(Minghui.org) In 1998, I attended a Falun Dafa cultivation experience-sharing conference in Europe and had the honor of listening to Master lecture in person.
I was stunned by something Master said: “Many intelligent people have realized that science is a religion; some everyday people know.” (Teachings at the Conference in Europe)
I was studying for my doctorate degree at that time and my supervisor was a leading scientist. Despite my interactions with eminent scientists in my daily life, I’d never heard anyone describing science from such an unexpected perspective.
I have thought a lot about this since and find Master’s description particularly meaningful. A scientific system is established with a set of theories describing the material world, based on specific hypotheses. Religion, on the other hand, can be understood as a set of theories explaining the spiritual world. If we accept that the world is made up of both material and spiritual aspects, just as humans have both a physical body and spiritual thoughts, then science and religion are just two different ways of describing the world. Great scientists such as Newton and Einstein ultimately pursued religion to solve the mysteries of science.
I marvel at Master’s perspective on science, which shows that He stands outside of science and is looking at the whole picture. In my limited knowledge, almost all scientists in the world, no matter how famous, are only exploring things within the boundaries of science. None of them can step outside this and see the big picture beyond these boundaries. It reminds me of Su Shi’s ancient poem “Written on the Wall of West Forest Temple,” which described the cloud-encompassing Mount Lu: “Of Mount Lu’s true facade one can never know if one stays within the mountains.”
I cannot even imagine where Master’s wisdom comes from. Master seems to be an expert who is omniscient in all aspects of the universe.
Of course, Master also talked about the states of various microscopic particles. Based on my scientific background and common sense, I believe Master was describing what people refer to nowadays as different dimensions. However, Master made these complex, profound concepts very simple and easy to understand, which is incredible.
I know that many Dafa practitioners have a high academic education, and some are intellectuals who have made outstanding achievements in the field of science. They believe in Dafa because they know that scientific knowledge is not for us to remain complacent, but to constantly break through the barriers of our predecessors to better understand the world and the universe.
Even though Einstein’s theory of relativity broke through Newton’s theory of gravity, it was still a significant step forward in humanity’s understanding of the material world. This is the spirit and attitude that a true scientist should have when exploring the unknown.
The biggest limitation currently facing science is the futility of trying to understand and explain high-dimensional things using three-dimensional theories. I believe that only through cultivation can we truly break through the spatial dimension.
Revealing the Essence of Religion and Cultivation
Where do humans come from? Where do they go? What is the essence of cultivation and religion? The cultivation world and religion have been trying to answer these questions for thousands of years.
When I was young, I dabbled in different religions and cultivation methods, but I was still confused about the essence of cultivation and didn’t know how to cultivate.
However, Master’s book Zhuan Falun clearly explained the essence of cultivation and past religions, which gave me much more understanding about the obscure books I had read before, such as Tao Te Ching, Buddhist Scriptures, and the Bible. Master explained secrets that no previous cultivation methods would ever reveal, and it touched me deeply.
I understand that cultivation is returning to one’s true self, eliminating karma through cultivating the mind, and accumulating virtue. Cultivation purifies the mind and body to achieve perfection in cultivation.
Cultivation Shows Us Extraordinary Things
Meditation is not just a physical exercise but also a practice of exploring life’s meaning. Therefore, it can certainly involve extraordinary experiences.
I once reached a deep state of tranquility in meditation, where time and space seemed to freeze, and man and nature became one. I left my body and looked down on the planet from above. I saw two beautiful little angels with wings cheering for me. I also saw an immortal who used a whisk to instantly move a distant planet into my field of vision. I soared freely into another dimension.
In my understanding, our true bodies can all fly freely, but because of the lower-level particles of emotions in our bodies, we are no longer light. I used to think that our thoughts were how we could understand the world, but then I realized that thoughts are precisely the obstacles that prevent us from entering higher-level dimensions.
I often think how precious is Dafa that Master has passed on to us, and how many heavenly secrets and mysteries it contains that humans have never known.
Staying Unmoved in the Face of Recent Tests
When I heard about the recent slanderous articles published by a mainstream Western media company, I felt saddened. I also felt sorry for those former Shen Yun performers who turned to the dark side and helped the communist regime to attack Shen Yun.
On the other hand, it’s important that we aren’t affected by the articles ourselves. I didn’t even bother to read them, because it’s the same tactic that the communist regime used to manufacture lies to slander Dafa at the beginning of the persecution.
My daughter has had more than ten years of experience with Shen Yun, from studying at Fei Tian College to becoming a Shen Yun performer. Her experience is completely the opposite of what I heard about those one-sided reports.
If people have obtained the Fa but don’t cherish it, they are disregarding and breaking their historic vows. Those who once practiced but now come out to slander Dafa are not true practitioners.
Any practitioners who became doubtful or wavered in the face of the slanderous propaganda should ask themselves: “What led you to practice cultivation in the first place? Have you reached a rational understanding of cultivation?” Only by thinking through these questions at a fundamental level can we face the current complex and chaotic environment and truly remain unmoved no matter what.
Master said:
“A lot of people want to cultivate toward high levels. This is now provided right before you, and you may still be unaware of it. You have been everywhere looking for a teacher and have spent a fortune, yet you have found nothing. Today, it is offered to you at your doorstep, and maybe you have not realized it! This is an issue of whether you can become enlightened to it and whether you can be saved.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
In the first article published after the persecution started, Master said:
“Lofty talk means nothing in life-or-death affairsActions reveal what you’re really made of” (“Your Heart Should Know,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)
Will we be able to make it or not? This is a serious test that practitioners must face today, and it is also a major question concerning life and death that every Dafa disciple must answer through their actions.
This is my understanding at my current level; please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
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Category: Cultivation Insights
