Looking Within and Finding Attachments

In the process of cultivation, when we are confronted with tests, tribulations, and conflicts, we know that we should look inward according to Master's Fa. However, sometimes if we find a lot of problems, our cultivation state has not obviously improved. Sometimes, we cannot even find the root of the problem and do not know the reason for it. Therefore, some practitioners have been in tribulations for a long period of time and feel very depressed. A few days ago I shared with several practitioners and practitioner Lin's experience touched me deeply.

That day we went to Lin's home to share. As soon as we entered her house, we noticed that she was experiencing sickness karma. When we asked for the reason, her husband told us that she was going through a test. She had had a toothache for over a week and could neither eat nor sleep and even writhed in bed due to the pain. Another practitioner asked her if she had looked within. She replied that she had, but she didn't think she had found anything special. She had also sent forth righteous thoughts. She was wondering why her situation had not improved. Regarding her state, we shared about the issue of looking within.

Master told us,

"As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")

"You must cultivate your mind--work hard on your own mind--and find your own weaknesses and shortcomings and then eradicate them." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Singapore" in 1998)

Some practitioners said that, according to Master's Fa, in the process of cultivation, all the tests, tribulations, and conflicts we encounter are led by our attachments. There must be some reason and we should find it. Therefore, Master has asked us to cultivate our minds and correctly find our attachments and then eradicate them. Several practitioners said that they had a good technique to find their problems, which was to try to first identify the time and the reason that produced the conflict and then look within gradually until they found the root cause of the conflict. Next, they examine themselves to find out what attachment caused this bad state. After finding it, they expose and disintegrate it.

When we took turns sharing, Lin suddenly said that she had found the reason. During the past few days, two incidents related to her children occurred in her home. At the time she thought they were just family trifles and did not handle them seriously or look within. She recalled those trifles and realized that we are cultivating in this environment. Regarding the incidents, she felt that, although she did not get angry, she was affected and had sentimentality. Was this the state of a cultivator? As she was saying this, she suddenly announced that her pain had disappeared. She ate four big, steamed, stuffed buns for lunch that day.

Lin's experience really got my attention. I thought that I sometimes had not passed a test well just because I was not able to find the correct reason, which then resulted in tribulations. My husband and I are both cultivators. He cares about me very much and likes to obey me. We have cooperated very well together while doing the three things. However, there was a time I noticed that he did not like to study the Fa and he read the newspaper during the day and watched TV at night. Sometimes I reminded him to make time to study the Fa, but he did not pay attention to me at all. I worried about him very much and asked fellow practitioners to share with him. After sharing with him several times, he pointed out a lot of my shortcomings, especially about the issue of dealing with our house 20 years ago. He was very dissatisfied with me and said that I was very arbitrary and looked down on him. At that time, I did not get angry. I thought that we were both cultivators, so why did he mention something that happened 20 years ago? Wasn't this to eliminate my attachment? Master told us, "When it's time for an attachment to be removed it will naturally manifest." ("Explaining the Fa for Falun Dafa Assistants in Changchun" from Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa) I carefully looked within and tried to find my attachment. However, I was not able to find it.

One day I went to someone's home to clarify the truth. Two days later, a practitioner told me that when I spoke to that person, he immediately thought that I was a cadre. He said that I always ordered others to do things. I was very surprised at that because I had never realized it. In the process of communicating with this practitioner, I suddenly realized the root cause of my problem. I was not considerate of others and the roots of the CCP culture were deep within me. In the past, I did not pay attention to Master's teachings in this respect. Not until the problem became obvious did I start to look within.

After I discovered my attachment, I apologized to my husband in the presence of other practitioners. When I had finally found my attachment, I could pass the test. Since then my family has lived in perfect harmony again.