save face
During my vacation, a practitioner and I decided to bicycle to a forced labor camp so that we could send righteous thoughts there, and talk to those we met on our way there and back about Falun Gong. The practitioner that I was with did a good job at clarifying the facts to people, while I stood next to her and sent forth righteous thoughts. On our way back home, the practitioner said, “You can talk to the next person while I send righteous thoughts.” I became nervous and could not open my mouth, as if something was blocking me. I knew I was afraid, but there was something else that was stopping me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I said to the practitioner, “I don't know what to say. Why don't you talk and I will send righteous thoughts.”
After I got home, I studied the Fa and looked inward, but I still couldn't figure out what was blocking me. When I studied the Fa and sent righteous thoughts the following day with other practitioners, I realized that I had an attachment to saving face. I was a good person and was well-liked by others. I made good grades at school, got along with my classmates, and always followed my teachers' instructions. I was a humble person and my teachers and classmates liked me. I rarely argued with anyone at work, and never fought with others. I kept a good image and people thought that I was a nice and sincere person. As I grew up, I gradually developed an attachment to saving face and was afraid that others would start a confrontation with me or hurt my self-esteem. Then I would lose face. We encounter all kinds of people when we are clarifying the facts. Some people accept our words, while others are against them. People in mainland China, in particular, under the indoctrination of the Chinese Communist Party, do not know the true situation about Falun Gong. Thus, they often insult and slander us. I'm afraid to talk to people like that and don't know how to respond to them. This kind of notion and my attachment to wanting to save face to protect my ego, and not wanting to be hurt, formed a dark matter in another dimension, and blocked me from talking to people.
As soon as I recognized my attachment and notions, I wanted to eliminate them and change my thoughts. Master said:
“...The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference” from Essentials For Further Advancement II)
So I studied the Fa diligently. Master also said:
“As a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at—you must be tolerant.”
“Someone says: "If someone kicks me while I’m walking down the street and no one around knows me, I can tolerate it." I say that this is not good enough. Perhaps in the future you may be slapped in the face twice, and you will lose face in front of someone whom you least want to see it. It is to see how you will deal with this issue and whether you can endure it. If you can tolerate it and yet it preys on your mind, it is still not good enough. As you know, when a person reaches the Arhat level, in his heart he is not concerned about anything. He does not care at all in his heart for any ordinary human matter, and he will always be smiling and in good spirits. No matter how much loss he suffers, he will still be smiling and in good spirits without any concern.” (Zhuan Falun)
Shouldn't practitioners unconditionally assimilate to the Fa? We should act according to the Fa, as when we get rid of humanness, what is left is divinity. Moreover, what do human words account for? Aren't we saving them? Shouldn't our hearts be unmoved by anything?
After studying the Fa continuously, I was able to face these sentient beings. I could truly save them with the heart of compassion, and take their attitudes to heart. Once I let go of my ego and the attachment to saving face, I felt that people's words could no longer affect me.
Human notions versus righteous thoughts
I sent out multimedia messages to clarify the facts one evening and received a reply saying, “Thank you.” I was glad to get this reply and felt encouraged. When I went to bed, I received a multimedia truth clarification message at 11:00 p.m. Practitioners were working hard still sending out truth clarification messages late into the evening.
I thought about the thank you message I received and wanted to respond in kind to encourage the practitioner that sent me the truth clarification message. My family members, who are also practitioners, reminded me not to do things based on human notions, and said that the purpose of running those websites is to save sentient beings.
I thought about what they said and looked inward, thinking, “Why do I think that practitioners are working hard? Am I still looking at the sacred mission of saving sentient beings as a 'task'?” I did not think that practitioners are walking their cultivation path and establishing their own mighty virtue. I was using human notions to measure things, and was not looking at the issue from a practitioner's perspective, with righteous thoughts. Master said:
“What ordinary people regard as not good is good for cultivators--beings who wish to leave this place. If your thinking is the same as ordinary people's, then you will forever be an ordinary person and never be able to leave here.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference”)
It is time to transform my human notions and measure every single thought with the standard of the Fa. Only by breaking through humanness can we walk toward divinity!
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Category: Improving Oneself
