(Clearwisdom.net) It's been 17 years since Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public. Many veteran practitioners have been practicing for over ten years. To accomplish our task, it is important to become more mature and to form one indestructible body. I want to share with fellow practitioners my experience on how to eliminate human notions in order to have a heart of compassion.
1. Eliminate Human Notions
When I first started practicing, I often judged others with selfish principles when I had conflicts with them. I often felt very angry and felt sorry for myself. I did not reveal my anger but still remained bitter. I did not assess situations based on Dafa principles and often looked outside myself and blamed others. I understood later through Fa study, that for a high-level being, one's heart should not be moved no matter what others did. I realized looking back that when I was emotional, it was because I still had human notions, feeling disturbed when others did did not conform to my ideology. Also, I realize now that a practitioner needs to eliminate karma and therefore, in the process of cultivation there will be conflicts, pain and trouble. Teacher has shouldered a lot for practitioners and what we have to suffer is minimal next to the great benevolence He has shown us, which we do not deserve.
As I came to gradually understand Fa principles and recognize my gaps in cultivation, I gradually was able to do well when I was treated unfairly. I felt sorry for the person who did me wrong because he did not know that he was accumulating karma and would need to pay for his wrongdoings in the future. As a practitioner, I know now that I need to be tolerant with whatever happens to me.
2. Be Compassionate for Other Practitioners and Form One Body
I had known Practitioner A for a while. I later discovered that A did something that did not conform to the teachings. I was upset and told him about it but he did not change. I disliked A more and more and was angry with him. I even looked down on him. I soon was aware of this incorrect state. I was too attached to A's attachments.
I realized that of course A still had his human notions. When he did something that was not based on the teaching, he stumbled. I believed that A wanted to do well but at the moment he still couldn't let go of something. I realize now that I was supposed to feel compassion for him, but instead, I was attached to his shortcomings and to how his behaviors did not conform to my way of thinking. I tended to judge A based on selfish principles. I was looking outward and I needed to eliminate this bad substance. I needed to look inward and see whether I had the same attachment as A. It is natural that practitioners make mistakes in the practice; some cannot immediately correct their mistakes. I let go of my attachment to A's mistakes and talked to him peacefully instead of pointing fingers and preaching.
I realize many practitioners have attachments to others' attachments as well. They talk behind a practitioner's back when they disapprove of what a practitioner is doing instead of talking directly to the practitioner. I understand these practitioners have their human notions as well but this has been going on for too long and it is time to improve. One time I saw an attachment of practitioner B. Other practitioners saw it too but were too embarrassed to tell her. I came across B one day and talked to her about it calmly. At the moment, I felt that Teacher was pouring energy into the top of my head.
Practitioner C often could not pass her tests and lived on other practitioners' support. As her tribulations accumulated, each test in her cultivation became more and more difficult to pass. After being unable to pass one last test, she departed this world. Her family blamed Falun Dafa and opposed it. Those practitioners who knew C complained about her and the pains she caused them. In my opinion, it should be the biggest grief in our hearts that C left us. She already paid for her mistakes; why couldn't we simply feel pity for her? Why do we always care about how we feel? Why do we have to judge others? We need to eliminate the attachments of wanting to complain and not wanting to suffer and stop paying attention to others' attachments.
3. Help Practitioners in Trouble
One time we shared on how to help practitioner D who was suffering from illnesses. Everyone criticized D and complained about him. The meeting became a struggle. Practitioner D was imprisoned for five years and still did not give up Falun Dafa. He did many things that helped Fa-rectification and save sentient beings. I believed D wanted to breakthrough his current state but he was unable to. It was not easy for D to make it this far. We needed to recognize his strengths. His limitations were his attachments and did not represent him. We needed to understand how brave he was to come to this world and help Teacher save beings. We must understand that it is also for us to cultivate in the process of helping D. The results could be positive or negative but we simply can't let the old forces do as they will.
Practitioner E is very diligent and has strong righteous thoughts. She helped many practitioners start doing a lot of Dafa work and many of her neighbors and friends thus became practitioners. One time, the police broke into E's work site for making truth-clarification materials. She evaded their capture and escaped. When I saw her, out of jealousy and the attachment of showing off, I blamed and scolded her. She was mad and yelled back. I later realized that I was so wrong and had so many human notions. E was so much better than me in the practice. She needed help this one time and I stabbed her in the back.
Teacher talked about a senior monk being jealous of a young monk who reached enlightenment. If the senior monk was able to let go of self and help other monks to truly practice, he would have done a great deed. Unfortunately, because of his attachments, his jealousy of the younger monk became his tribulation. This story has made me think that a lot of times coordinators have to let go of self. This is in fact arranged by Teacher. I hope the coordinators can let go of themselves and not become the senior monk. They need to let go of selfish notions and harmonize with everyone.
