August 16, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

Recently, some practitioners have become increasingly perplexed by emotion (qing). I think this may be a manifestation of Fa rectification reaching the human realm.

Whether we treat human emotion as an obstacle or as interference in the path of Fa rectification, my personal understanding is that we should see the problem in a harmonious way.

Emotion is a substance in the Three Realms and it is also a god. Human beings live for emotion, our every cell is submerged in it, and life in this environment exists in this state. As Dafa practitioners during the Fa rectification period, if we equate eliminating the attachment of emotion with ignoring our children and treating our spouses as interference with Fa rectification, or treating normal dating and marriage as obstacles in Fa rectification, we are deviating from the principle of this cultivation method. Removing the attachment of emotion is not to avoid or escape from the environment of sentimentality to "having no emotion." What we need to do is cultivate our pure compassion in this complex environment.

Our cultivation is done in ordinary people's society, and we should conform to the state of everyday people to the maximum extent possible. Today's way of cultivation is saved for future reference and we cannot go to extremes. Moreover, there is the issue of predestined relationship involved. It is not to be done as we wish. Many Dafa practitioners married each other perhaps because they had this wish for many lives and they wanted to obtain the Fa, validate the Fa and save sentient beings together and then return with Master Li.

Due to the rapid speed of Fa rectification, the old forces' real behind-the-scenes helpers interfere with Fa rectification and they would rather face destruction than change themselves. If our minds are not righteous, emotion will be used by the old forces to interfere with us and undermine us. Whether it is "being attached to emotion" or "indifferent to emotion," these are both forms of sentimentality. The only difference is that they show up in opposite forms. The important thing is that we need to have a clear understanding of sentimentality, as this is also part of the Fa rectification.

Actually, the purpose of Master Li leaving us with this little bit of human surface matter is not for us to attach to anything in the human world; it is for us to be able to cultivate among everyday people, clarify the truth and save sentient beings while at the same time keep our process of cultivation for future reference. Therefore, every step is critically important and cannot be taken lightly, and more importantly, we cannot go to extremes. As we continuously study the Fa and remove our attachments, and as we gradually put all our hearts into compassionately saving sentient beings, we will gradually remove human emotions and no longer be bothered by sentimentality; thus we will walk out of humanness and go towards consummation step by step.

When your heart is filled with compassion, no matter where you are, people will not feel that you are either "too sentimental" or "heartless." They will only feel your compassion, kindness and the care and warmth. What manifests through you is peacefulness, righteousness, generosity, magnanimousness, understanding and responsibility, and what your compassion creates is a rectified environment that is pure, harmonious, happy and full of lives.

This is only a personal understanding, and if there is anything improper, please kindly point it out.