(Minghui.org) There are an infinite number of lives in the cosmos. To become a Dafa disciple and cultivate together as Fa rectification disciples is a precious opportunity, yet one that lasts but a few decades. Fate has brought us together. Regardless of where we are, what we do in our lives, or whether we know each other, we are one body. We are bound together by our mission: to rectify the Fa, and save sentient beings.
If we could cherish this fate, be tolerant and understanding of each other, and cooperate well together, we could harmonize the needs of Master and the Fa rectification, and each play to our greatest strengths in saving more sentient beings. Reflecting on this, I would like to share the following experiences and understandings.
Do Not Be Divided by Deception
Many arrests of Dafa practitioners in China were the result of reports by plainclothes police, secret agents, and other personnel. Yet often these individuals would lie about who reported on practitioners. They would blame it on average citizens to provoke negative feelings in Dafa disciples, creating conflict between them and the people they are trying to save.
To acquire information about Dafa practitioners, police would often use surveillance or tap their phone lines. They would then lie about it and claim that it was fellow practitioners who betrayed them, to provoke discord in the group and create separation.
By spreading false rumors, police would claim that detained practitioners had been "transformed" and were now doing bad things. The goal was to have practitioners on the outside harbor negative feelings of blame and hate towards those being detained, so as to not work together to obtain their release.
I experienced such a case. A policeman told me that one practitioner had knelt before him while in custody. At first I found it unbelievable, but doubt began to creep into my mind. When this practitioner - who suffered many tribulations – was eventually released, I checked and discovered that the policeman had lied.
This is one of the nine evil methods the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses - separation. And it is a trap we must avoid.
Even if a practitioner becomes confused and makes mistakes due to the pressures of persecution, that behavior was caused by the old forces and interfering factors. If we develop negative thoughts and treat him differently, aren’t we acknowledging the evil's arrangements, assisting it in its persecution of Dafa disciples? We cannot acknowledge the persecution or be moved by fellow practitioners’ behaviors.
Instead, we must remember that we are one body. We must put aside human thinking and feelings, and measure our thoughts with the Fa. We cannot allow the CCP to divide us.
The Safety of Others
When dealing with conflicts; feeling hurt or irritated; or thinking others' actions do not conform to our own views and understandings, we must look inside first. When we run into these things, it is no accident. Fellow practitioners are a mirror for us to see ourselves. If we feel moved, that means we need to cultivate our hearts.
Regardless of how large the tribulation, we must be clear, use wisdom, and consider the safety of fellow practitioners, as our actions impact them. We cannot ignore the consequences of our behavior.
When practitioners use different approaches and forms to validate the Fa, we should be tolerant and understanding of each other. We should not look down on others or form an antagonistic attitude. This intolerance can only result in conflict and create disharmony.
Once, a practitioner wrote an opinion letter about a case, criticizing the actions of Dafa disciples, and published it on the Internet. This practitioner did not fully know the truth of the matter and made exaggerations.
Isn't this being muddleheaded - or worse - assisting the old forces to disrupt the environment of Dafa disciples? What if it put a fellow practitioner’s safety at risk? Wouldn’t that make the evil smile? This behavior does not conform to the Fa principle of truth, nor compassion. Such a lofty realm of thought can forgive perpetrators, let alone fellow practitioners. We should not hurt each other or cause disharmony.
What we experience is all part of cultivation. Keeping compassion and goodwill in our hearts gives us time to step back, and be broadminded towards fellow practitioners who use a different approach. We should look inside first and calmly remind fellow practitioners when they do something incorrectly.
If they refuse to change, we can let go of our things and harmonize the situation by quietly filling in the gaps to make it better. In some circumstances, a fellow practitioner may not truly understand the Fa's principles, or one practitioner may not see the other's reasons for using a different form or method. If we hold kindness in our hearts and cultivate ourselves well, when we inform others of the truth, it will have a good effect.
Being in Harmony with Fellow Practitioners
Whether we're clarifying the truth or living our daily lives, whatever we see or hear about other practitioners’ shortcomings or problems should not move us. We should not blame or criticize them, because we may not see the actual truth. Our starting point is to believe that their nature and intentions are good, and we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Negative manifestations and conflicts are for us to look inside, improve, and cultivate.
If a fellow practitioner has shortcomings, we need to be understanding. We can quietly and kindly remind each other to turn shortcomings into opportunities for improvement, as we harmonize the whole.
When our heart's capacity increases and our xinxing rises, not only are we being tolerant and compassionate to our fellow practitioners, we are able to be even more so to the people in this world. If we remember that all lives came for Master and the Fa rectification, and are to be cherished, then we can extend this outward with compassion and wisdom, to save them.
Deep Regret
A family member who practiced Falun Dafa would easily get excited when clarifying the truth and sharing the practice with people. I thought this excited tone made him sound angry. Instead of treating him with kindness and understanding, I would often criticize his behavior, which would anger him.
When he would voice complaints about other practitioners, instead of looking within and examining my own shortcomings, I would criticize him. Because we were family, I could not let it go and even pressured him further. I did not handle this properly by looking inward and cultivating myself. He was eventually arrested and persecuted to death. Only then did I realize the truth - that predestined relationships between practitioners could end at any moment.
Not only had I not harmonized the environment nor understood him, by refusing to resolve our differences I had unwittingly supported the old forces' arrangements in persecuting him. I lost many opportunities to improve myself, be diligent, and form one body with him.
I am truly sorry. I apologize to Master and to my fellow disciple. My deep regrets are beyond words.
I realize now how precious predestined relationships are between practitioners, and that we should treat each other with kindness and understanding. To form a whole with all practitioners is an important part of our cultivation.
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Category: Improving Oneself
