PureInsight | January 28, 2013
[PureInsight.org] Recently I read an email regarding cultivation experience sharing that was meant to be delivered to a certain practitioner but was instead sent to a whole mailing group. The email appeared to discuss conflicts amongst fellow practitioners. As I recalled Master once said, “I often tell you about situations like this: When two people have a conflict both should look for the causes within themselves, asking, ‘What problem do I have here?’ Each should search for his own problem. If a third person witnesses the conflict between the two, I would say that it’s not accidental for that third person to see it, and he too should think it over: ‘Why did I see their conflict? Is it because I still have some shortcomings?’ Only in this way can it be good.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference”)
If I witness a problem in someone, it must not be accidental. I therefore thought to myself: I also must have bad thoughts complaining about fellow practitioners, feeling how they possess so many attachments.
A few days ago, I saw a sharing article in regards to “Cherishing fellow practitioners; Cherishing cultivation opportunities” on the Zhengjian website. There was a paragraph referring to what Master said, “Dafa disciples are one body” (Hong Yin Vol. III, “Following Master”). Master also said, “For Dafa disciples as a whole, in the process of validating the Fa, when you work together in concert, the Fa power is great. Whether you’re doing things as a group or doing things individually, what you’re doing is the same kind of thing, and that’s what we mean by one entity” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”).
My personal understanding is that Dafa disciples working as one body does not manifest in the frequency and quantity of the contact among fellow practitioners. Rather, the key point lies in how we coordinate in doing the three things well, whether we look inwards and put effort into the same thing, and take fellow practitioners’ issues as our own when encountering problems (extracting from the article.) Indeed, Dafa Disciples are one body. Regardless of what projects we are working on, we have the same purpose; that is, to save sentient beings. Therefore we must possess a mindset that is pure so that we can truly save sentient beings. Everyone gets this point, but we are prone to deviate when human notions emerge.
Putting it in different terms, our attitude in fact plays the biggest role. It is not always easy to have a pure mindset; for example, when distributing Shen Yun brochures door-to-door some bad thoughts and human mindsets emerge during the process. Fellow practitioners suggested to suppress such mindsets as much as possible, learn the Fa by heart, and completely dedicate our minds to saving sentient beings. In fact, selling tickets lies in a principle; it is not merely about how many tickets I should sell today and craving some sum of tickets. That is, we should possess a pure mindset to save people and let others feel our compassion and benevolence through our words, delivered to their hearts. In the end, the result must be good. It is like “persuading Chinese people to commit the three withdrawals [from the Chinese Communist Party] to guarantee their safety;” this is not done in pursuit of the quantity of withdrawals. You have to let others know the truth and make it clear so they will naturally understand—you are emitting energy and abolishing evil spirits within their bodies during the process. In the end, when they really get the point, they will naturally withdraw. That is as easy as pie. However, the results turn the other way around when you are in haste and eager to make them withdraw. Even if they do withdraw, I do not think they’ll truly realize the truth. I myself was sometimes too eager to have people withdraw, and they hung up the phone or walked away. Therefore, we must have the correct starting point to do the three things well.
One more thing I’d like to share is an experience with Dafa disciple’s compassion. Master said, “If you are without the Goodness (Shan) that a Dafa disciple has, then you are not a cultivator” (Essentials for Further Advancement II, “On ‘The Dignity of Dafa’”). I found that I was lacking in compassion and impatient when compared with myself before; the difference was explicit during telephone calls to mainland China. People paid less time to listen to my words and swore at me more. I looked inward afterwards and checked if the standard had risen and felt it was time to improve my character. From then on, I put more time towards Fa-study and realized that the cause was due to insufficient Fa-study and a feeling of being overwhelmed with doing too many things. After adjusting myself, the results were better with people willing to listen to me. Some even said, “Your voice is delightful. Are you a broadcaster?” One time I called a police station without any distracting thoughts. The police officer listened to whatever I said and did not interrupt. It was in fact the power of compassion that suppressed them, and five police officers realized the truth to make the right decisions. “Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in spring; Righteous thoughts can save the people in this world” (Hong Yin Vol. II, “The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos”).
We have to have a correct starting point in our thinking, save sentient beings with a pure mindset, and cultivate truth and compassion to treat everyone around us—including every fellow practitioner—with equal amounts of compassion.
The above is my understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/114027
