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Establishing a Correct Basis - An Issue That Should Not be Overlooked By a Practitioner from China, Xianhan (Clearwisdom.net) I thought about submitting articles to the Minghui website
a year ago, but I didn't start writing until now. I always thought that I had
not cultivated well in some areas, and writing articles would be acting just
like an "armchair quarterback". I thought about it carefully and realized that I
still have not put personal cultivation and Fa-rectification into proper
perspective. If I am aware that I have not cultivated well, I should try my best
to catch up, and should not stall and wait passively.
I realized that when I went to Beijing to appeal on July 20, 1999, I went
with a selfish idea in mind. I feared that I would miss an opportunity for
Consummation if I did not go. I did make it for the peaceful appeal in Tiananmen
Square, and fearing that I would miss another opportunity, I switched from
riding a bicycle to taking the train in the middle of my trip to Beijing.
Whenever I was faced with unexpected evil persecution, I was always thinking
about how to pay off my karmic debt, improve my character and walk toward
Consummation. I seldom thought about clarifying the truth in order to safeguard
the Fa and save sentient beings. I always considered Consummation and personal
cultivation my first priority. Facing all sorts of persecution, I failed to free
myself from the restriction of personal cultivation, in other words, I failed to
assist Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient
beings. This is also the reason why I have taken a detour. At this time many
practitioners in our area have the same problems. This has consequently brought
considerable losses to the Fa-rectification.
In fact, this issue not only applies when making appeals to the government or
in our ordinary Dafa work, but also, every time we encounter a tribulation. It
doesn't matter if the tribulation is big or small, there always exists the issue
of whether or not we consider things and handle conflicts from the standpoint of
personal cultivation. Are we conducting ourselves with the idea of assisting the
Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings as
our primary motivation, and putting this idea above all others? This indeed is
an issue that we should not overlook. If we overlook this issue or put our
personal cultivation above everything because we don't have a clear
understanding, we will cause losses to the Fa-rectification.
In "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America"
Teacher says:
"Actually, a cultivator in the past wouldn't care at all about whatever
those everyday people thought: 'Whether you think I'm good or bad is all
everyday people's thinking, and it doesn't matter to a cultivator. Who cares
how you everyday people are? What I cultivate is myself.' One would depart
after reaching Consummation, and wouldn't care at all about what happens to
everyday people: 'When people have committed sins, they'll have to pay for
them; and when they're no longer good enough, let history weed them out.'
That's how it was in the past. The mercy exhibited by our Dafa disciples
today has never been achieved by any beings before in their cultivation. A
Dafa disciple--a most magnificent, merciful being--is the most remarkable
and most merciful in every environment of human society, and is beneficial
to other beings."
I came to understand that, over an incredibly long period of time in history,
all beings have gradually deviated from the cosmos's nature,
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," and have formed many selfish notions
without being aware of it. In the history of cultivation, for instance, it is
all about Consummation and liberation through personal cultivation. The notion
of personal cultivation has become deeply rooted in human society. Faced with
Teacher's Fa-rectification, practitioners often failed to put personal
cultivation and Fa-rectification into proper perspective. Personal cultivation
in the past has always been permeated with "selfishness," whereas Teacher's Fa-rectification
requires "selflessness". We must put the idea of assisting the Teacher with Fa-rectification,
validating the Fa and saving sentient beings above everything, as we promised so
long ago. Teacher has been treasuring and saving each and every being with the
greatest compassion. Therefore, today, when we are faced with any problem we
should view everything from this standpoint.
In "Touring North America to Teach the Fa" Teacher says:
"So for you, personal Consummation is minor. You have cultivated multiple
times in history, and have gone through journeys like this in many time
periods. The current test of your reaching the standard for personal
Consummation isn't a big deal at all. That's the standard for measuring how
much of Dafa you grasp. Your process of personal cultivation and
Consummation was actually laying a foundation for your safeguarding the Fa
and validating the Fa later on. This is because you have to have certain
qualities, and you have to have a deep understanding and grasp of the Fa; at
the same time, in your own cultivation process you have to fully meet the
personal standard that you are able to reach. Only then can you truly
validate the Fa and do what a Dafa disciple should do at critical moments.
So a Dafa disciple's responsibilities aren't for the sake of personal
Consummation, but to save sentient beings while validating the Fa--that
is a Dafa disciple's historic mission, and that is why Dafa disciples
are truly magnificent."
Teacher reminds us in his lectures that we are here at the same time as
Teacher and during the special period of Teacher's Fa-rectification, we are
particles of the Dafa, and we are one whole body. Accordingly, we all know that
no one except Teacher is worthy of testing this Dafa. Any interference with and
damage to our assistingTeacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and
saving sentient beings is committing sins against the Fa-rectification.
