PureInsight | December 23, 2002
In our cultivation practice, conflicts often arise between everyday people and also between Dafa practitioners. Of course, we should respond as a Dafa practitioner by looking inward. But often, because of our defensive nature, even when we thought we were looking inward, we were really just looking externally, in a different way, without realizing it. I once had thoroughly shared my thoughts with a fellow practitioner. We argued endlessly, insisting on our respective viewpoints and refused to give ground. It was through this heart-wrenching experience that I realized the true meaning of looking inward and its significance at my own level of cultivation.
On the surface, the root cause of a conflict might be far from its real source. Searching one's inner self is the only way to diagnose and resolve a conflict from its root cause. Even if we find many possible causes of a conflict that become apparent from superficial symptoms, it is only the Fa that is truly at work. It is the Falun that can truly improve our life's essence when it rotates clockwise. In other words, we can improve ourselves only in those aspects we can see, but only the Fa will perfect us from the essence of our lives. I think, though, that the Falun will rotate clockwise and offer us salvation when our every thought is from the Fa. On the other hand, Falun can also rotate counter-clockwise, as Master Li teaches us, to offer salvation to others. When one thinks selflessly of others first, one's compassion will be brilliantly reflected in others and one will be able to clearly see the truth. This is also the Fa, shining upon others behind the scenes.
Seeking one's inner self is linked to the Fa. When a Dafa practitioner is attuned to the Fa, he will naturally look inward when a conflict arises. Looking inward to him would be just as intuitive as wiping dirt off his face. He would not even feel it when he examines himself, because, as Master Li has taught us, in cultivation practice the cultivated side will be immediately separated from his human side.
There is an interesting phenomenon that I have noticed for quite some time. Some fellow practitioners often share their experiences of looking inward only after they complete a piece of Dafa work, as if examining oneself is only part of Dafa work, and they need to look inward only when they work on Dafa projects. When you have reached a state where you intuitively and unconditionally search inward, you would not ask yourself to search inside yourself only when you finish a Dafa project. This is comparable to an enlightened being with true compassion naturally displaying compassion without thinking about it.
Teacher always thinks about helping his disciples to upgrade their xinxing and all the sentient beings in the cosmos. Teacher said, "[...] a Dafa disciple should consider others first in everything he does. Whenever something happens or whenever a situation comes about, even if it's a minor thing, my first thought is of others, for it's already become natural for me--I just think of others first." (From "Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston") If we can think of others first, the Falun will rotate counter-clockwise to offer salvation to others, something that happens when we are melting into the Fa, or are completely assimilated to the Fa.
In my opinion, it is very important to exchange cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners. If we can genuinely communicate with each other in our respective understandings of the Fa, we should be able to upgrade ourselves very quickly. How do we attain this goal? I believe that the prerequisite is for us to "melt into the Fa." Falun is capable of rotating clockwise to offer self-salvation and counter-clockwise to offer salvation to others. When we inwardly search ourselves, we would naturally care for others first. Caring for others is one aspect of melting ourselves into the Fa, or assimilating to Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. I feel that we need to understand the profound meaning of assimilating ourselves into Dafa before we are able to truly search inward, otherwise it is most likely we would be merely going through the motions.
It is natural that we have different opinions, and sometimes these opinions differ dramatically. In order to succeed in the mission of offering salvation to sentient beings we should let go of all attachments that arise from encountering different opinions.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2002/11/17/19268.html
