(Minghui.org) I recently came to some understandings about how to position ourselves in Fa-rectification and how to do better in cultivating ourselves and saving sentient beings.
Master once said,
“I said that even if I could successfully save just one person, my things wouldn't be done in vain.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. III)
While talking about our understanding of the above Fa teaching, one practitioner said, “Each of us shoulders enormous responsibility, including cultivating ourselves well and doing well the things we should be doing, even if we have to do everything ourselves.”
I realized that this practitioner’s comment carried a lot of weight and I felt my being was shocked by the Fa. I suddenly understood something and my body was filled with energy. I couldn’t articulate what it was exactly, but it may be my sense of responsibility.
I realized that this is the requirement for every Dafa disciple. I am a particle of the Fa and my being is associated with the Fa. When I do things the right way, Master will help me. What I need to think about is whether I can do things the right way, without worrying about how much I can achieve with my current ability and level, because I have Dafa watching my back.
I am a particle of the Fa and the ultimate criterion is whether I measure myself against the Fa. In my Fa-rectification cultivation, I can’t fix my eyes on others or have the attachment of relying on anyone. While we work together seamlessly with other practitioners, we shouldn’t develop any attachment of relying on them. I should be prepared to take the responsibility myself and face all the problems myself.
Any time a problem occurs, it’s definitely related to my xinxing and it’s something for me to cultivate. This is also the fundamental prerequisite of our looking within.
On the other hand, when we notice some issues in other practitioners, we should compassionately point it out and not be affected by them or have our own hearts be moved. In this process, we are still cultivating ourselves.
Master said,
“… different things will happen in different histories of the future. This Great Fa of the cosmos is to leave for sentient beings at different levels in different periods of history a reference for when problems occur in different periods at different levels, and is to leave for beings ways of handling all kinds of situations that occur at different times in history. That is, all the types of problems that manifest today are references being left to history.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2001 Canada Fa Conference,” Guiding the Voyage)
I understand that everything we encounter in Fa-rectification or any interference in our saving sentient beings isn’t coincidental. How we go about these things are closely related to our cultivation and whether we can meet the requirement of the Fa and fulfill our mission in Fa-rectification.
When we encounter issues and don’t know what to do, we can put ourselves in the Fa and look at the issue from the Fa’s perspective. I believe we will easily know the solution if we think about how Dafa will rectify the situation. In my mind, this is also how we are validating the Fa and fulfilling our historic mission.
Master taught us that when we send forth righteous thoughts, we should have “an air of supremacy and of destroying all evil in the cosmos.” (“Righteous Thoughts,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III)
What is “supremacy”? I believe it’s the strong righteous thoughts of taking full responsibility oneself and not relying on anyone.
A few days ago, I read an article on Minghui, which talked about 19 practitioners escaping from prison with strong righteous thoughts. Maybe others would say it’s because they were protected by Master. We know for sure that Master is watching over them, but the prerequisite for Master to lend a hand is for us to do things the right way.
I believe their escape also reflects the power of their own righteous thoughts. I believe that when our righteous thoughts are strong enough and without any omission, even if only one practitioner can do this, we can still restrain and destroy the evil with the “supremacy” cultivated from the Fa. After all, Master and Dafa is controlling everything and who can truly undermine that Fa? When we assimilate ourselves in the Fa, nothing is impossible.
Master also said,
“If every one of you can understand the Fa from the depths of your mind, that will truly be the manifestation of the Fa whose power knows no boundary—the reappearance of the mighty Buddha Fa in the human world!” (“Cautionary Advice,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
I have read the above paragraph of the Fa many times, but when I read it today, I gained a deeper understanding of it.
During a recent Fa study, I felt the strongest interference since I took up cultivation. I felt the evil forces that were trying to interfere with me were getting crazy and they tried everything to stop me from studying the Fa.
I tried my best to distinguish the interference from myself, eliminate it, and resist it. No matter how hard it tried to interfere with me, I hung on to my will to study the Fa. I painstakingly rejected it with the strong determination that I shouldn’t compromise or give up. That feeling of impatience and restlessness almost crushed me. I put down the book several times and then picked it up again. I felt as if there was a bomb on the chair and it was about to explode. I tried to control my body and I felt like I was reaching my limit.
Then my wife came over and talked to me for a while. “If you can’t study now, maybe you can try to study in the afternoon?”
I thought to myself, “That wouldn’t do. I have to study the Fa now and study it well. If I give up now, only the interfering demon will be happy as they have achieved their goal. I can’t wait until the afternoon. I have to take this opportunity to fight the evil. I believe in the power of the Fa.”
Master said,
“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
The evil was really afraid of us studying the Fa, so they tried everything to interfere with me. I was not going to cooperate with them. With strong righteous thoughts, when I picked up the book again, all of the interference disappeared.
I felt truly relaxed. Thank you, Master, for eliminating the evil.
When I studied the Fa the next morning, I read the following paragraph.
Master taught us,
“A lot of students have said that Master is so merciful. Strictly speaking, in fact I'm not amidst mercy. Neither am I amidst evil. If I were amidst mercy, the negative beings would be completely weeded out in the cosmos, in which case the balance would be lost in the cosmos, and as a result all beings would find life meaningless. If I were amidst evil, how would the good beings survive? The cosmos would become a demonic body. I don't have any of that, and I'm not amidst any of that. But I know about all of it, I'm able to control all of it, and I'm balancing all of it. The Fa's principles in the cosmos are absolutely just. I came with good thoughts, and I came with the wish to save all beings.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Washington DC Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)
When I studied this paragraph of the Fa before, I thought Master was talking about his own situation. I felt Master is so great and his compassion is beyond any language. I didn’t even think about whether this paragraph of the Fa would have any guidance in our cultivation.
But when I studied the Fa today, I suddenly understood why I had so much interference the day before during my Fa study. It was the evil’s interference in their final moments. Everything Master has said is related to our cultivation and is to guide our cultivation.
Dafa saves all beings and forgives all beings’ past wrongdoings, but what Dafa looks at is sentient beings’ attitude toward Fa-rectification. This is the biggest compassion that Dafa has for beings from the old universe. When Dafa disciples eliminate the evil, our purpose is to save sentient beings. We shouldn’t bear any resentment towards or the mindset of competing with the old forces. A true Dafa particle will not be affected by any actions taken by beings from the old universe. Everything we do is for the salvation of sentient beings. What’s being eliminated are the evil beings that are undermining Dafa, undermining the universe and are beyond salvation.
Master said,
“Why did Fa-rectification have to be done? To save the beings in the cosmos--save all the beings in the cosmos, normalize bad beings and turn them into good ones, have sinful beings be rid of their sins, and have those warped beings reconstructed into good ones again.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Washington DC Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)
Only when we develop pure compassion and completely let go of our self, can we fully align with the Fa and become a real Fa particle.