(Minghui.org) The moment I saw the call for submissions for the 22nd Minghui Fa Conference in China, I felt sad and asked myself: “The Fa-rectification is coming to a close. Have I let go of my deep-seated human attachments and notions? How do I measure up? Have I become mature in cultivation?” After taking some time to reflect, I want to share the lessons I learned because I was admired by some practitioners, and they relied on me.
Due to my mother’s influence since childhood, I am easygoing and enjoy helping people. I strive to be kind and considerate, and actively cooperate with Dafa projects. I always respond when fellow practitioners ask for help, whether it’s setting up Fa-study groups, finding a technical practitioner to install an operating system, fixing a computer, delivering truth-clarification materials and new Fa articles, or copying audio recordings of experience-sharings. Once the technical work was done, I would deliver the items to other practitioners without delay, regardless of the weather. I was especially patient with elderly practitioners. Some of them didn’t know how to use the internet, so they required a lot of help.
Whenever a task came my way, I thought: “Why did I encounter this? Why did they come to me?” I knew these were all Master’s compassionate arrangements. If I didn’t do it, who would? So, I accepted and viewed every difficulty and conflict during these tasks as opportunities to cultivate myself.
Sometimes, due to system upgrades, I delivered several computers to the practitioner with technical skills, and then took them back to their owners. I was so busy that I often forgot to eat, and I felt tired and sleepy. I reminded myself: “Suffering is a good thing.”
When I copied files for other practitioners, I received various requests. I repeatedly made changes and adjustments until they were satisfied. At times, my resentment would arise: “Why are there so many demands? It works fine as it is. Why all these back-and-forth changes?” But I realized that nothing happens by chance. Everything is an opportunity for me to improve. I needed to look within instead of thinking about other people’s issues.
I paid attention to my words and actions around non-practitioners at home, knowing that I needed to conduct myself as a Falun Dafa practitioner. Gradually, my family came to understand my choices. One time on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a friend from out of town visited our home to offer New Year greetings, just as a fellow practitioner’s mother arrived to tell me a lawyer had come to assist in rescuing a practitioner who had been illegally arrested. At that moment, a clear voice in my mind said: “The Fa comes first.” I told my relative, “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please take our guest to a restaurant for a meal.” As soon as they agreed, I immediately took a taxi and left.
Gradually my selfishness lessened, and I considered others in everything I did. I was well-liked and held in high regard among fellow practitioners. Consequently, I received more and more words of gratitude. Through the Fa, I understood that I must not claim credit for Master’s arrangements! It is Master who does everything. I merely carried out the legwork. Without Master’s strengthening, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything.
Later, some fellow practitioners specifically came to me to discuss their understandings, and some even suggested I become the coordinator for our group. Hearing these comments, I instinctively felt a sense of fear. I was worried that I’d be someone whom fellow practitioners admired and relied on. This concern deepened after the Minghui website published several articles about the dangers of adulation, which can cause practitioners to fall and be ruined. I was keenly aware of the state of my own cultivation. Compared to diligent practitioners and the requirements of Dafa, I still had a long way to go.
I understood that this worry stemmed from human thinking, but what was the specific attachment? Some time ago, a local practitioner passed away. On the surface, it appeared that many people idolized her. Human attachments thrive when we deeply admire others, allowing the old forces to exploit the situation and leading to a painful lesson. Thinking of that practitioner’s situation filled me with fear, so I often tell those I interact with not to praise others casually or rely on people. Yet, measuring my thoughts based on Master’s Fa, I realized I was still looking outward. I was trying to stop others from admiring or relying on me out of the fear of being persecuted. What a terrifying, selfish attachment!
Based on the Fa, I earnestly looked inward to find out why I was being admired or relied upon by fellow practitioners. Here are the underlying attachments I found:
Seek Validation and Showing Off
I am quite articulate and enjoy recounting the process of coordinating with fellow practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts, look inward together, and overcome tribulations related to sickness karma or xinxing tests. I can even give a complete, detailed account of exactly how things were handled. Sometimes, when I heard fellow practitioners discussing others’ mistakes or how someone was not acting in accordance with the Fa, I would immediately voice my thoughts. In reality, I was implying, “I certainly wouldn’t act like that,” or “How could they possibly do that?”
