Put Down the Attachment to Perfection

(Clearwisdom.net) I have noticed some problems during my participation in some projects. I'd like to talk about these problems from my understanding. I also hope fellow practitioners will point out anything inappropriate.

In some projects, I notice some practitioners have "frames" in their minds. I am not saying they haven't cultivated well, but they always have some worries. They worry about doing things the wrong way, and doing them less perfectly than could have happened. Sometimes, it is serious enough that a project's progress is impeded.

For example, fellow practitioners might have high expectations or requirements for a particular piece of a project. This is, of course, a good thing. With high expectations, good results can be produced. However, when this trend is over-emphasized, we can go to another extreme - "pursuing perfection." When something does not meet the "perfect" standard or state, these practitioners would think the piece could not be used. In the end, a lot of projects were canceled because they might not have reached the level of "perfection" expected by other practitioners in one or another element of the project.

I want to ask: Is this "pursuing perfection" some kind of attachment?

If our piece itself doesn't have a big problem and we put forth our best effort to get it done, it is clear that we presently have only so much understanding and our ability is limited when we still cannot get the piece perfect. In the process, we can improve ourselves. We can do better next time.

If we refuse to accept projects, or pieces of them, because of some imperfections in them, the overall projects will be delayed a few months or even half a year. This process wastes a lot of human and material resources. Inevitably, I feel, it will result in a lot of loss in saving sentient beings. We should know that time is short and that our task of saving sentient beings is urgent. This is not to say we can be sloppy in future projects. But we can see our own "heart" when we work on a project, especially when a project is not progressing fast enough.

Teacher said in Zhuan Falun: "Any time some kind of interference comes along in your practice, you have to look within for the cause and find what it is you still haven't let go of."

It is also a process of cultivating ourselves when we work on a project. So, I hope fellow practitioners can measure ourselves against Dafa in the process. When we understand the interference better, we can do better in saving sentient beings.

This article is not written to say that the practitioners who worked on certain projects have problems. I would, however, like to point out what might be an oversight. It will also serve as a reminder to practitioners currently working on projects. I hope we can do better.

All practitioners working on projects endure hardship. I hope what I say will not be a heavy burden. I'd like to try my best to work with others and get our projects done well.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/1/10/169897.html

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