Human Society Is Our Cultivation Environment—We Should View It Correctly

(Minghui.org) Our cultivation environment is all of human society. I knew this before I started to cultivate, but I had only a superficial understanding of it. Through continuous Fa study and cultivation, I recently gained a deeper understanding of our cultivation environment.

We live in ordinary human society, where, everywhere and every day, we come face to face with regular people’s thoughts, words, and deeds. We are easily influenced by the false appearances they create, get caught up in them, and become disturbed without knowing what their real purpose is. We are often critical of how corrupt society has become, but we don’t really take human society as our cultivation environment—and are thereby losing many opportunities to improve.

For example, I now teach my students in online classes from home due to the pandemic, and I correct their homework on my mobile phone. Some students failed to grasp the key points I taught in class. I used to criticize them for not listening carefully in class. Today, however, I suddenly realized that I should view this situation from another, more positive angle. It may not be that the students were not listening carefully. Maybe their Internet connection was not good, so they didn’t hear everything and missed certain parts. I think I should speak a little slower or repeat the key points more times in the next class. So I will change things on my side instead of blaming the students.

After grading their homework, I thought of a question, which is one I ask myself all the time: “Every day I am confronted with all the things my students say and do, some good and some bad; how can I stop being affected by the good or the bad? That is, how can I step out of my emotions?”

In Fa study I found something Master said:

“People will provide you with opportunities to cultivate in ordinary human society. They will make trouble and create pain for you, through which you can improve yourself and eliminate karma. By passing every trial well you will raise yourself. Hence, this environment can’t be disrupted.” (Teachings at the Conference in Canada)

I suddenly realized that we can’t disrupt our cultivation environment. Which means I can’t look at the good or bad of students from a human perspective, because that’s the cultivation environment they created for me, and I shouldn’t blame the environment for not being good. Instead, I should turn around, cultivate myself, and improve myself through the environment. Our improved thoughts on the Fa will influence the surrounding environment and change it, rather than the surrounding environment interfering with or influencing us.

When I realized this, I recalled the video conference I’d just participated in. I felt the other participants were heroes, that they spoke so eloquently, and I seemed to be left out; a sense of loss arose in my mind. Thinking about it now, they created a situation for me to cultivate in, to transcend it, to get rid of those attachments, such as vanity and seeking people’s attention, respect, and approval. I really have to thank them instead of resenting their indifference to me.

I am grateful for Master’s enlightenment, and I now have a better understanding. I want to cultivate with a clear mind in the environment of ordinary people and use the environment to cultivate myself as well as to save them.

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