(Minghui.org) Many years ago, I worked on reciting the book Zhuan Falun. Even though I managed to recite only two lectures, I greatly benefited from it. I later began reciting Master's other teachings. This greatly improved my cultivation.
In, “Righteous Thoughts,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III, Master gave specific details of how to send righteous thoughts. The teaching, “True Cultivation” reminded me to put down fame, self-interest, and emotion. Master's teaching,
“To the Australia Fa Conference” encouraged me to focus while studying the Fa. “To the Experience-Sharing Conference in Taiwan” reminded me to look inward. And, “Expounding on the Fa” in Essentials for FurtherAdvancement encouraged me to take charge of my thoughts when facing difficulties, and helped me pass tests.
Remembering Master's Teaching Helps Resolve Old Conflicts
I suddenly had severe abdominal pain one day, and could not stand or sit. I could only lay in bed. Instead of thinking, “I'm a practitioner. I need to identify what attachment caused this,” I reacted like a non-practitioner – I tried to get comfortable. The pain was intense and continued for 24 hours. Every negative thought surfaced: “My life is at an end.” And, “I cannot pass this test.”
Fortunately, I remembered what Master said in “Expounding on the Fa”:
“Whenever a tribulation comes, you do not see it with the side of your original nature but view it completely with your human side. Evil demons then capitalize on this point and inflict endless interference and damage, leaving students in long-term tribulations. As a matter of fact, this results from an inadequate understanding of the Fa by your human side. You have humanly restrained your divine side; in other words, you have restrained the parts that have been successfully cultivated and have prevented them from doing Fa-rectification.”
Even though the pain was excruciating I finally sat up and tried to send righteous thoughts. I felt that no matter what, practitioners must maintain righteous thoughts.
The key reason I passed this test was that I used a cultivator's magic weapon – the ability to look inward. I had a conflict with two elderly practitioners which was not resolved for years. I remembered it as I lay there suffering. I told myself that I must resolve this conflict and stop sidestepping it. Amazingly, as soon as I had that thought all the pain disappeared!
Just as Master said in Hong Yin (Volume II) “Don't Be Sad”:
“Calmly reflect on the attachments you haveRemove your human thoughts and evil will naturally die out”
The following day, I visited the two elderly practitioners. I sincerely apologized for my faults over the years. Our relationship is once again harmonious.
I’ve worked for several years with a practitioner who has a strong character. I constantly adjusted myself and tried to accommodate him. I felt it was good enough if I put up with him. However, my passively tolerating didn’t help me improve my cultivation; instead it made him more aggressive. I avoided directly confronting him, so at least on the surface we were at peace. One day, the situation suddenly intensified. He seemed to lose his mind. Although I felt that I didn’t do anything wrong, I apologized to him because smoothly working together and putting down our self-interest is what Master asked us to do.
In his teaching, “A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Taiwan” Master 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!”
When I remembered Master's words I suddenly enlightened and found my attachments to combativeness, jealousy, competitiveness, showing off, and looking down on others —among many other attachments. I apologized to him. Why? Whether he forgave me or not was not as important as the success of the project, which was the highest priority. We both looked inward and our relationship improved.
Eliminating Obstacles from Family
My father, who practiced Falun Dafa for 17 years, suddenly died at age 83. His death was a shock and hard to get over. As his son and a fellow practitioner, it was hard for me to calm down.
I used to suffer from depression and insomnia. When my father saw my positive changes after I began practicing, he decided to practice. He used to suffer from heart disease. Shortly after he began practicing, his illness disappeared. My father was afraid to fly. After he became a practitioner he traveled four times with me to experience sharing conferences in the U.S. and Canada. Listening to Master’s lectures in person were some of his most precious memories.
My father enjoyed great health after he began practicing. He later experienced symptoms of eliminating karma, including memory loss, loss of appetite, and poor mobility. He began having abdominal pains two months before his death, which gradually increased. He used to get over these symptoms in about two or three days, so I didn't pay any attention. Eventually he could only drink water. He began vomiting. Five days later he died.
My father and I were not close, and I didn't interact with him much. I was not a filial son. As a fellow practitioner, I didn't help him or encourage him with cultivation. When we occasionally exchanged our understandings, I usually imposed my own understanding on him without paying attention to his feelings. I was not kind or patient. Reflecting over the years, he did the three things consistently. Even days before his death, he still persisted in going to tourist sites every day to clarify the truth.
My father didn't travel to the end of Fa-rectification with me. When it was obvious that he didn’t feel well, family members tried to persuade him to take medicine or seek medical treatment. He maintained righteous thoughts to get through the tribulation. Even at 3:00 a.m., on the day of his death, he still studied the Fa, sitting at his desk as usual, despite the pain.
Twenty days after he died, I dreamed that my father came to me. His complexion was very healthy and he smiled at me. He had never looked so happy or healthy! I suddenly realized that this was Master's hint to help me put down my feelings of guilt and regret.
I think the best way to remember my father is to cultivate more diligently. I keep reminding myself that we should be, “...more diligent toward the end...” (“Fa Teaching at the New York Fa Conference on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Dafa’s Introduction to the Public”)
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Category: Improving Oneself
