(Clearwisdom.net) Sometimes, when I see other practitioners' shortcomings I hesitate whether to point them out to them. I think: "They might get hurt and feel angry towards me," or, "I'd better look within myself to find my own attachments first instead of pointing out others'."
But nothing is absolute. I found out that, if done with a positive attitude and compassion, pointing out others' attachments can help them immensely. It is like they have been waiting all along for that someone to hold a mirror in front of them and show them things about themselves that they are not aware of.
By pointing out my behavior, a fellow practitioner helped me get rid of an unpleasant habit. On the surface I thought that there was nothing wrong with doing what I'd been doing, and even believed that it was "natural."
One day that fellow practitioner brought up the subject and said that I was mature enough to restrain myself from practicing my bad habit, especially at the practice site. She was absolutely right!
I had always felt that my behavior was inappropriate, especially for a Dafa disciple in the environment of the practice site. Isn't our practice site supposed to be clean and pure? But I just needed someone to "scold" me and tell me to stop. I needed someone to awaken me.
That same practitioner had also told me, repeatedly, to correct my posture during the sitting meditation. She said that I should adjust my posture to more closely resemble that displayed by Teacher in the book. She explained her own understanding of why this was important, though I never listened to her wholeheartedly and didn't take her advice seriously. I thought to myself, "She is bringing in theories from yogic techniques she learned before joining Falun Dafa. She is mixing practice methods, which is not allowed. Falun Dafa books don't mention such things."
But recently, after observing this practitioner more closely, my attitude towards her changed. I looked at her posture and complexion when she was meditating. She seemed to me like those Buddhas I had seen in pictures - firm and graceful. Other practitioners I looked at slouched or even slept during the sitting meditation.
Teacher says in "People With Great Inborn Quality" in Lecture Nine of Zhuan Falun (2000 Translation):
"This Fa can only be taught to this level. It is up to your own cultivation to attain what is at high levels. ."
Is it possible that my fellow practitioner enlightened to those higher truths Teacher mentions?
I decided to let go of my resistance and follow her instructions. It wasn't easy. For me, maintaining the correct posture requires putting in more effort and enduring more pain - the very thing I tried to avoid. Nevertheless, I managed to improve my posture and keep it up throughout the entire hour of the fifth exercise. The result was beyond my expectations. Yes, I felt tremendous pain, but I was also immersed in tranquility like never before. It was a completely different experience, and for the first time I felt I was beginning to understand what Teacher says in "Attachment of Zealotry" in Lecture Eight of Zhuan Falun:
"How do we practice meditation? We require of everyone that no matter how deeply you meditate, you must know that you are practicing here. You are absolutely forbidden to be in a state of trance wherein you know nothing. Then, what specific state will occur? When you sit there, you should feel wonderful and very comfortable as though you are sitting inside an egg shell; you will be aware of yourself practicing the exercise, but you feel that your whole body cannot move. This is what must occur in our practice."
These are my understandings at my current level of cultivation. Please point out any mistakes.
Thank you, Teacher and Dafa.
Category: Journeys of Cultivation