(Minghui.org) During the entire course of my cultivation, I strove to look within immediately after I experienced tribulations and conflicts. I did find attachments, but unfortunately did not discover the fundamental problem and I continued to face tribulations. Over time I felt helpless, which made it even more difficult to find and overcome my fundamental attachment. Besides, fellow practitioners told me that they experienced the same state. I thought about this problem and believe that I have made some progress, which I would like to share with fellow practitioners.
An experience helped me understand the issue from a different angle. At almost every lecture, Master encourages Dafa disciples to look within. Master said, “For a cultivator, looking within is a magical tool.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference”)
Master's words have shown me that looking within is indeed a magical tool. I once saw a conical magical tool in front of my chest pointing at my heart. When I entered into tranquility and looked within, my main consciousness was suddenly energized. A thread of my consciousness entered the base of the magical tool, which then drilled into my heart. The layers upon layers of hard substances that were covering my heart were scattered and disappeared. Once the hard substances were removed, I entered the deepest part of my heart, which was filled with light. It turned out to be an extremely beautiful dimension.
I immediately came to understand that the layers upon layers of hard substances that covered my heart, were in fact the manifestation of my attachments in other dimensions., and were composed of many layers. When these layers of different attachments were tied together around my heart, they became a powerful solid barrier.
How thick was the barrier? The Tao School regards the human body as a small universe. If it is a small universe, it is more than 54,000 kilometers thick.
Looking within is a magical tool, and it is a living being as well. It is very innocent and playful. When a Dafa disciple is diligent and looks within, the magical tool gains momentum, driving it forward as if fully charged. When reaching the last layer of the hard substance before reaching the beautiful deepest dimension, it spins the fastest, driven by the energy.
When a Dafa disciple doesn't look within or only does it superficially without truly cultivating, I can sometimes see the magical tool become lazy, slack off and become disdainful as if it wants to say, “You don't have the momentum, I'm not playing with you.”
The magical tool is usually in front of a practitioner's chest and is motionless. It can only be driven by the practitioner's mind. When conflicts or tribulations arise and the practitioner looks within, his or her main consciousness is sober and strong. That is when the mind intent controls the magical tool, and it will drill into the hard substances formed by attachments. However strong the mind intent, is however powerful the momentum that drives the magical tool will be. It will then break a layer of the hard substance.
Master has done a lot for Dafa disciples, such as giving us many mechanisms. In my understanding, looking within is one of them.
The magical tool of looking within can change forms. It manifested into a conical shape in my visions, and it can also manifest into other shapes or forms.
The concept of cultivating xinxing is the process of removing barriers formed by attachments. Once all barriers are removed one can feel the all encompassing energy of compassion and peacefulness. When emerged in that compassionate energy, all tribulations and conflicts can be dissolved.
Dafa disciples should pay attention to their state of mind under any circumstance and at every moment. If any sign of resentment, impatience, irritability appears in our mind we should immediately adjust our state of mind and make sure to achieve a state of compassion and peacefulness.
To test Dafa disciples, the old forces have made many arrangements that are warped and destructive and appear in the form of conflicts, xinxing tests and tribulations. They are to test if practitioners' xinxing is solid and if one can maintain a state of compassion and peacefulness. If one fails the tests, the old forces have achieved their goal and think that their arrangements have proven to be right.
The fundamental requirements of looking within is that the practitioner is diligent in studying the Fa. For example, when sickness karma strikes, conflict arises, or trouble emerges, for those who have just stepped onto their cultivation path, one would pass the tests if one thinks of looking within.
After cultivating for a period of time, the requirements would have been raised. When problems arise, one not only holds the thought of looking within, but must identify the attachment and let it go.
The issue is if one has conscientiously looked within. The length of time one spends on looking within is not the main concern. What really matters is whether the practitioner has kept up the momentum of looking within. This means that one has become unaware of oneself and the outside world. When Master sees that a practitioner has met the cultivation state requirement, he will give hints to the practitioner, helping in finding the cause of the problem.
The longer one cultivates diligently, the higher the requirements. The practitioner needs to understand the related Fa principles and follow its guidance. Studying the Fa is not merely reading it, but it is assimilating to it. One must examine oneself while reading it and check to see if the requirements articulated in the Fa have been met. The above state will occur at all levels and throughout ones cultivation.
My intent of writing this article is to help practitioners become more clearheaded. Real cultivation situations differ from person to person. Each practitioner's cultivation path is different. Therefore, it is important to share our understandings and learn from each other.