Taiwan Practitioner: Putting Others First During the Covid Outbreak

(Minghui.org) Taiwan has recently faced major problems, such as a shortage of water, limiting the use of electricity due to the drought, the Covid outbreak, and so on. The sudden spike in the number of confirmed cases of Covid victims has had the greatest impact.

Due to the Covid outbreak, the government rolled out many precautionary policies, including enforcing the wearing of masks when outdoors, minimizing leaving the house unless absolutely necessary, avoiding gatherings, and more. Many practitioners are talking about whether to wear a mask when we are doing the exercises outdoors or temporarily practicing at home to reduce ordinary people’s anxiety. Some practitioners said that practicing the exercises by ourselves at home is a good chance to test our determination, to see if we can persist in our normal Fa study and the exercises without the supervision of the group environment.

Other practitioners quoted Master: “...just by having your heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s),” Essentials for Further Advancement II). In other words, as long we meet the official requirements, we should not change our exercise venue, that this a good chance to test us, to see if we are persistent.

My understanding is that everyone’s cultivation path is different. At different levels, there are different experiences and understandings, so there is no absolute right or wrong. My practitioner wife shared her understandings with me, saying that, be it practicing at home or outdoors, we should do so based on our inner heart’s needs.

If the basis for practicing at home is one’s own safety, isn’t that a display of selfishness? If the basis for temporarily practicing at home is to defend and protect Dafa so that ordinary people will not misunderstand Dafa or be worried about the practitioners, this is to protect Dafa. Although the final display is the same, the motive is different. Therefore, the results are also different.

Master said,

“Buddhas only look at one’s heart, just as Gods only look at one’s heart.” (Teachings at the Conference of Changchun Assistants)

“That’s what has become of this society, after all. But we don’t look at the way things are on the surface. What we look at are people’s hearts. ” (Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference)

We should put ourselves in the right position, think about our foundation, and see if our own heart is pure and righteous instead of selfish. Even if it is not convenient for us to leave the house during this time, we still need to do the three things that Master has asked of us.

For me, this is a good chance to test me and see my xinxing displayed when the environment is not perfect. To cooperate with government policies, my company has had to move some of the staff to another venue, reducing the chances of transmitting the virus, which might result in the whole department shutting down in the case of a mass quarantine. I was one of those who had to move to a new office.

The new office is relatively plain. The space is limited, and the facilities, such as the air-conditioning, are rather inadequate. In a work setting that is no longer as comfortable as before, this is a chance to test myself and see if I can be undisturbed and accept the new conditions without complaining. As I think about the practitioners in China, whose lives are so tightly controlled, not to mention the emotional pressure from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution, things in Taiwan is much more relaxed and free.

This is also a test of my xinxing, such as choosing between benefiting the company or myself, putting others’ needs first, and so on. During the move, everyone packed their own office belongings, but there were some company items that needed to be packed, too. I thought about what Master said about putting others before myself, so I packed the items for public use, such as the internet, phones, and so on. That way, everyone would be able to quickly settle down and get into work mode once they moved over to the new office. When I started to do that, everyone else began to help. And we were, indeed, able to get back to work immediately.

During the epidemic, I’ve seen many people mass purchase and store daily products, worried that the supplies might run out. This is also a test to see if I can behave differently, buying only enough for my family’s daily needs so that the remaining products are there for those who need them more. When there is a shortage of water and electricity, it is also a test to see if my family and I can save water and electricity, leaving some for those who need them more.

Although this epidemic has been very inconvenient and impacted many people, it has also been a chance for us to test and improve our xinxing. I hope that I can abide by Master’s and Dafa’s requests to improve my own xinxing.

The above is my little cultivation experience sharing. If there any areas for improvement, kindly inform me.