(Clearwisdom.net) One day I asked myself how I could reduce or even eliminate all the random thoughts that constantly pop into my head, so that I could have a calm mind. Using my main consciousness to suppress them and sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate them directly were both effective. But when I thought about the problem more in depth, I realized that the root of this issue still had to do with one's xinxing [mind nature, moral quality].
In the article "Non-Omission" from Essentials for Further Advancement, Master Li said, "There is sacrifice in forbearance. Being able to make sacrifices is the result of improving in one's cultivation." I came to realize that during Fa-rectification cultivation, sacrificing one's selfish side is the key for being able to truly melt into Fa-rectification. Just imagine each of us as a small pond. As an ordinary person, the pond would not be able to remain calm with even the slightest disturbance from the outside. During cultivation, the breadth of our mind becomes larger and larger, and our ability to forbear and balance things becomes bigger and bigger. The little pond is turned into a giant body of water. The giant body of water is able to become tranquil quickly after a few ripples go through the water. The only way to truly improve concentration is to enlarge one's breadth of mind more and more. That is the only way to obtain a more stable and more steadfast state of equilibrium.
As practitioners from outside of China, we must study the Fa well, let go our pursuit of comfort, give up all kinds of attachments of ordinary people, take initiative to participate in all kinds of Fa-rectification work, and assist Teacher to rectify the Fa. That is the only way for each of us to change from an ordinary, unremarkable pond of water into a boundless ocean. Only then will we be able to maintain a state of ease and tranquility when we face all kinds of external interference in the Fa-rectification process.
