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Continuously Improving Ourselves
Written by Yi Yan
(Clearwisdom.net) After reading Master's article, To the Fa Conference
in Montreal, Canada, in which Master said, "While validating the Fa and putting into action how Dafa disciples
should cultivate, you still have some shortcomings," I looked inward and reflected on my problems. I found that since July 20,
1999, when we first started to oppose the persecution of Falun Dafa, many
practitioners, including myself, have become less diligent in our cultivation of
Xinxing (mind-heart nature, moral character). This occurred because we did not
study the Falun Dafa books as attentively as before, and took things for granted
using a human mindset. For example, when we were in a conflict, we failed to look inwards, or we
just superficially looked inward, and thus, could not see our shortcomings.
Sometimes, we even looked in the Falun Dafa books for words to prove that we
were right. Sometimes, we knew we had a problem, but let it go after a cursory
reflection. Or we just decided to do the Dafa work at hand first and deal with
the Xinxing problems later. Some practitioners looked at the conflicts with the
human notions formed in the past, and saw the conflicts as tests to see whether
they were moved or whether they reacted to things in the same way as non-practitioners. After they concluded that they were not moved, they thought everything
was O.K. There are times when it is sufficient to simply not be moved and feel
that one has complied with the requirements of Dafa at certain levels. However,
it cannot always be like that, especially when one is looking at the problems
with an uncompassionate frame of mind. If we form a habit of treating things
like that, the obvious shortcomings that others can see will not be eliminated
for a long time. A lack of cultivating one's mind, in turn, will limit the form
and effect of the Dafa work we do. Of course some practitioners think that they have been doing a great amount
of truth-clarification work and maintaining their Xinxing. They also believe
that everything is fine as long as they continue to do the work well. Hence they
are using their own standards for cultivating, and are indulging themselves. Why have these problems existed for such a long time? The fundamental reason
must be a lack of Fa study, which comes from not having a calm mind when reading
Falun Dafa books, or, from reading with human notions. Some practitioners feel that Falun Dafa is great; and so by extension, they
believe that as a Dafa disciple, a particle in Dafa, we must be great too. With
this mindset, intentionally or unintentionally, they are guarding themselves as
if they were guarding Dafa. This kind of understanding really hinders a
practitioner's progress. In fact, Falun Dafa is great and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are the
greatest principles. Everyone who benefits from Dafa or witnesses such benefits
understands this. However, just because Dafa is great, doesn't mean that
everyone who practices Dafa is perfect in every aspect, nor does it mean that
they are better than non-practitioners in every aspect and thus, cannot be
criticized. Otherwise, there would be no need to cultivate. In Zhuan Falun,
Master said, "Even for those who can continue their cultivation practice, it
remains to be seen whether you can succeed and if you are determined to
practice cultivation." Many profound principles are revealed in this statement. It is an important
reminder to every real practitioner. Dafa, the Great Law, can turn all real
practitioners into good people who are unanimously recognized as such by regular
human society. Yet, if practitioners hold the nature of an enlightened being in
one hand and human nature in the other, or practice Dafa today and carry out
Dafa work without a practitioner's mindset the next day, that is to say, when
they are not consistently practicing, how can they say they are really
practicing Dafa? The uncultivated side of a practitioner is human. If, before practicing Falun
Dafa, we lacked refinement and self-discipline, and if we didn't pay much
attention to self-control after practicing Dafa, then the notions fostered in
the human world, the contaminated thoughts, and those same attachments would be
revealed in our words and behavior. For example, in China, traditional values
have been greatly diminished in society. Many Chinese people have become very
rude and ignore personal hygiene and exhibit disorderly conduct. They often do
not exhibit rational thinking. They either follow other people or are
deliberately confrontational. They have become used to struggling, and dare to
hurt other people in order to protect themselves or to gain a political
advantage. They seek opportunities and use tricks, instead of working hard, to
try to gain without making any effort, and have no respect for social virtues.
In Western societies, many people give more weight to form and pay less
attention to the inner meanings of things. They tend to view things more
superficially and from the angle of individuality. They over-emphasize the value
and pursuit of the individual. All these tendencies, developed over the course
of our lives, can become exposed if we slack off in our cultivation practice and
requirements for ourselves. People will see such problems in individual
practitioners. To a practitioner, the purpose of exposing one's problems is to
provide an opportunity to get rid of them as soon as possible. If instead of
eliminating them, we try to cover them up, or even try to paint them as good, it
will only have a negative effect when validating Dafa. Many people only get to know Falun Dafa through the words and
behavior of practitioners. On the one hand, even if we cannot do everything well
under every circumstance, the practitioner's good intentions and sincerity in
trying to improve themselves and the continuous improvements they are making in
different stages of their cultivation, also confirm that "Falun Dafa is
great." If some ill-intentioned people or narrow-minded people attempt to
attack Dafa based on practitioners' shortcomings, each and every practitioner
should explain to them in a calm and proper way that the deficiencies aren't a
result of practicing Falun Dafa. Rather they are a reflection of one's
shortcomings in cultivation and in not fully meeting the requirements of Dafa.
However, as a practitioner, we are always striving to make improvements in
ourselves. If we can open up and pay attention to different issues, and if we honestly check to see whether we
meet the requirements of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, then we will be
able to constantly find our shortcomings and reveal better and better qualities.
Such cultivation will display the mighty virtue of Dafa.
As a result, we can make up for the deficiencies we had in the past in
validating Dafa and in our personal cultivation. Written on July 21, 2004 |