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Some of My Understandings of the Process of Cultivation During Fa Rectification By a Dafa practitioner
(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, I have read many articles that inspired me.
Fellow practitioners had written regarding the old forces'
arrangements and how to break through them. Here I'd
like to talk about some of my understandings:
1. It's not important how the old forces arranged everything, because what we
are cultivating, [according to Master], is that "... just by having your
heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations." ("Eliminate Your
Last Attachments")
The old forces use extremely base and vicious means in their tests of Dafa
and Dafa disciples, which is precisely the manifestation of their deviation from
Dafa and displays their selfishness. Master uses great benevolence and mercy in
considering and treating problems.
Even as of now, we have not completely broken through the old forces'
arrangements, yet everything is within Master's control. Master clearly sees the
old forces' xinxing [mind or heart nature] level through their
behavior and re-positions them accordingly. In turn, Master tests and helps
practitioners to reach Consummation. We gradually realize layers upon layers of
selfishness within us, and also recognize that what can really save countless
beings is the power of selflessness, altruism and great compassion. Every time
we encounter frustration and difficulties, we always need to rely upon Dafa's
power to overcome them. When we don't do well, Master forgives us with boundless
benevolence; Master reminds us, encourages us, gives us a second chance, and
helps us to truly overcome tribulations. The reason we are making progress
towards the level of great enlightened beings is because of the power of Dafa
and Master. From Dafa and from Master we are gradually learning to become
selfless. This has already exceeded the level of the extremely selfish and evil
old forces that are testing us.
Before, I was not very clear about how Master uses the old forces'
arrangements, and I just tried my best to study the Fa well, clarify the truth
and send forth righteous thoughts according to Master's requirement. As for how
to truly break through the old forces' arrangements, I was somewhat confused.
Now I have suddenly understood. Master said, "And since nothing they would do
could meet the standard of the new cosmos, I would just regard everything they
do as a game. 'If you want to play, I'll play along.' And that's all." (Touring
North America to Teach the Fa) Master is completely benevolent toward all
beings in the cosmos! Selfishness and selflessness are two completely different
things; they are not comparable at all. As long as one still has selfishness
left, no matter how high his level is, he will be insignificant and without
wisdom in front of selflessness. Therefore, the old forces' arrangements for
Master are actually, [according to Master] "No matter how the old forces
went about arranging things, I let them arrange them, but in the end this
undertaking absolutely can't be done according to their requirements." (Touring
North America to Teach the Fa) I realized that no matter how the old
forces make arrangements, Master only looks at these stubborn beings with
infinite benevolence, because for Master, their performance makes no fundamental
difference. All beings with a bit of kindness will become good again in Master's
warmth. If one cannot realize one's own problems even when given such selfless
care and continues to commit crimes against Dafa, then this being would be
indeed beyond salvation and can only be eliminated. "The behavior of the
sentient beings shows is their attitude towards the Fa-rectification, and this
determines whether they are kept or not--how good their attitudes are toward Fa-rectification
is evaluated and used to reposition them." (Touring North America to Teach
the Fa)
I understood that, no matter whether we are still within the old forces'
arrangements on the surface, in fact, just as Master had said, "No matter how
big these impediments are, it actually hasn't affected the essence of my Fa-rectification.
And the speed is just as fast. It's being done according to my requirements all
the same--the new cosmos is establishing everything completely according to
Dafa's standards." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)
Master is only using these selfish displays and actions to enable us to
cultivate and obtain true selflessness, altruism and great benevolence.
Therefore, isn't it the same no matter how the evil arranges things? We are
cultivating the great benevolence of enlightened beings that [according to
Master,] "... just by having your heart unaffected you will be able to
handle all situations." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment (s)")
2. What enables us to truly cultivate and improve is Dafa
What enables us to cultivate and improve us is Dafa. Master put everything
that can help us to cultivate and improve into Zhuan Falun. As long as we
read the book we are changing [Master said], "The Fa can break all
attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the
Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference," Essentials
for Further Advancement II) The only thing that can help us to cultivate and
improve is Dafa. Master told us, "Predestined relationship already formed, / The
Fa being cultivated, / Read the Book more, / Consummation is near." ("Setting
Mind at Ease," Hong Yin - Grand Poem) In fact, as practitioners with
cultivation still in progress, what can we have? What are we able to do? All we
have is still only one thought, one thought that keeps getting purified as we
cultivate and improve in the Fa. [Master said], "Without knowing the Fa
at high levels, one cannot practice cultivation." (Zhuan Falun) Our
single thought that is constantly purified comes from the Fa and Master. We have
nothing. Even our true lives and the origin of our one thought also came from
the Fa and Master. Master created the cosmos and all beings. We have nothing,
but Master gave us all the best. All the best things come from Dafa. Other than
studying the Fa well and believing in Master, what do we have that is worth
saving or protecting?
