On "Validating Oneself or Validating Dafa"

By a Falun Dafa practitioner from China

(Clearwisdom.net) I have some cultivation experiences to share with all practitioners on the basic issue of validating oneself versus validating Dafa in regards to the three things we should do well.

During the last eight years, sentient beings have been poisoned with evil propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party and Falun Dafa practitioners have been persecuted. Genuine Falun Dafa practitioners are all striving hard to do the three things well according to Master's requirements. Many times we progress smoothly; sometimes we have difficulties, or even have prominent attachments, causing losses to ourselves and Dafa.

I have been cultivating in my own environment, and have been clarifying the truth of Falun Dafa to the people around me openly and in an aboveboard fashion. During one period of time, I did very well. However, soon afterwards, trouble came constantly. At first my coworkers were not happy with me, mainly about my job performance. They said I did not cooperate with them. I thought I cooperated with them very well, so why did they say that? At first I thought it was for me to improve my xinxing, therefore I tolerated the criticism, but didn't know where I should improve.

Then I thought even though I clarified the truth to them in depth, it was not enough. I realized that I should increase the strength of my truth-clarification. Therefore I put more effort into clarifying the truth to people around me. However, the problems remained, and actually seemed to increase. At last, all of the people in my life seemed to be picking on me.

After studying "Fa Teaching at the 2007 New York Fa Conference", I saw that Master pointed out the damage of validating oneself but not validating Dafa.

"You know, in cultivation the most prominent sign that a person still harbors human attachments is his doing things that are not to validate Dafa but instead to validate himself! That is playing a destructive role."

Gradually I understood. Recalling my actions and mindset while doing the three things, many times I validated myself unconsciously. The starting point was not right. We strive to meet the requirements of Dafa, and at the same time, we need to cultivate ourselves well and validate Dafa.

Normally I put a lot of efforts into clarifying the truth, but many times I was unconsciously too engrossed, feeling that I did a lot and did very well. I had thoughts like, "I did things with great wisdom. I'm very good." Actually everything we accomplish is with the help of Master. It was Dafa that gave me the wisdom, and made many things receive good results.

At work, since I usually work pretty hard, I mastered certain skills. I didn't think that it was wisdom that Dafa gave me for me to do better in saving sentient beings. I was pleased with myself, even complaining to coworkers who made slow progress. I felt they were not skilled, so how could they lead me? Therefore, you can imagine the consequences! There were constant conflicts which were difficult to resolve.

In order to give me hint, Master had me get in touch with a practitioner who owned a business. He had issues with his employees and asked me to help them cooperate and coordinate. From this occurrence I clearly saw my own problems.

This practitioner thought his skills were good, and on many occasions he was not happy about his employees He always thought that they could not do this or that well. In general they were not as good as him. No matter what they do, he's always worried and needs to watch over them in person to avoid problems. Therefore the employees could not stand him and many wanted to quit.

After I came back home, I thought, let me resolve this issue for him. There's something I need to improve as well, since nothing occurs by accident. Isn't the attitude that this practitioner had towards his employees the same as my attitude toward my coworkers, always thinking myself infallible, and always thinking I'm better than others? The attachment to pride and trying to outdo others could not be eliminated. Whenever I did a little better in with the three things, I would start to think that it was because of my capabilities that I could do that much, and I would feel very happy with myself.

In fact everything comes from the wisdom that Dafa gives us. It was Master who did these things. We do them well and successfully because Master strengthens us. We're simply assimilating to Dafa and validating Dafa!

Now, every time I hesitate before I do something, I first ask myself a question: "What am I doing? Am I validating Dafa or validating myself?" When my righteous thoughts answer, "I'm validating Dafa," then I won't hesitate any more. Instead, I go ahead to do what I should do, with a very sacred feeling.

When we practitioners started to practice the exercises together, during the first two days, my laziness made me very uncomfortable. Master said in "Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Midwest-U.S. Fa Conference":

"The better you cooperate with each other as a whole the more powerful you are, and the more powerful you are the greater your impact."

Practicing the exercises at the same time, the field must be very strong and the effect of transforming the innate body must be better. Every day I attend group practice, I am validating Dafa as well. When I enlightened to the Fa, it became so much easier to do it. Now I attend the practice on time every day. The field at group practice is very strong. After only one day, not only didn't it affect my rest, I felt very energetic after the exercises. Even the laziness at the beginning was all gone. I felt very happy attending every day's group practice. It was Master who allowed me to improve in Dafa again.

June 3, 2007

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/6/4/156241.html

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