(Clearwisdom.net)
Master said in Touring North America to Teach the Fa, "The fact is, these old forces, strictly speaking, aren't trying to destroy this Fa-rectification, and they don't dare to destroy it. Their purpose, although it's impure, is also to have this Fa-rectification succeed, it's just that they want all of this to follow their requirements -- they want Fa-rectification to follow their requirements..." "But the layers upon layers of beings have become impure, and even the last being has become impure. When they're helping me, at the same time they hide their selfish intention of protecting themselves. They all want to change others but not themselves -- no one wants to change himself -- and they even try to preserve as much as possible the things they're attached to and won't let go of."
The cosmos' Fa principles have different manifestations at different levels, and the old forces are safeguarding the principles at their level. Since their ultimate being is even impure, their standards are limited only to their realm of impurity. That is why they could attack practitioners using evil forces. "They could ruin people to get rid of everyday people's mindset of practitioners. The old forces have no regard for human life -- if they want to kill, they'll just kill. Amidst the Fa-rectification they're only attached to their own arrangements." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa) From their perspective, they thought they were helping practitioners to upgrade and helping in the Fa-rectification process, but in reality, they are still holding onto selfishness, because they do not possess the boundless, selfless grand compassion. Of course, they are not worthy of participating in Fa-rectification.
I experienced the selfless grand compassion from Master's teaching, "The speed of Fa-rectification absolutely cannot be affected, so if they impeded it I would eliminate them. They'd be destroyed instantly, and no matter how many of them took part, they'd all be destroyed. Then think for a moment -- didn't I come to save all sentient beings? If they were all destroyed, who would I be saving? That's why back in history when they chose me, I considered it from the perspective of saving them, and didn't object to it..." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa) From this I felt an incomparably magnificent realm, one that is completely aimed at saving sentient beings without a single strand of "self" or attachment to His own arrangement. This is the great tolerance and mercy.
Facing such a great tolerance and mercy, I felt embarrassed for not doing well during my recent cultivation and participation in Fa-rectification. When I talked to my mother who is living in China a few days ago, she asked me unequivocally not to be "politically involved." I was very anxious because I felt she was being controlled by the evil and wanted to convince her. I used a very intolerant tone, pointing out that she was not righteous. Of course, the result was not as I expected because she could sense that I was defending myself instead of being concerned about her well-being. I was lacking compassion and mercy. This is similar to when I have different opinions on Fa-rectification work than my fellow practitioners. I often use "I was doing this for the good of Fa-rectification" to defend my ideas and being intolerant of others' ideas. I used the excuse of, "Even if I did not do it perfectly, I was giving them a chance to upgrade their xinxing" to avoid searching inward for problems. When I clarified the truth to the media and the government, if they did not respond or expressed indifference, I often felt that I'd already done my part and left it at that. I did not look at it from the standpoint of compassion to all sentient beings and did not realize the necessity of using righteous thoughts to eliminate the interference.
When I compared this intolerant and uncompassionate behavior of mine with what Master described as characteristics of the old forces, I was stunned. So much of my conduct and ways of thinking are so similar to the old forces'. I was wholeheartedly defending my idea, and I used Fa-rectification and doing things for others as excuses. If I still did not correct myself, my actions would be the same as helping the old forces safeguard their deviated elements. No matter how many things I do for Fa-rectification, they are merely aiding the so-called "Fa-rectification" according to the old forces' arrangements.
The experience of that boundless great tolerance and compassion inspired me to study the Fa well, purify myself further, and expand my realm of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" using great tolerance and mercy. When our purity surpasses the impure elements of the old forces, when our realm of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" surpasses the old forces' limitations, then we have naturally broken through the old evil forces' arrangements thoroughly in our thoughts and actions.
During our cultivation, there have always been times that we did not do well. Master always gives us chances to do well again. Shouldn't we treat our fellow practitioners and sentient beings in the same way? Exercising great tolerance and mercy does not mean to acknowledge the persecution or give in to old evil forces. Instead, it points to a more selfless realm and is truly being responsible to oneself, sentient beings, and the new cosmos.
