PureInsight | February 22, 2007
[PureInsight.org] Fellow Practitioners Are Like Mirrors
Every fellow practitioner is like a mirror. We look at ourselves
every day in the mirror to review and see whether we need
improvements. We don't look at ourselves in the mirror to see
whether the mirror itself has any flaws. Therefore, the process
of looking at oneself in the mirror is a process of "looking inward."
However, during our daily cultivation, when we face the mirrors of
fellow practitioners and oftentimes we forget the initial purpose of
looking into the mirror. We are looking for others'
shortcomings. We forget that we have to first look at
ourselves. Maybe every mirror has flaws one way or another.
However, fundamentally, the flaws in each "mirror" will not be removed
by those who look into it, but by fellow practitioners'
cultivation. All is incorporated in "looking inward."
Master told us that "Cultivation is about looking inside yourself.
Whether you are right or wrong, you should examine yourself."
("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles") If we can look
inward in front a mirrors every day, we can improve faster.
So our sharing will not be superficial, but with the true impact of the
form of Dafa cultivation Master leaves to us - Fa-study, exercises,
sharing and Fa-conferences. We can then meet Master's
requirements. "I don't want the environment of Dafa disciples
have to become one in which people point fingers at each other. I want
the environment to be one in which everyone can accept criticism and at
the same time look inside themselves." ("Teaching the Fa in the
City of Los Angeles")
We Can Only Find Attachments If Look Inward
Master has taught us: "To tell you the truth, the entire
cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up
human attachments." (Zhuan Falun)
Looking inward is also our improvement path. Only when we look
inward, can we find attachments, enhance ourselves, and reach
consummation, the fundamental goal of our cultivation.
However, during our cultivation, when we handle specific issues, we
tend to focus on the issues per se and cause arguments or even
conflicts. On the surface, we have been sticking to our Fa-study
and sharing. Sometimes when I look back, I cannot seem to find
improvements or gains. In fact, this is because sometimes we
forget to look inward all the time.
Once our Saturday group exercise was cancelled due to a Dafa activity,
I reminded the coordinator at the exercise site to inform another
practitioner by phone. I sent another text message to the
coordinator to remind him. Later on, I heard that the coordinator
forgot to notify the other practitioner. From the surface, I have
made no mistakes on this issue. But when I calmly thought about
it again, I thought that this kind of omission must be relevant to me.
After I looked inward, I found out that I had a lot of human
attachments when handling this issue. Before sending out that
text message, I initially thought about calling the coordinator.
Then a notion came up: is this making the thing too much of a big
deal? Am I trying to look good? Do I not trust my fellow
practitioner?
I didn't handle the issue from the perspective of a Dafa disciple and
help make things happen with a pure heart. From this point of
view, whether the coordinator forgot to call or not became unimportant.
When we face a issue, if we don't look inward, we will think that it's
the other party's fault. We then miss an opportunity to find our
own flaws and improve ourselves. Then we make the issue
meaningless in terms of cultivation.
Just like Master said in "Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the
U.S. Capital," "If whenever something happens you instantly jump
into who's right, whose problem it is, and how you have done, then
while on the surface it looks like you are resolving the conflict or
tension, in reality that's not the case at all. On the surface it looks
plenty rational, but in reality that's not rational at all. You haven't
taken a step back and fully cast off your attachment, and then thought
the issue over. Only after a person calmly and peacefully withdraws
from a conflict and then looks at it can he truly resolve it."
"If you encounter certain troubles, I think that as cultivators you
have to first examine yourselves: ‘Is it because I myself didn't do
well in some regard?' If each of you cultivators can't do this, you
will have no way to make progress." ("Teaching the Fa at the
Conference in Switzerland")
Looking Inward Enables Us to Better Save Sentient Beings with One-body Power
Dafa disciples are one body. When we coordinate ourselves well,
the power of validating the Fa will be immense. When we see that
fellow practitioners have room for improvement, we should help
them. In this way, we can all better save sentient beings.
Recently I called a policeman in China who persecuted Dafa disciples to
clarify the truth to him. Once the phone call was connected, the
policeman started cursing. From his words, I knew that another
Dafa disciple had called him. However, the result was less than
ideal. Therefore, the policeman thought I was that
practitioner. He cursed me soundly and hung up on me.
I thought about giving up. However, after a second thought, the
policeman was furious because we didn't fully clarify the truth to him
and didn't reach the goal of saving him. If I gave up, the result
would be unpredictable or even bad. What was our goal in
calling? Not simply for the sake of calling, but for the sake of
saving sentient beings.
After I looked inward, I found my attachment of "patronizing and
completing homework." I didn't cherish sentient beings
enough. I had attachments to comfort. "I just don't believe
their consciences are irretrievably lost." ("For the Good of the
World") So I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate all evil
factors behind the policeman. I called him again. I heard
another wave of cursing. However, I sensed that the evil behind
him became weaker and weaker. I thought for the policeman's
future with pure righteous thoughts.
The third time, when the phone call was connected, he didn't
curse. He asked me, "Do you think you are patient?" I said,
"What do you think?" He said, "I think so. I think you are
sincere. That's why I bring it up." When I called him the
sixth time, he listened to me quietly for a minute. My pure heart
dissolved the evil behind him. The power of the Fa was
displayed. His conscience was coming back. In the end, we
ended our phone conversation calmly. Looking inward enabled me to
form a one body with the practitioner who called him earlier. The
phone calls truly played their roles. I was also able to clearly
identify the mission of a Dafa disciple. At the same time, my
xinxing improved. This is really "killing multiple birds with one
stone."
During cultivation, opportunities for us to look inward emerge all the
time. If we look inward, we will see our own shortcomings.
We will have a deeper understanding of Master's compassionate and
tireless salvation, the preciousness of this cultivation opportunity,
every fellow practitioner and the paths we have all completed. We
will be more tolerant, compassionate and righteous.
Cultivate ourselves well, fulfill our prehistoric vows, advance
diligently during this time that is "precious beyond measure"
("Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago"), and save sentient
beings. All of the above cannot be done without looking inward
constantly.
Please allow me to end this sharing with quoting Master's Fa at "The
Ukraine Fa Conference:" "Be diligent, Dafa disciples! Although in
your cultivation it is painful to get rid of your human attachments,
this path is a sacred one."
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/2/4/42102.html
