Put the Fa First

(Minghui.org) Besides studying the Fa, I have recently been reading articles on Minghui.org, and I realized that the root cause of our fundamental attachments and not being able to improve our xinxing is that we often unconsciously put ourselves first.

Master said,

“We talk over the cosmos’s affairsOf all creation, the Way is the greatest” (“The Dao of Tea” in Hongyin V)

Master also said “prioritize Dafa, and look at everything in light of the teachings” and “put Dafa before other things” in “Critical Times Reveal One’s Spiritual State.”

Is it because we, as disciples, do not truly prioritize Dafa that Master has to remind us of this again and again?

When I first read Master’s article “Towards Consummation” in The Essentials of Diligent Progress II, I had many questions. Master said,

“some people thought that Dafa could salvage humankind’s degenerate morals; some people thought that Dafa could heal their sickness; some people thought that Dafa and Master have integrity, and so on and so forth. It isn’t wrong for human beings in this world to yearn with these attachments for the nice things they pursue and desire. But a cultivator definitely should not be that way.”

Isn’t saving humankind’s morals, healing sickness, and acknowledging Master’s integrity good things? When I read the article again, I realized that these were human notions. No matter how good they seem, they still put “self” first. Master wants us to transcend human beings and reach a higher realm.

I read again:

“Some people thought that Dafa is in keeping with their own conception of science; some people thought that it agreed with their own code of conduct; some people thought that it spoke to their dissatisfaction with politics;”

I realized that these people evaluated Dafa according to their own opinions. They thought Dafa was good only when it aligned with their views. If we continue to hold such views, can we truly meet Master’s requirements and the standards of Dafa?

I recalled the moment when I decided to practice Dafa. I had always yearned to cultivate. After reading Zhuan Falun, I understood that Falun Dafa was cultivation, not qigong. The word “cultivation” motivated me to practice Dafa. I was even proud, thinking that I was not practicing Falun Dafa for healing or fitness, I was practicing to cultivate, so my purpose must be pure.

I now realize I was mistaken. My thoughts were still centered on me: I want, I think, I feel. Isn’t this still “putting myself first”? Although the desire to cultivate stems from one’s Buddha nature, it is merely the highest wisdom of the old universe—prioritizing personal cultivation and consummation. This does not align with the Fa-rectification. No one can enter the new universe with selfishness.

Master said in Teachings at the Conference in Switzerland:

“what I want you to do is to truly, purely, and unselfishly Consummate with the real righteous Fa and righteous Enlightenment—only then can you achieve eternal non-extinction.”

My understanding is that only if we “prioritize Dafa” and “put Dafa before all other things” can we meet the standards of Dafa and the new universe.

I now understand that “I want to cultivate” was my fundamental attachment. The purpose of our existence is to assist Master in saving people.

In the past, I thought that, of the three things we are to do, clarifying the truth to save people was the most difficult. I realize now that, as long as each practitioner does his or her best, miracles can happen in saving people. Ultimately, it is Dafa that saves people. If we cultivate ourselves well, the power of Dafa will manifest in saving sentient beings.

Attachment to Higher Levels

I know a practitioner couple whose husband’s name is Wang. Wang met a female practitioner, Shu, who, it was said, had entered a phase of gradual enlightenment. Wang claimed that, through Shu, he obtained Master’s unpublished lecture and passed it around to other practitioners. He was disrupting the Fa without knowing it. Master has said,

“I suggest that every disciple immediately, on the spot, destroy everything that I have not publicly issued but that is in circulation without permission” (“Bear in Mind Forever,” Essentials for Further Advancement)

Wang admires practitioners who are close to Master. He yearns to be part of the “inner circle of disciples” like in Shakyamuni’s time, believing that those near Master are like the “ inner circle” who get to hear Master speak in a small circle and are therefore supposedly able to cultivate to a higher level. But these exact thoughts are not in line with the Fa.

Wang does not read Minghui Weekly because some articles may be written by new practitioners. However, no matter how long one has practiced, if they do not genuinely improve their xinxing, their levels are not necessarily higher.

Minghui.org is a communication platform created by Master for Dafa practitioners. It has been an immense help in my cultivation. If we do not utilize it, doesn’t it mean that we do not cherish the cultivation environment and the opportunity to remind, learn from, and help each other to improve together?

Attachment to Cell Phones

Although practitioners frequently share and remind each other about cell phone safety—and Master has explicitly addressed it—some still ignore this issue. In their view, paying attention to cell phone security means being “afraid of cell phones” or that they have “not reached a high enough level.” They believe that, at their level, it is no longer an issue. But this only reveals their irrationality, arrogance, and lack of awareness.

After the Minghui editorial board published “What All Dafa Disciples Must Know,” I uninstalled WeChat. However, I still checked the news on my phone from time to time. During that time, I struggled to wake up early in the morning because I couldn’t even hear the alarm. When I became aware of this problem, I was determined not to read news on my cell phone anymore. After that, I could hear my alarm again and found it easier to wake up.

From the Fa, we know that the internet is the devil’s lair. What happens when we constantly immerse ourselves in it? Some practitioners read the Fa but never truly obtained the Fa and eventually stopped practicing. I believe one reason is that they were constantly surrounded by evil and degenerate energy obtained through their online activities.

I do not say this to blame fellow practitioners. Instead, I hope we can all truly “prioritize Dafa” and genuinely cultivate ourselves, improve ourselves, elevate ourselves, and fulfill our vows.