My Understanding of Adjusting Our Starting Point

By a Falun Dafa practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) The starting point of cultivation should be based on the Fa, a concept that every Falun Dafa practitioner knows and talks about. However, to genuinely realize this in practice actually has many variations.

My husband does not practice cultivation. He has already retired, but he took another job. In order for me to have more time to do Dafa work, I delegate some household chores to my husband. (Another reason is to discourage him from going out often to do useless things). Regarding this issue, my fellow practitioners have different understandings. Some senior practitioners have disagreed with me and said, "As a practitioner, one should do more work. How could one arrange work for others to do? This kind of attitude is incorrect." Their words remind me of the importance of considering our starting point: is it based on individual cultivation or on Fa-rectification cultivation?

Teacher said,

"And why did they come? As I've told you before, nothing in this world, in fact, is by chance. Every being and every object came for Dafa, was formed for Dafa and created for Dafa, and that includes all people."("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Washington DC Fa Conference")

We have understood the Fa that Master has taught. As all beings come for the Fa, then everything in ordinary society should revolve around the Fa. For practitioners' families, we should live according to this truth, not to mention those families whose members are all practitioners. In some practitioners' families, only one member practices cultivation. With this kind of environment, how should we adjust our relationship with ordinary people? This is the issue of who should revolve around whom. If it is in the stage of individual cultivation, there is no problem for practitioners to do more household chores. They can cultivate even better from it. It is even no problem if you are willing to undertake all of the household chores. However, at present, with Fa-rectification it is a different story. We are Falun Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification. Besides individual cultivation, we must do the massive work of saving sentient beings. We cannot reach this goal without having a certain amount of time guaranteed. Young practitioners must go to work since Master wants us to conform to everyday people as much as possible. If they do not have jobs they will not be able to make a living, not to mention do the three things well. Therefore, what I am talking about today is mainly for older practitioners.

Most older practitioners are retired and live at home. Many of them encounter the situation whereby they are asked or expected to take care of their grandchildren. Some of them say: "We should look after our grandchildren, otherwise, our families would have a bad impression and we would not be able to harmonize well with ordinary society." Because this comment sounds valid, some elderly practitioners who do not study the Fa diligently might get confused by such a statement.

In fact, regardless of various aspects, it is not absolutely necessary for us older practitioners to help look after grandchildren. I do not need to address much on this issue from the viewpoint of ordinary people. Actually, there is no such law requiring us to do this. Having been busy for our whole lives, maybe we should be allowed to relax at an old age. For example, I usually cook food for my family. But if one day my spouse said, "I will cook today." I would say, "Good. If you cook I can study the Fa. Reading the book will benefit me and you as well. However, if I cook while you lie on the bed, that would be a waste of time." Think about it everyone; if our family members who do not practice cultivation could learn to revolve around us and Dafa, in spite of not cultivating, they will still position themselves very well in Dafa. Isn't this laying a very good foundation for their future lives?

Therefore, we should place the starting point correctly. Whether or not we can put Dafa in the most crucial position among the many important things in a practitioner's life, is a critical test related to whether practitioners understand the Fa clearly, and to what extent they have done the "three things" well.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/3/10/122387.html

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