|
The Sense of Inferiority is a Manifestation of Poor Enlightenment Quality and An Attachment to Self
By a Dafa Practitioner (Clearwisdom.net) As Dafa practitioners, arrogance and inferiority are not
manifestations of righteous hearts. Instead, they are the result of human
notions, and are great attachments and obstacles on our cultivation path.
Feelings of inferiority and arrogance are rooted in selfishness, and their cause
in the Three Realms is human sentimentality. Here I would like to focus on the sense of inferiority. Differences in
personal appearance, financial situation, education level, age, or social status
may all cause feelings of inferiority. The typical manifestations are a
disbelief in, suspicion of, and loss of confidence in oneself. Sometimes a
practitioner may also feel inferior when he makes mistakes or commits
wrongdoings because he is not diligent in cultivation, does not study the Fa
enough, or fails to elevate himself through cultivation during Fa-rectification.
Some practitioners always regard themselves as having a poor base and thus
think they are less suited for cultivation. The most fundamental issue is that
one does not have a correct understanding of Dafa and Teacher, does not position
oneself properly, does not recognize the greatness of Dafa, Teacher, and oneself
as a practitioner during the Fa-rectification, or does not understand Master's
words that one should quickly stand up and move forward after falling down. In
other words, it is the manifestation of poor enlightenment quality, and requires
the practitioner to try very hard to awaken to the Fa as soon as possible. Because of the sense of inferiority, one can be confused by the evils'
accusations, and mix up the great sacred task of assisting Teacher in rectifying
the Fa and saving sentient beings with that of "getting involved in politics" or
"fighting with people." For the same reason, one may be too self-critical, even
give up cultivation, position oneself as being tested or persecuted by the old
forces, and fail to demonstrate the dignity of a Dafa practitioner as one's
godly side is seriously suppressed. In fact practitioners who are diligently advancing will not feel inferior,
nor do they have the time to. They are constantly filling their minds with Dafa.
They deny any bad elements formed at various stages of their lives through
cultivation in the Fa-rectification. As the Fa can rectify anything that is not
upright, they understand that whether or not the things they have just done are
good or not, they are over. Thinking of them too much is itself an attachment.
The key is to learn a lesson and do it right from then on. The differences in gender, age, education, wealth, and social status make
each individual a distinct character on the stage of this show in the human
world, but they will never influence the heart of a genuine cultivator. Regarding a person's base, Master said, "You shouldn't be attached to these things in cultivation. It has nothing
to do with that. Don't worry about how your base is. When a being is able to
enter Dafa today, his base is not bad. Look at the world's people--there are
more than seven billion people in the world, and how many Fa-rectification
period Dafa disciples are there? Yet you are one of them. So why should you
still talk about your base?" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference") We must understand that any situations that prevent us from taking steady,
upright steps on our paths of Fa-rectification are things that no practitioner
should acknowledge. We must identify and deny these situations. We have only one
common name, that is, Dafa disciple. No individual practitioner can be
substituted with anyone else. The Fa requires every one of us to meet the
criteria of Dafa at various levels. We are so fortunate that we share the common
great mission and responsibility to assist Teacher to rectify the Fa and save
sentient beings. During the last moments of Fa-rectification, numerous sentient beings are in
great peril, longing to being saved by each compassionate Dafa practitioner who
gives up his selfishness and ego. If we are overwhelmed by self-criticism and
are demoralized, we will not be able to carry out well the three things that
Teacher has asked us to do. In that case, how many lives that have been waiting
for your salvation would become hopeless? And how many opportunities would you
lose to return to the correct path? Only the dark minions and rotten demons of the old forces are pleased to see
us feeling inferior. It is an excuse they use to destroy the mighty will of a
practitioner in the Fa-rectification Period. We must guard our xinxing (heart or mind nature, moral character)
against the sense of inferiority. We must firmly deny it and dissolve it as soon
as it begins to emerge. Otherwise, it will be constantly strengthened and
exploited by thought karma and the dark minions. When it becomes strong enough
to overwhelm one's will, one will not be able to escape being stuck in the mire.
No matter how many reasons you have for your sense of inferiority, they do
not belong to a great practitioner in the Fa-rectification, because Dafa
practitioners are creating the future. Every day is brand new to us. Whenever
you overcome your sense of inferiority, you are creating the future and you are
leaving behind a reference for future beings in the same situation. If you can
cast off your shackles, you are establishing your own dignity. In His lectures, Master hinted to us, Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification
Period, again and again, the glory and magnificence of our futures. Master's Fa
was taught to every one of us. Don't feel that you are excluded or are an
exception. That is actually an issue of whether you hold firm belief in Teacher
and Dafa. Don't betray Teacher's magnificent compassion and patience. From now on,
bravely stand up and firmly move forward; toss away the regret of the past, and
carry glory and brightness with you into the future! Take the sense of inferiority simply as an attachment that a practitioner has
to eliminate, because it does not belong to any practitioner. Let us advance
diligently on the path to Godhood! |