Eliminating Human Notions, Treasuring Opportunities of Fa Rectification

I obtained the Fa in China in 1995. In 1997 I came abroad to study. I have been cultivating for thirteen years. Looking back on these thirteen years, I feel fortunate to be a Dafa disciple during the Fa rectification period and I treasure very much the precious Fa rectification opportunity that is one in a million years.

Master said in Lun Yu, “Nothing is as profound as BUDDHA LAW. Of all teachings in the world it is the most wondrous and highest science. To open up this field, ordinary people have to fundamentally change their way of thinking. Failing that, the reality of the universe will forever remain something of a myth to mankind, and ordinary people will forever grope around inside the box created by their own ignorance.” During the recent New York lecture, Master warned again, “But some people still, after several years, have not changed their notions on a fundamental level.” Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference. Going through Master’s past lectures, the issue of transcending human notions can be found everywhere.

Once an ordinary person friend asked me, “What is the difference between a practitioner and an ordinary person?” It is a question that I often ask myself in the course of cultivation. Dafa cultivation focuses directly on one’s mind. Other than benefiting in mind and body from Dafa, the process of cultivation is also the course of validating Dafa. In my opinion, the most obvious difference between a practitioner and an ordinary person is getting rid of human notions and establishing in their place a practitioner’s righteous thoughts.

Getting rid of human notions is the Fa’s requirement offor Dafa disciples

In my adolescence, I often felt pessimistic about the ultimate purpose of life. Secretly I swore, I must find out what life is for. Even though I had been puzzled by life, during the years prior to obtaining the Fa I longed for cultivation but without the Fa I continued to chase after fame, profit and emotion. Like many others, the karma in my thoughts and warped human notions increased by the day.

At university I started exploring Qi Gong and looking for ways of cultivation. But it was not until I was 30 years old when I first read Zhuan Falun that all the questions through years of searching got answered. I knew it was what I had been looking for. Since then I started true cultivation.

For a few years prior to cultivation, I read quite a lot of books and stories about Buddhist and Taoist cultivation. As a result, I was not alarmed by various ordeals and tests encountered during Dafa cultivation. I firmly believed that I would always manage to pass those tests through studying the Fa, improving the character, and looking inwards. When the persecution started, evil in other dimensions made me suffer a great deal of ordeals. Time and again I faced tests of life and death. Other than persistent Fa study, I had to clear away thought karma for a few hours each day. During a certain period of time, I worried that I would not wake up from dreams.. Before going to sleep each night, I would silently promise myself, “No matter what happens in the dreams, I will continue to cultivate in the next life time.”

Before Master published the first article after the persecution started, the pressure from other dimensions that had hung over my head was suddenly gone. It was as if I had just survived a calamity. Later I learnt from Master’s lectures that Master spent nine months cleaning up the evil in other dimensions. During that time, while under huge pressure, as the president of the local student association, I utilized my role as much as possible to fulfil the duty of a Dafa disciple during the Fa rectification period, such as handing in protest letters to the Chinese Consulate, clarifying the truth to Chinese scholars on the student association’s website, and actively participating in various activities to expose the persecution, etc. My will to cultivate Dafa has never been shaken by the constant change of events.

When fighting with evil in other dimensions and during the process of cleansing thought karma, studying the Fa was the only way to reinforce my righteous thoughts and strength. In Zhuan Falun, Master talked many times about the state of mind that a practitioner should maintain. For example in the Fifth Talk, Master said, “When you practice you should take virtue seriously. So while you're doing the exercises, if you don’t have good thoughts, at least you shouldn’t have bad thoughts, and the best is to have no thoughts at all.” Another day, when I recited the poem, Nothing Kept, in Hong Yin, the last two sentences “Washing away all wrong thought, Buddhahood, with less adversity, is wrought.” suddenly enlightened me. I realized, in fact cultivation is not difficult. The key is to clear the mind of any improper thoughts and notions. Since then, I proactively paid attention to every single thought in my mind. I did not think about anything improper and immediately repelled any bad thoughts (at that time Master had not published the article about sending forth righteous thoughts). After more than half a year, with the evil in other dimensions being eliminated, I found that distracting thoughts became fewer. I could enjoy the kind of peace from maintaining an empty mind. With the global sending forth righteous thoughts, each time I eliminate the bad thoughts, karma, and evil in my mind. In most cases my mind can be focused on the righteous thoughts being sent out.

