(Minghui.org) In the more than 20 years that I’ve practiced Falun Dafa I can see Master’s painstaking efforts and compassionate protection.
My human attachments prevented me from writing anything whenever Minghui.org invited practitioners to write about our experiences. I always felt that I haven’t cultivated well, that I let Master down, that I have nothing worth writing about, and that I’m still far from the Fa’s requirements.
Repeated kind reminders from other practitioners awakened me. A sharing is like an exam paper I need to submit to Master and is part of my cultivation path. No matter how trivial the experience may seem, as long as it’s about improving based on the Fa, it’s worth sharing.
By studying the Fa more and truly cultivating myself through looking within, I experienced the beauty and joy of assimilating to the Fa. I’d like to tell you about some of my experiences.
The Printer Starts Working
Our materials production site had to be relocated after a local practitioner was harassed. We couldn’t find a suitable place, so we stopped producing materials. After discussing with other practitioners I learned that the materials sites in other locations continued operating. When we reflected on this situation we realized that we wasted a lot of time due to our attachments and human notions such as dependence, waiting, relying on others, concern, and fear. We had to let go of these human attachments and shoulder the responsibility of assisting Master in saving people, and act immediately.
Master already prepared everything and was simply waiting for us to improve our xinxing. Once we looked within we were able to quickly find a suitable location to produce the materials again. However, the paper feed roller in one of the printers wasn’t working properly. The technical practitioner was on a trip and we didn’t know when he would return.
I felt anxious and I wasn’t sure what to do. I realized that my human attachments were blocking me from moving forward. I let go of my mentality of relying on others and decided to fix it myself. As soon as I had this thought, I immediately felt light and powerful. I felt tall, while the problem became small. I knew Master removed my attachment of relying on others. My previous mindset of “I can’t repair machines” or “I don’t know how” was gone, along with my laziness and feeling powerless.
Because we had a technical practitioner who did everything I didn’t really focus when I looked at repair tutorials. I felt I could never understand them and I was easily confused. In reality, it was interference from human attachments, but I failed to enlighten to it. This time I was able to calm down and understand the tutorials. I followed the instructions and took the printer apart. But because the tutorial was incomplete, I had to repeatedly take the printer apart and put it back together, and it still didn’t work properly. Through this repeated process, I became familiar with the printer’s internal structure and firmly believed that it would eventually work. A few days later, I got in touch with the technical practitioner. He told me several important points about printer repair and gave me a detailed tutorial. With his help, the printer began to work again.
After using it for some time the paper feed roller developed the same problem again. I went to a supply store, bought a replacement, and successfully installed it myself.
Another practitioner always reminded me, “First cultivate your heart, then repair the machine.” The process of producing materials is a process of cultivating the heart, and how well the printer works reflects one’s xinxing. When my mind is pure and free of distractions, the printer works very well. I often communicate with it, saying, “You are one of the most fortunate lives. You are a Fa instrument used by practitioners to save sentient beings. Do your job well, and let us enter the new universe together. Remember: Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!”
If I have distracting thoughts or become anxious to get things done, this interferes with the printer’s operation. Once, the printer was printing perfectly, when I suddenly had a thought about my mother’s situation and complained to myself that my life was difficult. Suddenly the printer made a loud clicking sound. The paper pickup roller could barely turn, and all the lights on the printer began flashing. I immediately realized that I was wrong: my human attachments invited interference. After waiting a while, I rebooted it twice, but it still wouldn’t work, and I had to turn it off.
Why did I have that thought? A cultivator should take hardship as joy. I calmed down and looked within. I’ve been taking care of my elderly mother and my attitude toward her gradually deteriorated. Whenever we had different views on things, I thought she was nagging, narrow-minded, selfish, and unreasonable. Instead of treating her with kindness, I frequently criticized her, complained about her, and got impatient. My mother became very upset and said, “It’s all my fault. Everything has to be done your way. You’re always right.”
