(Minghui.org) I read the Minghui editorial “Starting Point”several times and reflected a lot after reading it.
The editorial points out at the beginning, “Some situations have come up at each juncture with different people in various regions. Such situations have arisen for students and Dafa disciples to discern things and cultivate in the Fa, and to learn to consider cultivation as the starting point whenever they encounter something, assimilate to Dafa so as to save more people, instead of continuing to be influenced by human attachments.”
The Li Xupeng phenomenon mentioned in the article has been existing in our area for years. Though most practitioners understand the situation and do not follow such people, a small number of practitioners take them as idols instead of following the Fa. They do things that Falun Dafa practitioners should not do.
A woman practitioner with her celestial eye opened and who has some supernatural abilities frequently judged other practitioners as to how high a level they have cultivated to. She told others who she was previously in history, and that the people who follow her now were under her control in their previous lives.
Some fellow practitioners obeyed her and extolled her as a divine being. She often traveled to tourist destinations and dined out at good restaurants with her followers. They wasted Dafa's resources for their personal leisure.
She lives an affluent life. In contrast, some practitioners who saved up and donated money to Falun Gong information sites live a frugal life. Some of her followers got heavily into debt but claimed to take money lightly and that they were getting rid of human attachments.
She maintains a shop and runs an annual celebration with flowers and fireworks. Most of the participants were practitioners. These kinds of activities also waste Dafa's resources and practitioners' precious time to cultivate and save sentient beings.
Many practitioners shopped in her store for years either without even thinking about it, or fearing that she would be unhappy if they didn't. Some practitioners adamantly helped and supported her, thinking that they made contributions to Dafa by doing so.
Once she brought a group of people to visit my city. They stayed in a high-end hotel and invited local practitioners to dinner. We declined. The practitioners around her were said to be afraid of her and took care of her like a queen. They admired and depended on her. Some other practitioners pointed out that doing so harms her and others. One of them said, “She comes from a high level and cultivates in that way. We are safeguarding the Fa, not one individual.”
Master Li addressed this issue directly in “Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day:”
“Disciple: Some practitioners got to know many Dafa disciples around the world via Dafa projects, and then started their own businesses. Should that be considered interfering with Dafa disciples?
Master: Yes. If you use Dafa’s resources to make money for yourself, then what you are doing is no different than persecution. You will realize this in the future. This form of interference depletes Dafa disciples’ resources. Resources are limited, and they are meant to be used for Fa-rectification and saving people. In the future, there will turn out to be serious consequences for this.”
There are similar things like the Li Xupeng issue throughout the country. Some practitioners lost their true selves in extolling their idols. These incidents test all of our starting points in cultivation. Taking these as a lesson to correct ourselves is what genuine practitioners should do.
Recently, a practitioner from another place who was forced to leave home to avoid persecution was introduced to local practitioners in my city. He also has some supernatural abilities.
His experience in protesting the persecution moved many practitioners. He appeared to keep a low profile but still had the attachment to fame and personal interests. He also had a strong mentality of resentment. He imposed his understandings on those practitioners who did not agree with him.
His strong rivalry mentality has caused controversy among local practitioners. Some of his thoughts have an unknown background and are not suitable to stay long in my area, as he may cause interference to the local cultivation environment. Some other practitioners help him in daily life and invited him to share experiences with them. A practitioner praised him after listening to his talk, “You are the best!”
He wrote down his cultivation experience in the format of a biography and gave it to others to read. He said he would publish it online in the future. A local young practitioner especially extolled him as a hero and said, “He is the one I admire most in my life.” This young practitioner died of sickness karma later on.
Fellow practitioners should be more rational and clearheaded. Such incidents similar to the Li Xupeng phenomenon in “Starting Point” should not happen. Some practitioners used to be very diligent, but have gradually lost their nature after being complimented so much by fellow practitioners. Their attachment to fame and interest slowly expanded. As a result, some had illness tribulations, or were arrested, sentenced to prison, or even lost their life.
Actually, it is easy to discern people like Li Xupeng. One should not judge such people based on their words, but their xinxing level, to see if their starting point is on the Fa and saving sentient beings.
We can evaluate situations according to the Fa. I personally think that it is better to point out the issue kindly to such people. Otherwise, we should stay away from them and not follow them and waste time. Without being flattered, he or she may calm down and study the Fa.
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Category: Improving Oneself
