(Clearwisdom.net) Some practitioners occasionally use excuses such as "we can't" or "things take time" for not being diligent. And this is repeated again and again.
Fa-rectification cultivation has reached the last stage, which is very transient. It is very important for us to find omissions and rectify our words and actions according to Teacher’s requirements for us. We need to do well in clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. By being diligent and genuinely cultivating, we can fulfill our mission and return with Teacher. This is indeed very important for each and every practitioner. Below are some of my experiences based on recent cultivation.
1) In Essentials for Further Advancement, Teacher said, "I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism."
I had read this paragraph many times and have gotten rid of much selfishness, but I had not been able to truly achieve selflessness. Several days ago, when I read this paragraph again, I was thinking: "How could I be completely selfless?"
During the process of our cultivation, we need to constantly let go of selfishness. Selfishness has many manifestations, which may affect our efforts to validate the Fa. Since I have my own office, it makes things easier for me to clarify the truth to people and ask them to quit the CCP and its subordinate organizations. One day, a person I supervised previously came to visit me. Since he had always been submissive, I felt happy because I could convince another person to quit the CCP. To my surprise, although he did not oppose what I said, he was very hesitant and could not make a decision even when he left. Looking back, I realized that I had been selfish. Rather than focusing on saving him, I was accumulating numbers and aiming to validate myself. Different thoughts will have different outcomes. When our thoughts are not pure, our words become clumsy and lack confidence. From then on, I started to focus on saving people. Although the length of time it took to clarify the truth varied, and people had different levels of acceptance, I began to see more positive effects. From this, I also saw the selfishness inside me, which had been buried deeply.
Selfishness is also the root of many other attachments. For example, attachments to seeking comfort, showing off, having conflicts with others, and lust all originate from selfishness. Therefore, a practitioner should fundamentally get rid of selfishness and become a being of the new cosmos.
2) Complement and harmonize with each other as we validate the Fa
Teacher has said that "the way today's Dafa disciples cultivate is one of a ‘Great Way without form.’"("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles") In my understanding, although there is no form, cultivation is manifested everywhere. Every individual needs to take the initiative to complement and harmonize with the whole. Dafa has the power to resolve and harmonize everything. This has provided us the most convenient and safest way for practitioners to validate the Fa.
In our cultivation, each practitioner is using his or her own way to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. During the Fa-rectification, changes constantly occur, and new requirements also emerge. Sometimes there are gaps that need to be filled, and sometimes there are things to overcome or adapt to. In different geographic regions and various professions in society, practitioners all have their own characters and play their own roles. We naturally take on tasks that we are familiar with, which overall keeps things in order. However, there are also areas that we are unfamiliar with, and when needed, we have to take it upon ourselves to complement and harmonize with the whole. In Essentials for Further Advancement II, Teacher said, "Validate the Fa with rationality." When some practitioners asked Teacher if those on the Party’s blacklist should go back to China, Teacher said, "Since you are validating the Fa here, this is where you are to cultivate."("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles")
In the beginning I obtained materials from other practitioners and distributed them and didn't plan to do anything else. In early 2001, a local material site was damaged, and a practitioner who had worked with me was arrested. To keep up the supply of materials, I took advantage of having a car and started to transport truth-clarification materials from my hometown to this region. I gave some materials to other practitioners and distributed some of them. In late 2005, practitioners in my hometown who worked with me were also arrested, and could no longer provide materials as they used to. So I contacted two practitioners from other regions, bought some equipment, and started a materials production site, printing the "Nine Commentaries" to meet the needs of local practitioners. Whatever is needed by Dafa becomes our responsibility. As long as it can validate the Fa and save sentient beings, we need to get involved as a Dafa particle.
3) Do not slack off when the environment becomes relaxed.
Some practitioners think they have done many things and begin to slack off, waiting for consummation. They tend to ignore the gaps and sometimes cannot even achieve the basics. For example, they are unable to send forth righteous thoughts together four times a day and are unable to calm down when sending forth righteous thoughts. Some of them are unable to complete the five exercises every day. Some are unable to do the sitting meditation for one hour and achieve the status described in Zhuan Falun, such as "…when you go sit there you’ll feel wonderful, like you’re sitting in an eggshell, and you’ll feel really good…" In "To the Chicago Fa Conference" Teacher said, "Whatever you experience during your cultivation--whether good or bad--is good, for it comes about only because you are cultivating." But some practitioners are still not clear on this and try to change others rather than accepting criticism and changing themselves.
I used to have all these problems. Plus, I find myself still seeking comfort, being lazy, and relying on others. I also do not keep on doing one thing, but tend to find excuses for me to stop. I often worry and feel nervous over something that may happen and cannot calm down until things are over. I realized these thoughts are not me, but are bad notions and thought karma. Because of my attachments to fame, interest, and sentimentality, such bad things are nourished and sometimes even make me irrational.
Today when studying Lecture 2 in Zhuan Falun, I read
"The Third Eye’s level is a direct manifestation of our universe’s Law. It’s something higher, and it’s closely related to a person’s character. If a person’s character is low, his level is low. And because his character is low, he’ll have lost more of this vital essence. But if somebody’s character is high, then he’s gone through life not worrying much about his reputation, profit, problems with others, his own gain, or about different emotions and desires, and his vital essence will probably be retained better. And so after his Third Eye is open he’ll be able to see more clearly."
I am unable to see things with my third eye. However, when I read Teacher’s lecture and thought about my own situation, I realized the biggest problem is still xinxing: I am not being strict with myself and hold onto my human notions tightly. I have deviated far from Teacher’s requirements and have not realized it. How dangerous!
4) "Let each and every thing be measured against the Fa.
Only then, with that, is it actually cultivation." (Hong Yin)
In this poem, Teacher told us about a very serious issue. Many problems came up in cultivation. One reason is because we are unable to measure ourselves against the Fa, but instead look for excuses for ourselves. The other reason is, although we might compare ourselves to the Fa, we are unable to follow the Fa in what we actually do.
In "Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005 (Lecture and Q&A)", Teacher said,
"Think about it, [and you will see that] this is about not cherishing enough your predestined opportunity to cultivate, about not cherishing the Fa enough, and not cherishing your own life enough. When you truly understand these things, you will do well."
Some issues may seem trivial, but different thoughts will lead to different outcomes. The fundamental issue is whether we are simply an everyday person seeking comfort or we are willing to be a being in the new cosmos that is selfless and able to overcome the old forces’ barricades. In the last stage of Fa-rectification, we really need to calm down, measure ourselves with the requirements of Dafa, find our fundamental attachments, completely overcome human notions and the barriers caused by karma, and let go of our final attachments.
To achieve this, we really need to have faith in Teacher and the Fa, have strong righteous thoughts, and remain undisturbed. We need to face our selfishness that is buried deeply. We need to regard the Fa as Teacher and keep on studying the Fa to improve ourselves.