PureInsight | December 5, 2005
[PureInsight.org] Two years ago, after I realized that I was still rather vain, I tried to hide this attachment. Yet, I understood that according to the Fa, covering up my shortcoming would have a deep effect on my cultivation and improvement. Therefore, I analyzed this issue from the Fa's perspective. I melted into the Fa so all my shortcomings and human notions could be exposed. I attempted to ignore other's people thoughts about me, as long as my actions conformed to my understanding of the Fa at my level. I believe that Teacher would see this as a good thing, especially since I tried to expose my attachments, and because we all need to eliminate our human notions. Exposing them must be better than covering them up. After I had tried my best to behave in such manner for some time, I realized that I had made great progress in my cultivation.
Recently, when I talked to fellow practitioners, I found that many practitioners do not know how to look within. They either do not know how or go about it wrong. Therefore, I want to share with fellow practitioners my understanding about the subject of looking within.
Teacher said,
"A physical object's form of existence appears like this, but the way it actually manifests is not. Our eyes, nonetheless, have the capability to stabilize physical objects in our physical dimension to the state that we can see now. The objects are not actually in this state, and they are not in this state even in our dimension." (From "Issue of the Celestial Eye," Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun)
Since everything we see is within this dimension's illusion and does not manifest as we perceive with our eyes, we should not insist on our judgment of right or wrong, and good or bad before we do things.
The Fa told us that human eyes keep the truth from us. We can no longer see the truth. Therefore, I would not think that our understanding, ideas and methods are the best and always correct. In fact, we can even not see the real state of our body since birth. Why does one think that one still has the wisdom to see the true essence of an object? Then, what should we do? It appears that we are not able to assess human beings and their behavior.
We are cultivators. Therefore, we use the Fa as our principles. The Fa also tells us that the law is different from dimension to dimension. Using the Fa to judge things will depend on the depth of one's understanding of the Fa. Therefore, different people will have a different opinion on whether something is right or wrong, or whether it is good or bad. But Dafa has a standard. It is unlike people's excuses that the law varies from dimension to dimension. Everyone is in the maze. Each of us should try to understand it. The upshot is that we did not study the Fa diligently. We did not understand the Fa well. I am only trying to remind you that you should not attach too much importance to your personal opinion. Just use the Fa tomeasure your cultivation state and ask yourself, "How did I do the three things? Did I balance the time wisely to do the three things? Did I do the three things routinely, without understanding the real meaning?"
It is important to discuss the subject of looking within after a problem. There are three parts to this issue. 1) What are you looking for? 2) How can you find it? 3) What are you going to do after you find it?
1) What are you looking for?
Teacher taught,
"The entire human society is on the same level. From the perspective of supernormal abilities or of the great enlightened beings, these lives should have been destroyed upon falling to this level. Out of their benevolent compassion, however, the great enlightened beings gave them one more chance and constructed this special environment and unique dimension. […] One should return to one's original, true self; this is the real purpose of being human. Therefore, once a person wants to practice cultivation, his or her Buddha-nature is considered to have come forth." ("Genuinely Guiding People toward High Levels," Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I understand that human society was created for humans, so they could return to the origin and the truth. (Of course, we are now at the Fa rectification stage. We know that we are here for the Fa Rectification.). Therefore, everything and every human has come here to return to their origin and the truth. How can one reach that goal? Our Teacher told us to upgrade our xinxing, eliminate human notions and karma, pay back karmic debts, transform one's benti, and so on.
Thus, what are we looking for when we search within? Instead of looking for whether it is right or wrong, we should look for those obstacles that stop us from returning to the origin and the truth. We just analyzed that what is right or wrong is changeable. But, the obstacles are what block us from truly cultivating. As our Teacher said, they are like mountains made of granite. This is what we are looking for and what we need to eliminate.
