(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners shouldn't pursue worldly affairs or be troubled with the emotions and feelings of everyday people, because ever since we obtained the Fa, we are no longer beings of the Three Realms.
Master said,
“Clarifying the facts and saving sentient beings are what you need to accomplish. There is nothing else for you to accomplish. There is nothing else in this world that you need to accomplish.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2015 New York Fa Conference”)
I felt a lot of pressure when I read this, but it was actually because of my human notions. I felt pressure, so I rested in bed. I realized this wasn't right, so I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate my sentimentality and attachments to comfort. Dafa practitioners need to be compassionate and have righteous thoughts, not human sentiment or the wish to seek new things. The pressure on my mind began to dissipate.
I have always thought that we should validate the beauty of Dafa with an open and clear mind. Having a good mentality in everyday life is the basis for walking a smooth journey on our cultivation path and offering salvation to sentient beings.
I now find joy in studying the Fa and doing the exercises. Reading is a good habit that I developed when I was young. Since I started practicing Dafa, the purpose of my reading has changed from satisfying my curiosity to a natural and calm joy of studying the true meaning of life. The more I study the Fa, the more I enjoy it.
I was an impatient perfectionist before I became a practitioner. I used to think that life was painful and hopeless. It was Dafa that gave me a beautiful feeling and confidence. The moment I sit with my legs crossed, a holy and solemn feeling arises in my heart. When I start to feel pain in my legs, I remind myself that I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. I refuse to give up, and eventually I enter a state of tranquility. Whenever I feel uneasy, I start meditating. After I let go of all the attachments in my mind, the tranquility is tremendous. Sitting in meditation is like resting in a empty space for me.
When I send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the old forces, I failed to realize the importance of this at first. It caused some losses to my offering salvation to sentient beings. But it's one of the three things that Master asks us to do. Once I understood the importance of sending forth righteous thoughts at the four daily times, it became a habit.
Whenever I ran into tribulations and was unsure what to do, or experienced trouble with my health, I would send forth righteous thoughts. It brought noticeable improvements. Desires, attachments, and thought karma aren't the true parts of me. The reason I feel them is because they exist in another dimension. When I eliminate them with righteous thoughts, I feel light and comfortable.
Sending forth righteous thoughts also enhances my confidence and tests my concentration. My mind can easily drift if I don't concentrate enough. The more I use righteous thoughts, the more powerful it is. It's a cultivator's joy to conquer the evil with righteous thoughts!
Master told us the importance of “...cultivating as if you were just starting...” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference”). I think the “starting” state refers to the best state.
The Fa has different meanings at different levels. If we can't reach our best state, then our minds must be somewhere other than on the Fa, and we haven't gained a deeper understanding of the Fa. When we truly grasp the profound meaning of Dafa, we won't view Master and the Fa with human notions.
As long as we continue to the study the Fa, we are immersed in the energy of Master's boundless wisdom. How fortunate it is for someone to become a Falun Dafa practitioner! Gods in the universe admire us. I hope my fellow practitioners will find joy in studying the Fa, become a cultivator of great wisdom, see the true meaning of life and value of the Fa.
Once a practitioner finds this joy, he or she has found true happiness! No one dares to trouble a practitioner whose mind is on the Fa, who can eliminate the old forces with his abilities, and who solidly cultivates himself with unwavering determination.
Some practitioners regard saving people as true happiness. This is also a joy in the realm of selflessness. In my understanding, saving people is our wish. We should set our hearts on it, but we shouldn't to be attached to the results. Any success is a manifestation of the power of Master and Dafa. Any failure indicates that we need to improve.
I used to be attached to the final result after talking to someone about Dafa and the persecution, wanting them to withdraw their membership from the Chinese Communist Party. People who have been deceived by its propaganda resist my efforts in trying to help them quit the Party. After I eliminate my attachment to seeking results, people can feel my kindness through my calm and rational demeanor, and they then listen to me willingly.
Our truth-clarification efforts, sending forth righteous thoughts, and depths of meditation all reflect our cultivation states. The foundation for all of them is to study the Fa well. It's how we find the profoundness of life and the universe, and the joy of cultivation.
A true practitioner must be happy and broadminded, because the Fa of the universe has created motivation and joy for beings at all levels. When we feel that life is hard and painful, it's because we are stuck between the values of gods and humans. In other words, we want the benefits of gods, but can't let go the benefits of humans. Lingering between these two values causes internal struggle and agony.
Practitioners have different values than everyday people. As I see it, we have three kinds of relationships: our vow to help Master rectify the Fa, our cooperation with fellow practitioners, and our offering salvation to sentient beings. All three relationships need to be handled well. We volunteered to help Master rectify the Fa. We can't complain to Master if we fail to cultivate ourselves solidly and cause losses.
Any gaps between practitioners need to be dissolved quickly for successful long-term collaboration. Regardless of whether everyday people understand us, it's our mission to offer salvation to them. When we fully understand these three relationships, we will be able to the see the nature of problems as they occur, and deal with them with a clear mind and rationality. Our joy will emerge as our wisdom grows!
The above is my limited understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.
Category: Improving Oneself