Learn Responsibility for Yourself – Be Strict With Yourself Before Demanding it From Others

Original text in German

I realised something today; what to do when I need to ask someone a concrete question.

I came to the conclusion that I had not asked from my heart. The other person had tried to enrich my field of understanding, but I had not listened with my heart and thereby prevented the full effect, to the point that I was not willing to assume my own responsibility and was not ready to give up my notions.

When I realised my state of mind in this regard, it dawned on me that I displayed the mentality of an everyday person. An everyday person more readily accepts opinions and viewpoints from outside himself. That person’s mind is not yet ready to examine his conscience, because he or she does not want to assume responsibility for his or her words and actions. Also, when things don’t go well, then that person can put the blame on others, saying, “it is not my fault, it is the other person’s fault.” Is this bad? It is really quite bad to act like that! To assimilate to the Fa includes accepting responsibility for oneself. As a cultivator I must not only NOT be lead by attitudes from everyday people, but also must not be led by my own notions. I should always measure myself against the Fa first and then act later.

By teaching us the basics of the Fa, Master makes it possible for us during our cultivation process to practise and put into effect being responsible for ourselves, and yet does not apply any kind of duress, because “no one will force you to practise cultivation” (Master Li’s words). This Fa is immense and mighty powerful, which is why Master can give us free reign. If I do not allow a fellow cultivator enough breathing room for his/her own comprehension of the teachings of the Fa, then I am actually not putting trust in the Fa. (“Trust” is the only human word that fits, I cannot express it any better).

If I do not pay attention to this fundamental meaning and I don’t recognise the demands the Fa places on me, but demand perfection from others, then I manage to not only limit myself but also others. Such actions will bring us losses to the whole body and it might be that those losses cannot be recovered. Besides, would those actions done out of pursuit not actually be tainted? We must strive to achieve without pursuit.

Master further tells us that our levels will only be raised when we not only achieve outwardly good deeds, but when our hearts and minds have reached that realm. In order to get there, we must have the freedom of possibilities.

Why is that the [Chinese] practitioners have been able to withstand the tremendous pressure from the persecution for so long already? Because they have backed up their comprehension of the Fa with their whole hearts and minds, something they could only have achieved without duress [from the Fa].

I myself will try to become better, for the sake of all of us, by genuinely learning the Fa, to assimilate myself better, so that I can prevent any further losses to Dafa.