(Minghui.org) Growing up in China, a country ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), I was instilled with atheism and fallacies of the evolution theory since childhood. Although I have recognized a lot of things about atheism over the years through cultivation in Falun Dafa, it was not until after I read Master’s Hong Yin IV several times that I came to realize that everything Master said in all the Fa lectures is so true and really exists. It feels like the entire universe is full of Buddhas, Taos, and Gods, and that the dimension where human beings reside is only a tiny bit of it. 

Atheism, the Theory of Evolution, and Modern Concepts Have Hindered Us from Making Fundamental Improvement in Cultivation

Atheism and the evolution theory, coupled with modern concepts, have limited human thinking and their awareness to the false images visible to the naked eye in the human dimension. As a result, most people find it hard to believe in what they cannot see with their eyes or anything beyond the reach of modern technology. 

As Dafa practitioners, we should break through the barriers in our way of thinking and reasoning formed on the basis of atheism, the evolution theory, and modern concepts. 

When we do not have enough faith in Dafa, it is a sign of us failing to assimilate to the Fa. We cannot just agree with the words in Master’s teachings on the surface level without rationally understanding the deeper truth of Dafa. When we truly understand the deep meaning of Dafa with rationality, we will realize that it is no longer important if our celestial eye is open, because our enlightenment to the Fa principles enables us to have a broader and higher vision than what we can see through our celestial eye. What the celestial eye sees is also very limited, yet our true enlightenment to the Fa principles is vast, lofty, and boundless. 

Such understanding of the Fa principles might enable us to cultivate more rationally with a more peaceful frame of mind. Although we are in the human world physically, our thinking or our true self is in the universe alongside the Gods and Buddhas.

Do Not Look at Issues with Human Reasoning

Dafa practitioners should look at things from the Fa’s perspective instead of viewing them with human principles and human notions. For example, if someone offered us some favors, we felt very happy and grateful, but in fact some of our virtue was taken away in exchange. 

Someone may have hurt us, emotionally or physically, materially or spiritually, and we are not happy. But the abuser has in fact given us virtue, eliminated our karma, and helped us improve our xinxing and increase our gong (energy) potency. If we are unhappy about pain and loss instead of feeling grateful, then we are still holding onto human thoughts. 

If we look at things in the opposite way of the human thinking, we will continue to step out of the humanness and walk towards godhood. We all know that the modern day principles of human beings go against the principles of high-level dimensions, so if we are able to view things from high-level principles, we would be constantly improving. However, measuring things using high-level principles does not mean we go against the traditional principles that the divine has set forth for humankind.

Not Being Concerned with Who Is Right or Wrong, Gain or Loss 

When faced with conflicts, oftentimes we can’t look inward unconditionally, or not thoroughly enough. I’m sure we have all found ourselves in similar situations before. One major reason is that we often base ourselves on human notions and look at things from everyday people’s perspectives. To put it bluntly, we tend to judge who is right or wrong first and forget that we are Dafa practitioners and we need to take a step back and look within ourselves first.

We need to change our own notions and realize that it’s time we changed ourselves for the better whenever a conflict arises. Even if we are not sure what attachments we have at the time, we should still treat the conflict calmly and look inward because it is always an opportunity for elevation. 

If we focus on right or wrong, we are already trapped in human notions and have allowed them to take the upper hand. Our main consciousness must be clear and must take command in what we do. Only then can we elevate amidst conflicts. 

Truly Have Faith in Master and Dafa

“Faith” is not just an idea or a concept, and true faith is a firm embodiment of a higher truth in one’s mind even if we cannot see it with our naked eye. Most people all have reasonable belief in certain things, such as their problems would be solved and they would benefit from something. That belief is based on “seeing is believing” as they only believe in things they can see with their eyes. 

However, a Dafa practitioner’s belief is our faith in Master and the Fa, a pre-condition for our improvement and elevation. Such faith lies in the eradication and denial of our own human notions, and in our firm belief in Dafa. Our unconditional faith comes from our true self assimilating to Dafa deep in our soul. The inner elevation and the corresponding enlightenment are simply beyond words. Such feeling has nothing to do with seeing is believing. 

As Dafa practitioners who have been cultivating for many years, we know through Fa study that there are innumerable Buddhas, Daos and Gods in different dimensions who are watching every thought we have and everything we do. But, do we truly believe this?

Only with firm faith in Master and Dafa can we truly get rid of our own notions. With the dirt in our thoughts peeled off layer by layer, our thinking will become clearer, our understanding more genuine, and we will naturally believe that everything in Master’s Fa teachings is true. Such faith will encourage us to keep elevating in our cultivation.

Viewing the Old Forces and the CCP with a Righteous Mind

Ever since the CCP launched the persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples in 1999, China has been shrouded in red terror. For more than 20 years, the CCP, under the control of the old forces, has continuously launched waves of persecution one after another. 

After reading the books such as The Ultimate Goal of Communism and The Devil Is Ruling Our World we understand that the evil specter of communism plays a destructive role in the world. No matter how the old forces had arranged things at the beginning, we should not acknowledge or accept their arrangements. If our actions meet the different requirements of Dafa at different levels, the old forces’ arrangements would not work, and the CCP in the human world would be no more than a decoration. However, the arrangements of the old forces have indeed played a huge role in the persecution of Dafa practitioners. 

We all know the cultivation state and the situation in our local area. In any case, we shouldn’t treat members or followers of the CCP with human thinking, because they too should be saved, and Dafa will deal with those beyond salvation in due time according to due arrangements. We just need to focus on saving as many people as possible in the course of our cultivation and improvement.

Beware of the Tendency of Making Excuses  

Oftentimes, amidst conflicts or a series of incidents, we all know that it’s time to improve our xinxing and to let go of human attachments so as to make a great improvement, but why can’t we improve or why do we only improve a little, and very slowly? 

One big reason is that we tend to lower the standards for ourselves either consciously or unwittingly to justify what we do. The truth is the “self” we want to make excuses for is not our true self, but the false self that doesn’t want to give up and die. Therefore it is imperative that we study the Fa well and make sure that our main consciousness is in charge at all times. Only by doing so can we be strict with ourselves and be able to truly let go of human attachments. This is true cultivation. 
In other words, it is very important that we study the Fa in a frame of mind that conforms to Dafa. 

The above is just some of my current understandings to share with fellow practitioners. Please kindly point out anything in my sharing that is not in accordance with the Fa.

Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare in studying, compare in cultivating,” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)