(Clearwisdom.net)
The advancement of Dafa practitioners as one body is the holistic manifestation of Dafa's mighty virtue and power. The pressing barrier that each practitioner now faces, and must break through, is as Master told us, "humankind must fundamentally change its conventional thinking" ("Lunyu" from Zhuan Falun). The key to fundamentally changing humankind's conventional thinking is cultivating every bit of our thinking according to the principles of Dafa.
The scheme that the old forces have used to persecute Dafa practitioners is that generation after generation the old forces established the principles for humankind to live by, and these principles lead mankind to develop various notions. Dafa practitioners have also been living by these principles for generation after generation. Various human notions have been leading people to develop various attachments, and the more adherent to those notions one becomes, the stronger one's attachments will be. During this Fa-rectification period, the old forces have taken advantage of those attachments to initiate a so-called test to persecute Dafa practitioners. The key to letting go of one's attachments is to change one's notions. Various attachments manifest themselves in one's thinking. Dafa practitioners' thinking comes mainly from three sources: notions, external interference, and the principles in Dafa. We have to practice the principles in Dafa to eradicate various notions and to eliminate external interference. The human notions are what we must let go of during our cultivation, and we should consider and think over any problems from the perspective of Dafa.
Now the evil forces' persecution against Dafa practitioners has reached an insane extent. Thus, whenever an unrighteous state surfaces, we must immediately recognize and discard the attachments that the evil forces use as excuses to persecute Dafa practitioners. And at the same time, we should deepen our understanding of the principles of Dafa. Then the unrighteous state will vanish. For some fellow practitioners who have been in an unrighteous state for a long time, it is necessary to send forth righteous thoughts to help them eliminate the evil forces that persecute them. However, the key is to share experiences and understanding in the principles of Dafa so that we can advance together, discovering and letting go of our attachments - the excuses used by the evil forces to persecute Dafa practitioners. But sometimes not only is there no sign of improvement, but the persecution becomes even more severe. Why is this happening? From my understanding, this is because Dafa practitioners still have human notions and other attachments that they have not let go. At the same time, under the persecution, Dafa practitioners have developed other attachments such as fear, suspicion (why the evil cannot be eliminated), annoyance, and anxiety. Sometimes, practitioners have even developed weak thinking towards Dafa. All of these attachments are used by the evil as excuses to reside in the field of our dimensions and continue the persecution. Therefore, we should eliminate all the attachments which the evil forces lurk behind.
While helping fellow practitioners, it is more important to encourage and remind them, so as to help them regain their righteous belief in Dafa, and continue their cultivation in the Fa, instead of asking fellow practitioners to attain our understanding level and standard. The advancement in cultivation is mainly based on how Dafa practitioners treat Dafa and Master in their heart. As fellow practitioners' righteous thoughts grow stronger and stronger, they will strive to study the Fa more diligently so that they can be guided to the Fa, and develop essential and intrinsic transformations within themselves.
Helping fellow practitioners is also a way to harmonize and complete one's own mechanism, and is a part of one's own cultivation. Helping fellow practitioners also improves ourselves.
First of all, we need to have a compassionate heart. During the process of experience sharing and discussion, we will find some fellow practitioners who are unwilling to expose their attachments, which in fact is to expose the evil forces. The dilemma is how can we help fellow practitioners if they do not want to share? This depends upon whether we can remain calm and unmoved, or whether we become uneasy and anxious. If a fellow practitioner has good enlightenment quality, we can help them to regain their righteous state in a short time. Will we then develop the attachment of zealotry because of the joy and happiness from our accomplishment? Will we feel resentful, anxious, or even disheartened when fellow practitioners are very tenacious? Will we develop a selfishness attachment to feel that it is a waste to take us several days to help fellow practitioners? Will we always cultivate ourselves, given whatever problems we may run into?
As Teacher explained,
"I think that you absolutely shouldn't be disheartened. Do this compassionately no matter who it is, and with a compassion that can melt steel you'll be able to do well." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
Any attachment appearing in the process of helping fellow practitioners will become a kind of barrier. We have to immediately eliminate that attachment and the evil old forces lurking behind it, and use our kind heart and compassion, and the Fa principles at different levels, to help fellow practitioners. This is completely for the benefit of fellow practitioners, and for showing consideration to them, and there is not any selfish purpose or self-interest at all.
"The Buddha light illuminates everywhere,
Propriety and justice rectify and harmonize everything.
Strive forward together,
A bright future lies ahead."
("In Harmony With the Fa" from Hong Yin, unofficial translation)
