(Clearwisdom.net) As Fa-rectification is drawing closer to the end, great numbers of sentient beings urgently need to be saved by Dafa disciples. Whether we have cultivated well or not may directly affect their salvation. If a practitioner cultivates well, he or she has let go of many attachments. The more bad substances he has gotten rid of, the greater amount of compassion he will possess. When he clarifies the truth to people, a simple and unadorned sentence can deeply touch the hearts of those sentient beings, as they have waited for hundreds and thousands of years just for this. Therefore, cultivating ourselves well ensures their salvation.
From my interactions with fellow practitioners, I have found that, although some practitioners make efforts to study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts every day and have a strong wish to save sentient beings, they don’t know how to truly practice cultivation. When they clarify the truth, people tend not to accept what they have to say. This adverse effect confuses them and gradually they do not dare to come out. I would like to share some of my experiences in truly practicing cultivation. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Studying the Fa with Our Hearts
Some practitioners study the Fa with much effort every day. However, while studying the Fa, they have all kinds of thoughts interfering with them and are not able to concentrate. They study the Fa every day like they are completing a mundane task, instead of really studying the Fa wholeheartedly. In this situation, the Fa cannot purge our karma, and our bad thoughts and attachments are then difficult to get rid of. Some practitioners do study the Fa peacefully and carefully, but very often they cannot handle things from the Fa's perspective when they are faced with problems. From their main consciousness, they haven’t truly measured things and rectified their minds and deeds within the standards of the Fa. After they leave the group Fa-study site, they again feel indignant and disturbed when they get into conflicts with others.
Regarding the issues above, my solution is as follows.
Whenever I study the Fa, I require myself to do well on these things. Before I study the Fa, I let go of all thoughts and maintain an empty mind. I get rid of the attachment of pursuit and study the Fa without purpose. While studying the Fa, I concentrate on the Fa and sit in an appropriate posture with a respectful heart. When thought karma shows up, I just concentrate on studying the Fa and resist it with my main consciousness. If I can't immediately resist it, I then pause a moment to adjust myself to remove it.
Master said,
“Let each and every thing
be measured against the Fa.
Only then, with that,
is it actually cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)
I enlightened that we should consider Master’s teachings as the guidance of all of our actions. We need to have a strong wish from our Main Consciousness that we must firmly believe in Master and Dafa and wholeheartedly follow Master’s words. With this strong wish from the bottom of our hearts, we can then connect with the Fa and continuously rectify our thoughts and deeds. While truly practicing cultivation, we must look within. As long as we search within every moment, we may find many attachments and shortcomings that we haven’t realized.
Striving Forward Vigorously and Being Strict With Ourselves
Complacency and laziness are the biggest distracting factors to a cultivator. When a practitioner doesn't make a decision to sincerely correct himself after realizing a mistake, then he might make the same mistake again and forgive himself again. If he just lets time slip by like this, how can he strive forward? Once I found I had done something wrong, I regretted it very much and corrected myself at once. In addition, I urged myself not to repeat the same mistake. I kept my word and abided by it with my actions. This is how I corrected my mistakes. Every day, I search inward for my attachments and shortcomings. As long as I find one, I urge myself at every moment to correct it until I have rectified myself.
Another important thing is how to take others’ criticism. When being criticized, we should not look externally or let the criticism flow over us. We need to deeply look within and measure ourselves with the standard of the Fa.
Cultivating Steadfastly with a Grateful and Sincere Heart
As far as I know, some practitioners feel they obtained the Fa so easily and thus have the mentality of casually cultivating to any level they can reach. With such a mentality, it will be hard to strive forward and cultivate steadfastly.
Whenever I find myself thinking like this, I continuously warn myself. In order to provide us salvation, Master has endured numerous bitternesses and borne the sins we committed over hundreds and thousands of years. I should have been struggling in a bottomless pit in hell, but compassionate Master scooped me out, cleansed me, and spared no effort giving me all the best and magnificent things. How can I not strive forward and not cherish it? Look at the tremendous changes in my mind and body after practicing Falun Dafa! I should maintain a grateful heart every moment, follow Master’s words, cherish Dafa and everything while cultivating, and strive forward vigorously.
Our lives come from the Fa and we are here just for Dafa. Fusing our entire mind and body into the Fa, we’ll feel it really is “Words cannot describe its beauty and wonder…” (“Falun World,” Hong Yin)