(Minghui.org) Greetings, revered Master, and fellow practitioners!
The theme of my experience sharing is that indifference, which lacks compassion, can look like the calm, detached state that results from cultivating away human emotion; but it is not the same.
When I first read Master’s recent article “A Wake-Up Call,” I felt that Master emphasized mercy and kindness:
“Compassion is expressed in this world through love and kindness, and these are qualities that those who practice Dafa should always radiate from within.” (“A Wake-Up Call”)
I realized that Master’s warning truly applied to me. I have been practicing Falun Dafa for 26 years, but do I treat everyone with mercy, do I feel love for all people? I am ashamed, but I have not reached that level. When I see practitioners at times treating others with the kindness of ordinary society and not the compassion of Falun Dafa, I begin to look within myself. Once I noticed that, I realized that I too have that same problem to some degree. Everything I am speaking about during this sharing certainly applies to me personally.
A few months ago, I had to work through a lot of difficult situations with my relatives, and they needed my help. I struggled to find time to study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts, and clarify the truth. I missed several Friday night group studies. When I was finally able to attend, another practitioner came up to me and asked why I had missed meetings several times, and said that as a Falun Dafa Association member, I should not miss our meetings. My thought was, “Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to ask me if I was okay, or even to call me beforehand to see how I was? Then immediately came the thought, “Well, how do I behave in similar situations when someone else is absent?” Honestly, I have a lot to do regarding this issue.
Unfortunately, I often see practitioners lacking in mercy, including for one another. Some practitioners view the lack of mercy as a good state because they are not witnessing sentimentality. I have a different understanding: Mercy is an aspect of compassion, and compassion is at the foundation of our practice.
I often have seen some of our practitioners being calm and impartial about problems that arise in other practitioners’ projects, as well as problems other practitioners experience. When I talked to them about a fellow practitioner needing help, they gave me advice to calm my heart and to mind my own business. They also reminded me of the importance of getting rid of my emotions.
However, I realized that many of us appear calm and detached until the issue is about something we are attached to. It is very important to realize that our indifference to someone else’s problem does not mean that we are free of related attachments and emotions, or that we are basing our thinking on compassion.
I have come to understand the importance of cultivating kindness, because in time it will gradually turn into deep compassion. This process has taken me years, and of course, the process is not yet complete.
Master has encouraged me many times by giving me the opportunity to be in the state of an enlightened being for a short time. This state cannot be fully described in words, and I have never felt anything better in my life. I experience it especially during the events we hold in Chinatown. During these times, I have no negative thoughts, fear, resentment, no feelings at all, but only boundless mercy for all people without exception, regardless of whether they are beautiful, ugly, young, old, sick or healthy – I have a great desire to save them.
When Master puts me in that state, I do not experience anything that is not in accordance with Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. It is as if He is instructing me to strive to always be in such a state.
It is impossible to count the number of articles on the Minghui website written by practitioners about this topic. I have read many of them, and doing so has certainly helped me. I think it is rare that a practitioner tries to get rid of an attachment and Master removes it immediately. Usually, we have to work long and hard to eliminate our attachments.
I recently found myself in a very challenging situation regarding Internet security. On the surface, I took all the corrective steps necessary to resolve the problem. But, afterwards, I lost the ability to enter a tranquil state during meditation, and I also could not concentrate when sending forth righteous thoughts. I began to search within and found the desire for control. I remembered how often I had found this attachment within myself, in many different situations. I was able to get a good result in those situations only by completely eliminating the desire to control. This time, the desire was hiding behind my supposed thoughts about not wanting anything bad to happen to my fellow practitioners. I really want to get rid of the desire to control, so I have been carefully monitoring my thoughts and sending forth righteous thoughts about the issue.
I also began noticing that I could not accept being corrected or criticized. When I looked inside, I found pride based on ambition and selfishness. I have made a little progress in this regard. So far, I can be silent at best, but my heart is not completely at peace. In fact, I truly wish to see any test as an opportunity to improve. I wish to find joy in hardship.
Sometimes tests last for a long time, and I begin to feel sorry for myself. I even complain to myself about how hard it is for me. Master uses every situation to help me get rid of attachments, and I am often dissatisfied and full of complaint. If I am complaining about these arrangements, aren’t I complaining about Master?... the greatest and most merciful One who saves me and all living beings! Remembering that sobers me up quickly.
Master has provided us with the best; let us try harder on our paths of cultivation so that we don’t have regrets later.
Thank you, Teacher, and fellow practitioners.
(Presented at the 2024 Philadelphia Fa Conference)