(Minghui.org) (Continued from Part 2)
The 10 of us were born in the 1990s in China. We used to behave the same way as most of the young people living there. We were self-centered, competitive, liked to watch movies, played games, were mindful of our reputation, pursued recognition, and aspired to be trendy. We were loyal to our friends and would do everything for them, even is we needed to fight.
Falun Dafa Made Us Better People
Oftentimes when cultivating it may seem difficult to let go of attachments, but as long as we live by the Dafa principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”, the tribulations might be a turning point towards a better future.
Eliminating Attachment of Inferiority
Before cultivating, Momo did not like to talk to people. Thus. people thought that she was cold and detached. After obtaining the Fa, Momo realized that she had to let go of her fear of talking with others. During group Fa-study.
Master said,
“What should be said will not present a problem if one complies with the xinxing standard for practitioners according to the Fa. In addition, we must talk about and spread the Fa, so it is impossible not to talk.” (Lecture Eight, Zhuan Falun)
Yes, how is it possible to clarify the truth if we do not speak?
Momo found the reason for not wanting to talk to people. It was because her voice sounded different than that of a normal person, and she was afraid people would laugh at her. She slowly opened her mind, gained the courage to talk, and started to talk with people. Once, she even sang on stage when her company hosted an event.
Of course, Momo also remembered what Master said: “We should all speak according to a practitioner’s xinxing rather than create conflicts or say something improper.” (Lecture Eight, Zhuan Falun)
She would never talk behind anyone’s back. Sometimes if she gets really upset, she would still not say anything hurtful to that person. If someone told her a secret, she would also keep her promise, and keep it a secret. Slowly, Momo realized that people had changed, and wanted to be friends with her. One time, Momo overheard her colleagues talking about Falun Dafa. She joined involuntarily and even invited a colleague to her house. Before leaving, her colleague downloaded an online version of Zhuan Falun and said excitedly: “I promise, I will read the entire book Zhuan Falun!”
Xiao Meng has a roommate who is not a practitioner. For safety reasons, she would often go to a bubble tea store to study the Fa, and then go to a practitioner’s house to practice the exercises. At times if Xiao Meng did not buy a bubble tea, she would be kicked out of the store. In addition, always going to the practitioner’s house was not convenient either. She thought: “The reason why I do not want to let my roommate see me practicing the exercises is that this way I am safe from being persecuted.”
Xiao Meng thought: “I am a practitioner, how can I have this fear of letting people see me practicing Dafa? Dafa is something so wonderful, why should I be afraid of it? This fear is definitely a negative substance.”
Xiao Meng decided to eliminate it. Before going to work the next morning, she started to practice the exercises in her dormitory. After finishing the exercises, her roommate did not say anything, so her attachment of fear was eliminated. From then on, she openly practices every day in her dorm, and was also brave enough to clarify the truth.
Xiao Yin and her twin sister suffer from a pilonidal cyst [an abnormal skin growth that is located at the tailbone]. Xiao Yin’s sister had surgery to remove the cyst, but it left a huge scar. After the surgery Xiao Yin’s sister had to make sure that the area did not get infected.
One day, Xiao Yin’s cyst started to bleed, and she started to panic as her mind went completely blank. She turned to study the Fa and as soon as she flipped open Zhuan Falun she saw Master's Fa:
“We will purify their bodies and enable them to practice cultivation toward high levels. There is a transition at the lowest level of cultivation practice, and this is to purify your body completely. All of the bad things on your mind, the karmic field surrounding your body, and the elements that make your body unhealthy will be cleaned out. If they are not cleaned out, how can you, with such an impure, dark body and a filthy mind, practice cultivation toward a higher level?” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Tears covered her face. She knew that Master was purifying her body, which meant that she was eliminating karma. She was no longer afraid. The next day, the wound was healed. After a period of time, her cyst started to swell again, and this time her cyst was bleeding in a different area. There were pus and blood, and when it would scab it turned into a brownish-black color. Her sister was really worried and told her to get it surgically removed as soon as possible. Xiao Yin said: “I am fine. This is Master purifying my body, you do not need to worry.”
Xiao Yin understood that everything happens for a reason. She knew that pus and blood were negative substances that needed to be eliminated.
Master said:
“The process of cultivation involves working off karma and enduring hardships. If you don’t endure hardships the karma can’t be worked off. So bodily suffering isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” (“Suggestions Given at the Beijing Falun Dafa Assistants Meeting,” Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)
Sure enough, not long after the cyst healed, Xiao Yin’s sister pressed on the cyst and Xiao Yin did not feel any pain. It took a few days for the wound to heal.
Not long after, her cyst started to swell once again. It was bleeding pus and scabbing. But this time the process was much faster. She realized at times she would be scared to look at the scab. She was worried of being afraid, worried that she would waver in cultivation. She did not want to look at the scab because it was too ugly, which was an attachment. When she saw the wound healing, she would have the attachment of zealotry. Xiao Yin understood her karma was waiting to be eliminated at different levels. As a cultivator, when one suffers and endures hardships, karma can be transformed into virtue. She told herself, “Haven’t I gained two ways in one shot? Master has given me chances to upgrade my level, I will not slack off.”
Xiao Yin understood what Master said:
“Because the improvements take place rapidly with our cultivation system and the levels change in a very short period of time, your illness is cured before you even know it. The later symptoms are what I have discussed as the coming of "tribulations". Feel and observe carefully. It is not the same as the symptoms of your old illness.” (“Chapter V Questions and Answers”, Falun Gong)
Xiao Yin put her mind at ease, and not long after, she was fully recovered. The “sickness” in both Xiao Yin and her sister displayed two completely different outcomes. Witnessing Xiao Yin’s change, her sister also started to cultivate.
