Let's Not Criticize Others, Look at Ourselves Instead

(Minghui.org) One day after sending righteous thoughts in a group, a practitioner pointed out that a senior practitioner's right palm had not been upright. We then shared our views on this observation. Some said it was due to this and some said to that. I also gave an opinion. The senior practitioner listened to us humbly, no matter how inappropriate what we said was.

When I got home, I felt that something was not right about what had happened. When was our sharing meant to fix others? When we see the gaps in others, instead of cultivating ourselves and then kindly pointing out an issue, we try to immediately correct someone. We are critical and unkind. We don't think about whether that person can accept our criticism. I felt that senior practitioner's xinxing was very good. If it were me, I doubt I could have been as calm and open as the senior practitioner was while others were talking about my gaps.

I felt that this kind of criticizing could lead us to develop a strong feeling of self. Teacher asks us to look within. It is not for us to help others to look within, but to truly look at ourselves. Of course, we can kindly point out other practitioners' issues, but we should always remember that what really changes practitioners is not our words but Teacher's Fa.

That senior practitioner's sincere and diligent attitude reminded me that I was sincere and diligent when I started practicing. At that time, I always listened to other practitioners humbly to learn from them and how they cultivated. I respected every fellow practitioner. But I'd recently developed a strong ego. I could always see shortcomings in other practitioners. Therefore, I would talk at length to tell them what they needed to change.

That night when I calmed down to study the Fa, I found that I had an attachment to being arrogant and that, actually, I was a tiny being in the universe. Only when we look within, use a humble attitude with fellow practitioners, and measure everything by the standard of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, can we truly enhance in the Fa and will we become true practitioners.

My sharing here is focused on my arrogant attitude on that day. It is perfectly fine if fellow practitioners point out others' gaps with a pure heart while being kind to them.