(Minghui.org) Attachments are just like targets that we carry on our backs. Conflicts are like the arrows striking from outside, aimed at the targets. The strikes can arouse shock, discomfort, and pain. Everyday people always fight back, or endure with grievance if conditions don’t allow them to fight back. As practitioners, however, we should understand that what we need to do is to remove the targets from our backs, rather than fighting back under the control of those attachments.

The mentality of competition often manifests as the uncontrolled action of fighting back. A typical case in its early stage is something like the road rage. When I drive my car rushing to work, and suddenly someone overtakes me and almost hits my car, when I slam on the brakes, my heart is suddenly full of anger, and I feel like yelling and cutting him off.

When those thoughts occur, we should realize that they arise from the attachment of competition, which is the “target,” and which is trying to control us, making us do something impulsive. But if we can calm down quickly and follow our righteous thoughts, we can do things rationally, and gradually weaken our attachment of competition.

Besides the road rage, I gradually found the mentality of competition also hides behind some trivial emotions in daily life.

For example, a new colleague once worked more slowly than I liked. I strongly criticized him, “Why are you so slow?” “You can’t even get things done quickly?” But behind my behavior of criticizing others was my heart of competition, selfishness, and envy.

When I realized this, I didn’t criticize others anymore, but asked, “Are you having any problems now?” “Do you need any help?” Or I would teach them how to do the work more efficiently, after which the communication became much better.

The attachment of zealotry is a feeling of self-inflation after we achieve something, or are recognized by others concerning some issues. The attachment of showing off is a heart of feeling like letting others know when we have done some satisfactory things. Actually everything we have achieved is granted by Master. Our attachments of zealotry and showing off are not a part of our real selves.

Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s current understanding meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare with one another in study, in cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)