Looking Within When Encountering Problems

(Minghui.org) In the process of making calls to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa, I realized that project work and personal cultivation are integrated. We are human beings cultivating, not divine beings. We still have attachments which we have not let go of. Our running into troubles and interference is not accidental. These point to attachments we need to cultivate away. 

Treating Interference With Righteous Thoughts

On the first day that I began participating in a phone-calling project, I felt that I was not calm and noticed that something was wrong with my cultivation state. I looked inward and found that I was worried about whether the method I used would be blocked. Because the dimensional field in the other party was particularly evil, many phone lines were blocked. Some of the software had worked before but was later blocked. I had only a couple of specially equipped phones available to me. 

I couldn’t get used to the sudden shortage. Clarifying the truth with such an unstable mentality cannot save people, so I restrained myself from thinking about the interference and thought: “Just use as many phone numbers as there are! Be happy to have at least a couple.”

When I adjusted my thinking and started to dial, I got through the first time. The other party listened for more than five minutes, which allowed him to hear some facts about the persecution. Afterwards, I connected with five more numbers. I realized that the dialing situation had improved, and I thought it was due to letting go of my worries. 

Every thought of a cultivator is powerful, and bad thoughts will form a bad dimensional field and hinder truth clarification. So even when our resources are insufficient and the situation is difficult, one still needs to maintain a peaceful and stable heart.

Following the Other Party’s Attachment 

While participating in a Beijing project, I dialed up a unit of the police department. The first time, an officer listened for more than three minutes. I gave him some important internet addresses. He said fine and asked me in a friendly tone, “Where are you calling from?” 

I told him that he had to know the true situation of the pandemic in order to protect himself and his family. When I told him about Falun Dafa, he said, “I have no faith, nor do I believe in Buddha or Shakyamuni.” He then hung up.

From the interaction, I felt he was kind and could accept my talking points, so I called him again. This time we talked for more than 20 minutes. He said there are many different beliefs in the world, and it doesn’t matter which one people believe. He said it’s also alright to have no belief, as long as someone is still living a good life. He continued to express some atheistic views. 

I said, “I’m not trying to convince you to believe in Falun Dafa. The good life you are living now is a blessing brought by virtue accumulated in your past life. You must be still a good person, with the ability to find the truth during the current disaster.” He asked me what my standard is for a good person, since there can be different standards for different people. 

I responded, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the principle of being a good person, and it is a universal value.” I suggested he read Master Li’s new article “How Humankind Came to Be.” He replied, “Don’t mention these philosophical things. Be more realistic. Just live a good life now!” He seemed to be reluctant to accept the truth.

I pondered how to continue clarifying the truth further to him. I thought about what the Fa teachings suggest by addressing people’s attachments. I had an idea. I thought about what he said about being “realistic.” So I changed the topic by talking about his work-related matters. 

I then asked him, “How would you handle it if you encountered a Falun Dafa case at work?” He was silent for a long time, so this confirmed he was an intelligent person who knows the right thing to do. I told him that what a dictatorship says is not necessarily right. If one follows the wrong orders, one is not a good person. I also told him about the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and what’s known about the Party’s organ harvesting from imprisoned Dafa practitioners. 

He continued to remain silent. I then explained why the CCP blocks the Internet and the true situation of the pandemic. I told him how he could protect himself by sincerely reciting “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” When I finished, I wished him and his family well and said goodbye. He responded politely and hung up.

In this phone conversation, I experienced how Master’s Fa gave me wisdom to follow the other party’s attachment to explain the truth so they could accept it more easily.

Don’t Interfere With Ordinary People’s Affairs

My neighbor sent me a message asking, “Are you ready? People from the health center will come to spray for mosquitoes tomorrow morning!” When I read this, I felt a chill in my heart. I wondered why I hadn’t heard about such an important thing. I immediately ran out and saw a yellow flyer posted on my door, which stated the spraying time and things to note. 

Because someone had dengue fever, all the homes within a certain radius had to be sprayed. I used the remaining time in the evening to pack and organize my possessions. After the spraying, I was busy wiping down my home and didn’t rest until very late. I finally cleaned all the rooms and thought, “Spending so much time organizing has affected my truth-clarification. This should be all over now that the spraying is done.”

However, a few weeks later, another yellow flyer was posted on the door for an indoor spraying. I couldn’t believe it. My heart was churning. I felt that the government was creating a nuisance for people. Neighbors also complained. I no longer remembered that I’m a practitioner. I only thought about how to express my displeasure. Then I sent emails and made phone calls to various government departments. But I still had to comply with the spraying in the end.

After the two spraying incidents, I began to reflect on whether I had entangled myself and interfered with ordinary people’s affairs. 

Master said, 

“In your cultivation you should primarily focus on how to be diligent, and spend more effort on this, instead of being concerned with what ordinary people’s society is like or what you should do for society. You don’t have that duty, nor have I asked you to do that. You are cultivators, and only the question of how to improve your own xinxing is fundamental to cultivation.” (Teachings at the Conference in the Western U.S.)

I remembered that not only had I failed to look inward at the time, I looked outside to see how ordinary people were doing. From the surface, the spraying seemed to have used up my time for clarifying the truth; but after looking within, this incident revealed my attachment of fearing trouble, and my desire for comfort. These thoughts were covered up by excuses that my truth-clarification work might be affected.

After some reflection, I again thought the spraying should be over. After some time, however, I noticed another flyer posted on my door. I looked at it quickly and thought they were coming to spray again. I couldn’t help complaining about it to my family when I returned to my hometown. I then realized I needed to cultivate my speech. I should shut up and stop venting my resentment. I thought, “Just let it be!” 

When I returned to my residence and started packing up my belongings, I saw a message from my neighbor saying, “This time, they’ll just come to inspect. There is no need to spray!” It suddenly felt like a big stone was lifted from my heart, and the whole incident was over.

After I had experienced this series of tests, I gained another level of understanding of the Fa’s principles about conforming to the state of ordinary people to the greatest extent. When we cultivate among ordinary people, we should not interfere with or influence ordinary affairs. We just do whatever we should do. 

This level of ordinary people also has certain rules and arrangements. As a cultivator, we are not affected by ordinary affairs, and we transcend the state of ordinary people. I understand that only in this way can we reach the state where “... people whose bodies are in the secular world but whose minds are beyond it.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2005 Manhattan International Fa Conference”, Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Vol. V) 

Don’t Forget to Cultivate When Encountering Interference 

Although the end of the Fa-rectification is imminent, we still have to seize the time to cultivate. Master said: “Once you pass this village, this inn will no longer be available” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Guangzhou”,Explaining the Teachings of Zhuan Falun)

I understand that this sentence is not only about clarifying the truth and saving people but also about cultivating our xinxing. Whenever we encounter troubles or interference, we should not miss the opportunity of ridding ourselves of attachments to improve our xinxing!