(Minghui.org) I went to another city recently to help with Shen Yun promotions. Practitioners there obtained the Fa after 1999.
I saw that some had set Master's portrait as their cell phone caller ID picture. Whenever they received a phone call, Master's picture would show up first. Then, on top of Master's picture, the cell phone displayed messages, such as the time of the call, the name of the caller, and so on. These messages displayed on Master's face. It was not respectful.
I told this practitioner: “You cannot use Master's picture this way. This is not being respectful to Master. If you would like to see Master's picture or show others Master's picture, you can store a picture in your cell phone. However, when you show the picture, it should be shown with respect.” She said that other practitioners installed the picture for her. No one has ever told her that it was inappropriate.
Master said in “Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe:”
“One day I was watching the news on TV in the U.S. when I saw two glassblowers in Taiwan who were said to be a famous couple. They consider Buddha statues a form of artwork, and have made a lot of glass Buddha figurines. Taking Buddha to be artwork is in itself blaspheming Buddha. But what’s more, the figurines of Buddha that they made were missing torsos, with only a head and half a face. They made Buddha into Modernist and Impressionist stuff. But think about it: Those are magnificent and mighty gods. In the old days, when people mentioned God or a Tathagata Buddha, they felt a sense of reverence. Would they dare to treat them like that? You think that you’re portraying Buddha, promoting Buddhism, and doing good things. But it’s not just your average discourtesy: It is the greatest disrespect. You are actually cursing and slandering Buddha, distorting his mighty image. You’re doing the worst thing.”
Gods and Buddhas have come to save people. People should treat them with respect. We all know how great and compassionate Master is.
Later I thought: “I hear that this practitioner has practiced for 6 or 7 years. She should have studied 'Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe.' The issue of respect is one of the most basic things we should all know. It seemed to me that she hadn't studied the Fa enough. At first, I thought I needed to alert her when I saw the issue again. However, Master has told us to look inward no matter what happens. If I have seen this, what is the issue I should be alerted to myself?”
Several days later, I recalled that I wore a necklace with a jade Buddha pendant when I validated the Fa at Tiananmen Square after 1999. The necklace was confiscated after I was arrested. It pained my heart then because I had done consecration on the pendant before Master's picture.
Thinking of it now, I realized that I drilled a hole in the head of the jade Buddha sculpture, put a thread through, and wore it around my neck every day. Wasn't this disrespectful as well?
Furthermore, when I wore the necklace, I had practiced for a long time and read 'Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe' at least 8 times. I didn't realize my problem either! Why didn't I realize the issue? Because when I read it, I thought it was irrelevant to me. I didn't read it carefully. I read it like a story.
I have since re-read that part of the Fa again. I am ashamed and feel more that the Fa is boundless!
Pictures in the cell phone and the pendant on the necklace are “trivial” things in our lives. However, our daily life is within the scope of our cultivation. We should treat all things seriously because our cultivation takes no specific form.
Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Category: Improving Oneself
