(Minghui.org) I have been practicing Falun Dafa for 21 years. That time has passed in the blink of an eye. Fellow practitioners have shared their understandings about when the Fa-rectification will end, but I haven’t paid much attention to it. Since I have not cultivated well, I will hurry to improve in cultivation.
One night after going to sleep early, I was suddenly awoken by a thought, “If it ends today, the result will be shocking! After studying the Fa for so many years, I still have many attachments and human notions. I still treat ‘bad things’ like everyday people.”
I was criticized by several practitioners not long ago. I am not easily influenced by everyday people’s fame or fortune, but was moved at how those fellow practitioners treated me so unfairly. I held a grudge against them, and couldn’t pass this test for a long time.
Although I didn’t say anything, I began to view differently those practitioners who had criticized me. My heart still feels uncomfortable to this day. I asked myself, “Can I bring this attachment to heaven when Fa-rectification ends?”
I seriously looked within and realized that I needed to face up to the criticisms, no matter how unpleasant they were, find my problems, and eliminate the attachments. The criticisms and the bearing of grievances were all good things. There’s nothing that we can’t let go.
Master said,
“The outside pressures that Dafa disciples face are tests as well as opportunities to be more diligent, while the internal conflicts and pressures among Dafa disciples are, likewise, tests and opportunities to be more diligent.” (“A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Europe”)
This was therefore a good opportunity for me to walk my path and cultivate well.
Master also said,
“Cultivation is about working on the human mind and heart; it is about cultivating oneself. Only when you are able to examine yourself, looking inward amid problems, conflicts, difficulties, or when being treated unfairly, is it true cultivation. And only by doing so will you be constantly improving, staying the right course on your cultivation journey, and progressing toward consummation!” (“A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Taiwan”)
After gaining a better understanding of this issue, I felt that I had finally removed a stubborn rock from my heart. As I looked further inward, I found a deeply hidden attachment to personal interest. The reason why I couldn’t pass this test was because I worried that the practitioners who criticized me would bring losses to my cultivation and my future. In fact, following Dafa’s teachings is the only correct thing to do. Whenever one can look inward, the bad things will become good things.
My cultivation improved after I found the attachment to the fear of losing and seeking mighty virtue. The incident was an opportunity for me to improve under Master’s compassionate arrangement. Like Master said,
“What a cultivator works on is always him or herself, and even the slightest change to your human thinking amounts to an improvement and will be witnessed by divine beings.” (“A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Europe”)
Milarepa was beaten by his master even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet, he harbored no resentment. In fact, his master used that approach to help him eliminate karma. As a Dafa practitioner, why couldn’t I do as well as Milarepa? I was deeply embarrassed by this huge gap. I realized it was actually a question of fundamentally believing in Master and Dafa. Milarepa could forbear what he did because of his firm belief in his master.
Therefore, what I should have really asked myself was, “Do I firmly believe in Dafa? If one truly and firmly believes in Master and Dafa, all confusion will disappear.
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Category: Improving Oneself
