(Minghui.org) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
As disasters have continued to happen in the spiritless Chinese society this year, I’ve realized the time of Fa rectification of the human world is coming. It’s critical for Falun Dafa practitioners to walk well the final section of our journey of helping Master with Fa rectification. I would like to share my recent experiences of letting go of human notions.
Many practitioners have a strong attachment to qing. I’ve noticed that it’s easier to let go of qing for those who often bicker with their families, but it’s harder to break free from qing for those with the most caring and docile family members.
Some practitioners consider it compassionate to repay people who have treated them well. They feel touched, happy, and sweet when mentioning their family members’ sacrifices. However, they haven’t realized how addicted they are to qing.
How can we break free from this attachment and treat it with righteous thoughts? When a practitioner talked about her family with strong emotions during our experience sharing after a Fa study session a couple of days ago, I shared my experience of letting go of qing.
My mother pampered me, or spoiled me, since I was young. She took care of my meals and chores so well, I didn’t know how to cook or do laundry when I was in college. She even tolerated my behavior when I threw a temper tantrum. I was touched and felt bonded by her unconditional love, though I knew I should let it go.
One day, I had a dream about what had happened in my last life: I was born and raised in a rich family in the Republic Era. However, I fell in love with a married man in another rich family. The man is my father in this life. I loved him so much in my last life that I’d rather cut ties with my parents and become his concubine. The man’s wife is my mother in this life. She abused me and ordered me to serve her every day. I had a miserable life. After waking up, I began to understand why my mother had taken care of me so well. It’s all because of retribution. My righteous thoughts arose, and eventually I was no longer so carried away by my emotions.
I told the practitioner, “Your family member probably treats you well because you treated him well in your last life. He is repaying you in this life. You wouldn’t have met each other if you didn’t have a predestined relationship. Don’t get carried away.” The practitioner said that she had gained a clearer understanding about predestined relationships after hearing my experience.
Master has taught us,
“If this qing is not relinquished, you will be unable to cultivate. If you break free from this qing, nobody can affect you. An everyday person’s mind will be unable to sway you. What comes and replaces it is benevolence, which is a nobler thing.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I have gone through countless tests regarding personal interests over the years. The attachment to personal interests is imperceptible, but it hurts when you attempt to let it go.
I used to co-own a business with a non-practitioner. We had an agreement on how to divide profits, but my business partner slowly took more and more profits and eventually took them all. I didn’t want to give up on the business initially, but we got into worse and worse disagreements, and my cultivation state deteriorated. Eventually, my fighting mentality and jealousy took the upper hand.
I reflected upon myself, knowing that my hidden attachments had caused these conflicts. However, I was terribly upset at the time, thinking, “I deserve my pay for my work!” Master’s words came to my mind,
“Thus, even less should our cultivators be like this, as a cultivator should follow the course of nature. If something is yours, you will not lose it. If something is not yours, you will not have it even if you fight for it.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun)
I thought I would try giving up my personal interests in this scenario, which I had felt I deserved, and would try to let go of the superficial standard of right and wrong in the human dimension. I would leave it completely up to Master.
Something dramatic happened. I felt completely relaxed after I let go of my personal interest. My business partner became nice. I thought about the situation from her perspective. I thought about how I was planning to pay out of pocket to fix a broken air conditioner, but she stopped me before I was about to place the order. She called our landlord and had the air conditioner replaced. Several instances like this happened.
I gained a deeper understanding of following the course of nature. I found that everything, big and small, has a predestined solution. Even the most minor expenses in my life are predestined. The expenses predestined for others won’t fall on me even if I don’t mind paying. All my wealth is destined. If I lose money for some reason, it means the money isn’t mine. Why should I care?
Master told us,
“So as for the Dafa disciples in any region, you are basically the hope for the beings in that region to be saved—their only hope, in fact. (Teachings at the 2004 International Conference in New York)
I gained a deeper and deeper understanding of Master’s words as I clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to people. Time is pressing, especially in this time of frequent disasters. If all Falun Dafa practitioners in a region could step forward and clarify the truth, the effects would be more powerful.
I know it’s not easy to break through fear. I must study the Fa intensively and encourage my fellow practitioners to fulfill their missions. I study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts, and exchange experiences with a few fellow practitioners who aren’t diligent in their cultivation. I told them, “Since we have become Falun Dafa disciples and have met each other, we must have a holy predestined relationship. We have to cultivate together diligently, and coordinate well to play a better role in helping Master with Fa-rectification.”
I shared my experience of overcoming fear with fellow practitioners.
When I first started clarifying the truth, the sight of a police car would make me shiver. I used to cry because I felt weak and helpless, but my righteous thoughts gradually grew stronger. I initially resisted the police’ harassment with anger to disguise my fear. As I got rid of my fear, I gained better control over my emotions and could calmly clarify the truth to policemen who came to harass me at my home. During the time I was imprisoned, I felt completely engulfed in righteous thoughts the moment I let go of life and death. I was absolutely sure that nothing could make me waver or keep me imprisoned. I reached a realm of divinity at that moment. The next thing I knew, I was released.
It was the power of Falun Dafa that changed a weak and fearful woman into an enlightened person filled with righteous thoughts. I gained a deeper understanding of Master’s teaching,
“If you have no fear, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s),” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)
When you let go of fear and are in a state of righteous thoughts, completely free from human notions, nothing in the human world will be able to disturb you. The factors that would make you afraid won’t exist anymore.
The other practitioners felt encouraged by my experience and stepped out one by one. Filled with gratitude, I looked up at the sky and thanked Master in my mind, “Thank you, Master, for giving us the opportunity to disintegrate fear and fulfill our mission!”
With the Fa-rectification approaching, our responsibility of helping Master save sentient beings doesn’t allow us to slack off, because it concerns countless lives in the universe. Don’t treat cultivation with human notions or consider anything hard to accomplish. When we stand firmly with righteous thoughts, there is no difficulty we can’t conquer, no attachment we can’t let go, and no evil we can’t defeat. Fellow practitioners, let’s cultivate into great enlightened beings and follow Master to return to our true origin!
(Selected submission for the 22nd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org)