(Minghui.org) The following is a report to revered Master regarding some of my understandings gained in the process of cultivation.
Removing the Attachment to Fear and Converting Passiveness to Action
After dinner on Monday, I got ready to pass out Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs. When I saw the principal on campus, he told me that after I had distributed some DVDs to a couple of classmates at our school gathering, I had been reported to the authorities by a student informant. The principal said, “Do not let them find you with the DVDs, or the situation will not be good. They even said they will pay you a visit this Thursday or Friday.” I replied, “Thank you. I know what to do now.”
At the dormitory while tidying up truth clarification materials, I wondered if I had a loophole that was being exploited by the old forces. Looking at the things I had just tidied up, I was shocked. All the old materials and items had accumulated into a small mountain, and a huge variety of materials were stored in my computer. I had never considered that this could be a security risk. I had always felt that as long as my thoughts and actions were righteous, what did I have to fear? Obviously, hidden within this thought was the attachment to showing off. Also, I had just overcome my reservations in distributing Shen Yun DVDs face to face. Thus I had developed the attachments to happiness and of doing something to attain my goal. I also discovered my attachment to a life of comfort and was always unable to find time to practice the exercises. As a result of this loophole, I had suffered from a bout of severe sickness karma earlier, and had repented before Master’s picture, promising to cultivate seriously. I was saved with my Master’s compassion and care. After identifying these attachments, the substances which had contributed to my fear disappeared, and I was able to calmly organize the truth clarification materials.
I remembered Master's words, “Wherever there's a problem, that is where you need to clarify the truth and save people.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference, in 2002”) I understood that instead of waiting for people to find me, I needed to take the initiative to find them and tell them the facts.
I went to the police station on Thursday morning. Just as I was about to look for the police chief, people from the City Supervisory Office arrived, and I was told to wait in another room. The working day was almost over, yet these people showed no signs of leaving, so I was forced to leave first. Back home, I pondered on why things did not go smoothly. I also knew that Master wanted me to save them. I decided to write a truth clarification letter, and wrote one addressed to the police chief that night.
I brought my letter to the police station on Friday morning, sending forth righteous thoughts the entire way. In his office, I handed the letter to the police chief and he immediately opened it. I smiled and said, "Should you have any questions after reading this letter, you may come and look for me again!” After saying this, I bid him farewell. The police never came to look for me after this. Through this, I discovered my attachment to resentment and combativeness towards the student informant, which also revealed my attachment to showing off and complacency. These are all attachments that I needed to remove.
Fellow Practitioners Are Like a Mirror
Recently because of poor overall coordination, the evil managed to exploit a loophole, paralyzing all the machinery at the materials production site. With machines breaking down around us, I felt very sad. I noticed practitioner C’s frequent unkind attitude towards fellow practitioners. I had just read Master’s "Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”, reminding us to point out mistakes with compassion, and also to remember that severe reprimands could never serve to improve another person. Only true understanding can improve one’s level. To change the situation in our area, I decided to gently explain the situation to her. She immediately became angry. Though I was a bit annoyed by her words, I seriously searched within myself and the unsettled feeling was instantly dispelled.
After my encounter with practitioner C, I was able to calmly do the exercises and study the Fa. Before, my mind was constantly churning with thoughts on the situation in our area, unsure if I should talk to practitioner C about it. Now my mind was calm. When studying the lecture on "Minding Your Speech”, Master’s words penetrated deep into my heart,
“For example, the different ideas people have, "You’re good," "He’s not good," "You’ve cultivated well," "He hasn’t cultivated well," and so on, all of these in and of themselves cause tension between people. Even in everyday scenarios, like "I want to do such and such," or "It should be done in such-and-such a way," even there maybe you’ve hurt someone without realizing it. Since the tensions people have are so complicated it’s possible you’ve unknowingly made karma.” (The Eighth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I did not cultivate my speech and inadvertently hurt my fellow practitioner as a result. Different levels have different laws. Without realizing it, I had forced my understanding onto practitioner C, hurting her and creating karma for myself. After constant Fa study, I know now that I should be more compassionate and understanding.
Fellow practitioners are like a mirror, reflecting my shortcomings. That practitioner’s combativeness and unkind behavior reflected the same attachments within me, only I had expressed this attachment differently towards others. I would see another person’s problems from the view of an outsider, strongly believing this person should do this or that, but never examining or cultivating myself. Today I truly understand the meaning of looking within oneself.
Righteous Thoughts and Kind Treatment of Fa Tools
Often I heard fellow practitioners say, "If the machine breaks down, we cultivate ourselves first.” These computers, printers, photocopiers and DVD writers, etc., are the tools we use to save sentient beings, and play an invaluable role in the Fa-rectification period.
According to an everyday person’s logic, one repairs machines if they break down and replaces them if they can no longer be used. Whether our tools used for Fa-rectification follow the laws of everyday people depends on a person’s mindset. If you think it is broken and should be repaired, then have it repaired, for the machine cannot be left broken. Your level then has descended to that of an everyday person, and you will follow the principles of ordinary people. But if you do not even entertain the thought of the machine breaking down, you will not need to repair it. Then, you would have reached beyond the thinking of an ordinary person and will not be constrained by the laws of ordinary people. For Fa instruments, a person’s good or bad thoughts will determine the outcome. By maintaining a righteous mindset I have witnessed miracles.
I acquired an unused printer from a fellow practitioner. I set the printer aside as it quickly used up ink, requiring frequent refills. I filled it with ink and tried printing. Although the color printing worked perfectly well, the black and white version refused to print out. That day fellow practitioner C remarked, "When the machine was at A’s place, it worked perfectly, but broke down at your home. The problem must lie with you.” I did not harbor any thoughts of the machine being broken, but searched within myself. After calmly studying the Fa for two days, I tried printing again and the printer worked.
“You’re a practitioner, so if you always think it’s a health problem you’re actually asking for it—you are asking for that problem, and now it’s able to set in. To be a practitioner your character has to be high. Don’t always be afraid that it’s a health problem. Fearing that it’s a health problem is an attachment in itself, and it can bring you trouble just the same.” (The Sixth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
A good or bad outcome results from one’s thoughts. If we believe a person to be ill, then we will be inviting illness onto that person. Master said that matter and mind are one and the same. Once we send forth thoughts that this Fa tool is not good, problems will start appearing. I believe that when encountering a problem, one must search inwards and treasure our Fa tools. They too are a form of life. Only by giving up the concepts of ordinary people, and treating our Fa-rectification period tools with compassion and righteous thoughts, can we work well with our equipment and produce more lifesaving truth clarification materials.
The above is my understanding at my current cultivation level. Please kindly point out any mistakes.