As human notions became fewer, I found that I no longer racked my brains like I did when I was an ordinary person. When problems arise, often answers come easily. When I talk with others, my mind is focused and devoid of any distracting thoughts.

I notice these changes, which are incredible to me prior to cultivation. I once was an introverted, sensitive and sad person, constantly thinking about who-knows-what each day. Even though prior to cultivation I also enjoyed a sitting meditation at midnight, I could not get rid of all kinds of thoughts that arrived as if on a runaway train. Since Dafa cultivation, I was surprised myself at such rapid changes at a microscopic level.

Through personal experience, I realized the importance of getting rid of human notions to a practitioner. Different ways of thinking represent different states of living and levels of awareness of different life forms. Perhaps a practitioner and an ordinary person are only separated by one thought.

Eliminate human notions, looking at things with righteous thoughts

Eliminating human notions is not the ultimate goal. Dafa disciples also need to form the righteous thoughts of practitioners during cultivation. Master said in his lecture, In Fa-Rectification Your Thoughts Have to be Righteous, Not Human, “What I am doing is leading you toward godhood in cultivation, leading your understanding, little by little, out of humanness and beyond that of man, and the goal is to lead you to Consummation and the ascension of your being.” Master clearly demands that Dafa disciples not to conform to a human understanding during cultivation but to surpass it.

During Fa rectification, one often encounters conflicts between Dafa projects and human notions. The way one deals with such conflicts will reflect the level of understanding of the Fa. During Shen Yun’s 2008 performance in London, the Epoch Times was required to produce at least thirty articles for each show. But the venue had all kinds of restrictions about media interviews. If one was to comply with rules of the venue, it would be impossible to fulfil the Fa rectification tasks that Master had given the media. At the time almost all practitioners completely took the venue’s point of view. Many journalist practitioners also went with the flow as if when there was any conflict between the requirements of ordinary people vs. Fa rectification, ordinary people would be placed first. At that time the Editor in Chief of the global Epoch Times flew to London to support the reporting. She told me, “Liu Wei, you must decide. Everyone is looking at you?.” I quickly straightened out my thoughts. In front of us were two things that were seemingly irreconcilable, one was the strict rules of ordinary people, another was the Fa rectification requirements. I remembered during Fa rectification cultivation in the past, even though on the surface things were different, Dafa disciples had to walk the path under conflicts between ordinary people’s rules and Fa rectification requirements. I also remembered those diligent Dafa disciples in China. Everyday they silently assist Master in Fa rectification and save sentient beings without the permission of ordinary people’s laws. In essence many things are the same. The choice in the end reflects a practitioner’s degree of belief in the Master and in the Fa.

When I made up my mind, I told the Editor in Chief, “I have decided. Our Epoch Times reporters will do low-key interviews, placing Fa rectification tasks first. Of course I will remind reporters to do their best to consider the environment, especially not to disturb the audience while watching Shen Yun.” I stressed, “I will take the ultimate responsibility.” Even though I made such a decision at the time, I was indeed under a lot of pressure. I realized things would be fine if there were no complications. If anything less than ideal happened, I would need to shoulder unknown responsibility and complaints from all fronts. Since everyone had already accepted the venue’s requirements as a given, I seemed to be at risk of being very unpopular.

When I announced the interview arrangement for Epoch Times at the media centere before Shen Yun began, I could feel the surprise of some journalist practitioners. But at the time I firmly believed in the miraculous power of Dafa. As long as our hearts were validating the Fa and saving sentient beings, Master and the gods would definitely help us.

During the four days of round-the-clock busy interviewing, I was moved by the Shen Yun performance. Each time I watched it, I was immersed in the magnificence of authentic human art. My mind and body were both purified. During each intermission and at the end of each show, I quickly interviewed pre-destined audience members. Through the combined efforts of all Epoch Times reporters, we published 146 articles on Shen Yun within four days, the quantity and quality of which were both praised. It was also a good training session for the UK Epoch Times team.

