(Minghui.org) I read Master’s newly published article “Stay Far Away From Peril” yesterday before I left home to run an errand. I initially thought Master was reminding those practitioners who hadn’t truly cultivated themselves. After I sent righteous thoughts that evening, I decided to re-read what Master said. When I was reading, one sentence emerged in my mind, “Don’t think Master isn’t talking about you.” I realized I should look within because Master was talking about my issues, too.
Master wrote,
“Although some individuals are within the environment of Dafa disciples, they haven’t actually entered into genuine cultivation, and at crucial moments, they always use human attachments, human notions, and human emotions to evaluate things...” (“Stay Far Away From Peril”)
Even though I have been cultivating for 25 years, I still frequently evaluate situations with human attachments and emotions. When this happens, it shows that I haven’t assimilated to the Fa, so that part of me won’t be able to reach consummation if I fail to correct myself before the end of the Fa-rectification.
I reflected on how I handled difficulties, treated projects I was involved in, and positioned myself in relation to Master and these projects for the past 25 years.
At the beginning of the Fa-rectification period, since 2000, every time I read the Fa, I felt I was following Master’s Fa-rectification process. The project I was involved in to validate the Fa did well. My righteous thoughts seemed to follow the pace of Fa-rectification. I especially enjoyed reading Essentials for Further Advancement at that time. Even today, every lecture in this book continues to help me eliminate my human notions and those negative elements built up after reincarnating for thousands of years. I truly felt I was a particle of Dafa, and my heart was filled with the honor of helping Master during the Fa-rectification.
Master told us,
“While you cultivate, do Fa-rectification, and move yourselves towards Consummation, you also need to save sentient beings; you are creating everything for the future. Everything Dafa disciples do today is extremely important, and the righteous path they take might become a reference for beings in the future.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference,” Guiding the Voyage)
I truly felt that my words and behavior reflected the righteous path a cultivator should leave as a reference for beings in the future. That’s why I didn’t feel any hardship in my life, at work, or in the projects I was involved in to validate the Fa. If I encountered any difficulties, I quickly overcame them. I required myself to walk my path with righteous thoughts, because it’s a reference for people in the future.
At that time I was a graduate student and lived on a student loan. I didn’t pay any attention to what I ate or how well I dressed. When my sister and her family visited me in 2003, they had to sleep on the floor of my tiny apartment. My sister was so concerned about me that she wept when she saw my worn-out coat. However, I felt lighthearted and happy, because I’d obtained the Fa.
I focused on telling people about the persecution of Falun Dafa, including sending truth-clarification letters, making phone calls and sending faxes to China. I participated in various activities, and knew it was my responsibility to do so as a particle of the Fa. I felt happy and tranquil when I read the Fa, and felt I melted into the Great Law of the Universe.
I was involved in a certain project after 2012. After running into a tribulation, I realized that it was time for me to improve. Despite serious interference, I began hand copying the Fa. No matter what difficulties I encountered, I overcame them by studying the Fa intensively.
When I delivered the Epoch Times, I recited “On Buddha Law” and repeated, “Falun Dafa is great! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great!” I reminded myself that whatever difficulties I encountered, I was repaying old karmic debts. The process of reaffirming my strong faith in Master and Dafa was a process of correcting myself and dissolving my karma accumulated lifetime after lifetime. Master decreased my karma and only left a little in different stages of my life this time. Overcoming this karma offered me cultivation opportunities.
Master told us,
“As long as you improve your character, you will be able to overcome them— it’s only that you might not want to overcome them. If you want to overcome them you can.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Master also taught us how to send forth righteous thoughts, which allows us to use our divine power. After our thoughts are corrected, degenerated materials will be eliminated or weakened, and the power of Master, righteous gods and our capabilities are able to eliminate these negative substances, including external interference and our own karma.
Master has created my life, given me everything, and shown me how to cultivate.
Reading Master’s lecture “Stay Far Away From Peril” made me realize that the moments I failed to cultivate myself diligently were the moments I broke my vow.
I’ve recently begun sleeping too much. After I send righteous thoughts in the morning, I go back to sleep instead of doing the exercises. I regret it as soon as I wake up, because I realize that when I seek comfort, I didn’t cultivate myself, and the one who felt comfortable was my human attachment.
Whenever this happens, my human notions tell me that it’s fine, but I know that I didn’t cultivate, and I was just an ordinary person. Ordinary people can do whatever they wish. Master has clearly given us the guidelines to cultivate, and it’s our choice to cultivate or not. I tell myself repeatedly that my righteous thoughts should take the upper hand, because I want to cultivate myself well and walk the path Master arranged for me.
I deviated from the Fa when I didn’t cultivate diligently. Master’s new lecture alerted me to seriously cultivate every thought at every moment, because I came to this world to cultivate and to save the sentient beings I’m responsible for.
It’s my understanding that the uncultivated part of me cannot be brought to the new universe. So, although I’ve cultivated for 25 years, it’s a pity that a large group of beings may be destroyed because I slacked off. No matter what cultivation state practitioners are in, we must treasure Master’s urgent warning, reflect on our shortcomings, cultivate diligently, and assimilate to the Fa.
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