A View of What it Means to "Consider Others" and "Examine Yourselves"

By a Practitioner in Mainland China

(Clearwisdom.net)

Master said:

"You probably remember something I've said to you often: a Dafa disciple should consider others first in everything he does. Whenever something happens or whenever a situation comes about, even if it's a minor thing, my first thought is of others, for it's already become natural for me--I just think of others first. If all of you can do this, there won't be any of that stubborn arguing in your validating the Fa; if you really have a solid foundation like this and are able to calm yourselves, consider others, and examine yourselves when anything happens, I think you'll be able to handle a lot of things well." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston")

What is really required when we are supposed to "consider others" and "examine yourselves"?

Due to the impurity and unrighteousness of my heart, I did not continue to improve my understanding of the Fa principles. Previously, whenever I read this paragraph, I thought that to "consider others" and "examine yourselves" meant to first identify the attachments of my fellow practitioners and regard them as a mirror allowing me to look inside myself. In the meantime, I should be tolerant, magnanimous and bear the attachments of fellow practitioners.

Now, through studying Master's "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference," I have a totally difference understanding of what it means to "consider others" and "examine yourselves."

Master said in that lecture,

"Dafa disciples should handle everything positively. Don't look at the negative side of other people. You should always look at their positive side. Actually, you know, back when I taught you the Dafa, during the classes a lot of human thoughts were sent out from the audience down there? The reacting thoughts in some people were really bad, but I didn't look at any of that. I just look at your positive side so that I can save you. If I were to look at all of your negative side, how could I save you? The more I looked at it the angrier I'd get, and then how could I save you? (Applause) So in any situation, don't be affected by human-type behavior, don't be affected by human thoughts, and don't be affected by the feelings and emotions in this world, either. Look more at the positives in others and less at the bad things." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")

I personally understood this to mean: "Look more at the positives in others and less at the bad things." This is the requirement Master places on us in our cultivation during Fa-rectification. It is an important connotation of what it means to "consider others" and "examine yourselves." Isn't it also the true meaning of "immense tolerance" and "understand everything with kindness"? In cultivating during Fa-rectification, use righteous thoughts to consider the goodness, outstanding qualities, and excellence of fellow practitioners. After reflecting on this, recognize your own deficiencies, faults, and shortcomings, and completely get rid of them. This is the true meaning of "looking inward."

During my past cultivation, I had always fixed my sight on my fellow practitioners' so-called "deficiencies." Their "deficiencies" were measured and defined by my own understanding and standards. Whenever, encountering problems, I would subconsciously externalize the problem first; that is, I would look for the faults of other fellow practitioners, without truly and actively looking inward, finding my own attachment first and eliminating it. This is the true meaning of putting the cart before the horse. It is the conventional inherent behavior of an ordinary person and is typical selfishness. This is not what a Dafa disciple should do. It is a distortion and misunderstanding of the principles that Master taught us.

All of the above are merely my own personal understanding.

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