I understood that when we are interfered with by impure thoughts during
sending forth righteous thoughts, no matter what the impure thoughts are, the
occurrence itself is a display of selfishness.
Master gave us everything; Master created beings and gave beings on countless
levels infinitely wonderful living environments. What we are given by Master is
unconditional. Maybe this is the essence of the reason why the future cosmos
will be able to exist and not become corrupted: selflessness and giving.
3. Recognize and remove interference, and maintain righteous thoughts to eliminate the evils in other dimensions.
We have come to understand through Fa-study and sharing our thoughts that it is our responsibility to eliminate the evil beings in other dimensions that, through their influence, control the chief scoundrel in the human world. We had thought that this would have already been achieved after our efforts in Germany and shortly thereafter. When I heard that Jiang would travel again to Europe, I realized that the old evil forces planned to keep him involved to the end. I also realized that when our thinking falls to that of everyday people, the power of our righteous thoughts is weakened, which in turn allows the evil beings to sustain their head. Had we been able to keep unshakable righteous minds, the evil beings would have been eliminated. Some practitioners think that Master has made a clear point about eliminating evil in close proximity to where it gathers. We only need to do it. We now have another chance. However, I feel that the requirements for Dafa disciples in the Fa-rectification process have changed. Now, Dafa practitioners as a whole body have realized what we should eliminate, and that we should break through the old forces' arrangements. But are the requirements of the Fa-rectification process still the same? How should we break away from the old evil forces' arrangements now? My understanding is that it the evil influence should not be allowed to further poison the minds of people. It should not be allowed to continue to exist. The opportunity to eliminate the beings behind the head of the evil in the human world exists each time we send righteous thoughts together, and the opportunity to purify our righteous thoughts is ever present. As cultivators, we improve our hearts, and it is the Fa that leads us to improve. My understanding is that the Fa-rectification currently requires us, as a whole, to purify our righteous thoughts. If we harbor the thought that the current drama might continue until June, July, August or September, then we should get rid of the idea with righteous thoughts. This is purifying our righteous thoughts. I found another serious problem when I became more aware of my daily thoughts. I was considering things in the future with the state of mind I have at the present. For example, when I thought about how to promote the Fa in the future, as well as other daily issues, I find that my consideration was based on the environment that we have at the moment. When I realized this, I was shocked. By considering things in the future based on the current environment, I'm practically providing energy for the evil to sustain itself. I think that this problem concerns the issue of righteous belief as well as the issue of our rigid and static ways of thinking designed by the old forces. I can now see how important it is to rectify our way of thinking, starting with every single thought. Now, I rectify all that is not righteous in every single thought I have. Spreading the Fa in the future will be carried out when the chief evil beings of the cosmos are already eliminated. People will be able to recognize immediately the truth of the heavenly principle that "good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil." The evil that interfered with Fa-rectification will no longer exist and people will have awakened and be eager to learn the truth. In fact, I had a dream a few days ago in which I was surprised to see that the demand for truth-clarifying materials far more exceeded my expectation. Isn't this a hint from Master that we are falling behind in the Fa-rectification process? When I truly began to pay attention to each one of my thoughts, I found that there were many factors that could nourish the evil to keep it going. When I rectified each one of them, I deeply understood the meaning of what Master said, "As a person sits there, without moving his hands or feet, he is able to do what others cannot do even with their hands and feet ..." (Zhuan Falun) This is where a cultivator is different from an everyday person!
Since then, whenever I consider what we should do in the future, I focus on getting rid of the concept that the evil beings could still exist. I found that by doing so, my dimensional field was filled with more and more righteous belief in Dafa and brilliance. If every practitioner gets rid of the concept that the evil is still producing bad influences and replaces it with what it is like after the evil is eliminated, we will turn around and take advantage of the brains designed for us by the old forces, wouldn't we? The above is my personal understanding. Please point out anything improper.
Posting date: 6/13/2002 |