PureInsight | July 25, 2005
[PureInsight.org] Being able to forgive and tolerate others is a spiritual characteristic, a type of wisdom and a natural manifestation of one's compassion.
It is impossible for a narrow-minded or opinioned person to experience the beauty and profundity of forgiving and tolerating others. One person's insight can never represent the complete and absolute truth in the universe. Only an open-minded person with a bigger goal will be open to all kinds of opinions and be humble in his study of the world. Such a person knows he is but a translucent piece of jade or a clear drop of water in this vast universe. For an average person or even an average cultivator, he might not even deserve to be called "a translucent piece of jade" or "a clear drop of water."
There are countless mysteries in this vast universe and even very high-level gods cannot understand them all and are amazed by what they haven't seen before. As cultivators, how can we bind ourselves with our own limited insights? How can we arrogantly declare that our own respective insights represent the whole truth of the entire universe?!
With this in mind, let's change the subject to the xinxing conflicts between Falun Gong cultivators. Each genuine cultivator must have a good reason when he does something or takes an action although others may or may not be aware of his reason. Besides, we may not do everything perfectly since we are still in the middle of our cultivation practice. How should we respond to our differences or fellow practitioners' flaws? Should we be indifferent to them because they have nothing to do with our own cultivation practice? Or should we complain in our heart, "How could he possibly fail to handle such a simple matter?"
After a few years of cultivation practice, I believe that all practitioners, especially those practitioners in China where the persecution is most severe, all share a feeling in common, Whenever we encounter a xinxing test or demonic tribulation, no matter how small it might be, as long it involves ourselves, we never forget the lesson from it regardless of whether we have triumphed over it or not. On the other hand, when something happens to other practitioners, no matter how big it is, we aren't affected as much because we didn't experience it personally. It follows that we should never judge any fellow practitioner uncharitably because he fails to overcome a small xinxing test or a small tribulation. It might be a small to you but we have no idea of the significant impact it might have on him!
Each cultivator has a different character and possesses different elements of matter. Each cultivator's foundations and the ways of thinking are also unique and different. Each cultivator had a different amount of virtue and karma when he started the cultivation practice. Each cultivator came from a different family and received different education in school and in society. There are numerous differences between any given two cultivators, so how could we possibly share the same method to remove our respective attachments or share the same cultivation path?!
What should we rely on to perceive our fellow practitioners in this illusionary world? I think the answer is compassion. When a cultivator's compassion comes forward, he will appear to be kind, forgiving and considerate of other people. Compassion is a form of wisdom, accompanied by solemnity, dignity and a diamond will [to follow the Fa.] Studying the Fa will enhance our wisdom, improve our minds and elevate our realms. Studying the Fa is also the only way we cultivate our compassion. We must study the Fa with a tranquil and pure mind. We must also drive our all interferences from our acquired notions, attachments or thought karma when we study the Fa.
When we become forgiving, tolerant and compassionate to some level, we will be less vulnerable to the illusions in the secular world and we will not become emotional or disturbed by fellow practitioners' small mistakes. Only when we emit the energy field of forgiveness, tolerance and compassion will we be able to unite our powers. Meanwhile, the power of one-body will also grant us the magnificence of selflessness. Behind a giant mountain there is a greater one; behind the selfish realm, there is a great realm called selflessness.
Words do not do justice to these cultivation experiences. No matter where we are and what we are doing, we should maintain a tranquil mind and follow Teacher's Fa in everything we do.
Quietly tell those fellow practitioners who stumbled and fell in some aspects of their cultivation practice "Take care of yourself" and urge them to cherish the rest of their cultivation!
Silently complete the Dafa work that fellow practitioners have failed to do well!
Learn from fellow practitioners' mistakes and tell ourselves not to make the same mistakes.
Heshi with a smile and remind ourselves one more time to walk each step well for the rest of our cultivation practice and to regard everything happening to and around us solemnly as parts of our cultivation practice.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/7/18/33153.html