Looking back on the whole process, I was enlightened again. Master said, “Everything through the ages, came about for the Fa” (Just a Play) My understanding is – when on the surface things conflict with Fa rectification requirements, it is not impossible to harmonize the situation. The key is whether we base our thinking from the standpoint of the Fa or of ordinary people. Exaggerating conflicts may be a result of not having completely understood the all-encompassing nature of the Dafa or Master’s arrangements during Fa rectification. If we believe in the Master and the Fa completely, we can make the best use out of any thing or conflict in front of us in order to achieve the goal of saving sentient beings.

Eliminating human notions, treasuring the opportunity of Fa Rectification

With the change in notions, I found that my understanding of the Fa is getting deeper when I study the Fa, such as my understanding of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. For a long time, I have been paying attention to disciplining myself with these principles in my daily life and in cultivation. With continued Fa study and cultivation, I feel that these principles gradually forge into my microscopic life, making me truly appreciate the preciousness of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and treasure every pre-destined being. When I see beautiful natural landscapes on TV, I am often moved by the silent life forms under the heavens, feeling their innate movements and their pre-destined relationships with Dafa.

When coordinating Dafa projects, I often get in touch with various practitioners. Even though each has his or her own state of cultivation, I treat everyone with virtually no preconceptions. For those who are in tribulations, I help them with encouragement as much as possible. When I share with them, I do not have any prejudice in my mind. Rather, I am moved by their firm belief in Dafa and cultivation through tribulations. Even though I am a veteran practitioner, I am often touched by many new practitioners’ pure hearts towards Dafa, reminding myself not to slack off.

With human notions being eliminated, I take lightly problems with others. Once, a practitioner from elsewhere phoned me to tell me that a practitioner was damaging my relationship with another practitioner behind my back. After I heard that, I replied lightly, “This does not have any impact on me.” Indeed I spoke how I felt at the time. I would not investigate the ins and outs of this incident either. I often feel it is such a shame to spend time gossiping about other people.

During the years of coordinating Dafa projects, I often encounter situations where practitioners say or do things that hurt the one body, including misunderstandings towards me. Other than looking inwards to see if I have problems, I do not harbour any resentment or get attached to justice. Once, an editor called me to say that he heard another editor saying that contents on the front page were somewhat redundant, which was the result of Liu Wei’s attachments. Upon hearing that, I did not explain. I said, “I will look inward to see what problems I have.”

In the process of coordinating projects, I encountered all kinds of practitioners and various states of mind. When practitioners sometimes display character problems, I would approach them with a compassionate heart. I treasure the pre-destined relationships of all those who participate in the same Fa rectification project. As long as everyone can fully utilize one’s talents and wisdom on Dafa projects, personal gain or loss means nothing.

In fact Master said long ago, “An everyday person’s kindness isn’t manifest in his not generating karma when acquiring food for survival, but rather, it manifests in not keeping count of others’ wrongs, not holding grudges...” (Dafa Is All-Encompassing) What Master referred to was merely the kindness of ordinary people. Dafa disciples should reach higher levels of awareness and greater compassion.

With human notions being eliminated and the further advancement of Fa rectification, I understand more and more of Dafa at different levels. When reading Zhuan Falun, I can often see abound Master’s explanation of the Fa rectification process. Be it studying the Fa or doing the exercises, I regard the process as one that allows me to immerse into the Fa and be cleansed by Dafa. I deeply enlightened, everything is within the Fa. As long as one uses one’s heart to understand the meaning of Dafa and cultivation, one’s wisdom will be freed gradually. I often praise from the bottom of my heart, Dafa is indeed all-capable, omnipresent. The Lord Buddha has already disclosed the entire secret of the universe to mankind.

Looking back on the past thirteen years of cultivation, I sincerely feel Dafa disciples are indeed the luckiest beings in the history of the vast universe. We are lucky enough to be in the same world as the Lord Buddha, to hear the law of the universe, to assist Master in his Fa rectification, and to fulfil our prehistoric vows.

Fellow practitioners, let us treasure this once-in-a-million-years opportunity!

Thank you!