Our Attachments And the Warped Notions Are Substances of the Same Evil Nature -- Eradicating the Warped Notions Series (2)

A Dafa Disciple

(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, when I ponder over the attachments I have from another perspective, I find that they are actually bad substances, which are of the same evil nature as the warped notions of the old forces. Those different attachments belong to the old forces. They are one body within the old forces.

Upon realizing this, it became easier for me to be more aware of these attachments, to distinguish my true self from them, and to firmly eradicate them, rather than to do as I did before, which was to attach less importance to them. Now, whenever some attachments crop up, I think from the bottom of my heart that I definitely won't acknowledge these bad thoughts imposed upon me by the evil forces, and I absolutely won't accept them, take them in, or be taken advantage of by them.

Upon realizing the origin of these attachments, I started to treat cultivation more seriously. I also realize how dangerous and vicious those various attachments I had before were. The jealousy manifested by the evil old forces after they have deviated from the Fa, makes them commit unforgivable sins against Dafa and Dafa disciples, and at the same time destroys their own being. Their warped notion, that "a higher Attainment Status and a Fa this immense require a test this massive" (from "Speech by Master Li Hongzhi at the Western US Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference of Falun Dafa") and their feeling that it is unfair that they didn't have a chance to become Fa-rectification disciples while Dafa practitioners have obtained the Fa too easily, etc., are the concentrated expression of their jealousy. I, too, have lots of such attachments, but I have never realized their serious harmfulness before and let them be. Many times, they cropped up with a sly excuse. I didn't realize that they were out of jealousy, instead, I viewed them as reasonable. Under their influence, I became very uneasy in my heart. For instance, I had been to Tiananmen Square to safeguard Dafa before I went abroad. Recently, a practitioner came here from China. When she was giving a speech at a Fa conference, I felt very uneasy in my heart, thinking, "She's never been to Tiananmen Square, she only put up a few banners on the street. What's the point of her speaking here ..." I was even pretty sure that I was right. On the surface, it seemed that I was hoping that every one should go to Tiananmen Square to safeguard Dafa. Now when I reconsider it, I realize it was out of jealousy. Another practitioner from China stopped practicing after Dafa was outlawed in China. She started to practice again recently after she came here, and she's very active in promoting the Fa now. But whenever I saw her, I would think that she's the kind of person who only wants to gain from Dafa, but who doesn't want to pay for Dafa. I thought that she was the kind of person who hasn't stepped forward yet because when she was still in China she didn't do anything for Dafa when Teacher's article was published, in which Teacher said, "those who haven't stepped forward yet would be wiped out after the tribulation is over." (from Teacher's article "Advice". Translation subject to improvement). Superficially, it was just my own understanding of the Fa, but actually, jealousy was doing mischief in my mind. The potential thought behind it was something that even I myself didn't want to face: I always thought that I had done so much for Dafa and shouldn't receive the same treatment as those who didn't do anything for Dafa. Otherwise, I didn't feel balanced in my heart. She didn't do anything, how could she be treated like me? How similar these attachments are to the warped thoughts of the old forces in persecuting Dafa disciples! Their purpose is to destroy all beings, but they take on dignified, righteous-sounding excuses, deceiving themselves as well as others.

In his article "Dafa is Indestructible" Teacher said, "No attachment or fear could possibly enable you to reach Consummation. And any fear is itself a barrier that prevents you from reaching Consummation, and is also a factor in your being 'reformed' toward the evil side and in your betrayal." Why could any attachment or fear make us "reform" toward the evil side and betray Dafa? To my understanding, any attachment itself is not good. They represent the negative elements in the cosmos and belong to the evil. Those practitioners I knew before who had been brainwashed were all very active in safeguarding Dafa at the time. The pity was that they had too many different attachments like jealousy, the mentality of showing off, the competitive mentality, etc. These attachments were obviously manifested in them. However, they had always looked for external help while in conflicts, and were unwilling to let go their attachments. Although the righteous thoughts they had inside made them step on the path of safeguarding Dafa, how could they be responsible for all the positive elements in the cosmos, as Teacher had lectured on, when they themselves had too many negative elements within them?

When I see the old forces opposing Dafa out of their jealousy, selfishness, and various mentalities which are not righteous, I realize that all the bad thoughts and selfishness manifested in us are not simple issues, instead, they are elements being taken advantage of by the evil to poison all beings. We're eradicating all evil within the Three Realms while the evil beings are trying to hide themselves anywhere within the Three Realms. Should they be let off when they hide themselves in our minds? Definitely not. When I view my attachments from this perspective, I become clearer in mind and firmer in eradicating them. Evil, wherever you take cover, I won't let you off. At this point, there's no concept in my mind of the inside or outside of my body, rather, there're only two substances: positive and negative. I think I will definitely use the righteous thoughts cultivated from Dafa in eliminating all the negative elements that don't conform to Dafa, including the evil both outside and inside of me. Thinking in this way, I find it's pretty easy to find many demons in me, which were humanly fostered before. I can truly see the attachments deeply concealed beneath the surface of every thought of mine. I didn't have such an insightful capability before. I feel that the illusions that the demons used to conceal themselves within me were shattered.

I couldn't properly handle the bad thoughts of mine in the past. I would either follow those bad thoughts in thinking or blame myself for having such bad thoughts; sometimes, I would even lose confidence in cultivation. These notions are all incorrect. They are actually welcome by the evil since they are useless in eliminating the evil, especially when we become doubtful of cultivation because we have too many attachments. It looks like we're being strict with ourselves but actually it produces a negative effect. Now, I can distinguish them. I won't follow their thinking, nor will I blame myself any longer because I know that they are not my true self. They are something to be eliminated. Therefore, I, full of confidence in Dafa, get rid of them in a rational manner that is totally free of negativity. I have not been able to handle them this way until recently. It is because I have seen through the evil nature of these attachments, and they have no place to hide themselves. Having experienced the power of Dafa in person, I write this article to share with all practitioners. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2001/8/5/14295.html

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