PureInsight | November 4, 2002
Many fellow practitioners have shared their thoughts on cultivating kindness and remaining compassionate and serene at all times. They have also shared their personal experiences of applying these thoughts to interpersonal relationships with fellow practitioners. I would like to share my understandings on the subject.
One attains naturally without pursuit in one's Dafa cultivation. In other words, one naturally attains serenity, benevolence, righteous thoughts and enlightenment when one steadily and continuously advances to higher levels through one's everyday cultivation practice. With that in mind, in order to attain and remain benevolent and harmonious, we must study the Fa with a calm heart and undivided attention. It is only when we are melting into the Fa that the Fa would manifest its inner meaning at each and every single level to us, although it might not be obvious to us when it occurs. When we persist in studying the Fa every day with a calm heart for as long as we can afford to in our busy schedule, we will naturally be able to handle everything with a peaceful mind.
In fact, each and every thought of an enlightened being is natural and straightforward. There would be no such things as deliberation or hesitation in his thinking process.
In contrast, many fellow practitioners and I often gave way to impatience and anxiety when we failed to maintain serenity in mind. In hindsight, we found out the root cause had been the lack of Fa study. When I said "the lack of Fa study," I did not mean that we didn't study the Fa long enough. I meant that we didn't truly study the Fa peacefully with undivided attention.
The Fa empowered us to resolve everything with compassion. When I have truly studied the Fa in peace, I would naturally be able to see the cause and effect of everyday events with a fresh perspective. A lot of times I would naturally know how to handle a situation before any idea hit my mind. I didn't even need to make any conscious effort to remind myself, "I must be benevolent, harmonious and further advancing, et cetera, et cetera." Teacher has taught us, "Your enlightened, original nature will automatically know what to do." (From "Expounding on the Fa" of Essentials for Further Advancement I.) Now I have realized that the Fa gradually and steadily restores our true nature in our everyday Fa study.
Once I had a conflict with a fellow practitioner over an issue. The fellow practitioner was flushed with emotion and began to bicker. At the time I studied the Fa well so I was able to remain calm and naturally didn't quarrel with the fellow practitioner. I sincerely accepted the criticism from my fellow practitioner. Meanwhile, I pointed out the shortcomings of my fellow practitioner in a kind way. It turned out that the fellow practitioner was able to recognize his own shortcomings and we both improved ourselves from the experience.
During the Fa-rectification period, many Dafa practitioners have had some conflicts with one another when doing Dafa work, particularly those who often work together. What does Teacher require of us on this issue?
Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference" on July 22, 2002, "We don't talk about the 'unity' everyday people do, which is a forced, superficial thing. You are cultivators, and your realms are higher. So in your many projects your actions should reflect an understanding of others, an ability to listen to people's opinions, and an ability to gauge with what's right and what's wrong by using Dafa. Actually, now you're a lot better than before; but I think you should do even better in the time ahead."
I had a very painful experience in Dafa work when I failed to study the Fa well. In October, 2001, I failed to handle many situations like a Dafa practitioner and I didn't look inward when conflicts arose. It seemed as if everything around me was working against me, restraining me from advancing forward. I was unable to pull myself from the situation to examine myself from a different perspective. I became lost in those situations. Finally I was no longer able to concentrate when I studied the Fa. In the end, I was arrested by the police when I was out of town. Though I managed to escape, I had caused substantial losses direct or indirectly to the Fa.
When caught up in conflicts, many fellow practitioners would defend themselves, "I have already looked inward." Then what are the explanations for their conflicts, arrests, or persecutions? Actually, it is all because we didn't study the Fa well. When we do not study the Fa well, deep inside our hearts, we will not be able to completely deny the old forces' arrangements, or to catch up with the pace of Fa-rectification. That is when the old forces are able to exploit on our loopholes.
In "Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston", Teacher told us, "You're always thinking about Fa-rectification things and aren't able to quiet your mind when you study the Fa. Then you're actually studying in vain. If you can't study the Fa rationally and clearheadedly, you're studying in vain, and you're wasting your time. So you have to recognize this."
To study the Fa solidly we must study the Fa with a peaceful mind without pursuit. When we are persistent in studying the Fa in this fashion everyday, we will one day be surprised about how much we have improved or we might not even realize the change. It is only when we treat Dafa as such that we deserve Dafa. Teacher told us, "A person who truly cultivates will gain things naturally without pursuing them. All of the gong and Fa lie in the book, and one will naturally obtain them by reading Dafa." (From "Seeking Discipleship with Teacher" in Essentials for Further Advancement I.) We will naturally attain benevolence and harmony through Dafa cultivation provided that we persist in studying the Fa in a peaceful frame of mind.
Every display of harmony and benevolence is built upon a solid foundation of genuine everyday cultivation. No one can immediately attain harmony or benevolence when he wants to attain it. One must strive to advance forward in the Fa every day, study the Fa regularly, persistently, and discipline oneself with high standards in order to attain harmony and benevolence. We should remain calm and confident in Dafa in response to all kinds of challenges. We should discipline ourselves with the standards that the Fa requires of us in our respective levels of cultivation in order to walk each step steadily and firmly on the path of cultivation in Fa-rectification.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2002/10/1/18739.html
