Practitioners Should Discipline Themselves When They Live in Fellow Practitioners' Homes

By an overseas Falun Dafa Practitioner

(Clearwisdom.net) Certain practitioners have been unemployed for a long while now. This circumstance has prevented them from doing the three things well. Many fellow practitioners will regard this as the evils' persecution and will send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate it. Though this is one way to look at this, we must also consider if there are also issues within ourselves. I would like convey my thoughts regarding a phenomenon that relates to this. Please, kindly point out anything improper.

There is a young practitioner couple who are both unemployed. They are having a tough time financially, because they also have a young child. When living in the homes of fellow practitioners while participating in Dafa activities, they have behaved quite inconsiderately. They have used the fellow practitioners' possessions and eaten their hosts' food without asking permission. When they lived in another practitioners' home for quite a long time they only paid rent but occupied too much space. Both hold academic degrees from both China and overseas, look neat, and are smart and capable, but they have been unable to find jobs for quite a long time. Actually, this is a sign that they should make improvements in their cultivation. Though others are compassionate and tolerant, they should not ignore treating this situation seriously.

An elderly practitioner applied for asylum because of the persecution. Once the application was approved, this individual was assigned a place to live in a small city. Besides drawing public assistance and a living allowance, this person asked practitioners in several cities to find a job for him. This practitioner often lives in fellow practitioners' homes when working in different cities, sometimes living with practitioners for several months at a time. Though this person does pay rent, he does a lot of things at will, and what he pays for versus what he takes is not equal. This has brought interference to and put pressure on many fellow practitioners, to the point where many practitioners fear this person.

Actually, there are many kindhearted non-practitioners who also treat others kindly, put themselves in another's position, understand other's difficulties, and appreciate other's compassion. There are many historic tales about those who are unmoved by poverty and who discipline themselves strictly. Confucius once praised his disciple Yan Hui: "With a little meal, a little drink, and staying on a poor narrow street, others are bothered--Yan Hui remains joyful."

I suggest fellow practitioners who have problems on this regard read Master's lectures "Wealth with Virtue," "A Heavy Blow," and others, and be responsible for their own cultivation.

April 22, 2007

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/4/24/153296.html

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