(Minghui.org) The five-thousand years of glorious culture of China has established the foundation for our obtaining the Fa today. We now use this culture to save people. There is a famous poem,
“From the side, a whole range; from the end, a single peak;
Far, near, high, low, no two parts alike.
Why can’t I tell the true shape of Lu-shan?
Because I myself am here in the mountain.”
(“Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple” by Su Shi, translated by Burton Watson)
Savoring this poem from a cultivation perspective, it is especially different. When we cannot clearly see the true appearance of the old forces, is it because we are within its arrangement?!
We all know that the old forces want to manipulate Fa-rectification to the end. The closer to the end, the more destructive tests it subjects Dafa disciples to. Fundamentally it doesn’t want the world's people to be saved. We must escape from the old force’s domain, negate its arrangement, and eliminate its control so that we can truly be safe, walk the path arranged by Master, keep up with Master’s Fa-rectification progress, and effectively save more sentient beings.
From the perspective of the Fa, the old forces are the old universe’s life. Selfishness is its inescapable characteristic and the cause of its inevitable destruction. Life in the new universe is selfless and altruistic, and that is the reason for eternal life. Based on this, whether one can eliminate the selfish characteristic of the old universe and attain the righteous enlightenment of selflessness and altruism is the key to negating the old force’s arrangement and breaking out of its control.
No matter how high level the old forces are or how capable they are, they can only show off their abilities in the old universe. They have no way to control life from the new universe. Only when a practitioner has a loophole, a human attachment, and conforms to the old universe’s characteristic can they take advantage of it and find a reason to persecute the practitioner. Otherwise, they can't control lives destined for the new universe because those lives are not under its control, and they can't persecute them even if they want to.
When some practitioners study the Fa but don't truly cultivate, only gain from the Fa but don't participate in any projects to save sentient beings, and don’t do the three things well, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we have attachments and don’t let go of human notions, don’t know how to search inwardly even now, hold on to our own things and not let go, then the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we are indifferent to Master’s repeated warnings and hints, or worse, use words from the Fa out of context to cover up our shortfalls, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we watch on the sidelines with critical eyes when fellow practitioners ask for help, insensitive to the fellow practitioners' shortcomings, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we constantly protect ourselves and endanger others, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we insisted on our own opinions, emphasize ourselves, defend ourselves, don't coordinate well, and don't cooperate with the one-body, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we treat fellow practitioners slyly, suavely, to please everyone, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we count on external factors, have an attachment to time, are not strict with ourselves, wanting to wait to the end of Fa-rectification, to stay far away from persecution and to consummate ourselves, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we have an attachment to fear, want to hide away to see how the situation develops at the slightest hint of trouble, the underlying motivation is selfishness. When we accuse and complain about fellow practitioners constantly, only want to change others, don't harmonize with the whole-body, don't cultivate ourselves, don't correct and rectify ourselves, the underlying motivation is selfishness. All these selfish thoughts conform to the selfish characteristic of the old universe, which is under the old forces' control. How can you escape its persecution?
A fellow practitioner recently went through many people to ask me for help obtaining some Dafa books. I refused without giving it a second thought and told him to ask other practitioners. Even though I was able to help, I refused right away due to various selfish reasons, such as being afraid of trouble and fear of danger, etc. That night, I had a dream. In my dream, I was severely persecuted by the old forces. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t escape them. I woke up and sent forth righteous thoughts. From searching inward, I understood that when my underlying motivation is based on selfishness, I cannot escape the old forces' arrangement. Only when I become selfless can I break away from it.
I talked to the fellow practitioner afterward. He said, “Other people ask for your help, but you refuse coldly. Your reaction was really disappointing.” I was very sad to hear that. Looking inward, one thing I didn’t remember at the time was that there are no coincidences in cultivation, Master has arranged everything purposely. This would not have happened to me if it really had nothing to do with me or I didn’t have the ability to help. Also, I didn’t treat that practitioner’s matter as my own. I didn’t want to put in the effort for nothing in return. But this was a fellow practitioner. Due to persecution, he didn’t have some of the later Dafa books. He now wanted to study the Fa, so I should do what I can to coordinate. Even if there are some difficulties in the process, Master would help and arrange it. As long as the underlying motivation is right, being selfless and aligned with the Fa, all the positive beings and factors will take effect. At the same time, it is also a good opportunity for me to cultivate. Why did I turn him away so lightly? When I adjusted my underlying motivation and helped this practitioner, everything went smoothly, and everyone cooperated and coordinated well.
When I saw that an older practitioner needed to burn some DVDs and didn’t know how to do it, I helped him buy the burner and installed for him. Although there were some difficulties along the way, with Master’s help, it all worked out fine. When I saw this practitioner using the burner to create Shen Yun DVDs, I felt the true joy and happiness of selflessness and altruism. When practitioners behave selflessly, harmonize with each other, cooperate with each other, and coordinate as one body to help Master with Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings, it is wonderful.
When there was the appearance of interference to our Fa study group, my first thought used to be to protect myself and leave as soon as possible. I now reject such selfish thoughts. I help fellow practitioners search inward and strengthen their righteous thoughts, and I try to notify other practitioners, because the safety of the whole body is most important. Instead of speaking empty words, I pay attention and use the incident as Master’s hint, use this opportunity to search inside, and let go of human notions. We remind each other and help each other by pointing out each others' attachments. I cultivate myself as well as help fellow practitioners to eliminate their attachments. We pay special attention to sending forth righteous thoughts and eliminating factors of persecution, improving as a one body.
If the old forces can interfere and persecute us, isn’t it because we have human attachments and loopholes in our cultivation? When we can reach the state of selflessness, we will quickly save the number of people Master requires. Moreover, the old forces really can't reach us, because the lives that conform to the standard of the new universe do not belong to them. We are only under Master’s direction. We are the lives of the new universe and meet the standard of the new universe. When this comes true, the environment in this world will change completely.
Please kindly point out anything improper.