(Clearwisdom.net) Behind the attachment to time and the attachment to the ending time of cultivation is selfishness and a view of Fa-rectification cultivation using ordinary human thoughts. Being attached to time can result in going to extremes and being irrational. Sometimes this attachment may not be obvious, and can only be exposed by studying the Fa calmly and continuously looking inward. But sometimes it is obvious. Whenever we read Master's related articles, we become anxious. We are expecting the end of Fa-rectification and at the same time are afraid of its ending.
We expect the ending of Fa-rectification because the persecution has lasted so long, and its end will bring relief, as we will no longer need to face the persecution. We may be afraid of the ending because we feel that we have not cultivated well enough. If we had not reached our anticipated levels by the ending time, we would be regretful. Overall, the consideration is all for "us," and in our thinking we have temporarily put aside our mission of saving sentient beings, Master's expectations for us, and Master's suffering for the sentient beings. During the past several years, there are many examples of how the attachment to time has caused losses.
After the persecution started in 1999, many Dafa practitioners went to Beijing to appeal peacefully and safeguard Dafa. This left many amazing and incredibly great feats. Meanwhile, there are often words such as "it is going to be too late if one does not go to Beijing," "Catch the last bus," etc. which show an attachment to the "ending." This leads many Dafa practitioners to go along the wrong path as they do not see any their imagined ending signs amongst the evil's destructive test. This has complicated the persecution situation for Dafa in the human world.
In 2001, practitioners at the local forced labor camps were enthusiastically discussing the issue that "the forced labor system is against international laws, since China joined the World Trade Organization, so by the end of 2001, the labor camp system will be dismantled and everybody can go home." Under the evil interference, the attachment to ending the persecution had counteracted Dafa practitioners' righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil, and many people were attached to external changes. Eventually, after they did not see the expected results, they were disappointed. They became more hopeless and submissive when facing the persecution, which caused losses in their cultivation. Today some labor camps have been dismantled. However, it is not due to the outside factors of violating international law. Dafa practitioners continuously making efforts in exposing the evil and resisting the persecution is reflected in the human world and has disintegrated the evil in other dimensions.
At the beginning of 2002, there were prophesies spreading among practitioners from China and overseas about the Spring. Some practitioners thought that the Fa rectification could end in the Spring, and the Fa would rectify the human world. Some practitioners were spreading the information about "ending in the Spring" among fellow practitioners. When it was pointed out that this is not in alignment with the Fa, they tried to cover up by saying, "Master told us to cultivate clear-mindedly. So we need to know clearly when it's going to end." Some relatives of the practitioners did not understand the truth of Dafa to begin with, so they said, "We'll wait for you until the Fall." As it turned out, after several Springs and Falls, it had still not ended. This has caused a negative impact in saving sentient beings.
In 2003, some practitioners got the impression of "almost ending" from Master's lectures. One practitioner who had been steady in cultivation, said, "It's almost over. This time period is for those who were 'transformed' and who were afraid of stepping out to catch up. We have done enough." However soon after that comment, this practitioner was arrested and sent to a forced labor camp, and was transformed under the persecution.
An attachment to time will bring evil interference and roadblocks to our whole body, personal cultivation, and the salvation of sentient beings. If most of us have this attachment, it would cause huge damage to Master's Fa-rectification. During the past several years, attachment to Spring, Fall, to the prime minister who met Dafa practitioners during "April 25" appeals, CCP's 16th National Congress Meeting, United Nations Human Rights Organization, suing the head of the evil, results of CCP's 4th Plenary Session, etc. are fundamentally due to the human thoughts of relying on ordinary people and looking forward to the end of the persecution. These human thoughts have been utilized repeatedly by the evil to create confusion and chaos.
Recently Master has published several lectures. We feel the rapid progress of Fa-rectification in the human world and the urgency of saving sentient beings. In the mean time, some practitioners again became attached to time after reading these lectures. For example, after they read the lecture "New Year's Greetings," etc., they intentionally repeated the sentence of "During this year, Fa-rectification's enormous force will bring changes to mankind." Deep in their thoughts, they might be thinking, "Looks like it's going to be over soon. This time the CCP is going to be finished."
Recently, some material production sites in China have received many Dafa practitioners' announcements of quitting and completely breaking away from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. However, few ordinary people see clearly the evil essence of the CCP and want to withdraw completely. Many ordinary people are seemly still being restrained from this perspective.
This is the issue of Dafa practitioners having righteous thoughts and righteous actions, breaking through human notions and suffocating the evil specter of the CCP. In the mean time, does it have anything to do with a renewed attachment to time and human thoughts, hoping that the CCP specter perishes soon, causing practitioners' minds to become unstable and leaving a loophole for the evil to take advantage of? The evil will create some confusion and chaos to whatever we are attached to. Learning from our previous lessons, we should clearly realize that Dafa practitioners are here to save sentient beings. We need to put aside our human thoughts to better meet the requirements of Fa-rectification, and clearheadedly walk well each step on our path of Fa-rectification cultivation.
Currently, while the persecution still continues, our main task is saving sentient beings. No matter what changes happen in the human world, Dafa practitioners' responsibilities of saving sentient beings will not change, because in the future universe, what Dafa practitioners accomplished selflessly will live on.
"When Dafa is persecuted, the first thing Dafa disciples should think of is saving sentient beings and how to validate Dafa." ("Touring North America to Teach the Fa")
"As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts." "You are the ones saving the ordinary people's society, and you are the ones saving sentient beings!" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")
"Dafa disciples are walking a divine path. Don't be affected by shifts in the ordinary world, seize the day to clarify the truth, save the world's people, clean out the rotten demons, and keep your thoughts and actions righteous. The Dafa disciples in Mainland China, more than anyone, should step up their efforts and do well the things they are supposed to do, staying always diligent." ("Greetings")
The above is my own opinion. Please kindly point out any shortcomings.
