Advancing Together in Cultivation

By a German practitioner

"...Everything you do with a pure heart is the best and most sacred."(Master Li's words in Essentials for Further Advancement, "Further Enlightenment."

Lately I have noticed a problem. Because they are so busy, some practitioners are neglecting their cultivation. They rush from one truth-clarifying event to the next. This restless state of mind not only affects them but also other practitioners and the hongfa activities around them. Just six months ago, perhaps twenty practitioners would participate in group-exercises. Now, one finds only two or three.

Scores of practitioners put the major portion of their energy into hongfa activities and seem to forget the basics: to study and cultivate Dafa with pure, calm hearts and to advance together in cultivation as one unified body.

This involves daily and unhampered Fa study and being mutually supportive in cultivation. Compassionate comments about attachments we discern in each other can enable us to really elevate our levels, something particularly effective during group practice and study. I am convinced that a positive energy field during cultivation practice, with the mutual goal of helping each other to advance is a most excellent basis, founded on a serene heart, to demonstrate to the truth [of Falun Dafa] to the Chinese people.

"Do you realize that as long as you're a cultivator, in any environment or under any circumstances, I will use any troubles or unpleasant things you come across, even if they involve work for Dafa, or no matter how good or sacred you think they are, to eliminate your attachments and expose your demon-nature so that it can be eliminated, for your improvement is what's most important. ("Further Understanding" -- Essentials for Further Advancement").

While observing other practitioners, we can sharpen our own enlightenment abilities and can then be in a position to ferret out our own attachments. I am often surprised to discover the same hidden attachments in myself that stand out in other practitioners.

I consider it compassionate and not self-serving to gently point to others' attachments with a pure heart. This demonstrates that one is not only interested in one's own advancement in cultivation, but also cares about the advancement of one's fellow practitioners. If we tolerate the shortcomings of others, that could be considered forbearance--but it could also be that we are not strict enough with ourselves and this "tolerance" then takes the form of overlooking other practitioners' attachments.

Voicing these thoughts is not being critical of diligent cultivators, but is merely a consideration of the reasons for noticing the attachments in others and which attachments of my own need to be worked on. If this process should be helpful for fellow practitioners, then one should point it out to them, but only with genuine compassion, having their best interest at heart.

Another thing I frequently noticed during experience sharing is that whenever someone is relating his/her positive insights, it also helps the others around him to elevate their levels.

In addition, it is useful to share experiences by exchanging Clearwisdom.net articles with others, and this is an especially useful tool for those who come to experience-sharing conferences but have not yet firmly decided to participate in group-learning sessions.

Naturally, every practitioner is responsible for his/her own cultivation path. But what could be more compassionate and noble than to support other, future practitioners in their cultivation and on their path to enlightenment?

Clearwisdom.net is an outstanding platform from which one can, without pursuit, gather reports of experiences and suggestions within a large frame of reference. With this vehicle it is possible for each practitioner to gently and compassionately nudge like-minded people in their cultivation efforts and thereby assist them to give up attachments or to help them pass tests.

While pondering and writing, one can enlighten to many things and therefore elevate one's level while supporting other cultivators in the process. Here I wish to cite Master Li's words during the Washington, D.C. conference so as to encourage a larger audience of cultivators to regularly read and share experience-sharing reports on Clearwisdom.net:

"...I'd say that some of the articles you've written are masterpieces--they are well-reasoned, their ideas are backed up, they demonstrate clear thinking, and their logic is strong. They have truly shocked and intimidated the evil, and their caliber is high."

And later in the same lecture, Master said:

"Your sharing experiences and understandings is important, too. Under any circumstance, in any period, and no matter how busy you are with your work, you can't stray from your Fa-study, as this is what fundamentally ensures that you'll continue to improve and reach Consummation. You can't do Dafa work without studying the Fa, or it would be an everyday person doing Dafa work. It has to be Dafa disciples who do Dafa work--this is something required of all of you."

Those who are still somewhat hesitant can begin by offering their help on the German website, by translating reports from abroad, and later on perhaps, by publishing their own experience-sharing reports.

This is my personal understanding of the Fa. I wish all my fellow practitioners success in their cultivation.

(Original text in German)

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