I’d been trying to force others to do things my way, being attached to self—how many of my human attachments were exposed! When I measured my behavior with the Fa, I was the one who was narrow-minded, selfish, and unreasonable, yet I failed to realize it. I really caused my mother great harm. I didn’t put myself in her position or think of her needs. I forgot that other people are our mirrors.
I said to Master, “Master, I was wrong! I did not sincerely cultivate myself. I failed your painstaking arrangements! Others were helping me cultivate, yet I was trying to cultivate others and looking outward.” I corrected myself and truly cultivated myself. I focused on eliminating my attachments to criticizing others, complaining, disliking others, looking down on others, resentment, and looking outward. I identified and eliminated the poisonous elements of the Chinese Communist Party culture in my thinking. I was determined to cultivate according to the standards of the Fa, develop compassion, tolerate others, think of others first, let go of self, and cultivate in small matters, enlightening to the Fa through the process.
As I sat in front of the printer the next day I continued looking within and discovered that I still had feelings of dissatisfaction toward another practitioner. We were coordinating, yet that practitioner hadn’t come for days and I felt I was doing everything myself. I recognized the attachment of unfairness and jealousy. We are one body and she has many other responsibilities. Isn’t it better if I do a little more? The more we do to save people, the better. With so many filthy attachments, how could I carry out the sacred work of helping Master save people? I asked Master for help and admitted my mistakes. I apologized to the printer and thanked it for helping me cultivate. As I continued looking within and reflecting, I turned on the printer, and it immediately started working again!
When I corrected my heart, the printer was corrected as well. Looking within is truly wonderful. Thank you, Master!
Lost Money Shows Up
A practitioner gave me some money to help pay for supplies. I put it in the inner pocket of my jacket, where I also had one of Master’s articles. I planned to give it to Ai. When I met him he said, “Just keep the money so you can buy supplies whenever necessary.” I put the money back in my inner pocket and said, “Then I’ll give it to Bao.” I didn’t look for Bao and thought I would give it to him later.
Several days passed. When I finally remembered to give Bao the money, I reached into my pocket and found only Master’s article. The money was gone. I turned over the blankets on the bed, but found nothing. I remembered that the blankets had been taken outside to air in the sun, so I thought the money was definitely gone. I realized that there must be a loophole, an attachment, or a place where I slacked off in my cultivation.
I looked within regarding everything that happened in the past few days. First, I kept Master’s article in my pocket and I did not take it out. Then, I casually tossed my jacket on the bed. This was disrespectful to Master and the Fa. I always attached great importance to respecting Master and the Fa, but once I slacked off, it became so bad.
Second, I procrastinated about something that I should have handled quickly. Something else also happened during that time. Cai gave me a smartphone which had internet access, which I needed for downloading materials. Cai told me the phone came from Bao so I should pay Bao for it. Yet I kept putting that off too. Even when I saw Bao, I didn’t mention the phone. Procrastinating like this was essentially a lack of responsibility, a lack of seriousness toward cultivation, and a lack of diligence.
Third, I was attached to reading news on my phone. Once I started, I would spend half an hour, an hour, or even longer. This was due to curiosity and a desire to hear interesting things. When I entered this improper state, I didn’t realize it and didn’t look within. I only enlightened to it when I noticed that what my eyes were seeing and what my mind was thinking were two different things. I had been indulging my human side and inviting interference. If I fail to diligently cultivate myself I’m being irresponsible. On a larger scale, this is being irresponsible to the Fa and sentient beings!
I asked Master to forgive and help me. I also sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate interference. I couldn’t allow an ordinary person to pick up the money, and thereby incur karma. I realized this happened because I hadn’t done well. It was my responsibility, and I couldn’t allow the old forces to exploit my loopholes. I decided I would replace the lost money myself, immediately go and pay for the phone, and also stop reading news on my phone.
A few days later, when I got out of bed, my hand brushed against the blanket, and I felt something. I looked, and there was the money. Master returned it to me. Looking within is truly miraculous and wonderful. Thank you, Master!
