Rectifying Our Standards

After Jiang's regime began to persecute Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) in July 1999, I felt very hurt when I saw the continuous defamation in the news. I could not help crying bitterly as strong feelings of grievance, disgust and indignation welled up in my heart. As time passed, the prejudice and taunts against Dafa and people's seemingly uncaring attitude when I tried to clarify the truth to them hurt me deeply, like a knife being twisted in my heart. Imperceptibly, the mentality of blaming others developed, exposing my impure side.

As the suppression became more and more severe, my will became weaker and weaker. Although I looked inward and made some improvement after Teacher's article "Towards Consummation" and others were published, I did not completely rectify that mentality. In August 2001, fellow practitioner Auntie Li [calling a middle-aged female acquaintance "Auntie" is common in Chinese, even though the parties have no family relationship] came to me twice to ask me to go and visit an elderly practitioner with her. All of a sudden I felt the concern and compassion that exists among fellow practitioners, and the knot in my heart was finally untied.

I learned about sending forth righteous thoughts on that day.

I studied Teacher's new lectures and began sending forth righteous thoughts after I got home. One day when I erected my hand to send forth righteous thoughts, I felt deep in my mind that sending forth righteous thoughts is a manifestation of Teacher's boundless trust in Dafa practitioners. Teacher bestowed this responsibility on practitioners! An extremely sacred and dignified power filled my heart. Yes, I thought, isn't Teacher's trust the most compassionate power bestowed on us and the most sacred praise? What excuses do we have to keep us from being diligent?

I also felt that we would become the guardians of the cosmos. That is why it is called the divine power of Buddha Fa [Fa-law or principles]. Isn't the manifestation of righteous thoughts solely for the purpose of safeguarding the Buddha Fa? Isn't it a reflection of the dignity that can only be displayed by righteous beings that are selfless, not selfish? At that moment, Teacher's words on "selfishness" appeared repeatedly in my mind. The heroic actions and images of fellow practitioners who lost their lives safeguarding the Fa repeatedly appeared in my mind. I suddenly became aware, and thought, "Didn't all of my own improper actions contain factors related to the selfishness that I still had?"

Then a voice resounded in my heart: Only by being selfless can one generate righteous thoughts! All of a sudden my eyes were full of tears, and I had a deeper understanding of "sending forth righteous thoughts." I realised that "selfishness" is the fundamental factor that caused the degeneration of the old universe and that "selfishness" is one of the factors that reduced the capacity of lives and made them unable to stay in the higher levels and bigger dimensions. Selflessness harmonises. Selflessness can enable beings to reach much higher standards.

I enlightened to the realisation that one of the inner meanings of Teacher's Fa-rectification is to rectify the standards for beings at all levels of the cosmos, comprising all cosmic bodies and various colossal firmaments. The fundamental degeneration of the old cosmic firmament started from the deviation of the measurement criteria (the standards) for beings. The deterioration of beings and substances is just a surface manifestation of this deviation. When we are in the process of letting go of our attachments, sentimentality, and selfishness, we are actually rectifying our standards.

It can be said that our mind-heart nature and actions correspond to whatever standards we have. The criteria that one selects determine the corresponding level a being will reach. The old forces have selected the old standards and do not want to change. They therefore have to dissolve along with the old principles.

If the thought, "Falun Dafa is good," appears in the heart of a sentient being, he will in fact be selected by the measurement criteria of the new cosmos. When we rectify our own standards, our words and actions at the surface can naturally manifest those of "a good person." However, our essential natures and our minds have absolutely gone beyond that mere manifestation in this dimension. That is to say that the factors of our lives at all levels are also being rectified in the realms of all levels, thereby rectifying various worlds and the scope of different cosmic bodies.

This is just my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.