(Minghui.org) I would like to share some cultivation experiences from a recent incident in our local area when we rescued arrested fellow practitioners in 15 days by letting go of our human attachments and working together as one body.
A number of practitioners in our area were followed by plainclothes officers on August 30, 2016, while clarifying the facts to people. Three of them were illegally arrested and taken to the local police station.
I learned about it at 7:40 p.m. that day and rushed to the police station. A group of practitioners were already there and had reported the police station to the Minghui website. We tried to clarify the facts to the police and demanded the release of the three practitioners but without success.
Several hours went by. Some practitioners went home, but eight of us stayed. We sat in our cars to send righteous thoughts nearby.
Three police cars left the station after 2:00 a.m. At around 3:50 a.m., we heard a commotion, with police talking through loudspeakers. I saw them push two practitioners into a car and drive away. One of the three had been released earlier.
We followed them to the detention center and saw the two practitioners.
It was almost 5:00 a.m. by the time I got home. I felt terrible and empty inside. Not long after, practitioners started calling me to find out what had happened, and some came to my place, too. I started to complain about them in my heart: “Where were you earlier? It's all too late now.”
I also resented practitioners who didn't want to make phone calls to the police station when I asked them to. In the end I had to find a car and try to call the chief of the police station with five others. Our calls went through, but nobody answered.
We decided to send text messages to the police chief, but only one practitioner's phone could do it. While she was typing the message, another practitioner knocked on our window, saying that he needed to use the car. I started to complain again in my heart: “How can you be so muddle-headed that you don't even know what’s important? You don't know what you're doing.”
We tried to call the chief again, but there was still no answer. Because we needed to download software to be able to send messages from our phones, we went to a local practitioner for help at around 10:40 p.m. Looking at the expression on his face, I started to get upset again, thinking, “You don't care much because it didn't happen to you.”
There are dozens of phones in our area that can make truth-clarification calls, but only a few played their roles at a critical moment.
Some practitioners were not notified of the incident; some got the message but failed to pass it on and only sent righteous thoughts on their own. They just did what they were told to do, without thinking about how to cooperate with the whole body more proactively. There were also others who went to send righteous thoughts at close range, but went home later for various reasons. Those who did not know about it went to bed early.
Seeing the problems, my human attachments arose. I lost my temper and criticized fellow practitioners harshly – a behavior typical of someone indoctrinated in the CCP culture. I wanted them to do what I could do and I tried to make them do things the way I wanted them done.
I thought that I had good reason for losing my temper, because what I said and thought were right: If I didn't lose my temper, they would not remember what I said.
I complained about others incessantly and interfered with the cultivation environment.
My conduct ran counter to the Fa principles and traditional culture and values. Hidden under the surface were my attachments of self-validation, a combative mentality, and jealousy. In the beginning I didn't realize that my conduct was not in line with the Fa principles.
As I kept studying the Fa, I began to sense that my way of doing things was wrong, and I gradually became less adamant about my own views. My human attachments were also less inflated when I heard negative remarks. I became calmer in handling things I heard or encountered.
Especially after I studied Master's teaching “Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa” a number of times, I became much more calm. I looked within and realized that I didn't do well in different areas. For example, I joined the phone call project when everyone was enthusiastic to join. I participated in almost every project, but failed to do what I was supposed to do with my heart, let alone cooperate with others with righteous thoughts.
I did many things based on my ego, and my CCP culture-influenced way of thinking had interfered with fellow practitioners working as one body. I felt that I had let Master down, and I found it hard to face those practitioners I had criticizes so sharply. I was unable to get over this feeling for a number of days.
Then I asked myself: “Why can't I face these issues with dignity? I should cultivate away those human attachments now that I have found them. How can I allow myself to be trapped in such a big ego? Being unable to swallow my pride and looking at cultivation with a human mentality are, in essence, a sign of not having faith in Master and the Fa.”
I gradually became more clear-headed about my true thoughts and true self. I realized that I must study the Fa well and cultivate in the Fa at all times, so that I could play my role well as a Fa particle and save more people. I began to base my conduct on Master's teachings and to cooperate with others in harmony.
Fellow practitioners also realized where we had fallen short in cultivation.
Over the next 15 days, every day a Fa-study group would send righteous thoughts nearby. When they came back, we would share together if we still held any human attachments or pursuits, such as if we desired that the detained practitioners would be released soon, if we sent righteous thoughts to strengthen our local practitioners only or to strengthen all detained fellow practitioners, or if we spread rumors when we heard them. Gradually, we all improved and rectified ourselves in the Fa.
One practitioner collected all the phone numbers of the local police stations, neighborhood committees, and community personnel; helped practitioners install them in their phones; and taught them how to send messages. He also printed out a list of the officers in the local police station and handed them out to practitioners, so that they could clarify the facts to them by writing to them, calling them, or sending them text messages.
We cooperated well as one body, and everyone was proactively doing what they could, with the Fa guiding our actions.
About 15 days later, the detained practitioners were released. I picked them up on the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In the evening after group Fa study, I shared frankly about my shortcomings in cultivation. I apologized to Master and fellow practitioners.
Thanks to Master's compassion and fellow practitioners' tolerance and understanding, I was able to see where I had fallen short. I made up my mind to increase my capacity for compassion and to embrace differences. I will diligently cultivate myself every day, cooperate well with the whole body, and save more people.
Please kindly point out anything improper in my sharing.
Category: Improving Oneself
