(Minghui.org) I would like to share some of my recent cultivation experiences.
Learning from Small Things and Letting Go of Attachments
Drying the Floor with a Handkerchief
After moving to Japan, I started carrying a handkerchief. At a community center with practitioners one day, I accidentally spilled water on the floor. I couldn’t find any paper towels to wipe it up, so I thought about using the handkerchief in my pocket. Then I thought, “No, the floor is quite dirty. How could I wipe my hands with the handkerchief afterward?”
I asked a nearby practitioner if she had any tissues. She said she did not and used her handkerchief to dry the floor for me. I was amazed. Thinking about the handkerchief in my pocket, I felt ashamed. I was touched by her response and saw my own selfishness.
She did not mind getting her handkerchief dirty; she just wanted to mop up the water. Her thinking was simple and pure. In contrast, I was calculating and wanted to avoid an inconvenience.
Cleaning up the spill was my responsibility, but, being selfish, I cared more about my own interests than about solving the problem right away. I realized I was averse to dirt and attached to ordinary people’s notions of cleanliness and dirtiness.
In fact, attachments are what are truly dirty, even though we can’t see them with our physical eyes. In other dimensions, they appear as filthy, dark substances. Why do I keep holding on to them?
After this experience, I paid attention to letting go of selfishness and my aversion to dirt. I felt my mind increasingly bright and at ease afterward.
A Warm Mat on the Floor
I participated in activities at a Shen Yun ticketing location. I had to sit backstage with other practitioners for a long time sending righteous thoughts. It was very cold, and we were sitting on thin plastic mats on the floor. At first, I felt fine, but the longer I sat, the colder I became, even with my scarf wrapped around me.
After sending righteous thoughts for a while, I saw Zhang and Liu arrive. Zhang invited me to sit on a fleece blanket she had brought along. I appreciated her thoughtfulness and kindness, and I felt much warmer sitting on the blanket.
After hearing our conversation, Liu left for a moment and returned with a large cardboard box and quite a few disposable heat packs. She spread the cardboard on the floor, placed the heat packs on it, covered them with the plastic mats, and laid Zhang’s fleece blanket on top.
The thin plastic mats became a thick, warm place for the three of us to sit together. No longer cold, I could concentrate better on sending righteous thoughts.
Compared with Zhang and Liu, I felt ashamed of my selfishness. I hadn’t done anything for them, yet I had benefited from their efforts.
Cultivation means continually recognizing our shortcomings and working to improve ourselves. In my interactions with practitioners, many seemingly small, ordinary moments touched me, helped me recognize gaps in my cultivation, and motivated me to do better next time.
Overcoming Fear and the Attachment to Saving Face
As a child, I imitated other children’s stuttering, and no one corrected me. In addition to my timid nature, the problem worsened over time, and I became accustomed to it. Being unable to speak smoothly like others did made me feel inferior.
Because I was very sensitive about my image and concerned about how others perceived me, I tended to avoid speaking in front of large groups. Over time, this sensitivity led to a fear of speaking.
Before I began practicing Dafa, I blamed my family for not pointing out and helping me correct my stutter. After I began cultivating, I came to understand that everything happens for a reason. Perhaps I was repaying karma from my past lives. But I still felt frustrated at times.
A couple of days ago, while reading an experience-sharing article on Minghui.org, I came across a reference to “Golden Buddha (With Master’s Comments).” I had read “Golden Buddha” before and had been touched, so I read it again. The article prompted me to reflect on whether I truly regarded myself as a cultivator focused solely on cultivating my xinxing or as an ordinary person limited by the shortcomings of my physical body.
I realized I had let my physical limitations hold me back and had overlooked that true cultivation means improving one’s xinxing and returning to one’s original, true self. I had focused on the negative impact of my stutter rather than approaching the issue as a genuine cultivator.
After recognizing this, I felt relieved and much lighter. I decided that from now on, I would focus on cultivating my xinxing and improving myself.
Please kindly point out anything not in line with the Fa.
Category: Improving Oneself
