My Understanding of "Cultivating while Conforming to Everyday Society"

My colleagues frequently talked to me about their personal matters. For example, they would tell me about their family conflicts and conflicts with other colleagues. I listened very impatiently, but I didn't know how to handle the situation.

One day a colleague brought up the story of her first love. I forced myself to listen and gave an occasional reply. I thought this was cultivating by conforming to everyday society. Later that day, the water tank in my work unit leaked. That evening while I was studying the Fa, thoughts of lust karma interfered with me, yet I didn't realize that this was the old forces making use of everyday people to interfere with me. Later, a fellow practitioner whom I used to know paid me a visit. She talked incessantly about her personal problems -- looking for a stable job, family conflicts and the relationship with her boyfriend. I reminded her to search within herself, but she paid no attention and continued talking about her personal situation in everyday society. I forced myself to listen because I thought this was conforming to everyday society, but afterwards, I felt dizzy and very uncomfortable. It was difficult for me to calm down and become tranquil. When I read Zhuan Falun, I didn't see any Fa there.

That's when I began to realize that something wasn't right. I looked inside myself and realized that I had misunderstood the Fa about cultivating ourselves while "...we should accord with everyday people as much as possible." (Zhuan Falun)

Master wants us to cultivate while conforming to society, but I mistakenly thought that conforming to the attachments of everyday people is conforming to society. I have a job and if I do my job well, I will be cultivating while trying my best to conform to society. But if I listen frequently to the personal problems of everyday people, I will be feeding my attachments. This is not in accordance with what is required of a cultivator.

In his lecture "Touring North America to Teach the Fa," Master said,

"It's hard to save people nowadays. You have to explain things to them by following the logic of their attachments."

Master has the greatest compassion, and for the sake of saving these lost sentient beings, he allows practitioners to clarify the truth to everyday people by following the logic of their attachments. Other than that, we shouldn't be passionate about the attachments of everyday people.

It seems that because some practitioners, including myself, didn't have a clear understanding of the Fa, we frequently became excited while chatting. When China was mentioned, we criticized and talked about many things in China that we felt were not good. This gives people the impression that "Falun Gong doesn't love China." Not only that, once we start talking about some of the ugly news in China, we forget that we are here to save sentient beings.

Taking the recent news about poisonous milk powder as an example, it is not that we can't mention this topic, but we need to remember that the fundamental reason for talking about it is to expose the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This is saving sentient beings by clarifying the truth using the logic of everyday people's attachments. We should not be bringing up this issue because it has conformed our personal notion of "disliking" the CCP.

The base for the former intention is correct while the base for the latter intention is not in accordance with the Fa. If we look inward, we will see that this is precisely because we have attachments to sentimentality. We are the ones who are cultivating Dafa and we have compassion. The CCP is evil and is doomed, but we shouldn't be attached to the evil manifestations of the CCP. The reason we talk about its evil deeds is not to vent our anger or hatred, but to clarify the truth. If we are happy talking about the ugly news in China or are venting our emotions, then this is in fact wrong.

These issues are raised for the sake of discussion among practitioners and for the sake of becoming better able to save sentient beings. This is my personal understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.