PureInsight | January 20, 2002
One passage in Zhuan Falun stood out at me as I was reading it one day. In the section "The Issue of Pursuit," there is a passage, "In order to save one's reputation, what's on one's mind while treating illnesses? 'Please let me have this illness so that the patient can be healed.' That is not out of compassion, as one's attachments to fame and self-interest have not been given up at all. This person is unable to develop this compassion one bit. He is afraid of losing his reputation."
I realize that truth-clarification during Fa-rectification is supposed to be a sacred deed of genuine compassion to awaken sentient beings who still have human nature and offer them salvation. This is not a duty or obligation of a practitioner in the ordinary sense. It's something we wish to do from a pure, unselfish heart cultivated from Zhen-Shan-Ren. It's something we can give up everything for.
In the past, when I did not do well during some truth-clarification, I noticed elements of selfishness in myself. I saw truth-clarification as something I had to do as a practitioner to progress and improve towards Consummation. There were also human emotions such as fear of rejection and losing face involved. I may have spent money, time and resources for truth-clarification, but it was a lot like the mentality of "Please let me have this illness so that the patient can be healed." It was indeed like "as one's attachments to fame and self-interest have not been given up at all. This person is unable to develop this compassion one bit. He is afraid of losing his reputation."
On the contrary, when I did well, it was always with a pure, selfless heart. Things just happened easily and naturally. There is no thought of "In order to save one's reputation." Truth clarification should not be an intentional act of pursuit. It comes from a righteous and selfless state of mind and a purity of heart cultivated from Dafa that manifest in circumstances and situations around oneself.
I hope that my understanding has been helpful. Please kindly give any feedback.
