Lack of Control in Cultivation

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners have utilized many different ways of clarifying the truth about this cultivation practice to people inside and outside of China.

I went with two other practitioners to a fair to tell people about Dafa and the persecution, but it did not go well at first. No one accepted the Dafa informational materials I was handing out, and some people cursed at me. My first action was to send righteous thoughts, hoping that anything evil that lurked in the environment would be eliminated. However, the situation didn’t change. No one accepted any of the materials.

I looked inward, but could not find any attachment that was hidden inside me, so I started to recite Master's Fa,

“If it continues endlessly and if there do not exist other problems in your xinxing or conduct, it must be that the evil demons are capitalizing on the weak spots caused by your lack of control.” (“Expounding on the Fa” from Essentials for Further Advancement).

Searching Within for Attachments

I finally discovered my problem. I was self-centered and often criticized other practitioners.

After I sent forth righteous thoughts and had all the Dafa materials ready, I called one of the practitioners, who said she was already on her way there. This upset me a bit, and I asked why she had not called me before she left. Upon meeting her, I complained and told her that she would not have had to wait for me if she had called. She nodded and did not respond.

On the surface, my tone was nice, but underlying the nice tone was my jealousy, selfishness, complaining nature, and desire to criticize her. My behavior was just as Master said, “A wicked person is born of jealousy. Out of selfishness and anger he complains about unfairness towards himself.” (“Realms” from Essentials for Further Advancement).

My attachment to reputation was also affected. She had not treated me as an important person, and my ego was hurt.

After I let go of these thoughts, the situation quickly changed. People stood in line to get the Dafa materials. Some people who took the materials did not leave, and stood there reading the materials. Some came to talk to me, and by the end, 12 people had agreed to quit the Party. A few who had already quit the Party signed the petition condemning the persecution.

Strengthening Main Consciousness

The changing environment that morning was a clear indication that I had problems in my cultivation.

My main consciousness was not strong when reading the Fa. I was often interfered with, which made me fall asleep, or prevented me from focusing on reading.

To strengthen my main consciousness, I changed my way of studying the Fa. When other practitioners read, I now close the book, and recite the Fa with them. I try to see every word of Master's teachings in front of me. When it is my turn to read, I read very carefully, so that I don’t skip or add any words. The Fa is now becoming deeply rooted in my heart.

After this change, I realized how some illiterate senior practitioners learned to read Zhuan Falun,and how some practitioners who were computer illiterate now help fellow practitioners solve technical problems.

These practitioners do well with the three things Master asks Dafa practitioners to do. They had laid a solid foundation of reading or listening to the Fa from the beginning of their cultivation, and never stopped being diligent.

Inborn Quality

Practitioners sometimes suggest that other practitioners are doing well in cultivation because of their great inborn quality. I do not disagree, as we would not become practitioners if our inborn quality was poor.

What makes the difference among practitioners however, is that some of us became deeply lost in everyday society, and have created too much karma. The more karma one has, the more tribulations one experiences.

Master said,

“It is like a product that a factory makes: Others all come with ready-made material, while this person comes with raw material that needs to be processed. It has to go through this process.” (Zhuan Falun)

Experiencing tribulations and difficulties in cultivation is the process of making the raw materials ready to assimilate into the Fa. As long as we cultivate diligently, Dafa will open our minds, and we will have the wisdom needed to clarify the truth.

Practitioners who have not stepped forward to clarify the truth should not block themselves with excuses, but instead cherish the opportunity.

Some practitioners have a passive attitude, and will say, “I will do what I can.” This passive attitude is due to a weak main consciousness and weak righteous thoughts. The evil may take advantage of this loophole, which is the practitioners' laziness.

Master said, “Demon-nature will take effect once a person’s mind is not righteous.” (“Stability of the Fa” from Essentials for Further Advancement)

I am not criticizing, but trying to remind practitioners that this kind of thought is dangerous. The evil old forces are watching us all the time. Their purpose is to drag us down and destroy us. We should not make troubles for ourselves. Master said, “In cultivation of the Buddha Fa, you should strive forward vigorously.” (Zhuan Falun)