Wasn’t this actually seeking validation and showing off? Some fellow practitioners would then play into my attachment by saying, “If only you had been there...” Due to their praise and approval, I gradually became arrogant, but I did not realize it.
Taking Pride In Interacting With High-Achievers
For a long time, I have coordinated closely with several diligent practitioners who are highly skilled and educated. Everyone knew their cultivation state was good. Some had outstanding technical skills, such as installing NTD Television dishes, while others had a clear understanding of the Fa principles and knew how to handle situations accordingly.
Sometimes, I felt a secret sense of pride because I interacted with them frequently and we shared a relationship of deep familiarity and trust. I often acted as an intermediary when others needed to reach these practitioners, as I was the primary point of contact. Whether it was computer issues, requests for specific materials, document editing, or copying audio and video files, the technical practitioners could resolve these issues quickly. In reality, they were the ones actually solving the problems, while I merely ran errands and relayed messages. When another practitioner was facing a xinxing test, I would discuss the matter with these skilled practitioners and then share their insights with others.
Over time, fellow practitioners came to believe that I was the go-to person for any issues. I became the person everyone sought out and I was constantly busy, which made it look like I was highly capable. Although I would often tell them, “You should thank the technical practitioners,” and explain that the insights came from our collective sharing rather than my own realization, I could sense their admiration and approval in their expressions and words, which inflated my ego.
Pursuing the Role of Teacher
Whenever fellow practitioners in the group shared about their confusion or difficulties in overcoming xinxing tests, I would lay out how I had handled similar situations, hoping they would follow my example, which ultimately led to them becoming dependent on me. We must realize that it is Dafa and the Master who truly guide our cultivation! Continuing this way easily leads people to look to another person rather than the Fa, which can cause practitioners to dangerously stray from a righteous path.
Instead, I should look at myself to see if I harbor similar attachments, measure myself against the Fa to identify any human notions, and then rectify them. I should not act as if I am prescribing a remedy or instructing others by imposing my own ideas and methods upon them.
Once I realized that this approach was not in line with the Fa, I became very mindful of my words. For instance, I would say: “This is how I handled that issue with my current level of understanding, but everyone should take the Fa as their teacher.” This clarification prevented some practitioners from saying, “So-and-so said this,” or “so-and-so told me to do that.” One cannot claim credit for divine arrangements!
Not Taking the Fa-Teachings as My Guide
A fellow practitioner once told me, “I like listening to you because you get straight to the point, express yourself clearly, and discuss it based on the Fa.” I often enjoyed sharing about articles written by others, retelling their enlightenment in my own words, and making it feel as though the listener was experiencing it firsthand. In these vivid descriptions, I embellished or exaggerated details, or even formed the opinion that a practitioner’s realization was particularly good or correct.
Years ago, a fellow practitioner pointed out this issue, saying, “Why do you always talk about what others did instead of what the Fa says?” Later, I had a clear reminder about this when I had the same dream twice that I was copying from someone else.
The dependency and admiration shown by fellow practitioners were not their problem, but rather a reflection of my own impure heart. I recalled Master’s teaching: “For a cultivator, all the frustrations he comes across among everyday people are trials, and all the compliments he receives are tests.” (“A Cultivator is Naturally Part of It”, Essentials for Further Advancement)
I fell far short of the Fa. How could I have felt smug or let my ego swell? Only by acting in accordance with Dafa can one be a true cultivator.
Now, I require myself to base everything on the Fa in any discussions with fellow practitioners. I constantly remind myself to take the Fa as my teacher and urge fellow practitioners around me to learn from the Fa and not from others. Regardless of the situation, I must uphold the standards of a cultivator to prioritize and measure everything based on the Fa.
Because my cultivation was insufficient, I tended to focus only on the surface appearance when I encountered issues. I failed to look deeper to identify the underlying human attachments, in accordance with the Fa. This was a dangerous problem in my cultivation. As I studied the Fa more deeply and worked on improving my xinxing, my process of looking inward became much more profound. I learned how to cultivate solidly, and I stopped letting opportunities for improvement slip by. Cultivation isn’t difficult, but our long-held human attachments can make it so. I must look inward based on the Fa and assimilate to the Fa by genuinely cultivating.
Thank you, Master!
26_Cultivation_Insights
Category: Cultivation Insights
