(Clearwisdom.net) I was fond of mathematics before even going to school, and later I very much admired those with strong logical and analytical skills. Recently, after listening to some of Bach's music, I came to some understandings. Bach is recognized as a musician who obtained musical inspiration through his spiritual belief. On the surface, there were later works that were superior in terms of technique or other aspects, but I feel that his works were unique. A musician's ability and inspiration are bestowed by higher beings, and when he or she recognizes this and becomes in harmony with that principle, the result is often great. Meanwhile, modern classical music's pursuit of technique and force caps its potential. The superficial exuberance detracts from the music itself. Teacher said,

"...and everything that human beings draw or paint includes elements of the artist himself." ("Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art")

I think that when we have discussions about purely technical topics or setting forth guidelines, our state of mind at the time plays a big role in the outcome.

Related to the issue of abilities and skills is the identification of one's personal contribution. I have encountered several related situations. One of them was when a number of Dafa practitioners discussed initiating a project. Just before the project was due to start, one of the practitioners called to tell me that the project started because he first had such an idea and then told it to so and so, and later he had another idea to deal with a situation that came up, and thus the project was able to start. I agreed with him on the surface, but thought to myself, "Wasn't I the one that came up with the idea?" Although we all know that everyone who participated in the project had contributed and we shouldn't worry about who did what, we still thought about individual contributions with a human mindset.

I'd like to also discuss how we should act when we are dissatisfied with fellow practitioners.

A notable case of this happened several years ago. A few fellow practitioners and I collaborated on a project. At the time I felt that they did some things incorrectly. I pointed it out to them several times but to no avail. Later I noticed that when I was thinking about how I should put it to them, my heart was pounding rapidly. While quietly rehearsing how to talk to them, I got so worked up and anxious. Whenever I thought about this, I would feel dejected and vexed. Later, I thought things through and came to realize that if fellow practitioners have deficiencies somewhere, I should just point it out to them with good intentions, and that should be the end of it.

Even a cultivator can sometimes suddenly have a bad thought, and it can even last for quite a while. Recently, I made substantial improvement in this respect. My mind is tranquil most of the time, and I can exercise control of my thoughts and behavior. This is because I realize that people's human side is very weak. Beautiful clothing can get soiled in a flash if one lives in a windy and dusty area, but it becomes clean again after shaking it out or washing it. So, superficial feelings are insignificant. Dafa can cleanse away all filth. Let us study the Fa well and let our own thoughts and behavior melt into the Fa.

Posting date: 9/4/2005
Original article date: 9/4/2005
Category: Practitioners' Insights
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/8/5/107596.html

 Yearly Archive  Printer Version