(Minghui.org) When I first met fellow practitioner B, he seemed like a diligent cultivator because he never missed a day doing the exercises, or sending forth righteous thoughts four times a day. However, I gradually formed an incorrect notion about him after some unpleasant incidents. His image in my mind changed. The more I thought of him, the more I found wrong in him. I believed finally that I had truly gotten to know him. But I did not realize that this was a notion formed from misreading him.
Cultivators Must Treasure Each Other
When my conflicts with practitioner B worsened, I knew that I should look inward, and it seemed that I found some of my attachments. Our relationship improved, but we had both developed a negative impression of the other. We evaluated each other based on our notions, but failed to truly look inward.
I had a strong wish to help practitioner B, because he had been experiencing tribulations. But I thought that he would misunderstand me, even though I did not expect his gratitude. I did try, but finally gave up, because there seemed to be an invisible partition between us. I was puzzled, and could not find the root of the problem.
A collection of cultivation experience sharing articles opened my mind. I felt that I had not truly cultivated, because I judged others by my notions and not the Fa.
The old forces must have taken advantage of my loophole, and pushed us further and further apart. It dawned on me that all my fellow practitioners were great. They were here to help Master with the Fa-rectification. They were certainly not what I had conjured up in my mind.
My true nature and compassion began to merge at this point. I felt ashamed for what I had done, and for letting down Master's compassionate salvation. I deeply felt the pain of struggling with human notions. Cultivators should treasure each other, because we have come to this world with the same mission.
Changed Notion Reflects True Situation
The old forces staged another false appearance of practitioner B soon afterward, and we got into a disagreement. I was deeply troubled. I recited the Fa for days, which brought back my true nature. I could clearly see my human notions. Compassionate Master enlightened me in various ways about the huge mountain of notions I had, and eliminated them for me.
Fellow practitioner B subsequently seemed to change to a different person. He was so compassionate and nice. Everything I noticed about him was pleasant. I knew it was because I had changed my notions. Eliminating the acquired notions allowed me to see the true him. What I had thought of him before was simply false. By the same principle, our naked eyes see only the false appearance of things in this dimension.
Viewing Others True Nature
I can now see that most of my fellow practitioners focused attention on others' shortcomings due to their own notions. It caused estrangement between fellow practitioners, and stopped us from forming a one body.
Even though many of us were anxious to change this situation, communication based on notions does not help, because everyone wants to change others, but not themselves. If we could view others with our true nature, we would make a breakthrough, and see the true nature of others. We could then realize the power of the Fa, and learn to help and treasure each other.
Changing Notions About Police Officers to Save Them
Practitioners should also look within to find negative notions of government officials and law enforcement employees who were involved in the recent harassment of practitioners, who filed a lawsuit against them. Many of my fellow practitioners have used the words police officers as words equivalent to persecutors. This notion might play a negative role. The old forces might take advantage of our loophole to destroy these lives. Wouldn't that be terrible?
Failure to Change Is the Old Forces Arrangement
Based on my current understanding, our cultivation during the Fa-rectification period is different from any cultivation period in history. It is unprecedented, and can bring sentient beings from the old to the new cosmos.
Practitioners shoulder a huge responsibility during the Fa-rectification period. We therefore should broaden our understanding and improve through self cultivation. Our goal is far beyond reaching consummation for our own benefit. Failure to change our notions could unknowingly cause us to acknowledge the old forces’ arrangements, because it's exactly the notions the old forces use to judge Master's Fa-rectification and practitioners' cultivation.
Fellow practitioners, let us change our notions fundamentally, and eliminate our attachments based on the Fa during this period of Fa-rectification, and save sentient beings. It is the only way we can break away from the restrictions put on us by the old forces, and truly upgrade ourselves during this time.
Category: Improving Oneself
