(Minghui.org) As society experiences moral decline, many modern thoughts have deviated from traditional values. We encounter these issues at school, at home, and in various social circumstances—often without even realizing it.
As Falun Dafa practitioners, we are cultivating ourselves according to Dafa teachings. Only by adhering to traditional values can we abandon such modern thoughts and return to our origin. In Hong Yin VI, Master Li mentioned “modern thoughts” more than two dozen times. For example;
“Let not modern thought blind your sight.” (“To Return to Heaven in This Life”)
“Modern thought and ways lead us to the brink.” (“Foretold”)
Why did Master repeatedly remind us about the danger of modern thinking? Here are some of my insights on this topic.
Being a Good Person
The fundamental difference between traditional values and modern thinking lies in their focus on personal character: traditional values emphasize being a good person, while modern ideas often overlook this principle.
For practitioners, Master teaches us to strive to be good people in everyday society. By continually improving ourselves, upholding higher standards and embodying the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, we progress on the path back to the divine. In doing so, we not only benefit ourselves, but also help our family and others around us.
To achieve this, one needs to understand what the expectations are for a good person, rather than just following societal trends. Only then can one move forward steadily, step by step, rather than merely resting on wishful thinking.
In this regard, the 5,000-year Chinese civilization provides a good starting point. For practitioners, that means we should follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in our daily life. This is the opposite to what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture promotes—namely class struggle, hatred, and lies.
The Harm of Modern Thoughts
Looking back in history, one may find that some modern thoughts existed long ago. But they have grown faster in contemporary society. As time has passed, they have become more prevalent in society.
Modern thinking is often disguised as concepts like freedom, rights, and self-realization. As a result, indulging desires is often labeled as “loving yourself,” unscrupulousness is praised as “competence,” and pursuing pleasure is seen as “knowing how to live.” This deception is very dangerous—it causes real harm while people mistakenly believe they are on the right path.
Modern thoughts cause people to drift with the tide and become mired in the pursuit of fame, wealth, and sentiment. This leads them to stray from their original purpose in life and the ultimate goal of returning to the divine. For practitioners, there is nothing more dangerous than this.
The Difference of Day and Night
To discern modern thoughts and avoid them, we must first know what traditional values are, and we can tell this from the outcome. Traditional values help one maintain kindness. For example, a person should play his or her role—fulfilling duties and treating others well—at home, in the family, and in the community. In contrast, modern thoughts promote ego; with a self-centered mindset, one’s thoughts become increasingly wicked, and they tend to hurt others.
Modern thoughts are diverse, but one can spot them based on the end results. For example, behind the pretext of “taking an easy path” or “do not be too hard on yourself” are lack of responsibility, unwillingness to to enduring hardship, and the tendency toward laziness.
In contrast, traditional values focus on modesty and hard work. There are proverbs such as “the early bird catches the worm” and stories of “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Similarly, ancient Chinese culture believes “diligence can compensate for a lack of natural ability” and “the divine rewards diligence.” Such a perspective is well respected across different cultures.
For example, Confucius emphasized not indulging in one’s desires and paying attention to decorum and doing things properly, all of which are consistent with Western traditional values.
In conclusion, following such traditional wisdom will enable us to elevate ourselves and bring us inner peace along with happiness.
Category: Cultivation Insights
