(Minghui.org) I read “Another Stern Warning” many times and examined myself to see if I have thoughts and behavior similar to the person from Singapore mentioned in the article, or if I had thoughts that would give this type of person an audience.
Cultivation is a serious matter. If one doesn’t understand the Fa clearly, one can very easily veer off the correct path, and even encounter large problems.
Master Li said,
“I had no choice today but to reveal this divine secret, in order for you to get out of this terrible situation. But do you know what the consequences will be?” (Another Stern Warning)
I don’t know exactly what Master means regarding the consequences and don’t know what factors were altered. But I was sad that Master had to bear more for the Fa-rectification.
The situation is changing quickly and humankind is facing disasters one after another. We only see the man-made and natural disasters at this human surface. We can’t see the battle between good and evil, or between divine beings and demons. The danger we can't see is many times greater than the danger we can see. At this time, when demons are being eliminated and the Party is being removed, the cosmos is entering a completely new period. Dafa disciples are emissaries of salvation at this tragic historical moment. It is of utmost importance that we,
“Hold on to the fundamentals—only then will you be able to see the chaos for what it is.” (Rationality)
Here are two insights I gained from reading the article.
Master said in Another Stern Warning,
“Each individual must discern his or her own attachments, and it is going through that process that amounts to genuine spiritual growth.”
And,
“Spiritual cultivation is about progressing to divinity, and all human attachments act as impediments.”
I usually take the essentials of daily life lightly, such as food and clothing, and I thought that I had few human attachments. I have seen, however, that I can be pretty attached to certain matters. If I believed I was correct about something, I would stubbornly stick to my opinion.
I understood that humans only look at things at the human level. Divine beings look at things from broader perspectives. A higher god can see the effect of factors in many planes of the universe. I saw that when my opinion was challenged, my demon-nature would emerge really quickly to protect the understanding that I had. This is really too scary.
A practitioner who moved to Sydney recently had only met me twice, but one day she told me, “You always speak calmly and reasonably, but I still can hear some bad factors.”
I knew that Master was using her voice to point out my attachment. The “bad factors” she spoke of was the demon-nature inside of me.
Master said,
“What one does without moral obligations and constraints is of demon-nature. Cultivating Buddhahood is to eliminate your demon-nature and strengthen and increase your Buddha-nature.” (“Buddha-Nature and Demon-Nature”, Essentials For Further Advancement)
Master had arranged a few opportunities to point this out for me, but I had only enlightened to it now.
Master said,
“In teaching the Fa, I have mentioned many times that the emergence of scriptures in Sakyamuni’s Buddhism and in the Dharma-Ending Period was brought about mainly because some people added into the Dharma their own words and understandings—this is the greatest lesson in history. Nevertheless, some disciples simply refuse to abandon their ordinary human attachments. Being taken advantage of by the demon-nature of being attached to showing off their eloquence and literary talents, they unknowingly undermine the Buddha Fa.” (“Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature”, Essentials For Further Advancement)
Looking inward, I asked myself if I had veered off the righteous path. It is a tremendously sacred predestined relationship to be able to cultivate during this period of time and be saved directly by the Creator. If one doesn't handle oneself well, the consequences must also be very dangerous.
I thought about the main characters in the book “Journey to the West.” The monk Tang Seng appeared to have no supernatural capabilities, while the rest of the characters had some abilities to different extents. When they accomplished their mission, however, monk Tang Seng had the highest fruition status in cultivation. Why? Because he was the most focused and was not swayed from his course when he encountered difficulties.
In our cultivation, we will have a good sense of direction and won’t lose our way if we understand the Fa clearly. We won’t be stranded at one level for too long. Dafa is boundless and one can cultivate to the highest level one's xinxing can reach.
“Another Stern Warning” also enlightened me that you will always go astray if you cultivate by following other people instead of following the Fa. If you cultivate without being clearheaded, you may still go in the wrong direction. On the path of cultivation, it is of upmost importance to understand the Fa and walk the right path.