(Minghui.org) When practitioner Wang Min (alias) and I recently bought some printing supplies together, the shop owner smiled and said, “You two appear to be very good friends!”
Actually, we had just started to get along. Before that, we had mistrusted each other for years.
When I first met Min, I felt that she was very thin-skinned and easily got depressed. Whenever I spoke with her, I had to choose my words carefully.
After a few awkward conversations, I began to mistrust Min and made a point of avoiding her.
I had attempted to overcome this mistrust on several occasions, but to no avail. I couldn't figure out the root cause of it.
Last winter, I met a practitioner who seemed very sincere and straightforward. She looked inward whenever conflicts arose, be they big or small. Everyone enjoyed talking to her.
I realized that people liked her because she was so pure. I also understood the cultivation gap between myself and this practitioner.
I then thought back to the mistrust that I held for Wang Min. I enlightened to the fact that I didn't look within, I had a hot temper, and I spoke loudly. During conflicts, I measured myself against the principles of ordinary people, instead of the Fa.
One day, I approached Wang Min and asked, “What is your impression of me?” She said, “I don't want to say anything for fear of embarrassing you.”
When I sincerely asked her again, she replied, “You have no problem talking about others peoples' issues; however, you rarely look within and rid yourself of your own attachments. You always think you're right and don't like to listen to others' opinions.”
Her words made me think: “It's true. I don't like to ask for help or help others, and I do come across as independent, indifferent, and selfish.”
I suddenly enlightened to the fact that I needed to eliminate my attachment to fame and reputation. I was grateful that Min had kindly pointed this out to me.
She then sincerely asked me to point out her issues. I knew that she was going through a tough xinxing test, so I reminded her that she had strong sentimentality towards fellow practitioners.
I told her, “Whenever conflicts arise between practitioners, you became more involved than they do.”
She seemed genuinely surprised by my observation and said, “I didn't know that about myself, nor has anyone ever pointed it out to me. I have never paid attention to it.”
As soon as we opened our hearts to each other, the mistrust between us disappeared.
Master taught us,
“Everything has its cause. Why can human beings be human? It’s exactly because humans have emotion. People just live for emotion. The affection among family members, the love between a man and woman, love for parents, feelings, friendships, doing things for friendship’s sake—no matter where you go you can’t get out of emotion. You want to do something, you don’t want to do something, you’re happy, you’re unhappy, you love something, you hate something—everything in society comes completely from emotion. If you don’t sever emotion, you won’t be able to cultivate.” (from Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)
Category: Improving Oneself
