(Clearwisdom.net) I recently went to a marketplace with some fellow practitioners to distribute Shen Yun DVDs. We gave a DVD to everyone we met and we quickly finished distributing all the DVDs we had. We were very happy about it, and told other practitioners how many we had distributed.
We went to distribute the DVDs again the following day and encountered interference. An older woman hurried towards us and started cursing at us. She told us that we had written "Heaven will annihilate the CCP," and "Withdraw from the party to be saved" on the paper money we had used, and that we were anti-CCP agents. I told her calmly, "We are not anti-CCP. The CCP is bad and is so corrupt that heaven will eliminate it. We only wish to show you a way to be saved. Even if you don't believe us now, please don't say anything right now, so you can provide yourself a route to escape." Fellow practitioners and I started sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil elements, dark minions, and Communist evil spirits that were controlling her. We distributed DVDs to people while we walked. We went home after we finished distributing the DVDs. We thought of the woman and how she might still not know the truth, and how we would clarify the truth to her if we met again.
When I was at the market again three days later, I gave a Shen Yun DVD to a plainclothes policeman. I told him that it contained traditional Chinese culture, and that it is very good, the highest caliber of performance. He asked me whether it was from Falun Gong. I told him that Falun Gong has been recognized all over the world. He asked me how many DVDs I had and did I know who he was? I said it wasn't important who he was, as learning the truth in order to be saved is what's most important. I asked him whether he knew that what we are doing saves people. I told him that he was responsible for his own life and that he should not do things that hurt others or himself. I held my pocket firmly to prevent him from seeing what was in my pocket. I had no fear whatsoever. He saw me not willing to let go of my pocket, and thus told me to leave. He told me that if he ever saw me distributing CDs again, he would do something about it. I thought to myself that what he said doesn't matter. Only what Teacher says matters.
When I got home, I felt that something was wrong. Why had I encountered so much interference during the past two days? I thus looked inward. Could it be my fear? No. Then why had I encountered so much trouble? Teacher saw me not realizing my own attachments and thus used another practitioner's mouth to tell me. No matter how much we had accomplished, we shouldn't have the attachments of elation or showing-off. We only need to do what we should do, quietly. I then realized that I had the attachments of elation and showing-off, that I had incurred due to the interferences from the old forces.
"Because of practicing cultivation among everyday people, a lot of our practitioners cannot release many of their attachments. Many attachments have already become second nature, and these people themselves cannot detect them. This mentality of showing off can manifest in any situation; it can also surface when doing a good deed. In order to gain fame, personal profit, and a little benefit, some people often brag about themselves and show off: 'I'm very capable and a winner.'" (Zhuan Falun)
The attachments of elation and showing-off are can be subtle and difficult to detect. Since I had found them, I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the attachments, and then the interference disappeared.
Teacher taught us that we need to look inward when we encounter problems. Once, someone said to me, "Your family went to that restaurant, why didn't you go?" I said I didn't know and didn't care about it. My attachment of jealousy came up and I got angry. I knew it was the human mindset of jealousy and it wasn't the real me. I denied it. I thought of what Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"What everyday people want is personal gain and how to live well and comfortably. Our practitioners are not this way, but exactly the opposite. We do not seek what everyday people want. Instead, what we get is something everyday people cannot obtain--even though they want to--except through cultivation practice."
As I thought about Teacher's Fa, I felt relaxed and cheerful. I am no longer moved by it.
Cultivation is serious. I found that I still had lots of selfishness. When I encountered problems, I didn't consider others first. Instead, I thought of protecting myself and trying to avoid feeling hurt. I only liked to listen to or hear pleasant words. If someone said unpleasant words to me, I would explode. I also had imbalances in my mind and I didn't look inward enough. I felt I was a cultivator and I was better than others. When I really looked within, I found I had many attachments and a strong human mindset. I believe our Teacher's words,
"As a truly-determined practitioner, one is able to endure everything and give up or care less for any attachment in the face of various self-interests. As long as one can do this, it will not be difficult." (Zhuan Falun)
I made up my mind to eliminate my attachments and human mindset, study the Fa diligently, assimilate to the Fa, and do the three things well, to complete my historical vows and follow Teacher home.