Letting Go of Ego: The Situation Changes
Youyou had always done well academically in school and thought to have found a good workplace. But, when she started her job, she encountered many problems. Her supervisor was very strict, and would often reprimand her in front of everybody else. Her colleagues also felt very sorry for Youyou.
Youyou remembered what Master said:“...for you are not ordinary people and you seek to transcend their state of being. You have to hold yourself to high standards, not those of ordinary people.” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
She did not complain and only thought to do better in the future.
Youyou is usually the last one to leave the office. When she had a deadline, she would finish it at home, sometimes staying up late into the night. Even so, her supervisors would be unhappy and have her redo the project. One time, Youyou’s supervisors said: “Your work is always done so poorly. If you continue to be like this, you will be transferred to another department. I won’t need you anymore.” Youyou felt as if her whole world had collapsed. She looked inward and thought: “I would always get what I want if I tried my best. Master had arranged for me to realize that humans have no control over many things. But, herself, she had an incentive in doing things, that is: she wished to gain recognition.
Master said: “In providing salvation to humankind, the Buddha School does not attach any condition or seek returns...” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Youyou enlightened to Master's Fa, and attempted to let go of her attachments. Sometimes, she would hand-copy the Fa, and slowly eliminate the negativity in herself. As a result, her supervisor changed her attitude towards Youyou, and would not reprimand her as much. After lunch, her supervisor would even ask that Youyou go for a walk with her. If Youyou worked overtime, her supervisor would offer her biscuits, and would patiently teach her how to do a certain project. It is truly a complete situation change for Youyou!
Maizi worked as a course developer in a newly founded school. Her workload is very large and is required a fast turn around. Before getting hired, her boss promised her that three other colleagues would also be recruited. In reality, Maizi was the only one in her department, and she was required to do the work of everyone. Maizi did not think too much and just wanted to do her job well.
She was very hard working and always completed her job. She was very caring and friendly, all her co-workers thought she ought to be the boss. During a meeting once, Maizi’s boss arrogantly said: “What Maizi did is not good enough, others should learn a lesson from it and do your work well!”
Maizi tried to hold back her tears until she got home. She said to Xiao Tao: “I have a million reasons to complain to her, but as cultivators, we need to endure and not argue back. I am doing the work of three people, and try as hard as I can to lessen my boss’s workload, how can she still treat me like this?”
Xiao Tao said: “On the surface, it may seem that you are right, but as cultivators we have higher standards to abide by. It all happened for a reason, you need to calm down and think about it.”
After Maizi calmed down, she enlightened to what Master said:
“In a few isolated cases the person has gotten to be so touchy that no one can go near him. The moment he hears anything even faintly unpleasant, he can’t take it. He blows up the moment his attachments are stirred up. That thing has now become hard to dislodge, and big. Others can’t say a critical word about him, he can’t take any criticism, and even if he does something wrong he won’t hear a word of it. How could that work, though? How is that being a cultivator?” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
“Whether you are right or not is, for a cultivator, not important whatsoever. Don’t argue left and right, and don’t emphasize who’s right and who’s wrong. Some people are always stressing that they’re right, but even if you are right, even if you’re not wrong, so what? Have you improved on the basis of the Fa? The very act of using human thinking to stress who’s right and who’s wrong is in itself wrong. (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
Maizi encountered many conflicts, but she always said: “You are right! I truly did not realize what I did wrong. Thank you for pointing this out to me. You are able to help me correct my shortcomings, I am really grateful.” Slowly, the school is becoming more successful resulting in an increase in students' enrollment. Her boss even wanted Maizi to take on the role of a principal and run the school.
Yanzi met her boyfriend, Dahai, through Dafa. Both of them would always think of the other's needs first, and would almost never quarrel.
When Yanzi first met Dahai, she would always worry whether Dahai would study the Fa. She would ask almost every day: “Did you study the Fa today? Did you practice the exercises today?” Afterward, Dahai would tell Yanzi that if he did not study the Fa or practice the exercises that day, he would be embarrassed to even talk to Yanzi. Yanzi enlightened to the fact that though she did not verbally tell Dahai “I don’t trust you”, she was showing mistrust.
Master said:
“The paths of cultivation are variedBut none is outside the Great LawWhen one is attached to nothingThe path underfoot is naturally smooth” (“Unimpeded”, Hong Yin II, Translation Version A)
Everything is arranged by Master, why should I worry? If I see problems in others, it might be something where I needed to cultivate better. I should not arrange paths for others. Yanzi let go of her worry, Dahai started to be more diligent in cultivation.
When Yanzi just started cultivation, she had double eyelid surgery. Knowing that this might not be appropriate, Yanzi still could not resist the temptation to become prettier. At times when Dahai praised Yanzi for her eyes, she wanted to be buried in a hole due to embarrassment. She wanted to tell Dahai, but worried that it might not turn out too well. Yanzi decided, as a couple, there should not be any hidden secrets. She bravely told Dahai, and he was completely fine with her double eyelid surgery, and in turn comforted her. At that moment, she felt a strong field of forgiveness and compassion.
The attachment of lust would surface when they dated. Master said:
“In particular, the so-called sexual freedom and pornography of today’s society are interfering with people. Some people are very interested in such things. As practitioners, we should attach little importance to them.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
In the beginning, both Yanzi and Dahai did not want to confess their attachment to lust. Later on they understood those are attachments to be eliminated and should be looked upon seriously. They should not hide it and instead, they should encourage each other. Immersing in Dafa’s boundless light, we should purify ourselves constantly. They have realized what holds love together is not affection, but a responsibility, something far beyond affection.
(To be continued)
