(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners all know that the goal of our cultivation is to remove our human notions and assimilate to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Only by constantly removing these notions can we achieve this.
What are human notions? It is my understanding that human notions surface when we pursue things such as happiness, living a good life, enjoyment, comfort, love, fame, and money. Human beings live for these things and spend their lives pursuing them.
For a human being, there is nothing wrong with these pursuits, but if practitioners pursue these things, and work hard to try to get them, then they are still human, even if they have practiced cultivation for a long time and claim to be Falun Dafa practitioners.
I have been practicing Falun Dafa for 20 years, but my thoughts were constantly on human things.
At home, I always complained that my husband was lazy, unmotivated, and careless. I blamed him for everything that went wrong, was filled with resentment towards him, and hoped that he could become the man I wanted him to be – a responsible and strong head of the household so that I could relax.
Deep down I secretly hoped to meet a man who knew how to protect and pamper me, but everything seemed to be going in the opposite direction.
I worked hard at my job because I knew, as a Dafa practitioner, I must be a good person and do my job well. But I was actually hoping for a raise or promotion.
Whenever I was treated unfairly, I complained, felt jealous, and became resentful. I knew that my behavior wasn't up to the standard of the Fa, but I kept repeating the same mistakes over and over again. I became distressed when I couldn't overcome my human mindset.
I suddenly realized that all the blame and resentment I had been harboring for my husband were rooted in my desire for a better life, wealth, and privilege, all of which are things everyday people pursue. When my husband couldn't meet my expectations or satisfy my desires, I became resentful and blamed him. How selfish of me!
Practicing Falun Dafa means enduring hardships and giving up human desires, but I was heading in the opposite direction and pursuing them, without realizing it. I claimed to be a Dafa practitioner, but what I really wanted was an everyday person's happiness and good life. Wasn't that going against cultivation practice? When I realized this, I felt so ashamed.
Everything that happens to me is part of Master's arrangements. It doesn't matter whether we understand everything that we encounter, Master's arrangements are the best and most suitable for us.
Worldly things will come to us if they are meant to be ours. Otherwise, no matter how hard we pursue them, we won't be able to obtain them. Our attachments and human notions are developed in the process of pursuit, wasting the precious time that Master has given us.
As soon as I came to this understanding, I stopped accusing my husband and making demands on him. Instead, I thanked him in my heart for being who he was, because it has helped me see my attachments and made me realize how precious Dafa is.
If the things I wanted in life came to pass and my husband became someone who met my standards, then I would be indulging in the so-called “good life.” I would still be calling myself a Dafa practitioner, but I would have missed the opportunity to truly cultivate.
Master said,
“And human notions change,The degenerate things purged,Brightness now shines forth.”(“Born Anew” from Hong Yin)
The more worldly things that I pursue and obtain, the further away I am from the gods. The less I want from the human world, the closer I will be to the gods.
I felt so ashamed that I had been pursuing human benefits for the past 20 years, even though I was practicing Dafa. My heart ached for having wasted all those years.
Now when I come home and see that my husband has not made the dinner or taken care of the housework, I'm no longer upset. I know this happens for a reason and Master uses this to help me remove my human notions so that I can assimilate to Dafa.
I now know that I should not pursue ease or comfort – what I want is to remove my notions. The calm and peace I feel is really good.
My husband has changed, too, and has become more considerate. Our son used to lock himself in his room as soon as he got home, but now he is willing to share his personal feelings with us.
Without my pursuing it, my family has regained its warmth and harmony!
I used to fight for my reputation, self-interest, and feelings among everyday people. I've now distanced myself further and further away from those human notions.
I am no longer upset about things concerning my family or work. The resentment I had towards my husband for the past ten years has gradually vanished. I feel lighter and more relaxed.