(Minghui.org) We recently organized two experience-sharing conferences in our area. They benefited the entire group and I also learned a lot from them.
From Indifference to Warm Discussions
When we first talked about the conference, about 20 practitioners were at our group Fa-study. I said that we had not organized such a meeting for a long time, and we should consider it. “Please write an article to share if you can,” I suggested.
No one said anything. After a long time, one practitioner said, “I may not be able to write an article, but I would like to attend it and hear from others.”
I was upset about what I felt was their indifferent response. When I visited a practitioner in another city, I told him about it. He told me how the practitioners there organized their meeting and I felt encouraged. Then I remembered Master's words in “Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference X),
“Ordinary people don’t know that all of this is encompassed by the expression “the appearance stems from the mind.” So, put another way, one’s own factors can in fact change one’s surroundings. “Cultivate yourself” and “search within” are words that I have said in a very straightforward and clear manner. (Laughing) But, there aren’t that many people who give these words due weight. What I was describing holds true for Dafa disciples when they do things.”
I realized that I needed stop going along with the old forces' arrangement. As soon as I eliminated the interfering, negative thoughts, the situation changed. When I brought the conference up again during our next Fa-study, some practitioners said they would look within and others said they would examine their cultivation and see which attachments they had eliminated. Even the practitioners who could not read said they would ask others for help and write an article.
When the drafts were collected, however, I was surprised: some simply said they were determined to continue cultivating, some talked about the mistakes they made, and some listed what they had done, almost as if making entries in a logbook. So, during the next meeting we discussed how to write articles and shared some examples from Minghui.
Their second drafts were much better. Many practitioners talked about deeply buried attachments, or about looking inward to see if their current cultivation state met with the Fa's requirements. Everyone felt that they benefited from the entire process.
Change of Attitude
Afterwards I went to another city and suggested that they hold an experience-sharing conference. I said it was important to write a draft and then revise it. One practitioner said she was not interested, “I am too busy with truth-clarification. I do not have time to write an article or attend the conference.”
I was confused and wondered what I did wrong that made her feel this way. By looking within, I realized that the tone of complaint and irritation in my words were caused by Party culture. I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate this interference.
Two days later, this practitioner came to see me. She said, “I have written a draft. Can you take a look at it?” Another practitioner that came with her said she had also written a draft.
One by one, these practitioners began to write and some also helped others who could not read or write. I was really happy for them.
Conflict
One day I reviewed an elderly practitioner's sharing article and planned to submit it to Minghui. However, when I opened the Minghui website, I found a similar article which even had the same title. What should I do?
Throughout the years, this practitioner helped me a lot. When I was confused or had attachments that were hard to get rid of, she always helped me by sharing her thoughts and we discussed issues based on our understandings of the Fa. I reviewed her article and wanted to submit it to Minghui. But wouldn't it be redundant since there was already a similar article? Or, I could submit it anyway so that I would not feel that I had let that practitioner down?
I thought about it for a long time. In the end I realized that my attachment to sentimentality for that practitioner was too strong. I thought, how would a genuine Dafa disciple handle this? I went to her place and openly shared my understanding and she agreed with my thoughts.
On the way back, I felt very relaxed. I realized that by looking inward I had passed a test!
Category: Improving Oneself