Teacher said,
"It's not a big deal if you haven't done well. Just do things well next time and try to find out where the problem was. There's a prominent phenomenon in you folks' cultivation, which is, after you haven't done something well, you're only overwhelmed with regret, and you don't do it over. If you regret it too much then that's another attachment. Once you've done something wrong, seen where it was wrong, and recognized it, then do it well next time, do it over. If you trip and fall, and just keep lying there instead of getting up, (audience laughs) then that's no good." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
Therefore, anything that has happened is the past and one does not need to think about whether they were right or wrong on the surface level. One should focus on the factors that stopped one from doing well. How did my xinxing fare regarding this issue? How did I treat this issue? What were my human notions during this incident? Nonetheless, we should not judge whether we were right or wrong, because it already has passed. There is no point in discussing it any further. In addition, everything is here to return to the origin and the truth. Therefore, whether it is right or wrong is unimportant. The important thing is whether one can return to the origin and the truth. That is the real reason why the earth was created.
2) How can you find it?
Teacher said,
"No matter whether it's your fault or not, when my Law Bodies are having you remove your attachment, they don't care whether it's your fault or another person's. As long as you have an attachment, they will try everything to have you run into problems and have you recognize the attachment that makes you fall short." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe")
My understanding is that our human society was created for human beings to return to the origin and the truth. No matter how many reasons one bases on human world or Dafa principles, Teacher will show such conflict, as long as he thinks that one has the attachments. One has to find one's shortcomings. One has to ask oneself, "What does Teacher want me to see? One has to remember, whether it is right or wrong is not important. The important thing is whether one has upgraded one's xinxing and learned from this conflict. Therefore, try not to think about whether you are right or not, just look for shortcomings from the Fa's perspective. Even if one could not discover them at that moment, one should face the problem with a good attitude. In fact, it takes time to understand the issue.
3) What should I after the attachment is discovered?
Many people believe that they have finished their task after they find the attachment. I have found my attachment. Our Teacher asked us to search within and I have found it. I have done what Teacher told us to do. That's all I need to do. Wow, this is just the understanding at the surface level. One has to cultivate after one discovers the attachment. One has to control, repel and eliminate it in one's mind. Otherwise, why does one need to find it? This attachment is the fundamental cause for making mistakes and generating karma. Finding the attachment actually enlarges the attachment so one has to eliminate the attachment. As long as we control and repell it in our mind, do our best not to be affected by it, one is cultivating. Teacher will help us.
Teacher told us,
"As far as attachments go, if today Teacher told you to get rid of this or that one, it would be something forced, and any desire to get rid of it wouldn't have come from your heart. And as time went by, when you couldn't take it anymore after Teacher had said a lot of those things, you would become resentful and think, "Why should I do that?" But when you've realized things from the Fa's principles and have understood the effect that doing that might have on your existence, only then have you truly improved, and only then are you truly able to do it. No external restriction comes out of your own will or out of true improvement on your part." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York.")
In other words, only after we have studied the Fa and understood why the attachment is not good, we can eliminate it, because now we understand why. It is just like some people believe durian (large tropical trees) to be very fragrant. Other people think that they are very smelly and won't get near them. Assume it is smelly from the Fa's perspective, then the people who believe durian to be fragrant will not believe it to be smelly. They must eat the fruit with relish. Only after they understand that it is smelly from the Fa perspective, they will feel nauseated and will not eat it any more. They may even be afraid to touch it. I think that an attachment is similar to this example. Only after one knows that an attachment is bad and dirty from the Fa's perspective, will one try to eliminate it as soon as possible. How could it affect you? I think this is how it is.
The bottom line is studying the Fa diligently. Understanding the Fa is a step-by-step process [for solving] the same problem. Therefore, one will find different attachments at different times. One should not let this good opportunity of upgrading oneself slip away. My understanding is that if one studies the Fa well, one will always use the Fa to measure everything even though it may be only a tiny incident. Alas, only then can one find one's shortcomings and upgrade oneself.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/11/7/34463.html
