PureInsight | November 11, 2009
[PureInsight.org] I went to the 2009 Washington D.C. experience-sharing conference in July and listened to Teacher’s Fa lecture. I was very touched. After coming back, I had been thinking of how to use the Fa to guide my daily words and actions. This made my cultivation less impulsive and I was able to calmly learn the Fa with my heart. When reading Zhuan Falun, I was able to notice many places that I missed in the past.
After "Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference" was published, I read it several times. During that time I encountered numerous incidents. I noticed that when one can look at things based on the Fa, he is able to always have a fresh insight. Below are several examples.
I.
Teacher said in the lecture:
“When you are working together and you feel wronged or get angry, it's hard at that moment to reflect on your role in the matter or look within and realize what your state is or what attachment triggered that event. The majority of the time it's that [you are upset about] your suggestion not being adopted or that you looked down on someone. The manifestation of these two attachments tends to be the most intense.”
These words often came to my mind over the past one or two weeks. Especially when encountering things that might have seemed unfair, when understanding the issues with the Fa, I found this was indeed the case.
Over the past half year and longer, I have been responsible for a project at my workplace. As the project expanded, there were more aspects I was responsible for, and I became engrossed in it. However, my boss gradually asked a co-worker to take on some of the responsibilities. I felt bad about it, as if I was ignored to some extent. I even had some negative feelings and felt less motivation to do the work compared to before.
When calming down and thinking of Teacher’s words, I found that I had been actually validating myself, although on the surface it seemed I was being responsible for the project. I did not want my co-worker to share the responsibilities because I thought he was incapable of doing it. When comparing myself with Teacher’s words, isn’t it that I was stuck on this point? When reading the section “Jealousy” in Zhuan Falun, I once again had similar understandings.
Therefore, I changed my attitude and was no longer distracted by these thoughts. Instead, I just focused on my responsibilities and doing them well. Then I found my efficiency improved. I was no longer worried about this or that, being busy all day without concrete progress.
Similarly, I changed my attitude on many other issues. In the past, whenever something happened or someone spoke about something, I tended to make judgments, thinking that person was selfish or had said something wrong. In fact, a Dafa disciple should validate the Fa, not himself. In addition, I had been indeed ignorant about many things. When humbly listening to others’ opinions, I often find there are good parts in them, and yet these are often the areas that I tend to ignore.
II.
Teacher said in the Washington D.C. Fa lecture:
“Be considerate of others when you do things, and look at yourself when you get into disagreements. You probably all know how to talk about this and you know what these words mean, but at critical moments you don't put them into practice.”
I met another parent when picking up my child at daycare after work today. I was thinking of chatting with him for a while but he looked very cold towards me. I felt bad and was thinking about this on the way home, wondering why he treated me like that.
Then gradually I was able to look at this from another angle. Although that parent did not talk with me much, he chatted with the daycare center teacher for a while. In contrast, when I arrived I briefly said hello to the teacher and picked up my son’s clothing and left with him. Isn’t the attitude from the parent toward me a real reflection of my attitude toward others?
Looking back, I found the same thing at my workplace. I seemed to be busy all the time. When talking with co-workers, I only discuss projects related to myself. On the surface, it can be viewed as being responsible to the work, but in fact it was because I did not care about others.
From the Fa, we understand that each life comes from a different origin and it has been through a lengthy course of history. Therefore, each one has his own understanding and viewpoint. As reflected in everyday society, we can see that each person has different opinions and interpretations of life. We have been talking about saving sentient beings. If I do not care about them and do not want to listen to them, how can I save them? If I take a moment to talk with co-workers about their issues every now and then it will not take up too much time, yet my relationships with them will be very different.
When feeling others around oneself are not right and when comparing with Teacher’s words, one may find the problem comes from himself.
III.
Teacher said in the Washington D.C. Fa lecture:
“If you, as Dafa disciples, want to effect change in a person when you clarify the truth and want to save him, you must not arouse the negative elements in that person. You must hold to being shan, and only then can you resolve problems that may arise and save that person.” “Compassion is an enormous energy, the energy of righteous gods. The more compassion that is present, the greater this energy becomes, and it can disintegrate anything that is bad.”
My parents-in-law do not quite know the truth about Falun Gong. They do not support my practice and sometimes argue with me over it. In addition, my father-in-law is introverted and does not speak much. He also has minor hearing loss and cannot hear things well. Every day when returning home from work, I greet him but he does not reply and does not even look at me. I do not know if he does not hear or just chooses to ignore me. Facing this situation, I was upset, but felt I could do nothing about it.
After studying the Fa, I had new understandings. I actually had negative feelings toward my parents-in-law because they did not know the truth. I was disappointed with their daily quarreling and thought they were influenced by Chinese Communist Party culture but were unable to realize it. They did not know much about life in the U.S. but chose to make impractical comments here and there and I felt bad about it.
A cultivator should have a calm and pure heart and treat others with compassion. When we have negative feelings toward everyday people or do things beyond their understanding, the situation may be stuck there and even deteriorate. This may be because of a karmic relationship from the past [that we did not handle well]. But all beings today came for the Fa and only the Fa can resolve everything. Since my parents-in-law do not know the truth, I need to clarify the truth to them and validate the Fa. I also need to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the interfering elements behind them. I need to treat them like my own parents, caring about their needs, especially in a country where they cannot speak the language.
I gradually realized that if one can avoid being hot-headed and remain steadfast in the course of cultivation, he is able to walk his path well.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2009/7/31/60855.html