"All beings in the cosmos are repositioning themselves. Humans aren't
worthy of testing this Fa, and neither are Gods. Whoever touches it commits
a sin. They've seen all of this as well." (From "Teaching the Fa at the
Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America")
Then today while doing what a Falun Dafa practitioner should do, we should
not be trapped in the framework of personal cultivation. As we look inward to
purify and rectify ourselves, we should at the same time be aware of our
mission. In other words we should safeguard the Fa of the cosmos, be
compassionate to sentient beings and do what a Fa-rectification period Falun
Dafa practitioner should do.
Of course, we still have this final factor of karma, but we must not
acknowledge the evil test of "karmic retribution," which is arranged by the old
cosmic forces. As long as we establish a correct standpoint from which to
operate, maintain righteous thoughts and act selflessly in the Fa, Teacher will
be able to resolve everything benevolently. We don't have to follow the old
forces' arrangements in paying off our karmic debts. Instead, we should
eliminate the evil beings' interference and achieve the goal of saving sentient
beings.
Now that the main current of the Fa-rectification is approaching, there are
fewer evil elements. As they become fewer, their efforts become more crazed and
desperate. Thus different forms of persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners'
reputations, physical bodies and finances still exist. Whether we are able to
eliminate the persecution, walk our path righteously and save sentient beings to
the greatest extent is very important. Whether we are pure and righteous or not
decides the future of countless sentient beings'. The issue of assisting the
Teacher with Fa-rectification, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings
persists from the beginning to the end of Fa-rectification cultivation. In the
three things that Teacher has requested us to do, studying the Fa well; send
forth righteous thoughts; and clarify the truth, there also exists an issue of
having the correct mentality while doing these activities. We indeed should be
clearheaded and carefully search for the starting point in our minds--have we
acted selflessly? This is an issue that we should not overlook.
In the end I would like to present some real examples in our area as an
explanation for the above Fa-principles that I have referred to.
Practitioner A has been a top performer in his workplace every year. After
the persecution against Falun Dafa started, he was judged to be a top performer
in anonymous votes for three years in a row. Nevertheless, his supervisor vetoed
recognition for him each time based on the "grounds" that he practiced Falun
Gong. The practitioner thought that as long as Falun Dafa's name is not cleared,
he would not be evaluated as a top performer. Also, he could let go of his
attachment to the recognition and good fortune this designation had gained for
him in the past. Through experience sharing, he realized that he had tacitly
acknowledged the evil's arrangements and overlooked the fact that while
purifying and rectifying himself, he should at the same time fulfill the mission
of rectifying the Fa.
Practitioner B tried to be a good person by following
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Last year the supervisor at the city
award level overturned the vote to evaluate him as a top performer based on the
grounds that he practiced Falun Gong. So, while purifying and rectifying
himself, he sent strong righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors that
manipulated sentient beings to commit crimes. To everyone's surprise, he was
announced as a top performer in the city. His supervisors did not interfere.
Accordingly, he validated the Fa. (Note, the above two cases are only examples
of persecution relating to one's reputation and how to establish a correct
mindset when encountering something like that.)
Practitioner C had diarrhea. He thought that he had some shortcomings and
karma, so he kept looking inward, but his condition persisted for about a month
without making improvements. Through experience sharing, he discovered that he
had still acknowledged the old forces' tribulations and tests.
Because practitioner D did not let go of the attachment to money, he was
taken advantage of. One day he suddenly passed out and showed symptoms of
cerebral hemorrhage, which panicked his family members. The practitioner's
master soul left his body and saw the Teacher. He told Teacher firmly, "I will
never acknowledge the old forces' taking advantage of my weakness to persecute
me and destroy my physical body. I don't care what arrangements have been made
in history; I definitely do not acknowledge it. I'll take the path Teacher
arranges for me." As a result, he woke up on his own after two hours. His
physical condition was back to normal. His family members were shocked. (Note,
the above two cases are only examples of tribulations of the physical body and
how to establish a correct basis when encountering something like that.)
Practitioner E's family own a factory. Their customers owed them a lot of
money. Her husband (a Falun Dafa practitioner) thought that they should let go
of the attachment to money. Consequently, their customers' debts grew larger and
larger, and they themselves were in debt too. Through experience sharing, they
discovered that this had something to do with the way they approached their
cultivation and the evil beings had taken advantage of their weaknesses.
(Note, the above case is just an example of tribulations relating to
financial conditions and how to establish a correct basis when encountering
something like that.)
This article expresses my understanding at my current level. Fellow
practitioners please kindly correct me. Posting date: 12/18/2003 |