(Minghui.org) While looking within and discussing things with other practitioners recently, I found that I had a very large, hidden attachment: I always expected ordinary people to do things for Dafa. I would like to share my experience in this regard.
Having this attachment positioned me as an observer in this historic drama. I behaved as if I were in the audience or in front of a television, knowing that justice would prevail but having no idea how the plot would unfold.
That meant I was always wondering how the drama would end, passively awaiting the “finale” and expecting the current regime to do something surprising or positive.
I saw ordinary people, who are waiting for Dafa practitioners to save them, as the key players. And I had positioned myself as a helpless, numb, and negative spectator.
Master said: “Dafa disciples are the sole hope of salvation for the beings in each region and each nation.” (“My Thanks to Sentient Beings Who Have Sent Greetings” from The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III)
I was deeply touched by these words. I clearly saw my shortcoming—that I expected non-practitioners to play the leading role rather than I take responsibility for helping to save beings and positioning myself correctly.
While clarifying the truth to people, I often spoke of the current Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime and how the present leader was having Jiang Zemin's followers arrested. In time, I started to pay more attention to the leader of the current regime. Whenever I browsed the Internet, I always liked to read about him, thinking I needed to evaluate whether he still held the mindset of the CCP and to see whether China would move toward constitutionalism or democracy. When I found articles on these topics in overseas Chinese media, I always read them carefully. If he did not mention such "trends,” I felt disappointed.
Why did I pay so much attention to the current regime? To tell the truth, I didn’t care what system China adopted. However, I did care about Falun Dafa being exonerated. I thought that, if China could become democratic, Falun Dafa’s good name would very likely be restored. Although I did not mention this expectation to other practitioners, I kept the thought in the back of my mind.
Looking back, we have learned a lot of lessons. For example, our expectations of the former leader allowed the old forces to push him to the opposite side. We kept hoping that CCP meetings would improve our current situation. However, the results were the opposite.
After experiencing so many such lessons, we should be more mature now. We should let go of our attachment to expecting non-practitioners to solve our problems.
Thus, our local group of practitioners, including me, have been reminding one another to get rid of this attachment. However, when I discussed this issue with other practitioners today, I found that my attachment was still there: I was afraid that the current regime leader would worsen the persecution, and I feared that Falun Dafa would never be exonerated. I still had expectations of non-practitioners. I saw that my attachment was still deeply entrenched and that it had surfaced in another form.
One practitioner pointed out how I seemed to elevate the leader of the current regime and treat him differently—as if he were in a higher realm. The practitioner reminded me of something Master said in Zhuan Falun:“The entire human society is on the same level.”
That practitioner said, “Emperors or beggars are the same before Dafa. Why should we treat the leader of the present regime differently? Isn't this an attachment? Do we think the current leader is more important or has a special role or mission? In fact, he is also an ordinary person who has to choose his future in this special historic period. If he fails to make the right choice, he will be replaced. What can ordinary people do? God is arranging and controlling everything in the world. Why should this leader be treated differently? If we treat him differently, aren't we harming him? Don't even mention a non-practitioner. The old forces will push him or her down the road of no return. Haven't we learned enough lessons? We really cannot treat any person differently!”
What this practitioner said really hit home when it came to my hidden attachment, which I had not previously seen.
I realized that having expectations for ordinary people is not a small problem. It stalls the fundamental rejuvenation of our cultivation. If we count on ordinary people, we put ourselves in a lower position than they are, at least on this issue. Then what will happen when the Fa-rectification period ends? If our attachment to expecting things from ordinary people hasn't been eliminated, and we still place ourselves lower than ordinary people, where should Master position us?
In addition to this attachment, I found more problems behind it, such as attachments to seeking comfort and selfishness. This is really a large issue. It requires us to pay more attention to letting go of all attachments.
After pinpointing that shortcoming, I started to target it when I sent forth righteous thoughts. I wanted to completely remove it and all the evil forces behind it. I felt that I was very tall and that my energy covered a large area when I was sending forth righteous thoughts. Compassion started to emerge from the depths of my mind. All I wanted was to do was to clear out the old forces completely and let Dafa save more sentient beings.
If we truly eliminate our expectations for ordinary people and position ourselves as steadfast Dafa disciples during the Fa-rectification, we will not care about when Fa-rectification ends. In the face of our strong righteous thoughts and steadfast cultivation, the old forces will be disintegrated and more sentient beings can be saved. Master could then end this persecution by the old forces. Aren't we the key players in this historic drama?
I realized that Master's immense force of Fa-rectification could arrive at any moment. The old forces and all the chaos of the world are nothing compared to it. When the full energy of Fa-rectification arrives, everything will change in an instant. In fact, its arrival time really depends on whether Dafa disciples have saved enough sentient beings and our xinxing standards have reached the levels required by Master. Dafa disciples are really the only hope of salvation for sentient beings.
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Category: Improving Oneself
