Paying Attention to One's Speech is Paying Attention to One's Heart

Since I learned Falun Dafa I knew that I should pay attention to the cultivation of one's speech, but I did not always do well in this area. Another practitioner told me that cultivating speech is like cultivating the heart. To me this made a lot of sense. How well you cultivate your heart is not seen by others, but whether you mind your speech well or not can be seen by everyone and may also create negative effects to the environment. I realised that I wasn't cultivating either my speech, nor my heart, very well.

On one occasion I visited one of my relatives. He was having his home renovated. My relative commented that the workers were too slow. I responded without thinking, "If they work slowly they can get more money." My relative then went right down and scolded the workers, which gave me no chance to make up for my thoughtless comment.

I often notice that once the words are released from my mouth, it is very difficult to take them back. Although I say things without intention, an ordinary person still listens very closely. Therefore, minding our speech is very difficult. One day during studying, I was struck by Teacher's words, "You know, Buddhas don't speak frivolously." (Zhuan Falun - a book containing the principle teachings of Falun Gong). I suddenly realised that as a cultivator I should not confuse myself with an everyday person and talk without purpose. If it is unnecessary to discuss something, then I should try to talk less. If I talk too much, it may bring additional troubles to ourselves and others.

When some practitioners in my area talked to others who had detoured and did things that practitioners should not do, their language was sharp and intolerant. In some cases, later, the practitioner who spoke sharply did not do as well as the person he ridiculed. When we do not take responsibility for our words and our behaviour, first we hurt others, and eventually we harm ourselves.

We all have the predestined relationship to be born during this period of Teacher's Fa rectification. We should treasure this precious predestined relationship by helping each other and making up for our collective shortcomings by learning from each others' strong points. Is it possible for anyone to not make a mistake? How could we feel such distaste toward fellow practitioners? What possible reason do we have to complain when we are before living beings? The mouth of the human being is the door that will measure whether the result will be fortune or misfortune. The tongue is a sword, which can destroy demons and eliminate the evil lies. We should use our mouths to introduce the principles of Falun Dafa or Fa to more people, which is showing mercy and benevolence to people.

On the path of our cultivation practice, every practitioner has his or her own difficulties and confusion. We cannot pass every test easily. Sometimes it is necessary to stop and consider what we have been doing. This is the time to calm down and use the Fa to judge whether the path we have walked is righteous or not, and what we have done is correct or not. From a small mistake we need to get better at realising the truth and solving the root problem. In this way we will correct ourselves thoroughly and become cultivators who are truly admired by gods and by all living beings.

It is the same for clarifying the truth. Not only we should pay great attention to the quantity, but we must pay greater attention to the quality and to the effect. For practitioners who stepped out later and who have a heavy attachment of fear, do not hold onto the fear of falling behind or not reaching consummation. We must know that to do the most sacred things in the universe while holding on to dirty human attachments is a blasphemy to gods. It is also being irresponsible to ourselves and to others. We should use our pure hearts to do everything that we should do--even small things--and do them well. If you feel it is difficult to clarify the truth directly to others, then you may send forth righteous thoughts more and consider how to use an alternate method to let others know that Dafa is good. So long as you have Teacher and the Fa in your heart, there are always things you can do, and do well. Believe it! As long as you are studying, cultivating and looking inside, you are improving. Gain naturally without pursuit is what I have learned during my cultivation.