An Understanding of "Fundamentally Changing One's Conventional Human Thinking"

By a Falun Dafa Practitioner from Mainland China

(Clearwisdom.net)

Recently, many practitioners have spoken about purifying one's heart so as to reach the standard of the new cosmos. For example, some practitioners have discussed what it means to eliminate the idea of "taking advantage of Dafa." Here, for your reference, I would like to share my understanding of this question.

Teacher has said, "In order to explore this domain, humankind must fundamentally change its conventional thinking." ("Lunyu" or "On Buddha Law" in Zhuan Falun) What does it mean to fundamentally change your conventional human thinking? My understanding is that human notions are fundamentally derived from a sense of self. Before cultivating Falun Dafa, I used be happy if I got a little recognition and distraught if I did not. Now, when I have good health and improve my realm of mind, I am happy; if I can't pass a test, I am pained. I weigh the gain and loss in my cultivation seriously. That is to say, I would not allow anything to affect the improvement of my level.

However, when viewing from a different angle, it can be found that my thoughts may have changed, but I feel that they have not been changed fundamentally yet. In other words, it is still a conventional way of thinking. What has changed is just the content. Of course, these changes can enable a person to raise his xinxing, look lightly upon the things in the ordinary human world, and become more and more compassionate. However, these changes are still conditional and filled with pursuit. The root problem remains unresolved. In order to solve the problem at the fundamental level, the way one thinks also needs to be changed, namely, we should not be delighted for gaining anything, no matter whether this thing is ordinary or cultivation related. Instead, we should only feel happy for others - for the sentient beings - when we see they move towards goodness and compassion. We will be happy for them from the bottom of our hearts when sentient beings benefit from the Fa and become assimilated to the Fa. We will show our compassion towards them when sentient beings deviate from the Fa. During our actions like these, there is no even the slightest sense of personal gain or loss -- simply free of such a way of thinking. I feel that this is the fundamental change of conventional human thinking in a true sense. Only in this way can we truly assimilate to the Fa of the new cosmos and reach the realm of unselfishness and selflessness.

This is my limited understanding. I welcome fellow practitioners' compassionate comments.

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