What I Learned about Myself after My Articles Were Published

The Minghui website published a notice for experience sharing articles from Mainland Chinese practitioners for the fifth Mainland Chinese Internet Fa Conference. Many fellow practitioners from my local Fa study group encouraged me to write an article. I have been practising Falun Gong for nine years but I have never submitted an article to Minghui.

When I occasionally enlightened to the Fa during my Fa study and cultivation practice, all I did was share it with several practitioners who were close to me. I thought I didn't know where to begin when it came to reflecting on my journey over the past nine years. I decided to compile my recent cultivation insights into five articles and submitted them to Minghui. Three out of the five were selected and published. This allowed me to find hidden attachments I didn't see before.

Zealotry

When I saw my cultivation insights published on "Minghui Weekly," my heart palpitated. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was only after I had repeatedly read the article that I was certain it was indeed my article. Later, I calmed down and told myself: "Good or bad comes from one thought." It is important to govern the first thought when I encounter a test. Why was I so excited? Apparently I had failed to let go of my attachment to fame. In my heart, I wanted to be acknowledged and I was attached to myself, except that I didn't exhibit it so obviously before.

Disappointment

Each day I downloaded articles from Minghui and looked for my articles first. If I didn't find my article, I was disappointed. If I did, I felt very happy. Why on earth did I submit articles to Minghui? Was it about proving myself? I always thought about validating Falun Gong, but now I realized that I often thought about validating myself in real situations.

When my article was published, I felt it was an encouragement from Teacher. Also, fellow practitioners from Minghui helped me with the article, modified it, and made it flow better and read more clearly. I shouldn't feel disappointed if my article is not selected. I shall continue to submit articles to Minghui.

I felt I had a clearer understanding of the Fa and developed a better understanding of the problems I faced while I was writing about my cultivation insights. I realized that writing articles is also a form of validating the Fa and a great way to eliminate the evil in other dimensions.

Besides, there is only limited space on Minghui, and my personal insights might not totally comply with the Fa. The feelings of joy and disappointment are secular things. Once I expose these feelings, I may study the Fa, search inward, upgrade my cultivation level, and eliminate these attachments. Isn't this what cultivation is about?

Looking back, I only demanded information from Minghui during the many years of my cultivation, giving nothing in return. I took it for granted and read fellow practitioners' cultivation insights every week, but never shared my own insights with fellow practitioners. Wasn't that a sign of laziness and selfishness? It is a lesson I learned and I wrote about it just now to remind fellow practitioners not to repeat my mistake.

One day, I happened to notice a line in Zhuan Falun. Teacher said,

"This Fa can only be taught to this level. It is up to your own cultivation to attain what is at high levels." (Lecture Nine of Zhuan Falun)

Indeed, it is up to us to enlighten to the Fa, to dig out hidden attachments, to rectify ourselves, and to upgrade our cultivation levels.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind fellow practitioners who find it difficult to write cultivation experiences: there is no need to use fancy rhetoric. Just use normal expressions that you are comfortable with to describe your cultivation experiences and insights. If you avoid writing using the excuse that your writing skills are poor, perhaps you might miss opportunities to identify hidden attachments.