(Clearwisdom.net) I just saw the DVD lecture "Fa Teaching Given to the Australian Practitioners." After hearing Master Li talk about how a particular trip's expenditures had wasted so much of Dafa's resources, I was deeply moved. I had the following awakening and understanding: I realized that to be a genuine Dafa disciple, everything should belong completely to Dafa, since everything we own was given by Dafa and belongs to Dafa. In other words, I must treasure everything I own--money, material belongings, technical skills, including my life--and wherever possible, they should be spent completely on Dafa.

I often find that a lot of people believe that since it's "their" money, even when they use a little bit for Dafa, they feel like that they're "sacrificing" or "contributing". For those that give a lot of money to Dafa projects, over time they often develop feelings of having made an achievement, want to show off about it, or even have feelings of discontent. Then there are others who don't realize that they should support Dafa projects financially, and even if they are faced with a choice of spending just a little bit occasionally, they have to think about it for a long time--but they have no such hesitation in spending much more on themselves.

My understanding and feelings are that whenever we spend money on ourselves, we do not need to discuss it. However, when we actually spend the money on a Dafa project, we end up deliberating and hesitating. So the question is: "What is mine?" The answer is: "Everything belongs to Dafa, since Dafa even gave us our lives." I think that whatever I do, I have to consider Dafa first. Whatever Dafa needs, whatever Dafa requires me to do, I will do it. I must absolutely not be wasteful. I must treasure Dafa's resources, including special technical skills, my abilities, and my monetary resources. We do not have anything to brag about, but there is nothing for others to envy either. Whenever we can enrich ourselves, we should enrich ourselves. At the same time we can contribute everything we have to validate the Fa and save the sentient beings.

My economic situation is not that bad in terms of personal spending habits, but there is obvious waste. Often I think that, since I have money, I have every right to spend it. (It's an elated feeling of enjoyment)

However, I was deeply touched by Master's Fa lecture. I feel that, since everything belongs to Dafa, I must not indulge in my personal desires and selfishness by wasting Dafa's resources.

I am writing to share my innermost feelings with fellow practitioners.

October 9, 2007