(Minghui.org) As Falun Dafa practitioners, we must continue to raise our cultivation realm by looking within and correcting our mistakes.
Master said,
“I have said before that, for a Dafa disciple, it’s okay if you’ve made mistakes. Just openly and honestly admit to your mistakes and show that you’re getting back on track and want to do well, and everyone will admire you for that. But if you try to hide those things and cover them up, those human thoughts of yours will only grow more complicated and stronger. And if on top of that your cultivation is a complete mess, what will practitioners think of you? What will they make of it? And how will gods regard it? And what am I to do with you in the future? Saving people, saving lives, is an act of compassion. But there will always be those who aren’t savable, after all. And who are they? They are the ones who don’t treasure their own lives. Those are the ones who can’t be saved.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference”)
Some practitioners have inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex, and others have made even worse mistakes. Then, they try to cover up their wrongdoings.
Instead of admitting to their errors, they dare to plead innocence before Master's picture. If you are a true practitioner, you ought to know that Master is watching practitioners every minute. These practitioners dare not face their true cultivation states. They look within carelessly and disregard fundamental issues, thus fooling themselves as well as others.
“One cannot fool the gods” is a common saying from the past. “They know your thoughts even before you do. A whisper here is like thunder in heaven.”
Courage to Correct One's Mistakes
We must have the courage to face our true cultivation states. It is okay to make mistakes, but we must correct them in our minds and through our actions.
Confucius once said, “To have faults and not correct them amounts to having more faults.” There have been many such lessons in history.
Confucius's student Tsze-kung said, “The faults of a superior man are like eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them. He corrects them and changes again. Then, all men will look up to him.”
However, if a person recognizes his fault but refuses to take corrective action and tries to cover it up, or gets angry when others point it out, then not only can he not maintain his dignity, but others will look down on him.
During the Three Kingdoms Period, Yuan Shao, a warlord, had more experience, a better reputation, and stronger military power than his rival Cao Cao.
Yuan's adviser Tian Feng suggested that he fight a protracted war to wear down Cao Cao, a skilled tactician, instead of engaging him in decisive battles. Yuan was insulted by this advice and imprisoned Tian.
When Yuan lost a battle to Cao, instead of admitting his mistake, Yuan worried that Tian Feng would gloat. He had Tian Feng killed and thereby lost his best adviser. Unable to admit fault and accept criticism, Yuan Shao lost the war within a few years.
State of Mind Determines Attitude
A wise person constantly examines himself, corrects his mistakes, and elevates his moral standard. To be a virtuous cultivator, one must have a clear conscience.
A person's attitude toward his or her own mistakes is determined by one's state of mind and moral standard.
Unfortunately, many practitioners refuse to listen to advice and admit their mistakes. They try to cover them up or get angry when others point them out. They may have avoided losing face, but, in the preocess, they have lost opportunities to correct and elevate themselves.
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Category: Improving Oneself
