Identifying and Eliminating My Selfishness

(Minghui.org) Behind fame, self-interest, and human emotion is “selfishness,” and they all stem from ego. They revolve around “I,” and are human attachments that should be removed.

Master said,

“The entire cultivation process for a cultivator is one of constantly giving up human attachments.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)

After more than 20 years of cultivating I thought I got rid of most of these attachments, and felt quite good about my cultivation.

I recently read a Minghui article about practitioners working tirelessly to awaken people, and I noticed that I clarify the truth with a selfish heart. When I realized this, I also saw that I’m afraid I won’t do a good job, or that I’ll fall behind, and lose face. When this is all over and practitioners complete their cultivation, I’ll have only a few sentient beings in my world.

It’s hard to awaken people if one has a selfish heart. One morning, I met some people with whom I thought I had a predestined relationship. But when I talked to them, some already quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); others saw me and walked away; and several people kept talking about mundane things, but remained silent or left as soon as I mentioned Falun Dafa and quitting the CCP. It went on like this for days.

What did I do wrong? I couldn’t get the message across to these people and felt anxious. I tried all morning and was only able to help a few. I didn’t have time to study the Fa and wasted a lot of time. What was my problem?

I read Zhuan Falun that evening, looking for an answer. I couldn’t find the answer after finishing a chapter, so I kept reading. I inadvertently saw the phrase “break through selfishness and remove human attachments” and was shaken by this simple truth. I wanted to get a better look but couldn’t find the phrase in the book. This experience brought me to tears.

I discovered the purpose of my truth-clarification revolved around my ego and my selfishness. How can I awaken people if this is my starting point? It seemed I wanted to leave a good impression on other practitioners, and gain benefits from Dafa. These are attachments to self-interest and pursuit, the worst kinds of attachments. I choose who to talk to, and I only approached people who looked pleasant. I also have an attachment to fear. These are all human emotions.

Fame, self-interest, and human emotions are elements of selfishness that should be discarded. I was determined to “break through selfishness, and remove human attachments.”

I went to the park the next morning and saw a woman in her 40s. I greeted her and asked if I could sit next to her, and she said yes. I casually asked if she renounced the CCP. She replied, “Why are you asking me such a question?”

I said, “Heaven will disintegrate the CCP, and I want to help you! The CCP will be eliminated because it has committed too many bad deeds, while you will be safe when you sever ties to the Party.”

She said, “I’m a Party member. I’m not going to listen to you, and I won’t quit the Party!” I apologized for not explaining things well and for upsetting her.

Her attitude softened a little, so I continued, “If disasters arrive one day and take you down, your family and those who care about you will be sad. So I’m trying to help you and your family. You may not accept or understand my words now, but that’s because you can’t see what’s about to happen. This is a temporary state, but in the future you’ll understand, and you might feel regret. I suggest that you withdraw from the Party. It will be a good thing for you and your family!”

Tears covered my face, so she was moved. She said, “I’m a member of the CCP and its youth organizations. So help me quit all of them, and thank you!”

I replied, “Please don’t thank me. Our compassionate Master (the founder of Falun Dafa) teaches us to be kind to everyone and wants us to awaken people. Let’s thank Master for his compassionate deliverance!”