Walking a Straight Path

When studying Master's lecture, “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching,” I felt that my thoughts were constantly elevating on the Fa principles. I also felt that my mind's capacity was constantly expanding. After studying the Fa, when looking again at those human mindsets we face, as well as those problems brought about by practitioners not cooperating, including the hardships we face when working on saving sentient beings, they all seem very small. When looking back, the ups and downs that we have experienced while following Master to rectify the Fa, those rough setbacks, all just seem like a dream and are really nothing. Similarly, amidst Master's Fa-rectification, the things that we have done and the tribulations that we have experienced, in the universe's incomparably broad and vast cosmic body, are all just specks of dust, small and insignificant. Now I would like to share with practitioners a few of my realizations.

I have developed an even deeper understanding of the three things that Master requires of us.

Assisting with Master's Fa-rectification among everyday people and our cultivation are a very small part amidst the Fa-rectification of the enormous universe's system. How many cosmic bodies and systems are there in the universe? How many universes? How many lives are there? It's all beyond measure! It's Master's Fa-rectification that is in control of everything, from the macro to the micro. Master wants to save the countless universe systems, as well as all of the countless universes and all lives encompassed by those systems.

Previously, while Dafa disciples suffered tribulations, practitioners with human mindsets as well as those lives being controlled by the evil would use words to confuse those Dafa disciples who were not clear on the Fa's principles, “Doesn't your Master possess great divine powers? Why can't he save you now? Why have you been caught by us and sent to a forced labour camp?”

Yes! Master definitely has the power to protect us! Yet, based on the Fa's principles we have also recognized that it's not that Master can't protect us! Being on this path of cultivation and of assisting Master to rectify the Fa, there are two possible reasons as to why we encounter tribulations. One is that over the very long course of history, profound relationships have been forged with karma we owe, as well as bearing what's necessary for saving those lives. The other stems from our human attachments that form into various notions and human mindsets which create hindrances.

The parts of the lives within our bodies that have not been assimilated to the Fa by Fa-rectification are all still in the old universe. They're still amidst the arrangements and tests of various levels of the old universe. We all know not to recognize the old universe's arrangements. That doesn't mean that if you don't recognize them they will not exist. Due to Master's wanting to save them, Master has been using their arrangements to see whether our behaviour can rise to the standard. If on the path of cultivation, all those hardships that irritate our human mindsets are removed by Master, and none of our karma is born or repaid, then not only would the lives of the old universe not allow us to ascend, but even the standard for levels of the new universe would restrict us and not allow us to ascend. The standards for various levels of the universe are fixed, and even Master wouldn't alter them. The standards of various levels in the universe treat sentient beings of various levels absolutely the same. It's not that because you're a Dafa disciple, you'll be given the green light and be let through!

Why does Master repeatedly emphasize the importance of studying the Fa? Fa study is fundamental to a life's ascension and improvement. Dafa created countless universal systems, countless universes, and countless lives of different realms in the universe. Every level of lives are amidst Dafa's assimilation and rectification. Moreover, all kinds of lives' behaviour in the human world is actually just that of lives of different levels, because this is the focal point of Fa-rectification. The representatives for lives of all levels are all clustered here, and are representing the state of lives of their particular level in the universe. Each representative's attitude towards Fa-rectification determines the survival or destruction of his particular universe, or of the lives of his certain cosmic system.

What are our responsibilities? If our Fa study is not solid, our xinxing not fundamentally changed, and if we have yet to arrive at the requirements for lives of various levels, then when we send forth righteous thoughts and save lives with various human mindsets, we will stumble and encounter all sorts of troubles. Not only will the lives in our own cosmic body be unable to gain salvation, but the innumerable lives of numerous other cosmic bodies will be unable to gain salvation as well, because one life in the human world gaining salvation is equivalent to a level of the universe, or even the innumerable lives of an even greater cosmic body gaining salvation.

Why is the path we travel so difficult? It's difficult because on the path we travel we must arrive at the standard for various levels of the universe. It's difficult in that we have to purify ourselves and then with very strong righteous thoughts deny all those arrangements made by the old universe. This type of denial is not as simple as just thinking, “I don't recognize it,” with everything being just fine. The ultimate denial is to see if one has cultivated purely. Has your thinking arrived at the standard? Are your thoughts and your thinking in accordance with the Fa? Are you fostering any human mindsets and human notions? All the troubles and interference are directed at our human mindsets and notions.

Master said,

“If in cultivation you don’t get rid of your human thinking, anything might serve to trigger your attachments or act as an obstacle in your cultivation.” (“20th Anniversary Fa Teaching”)

We should look within and cultivate it away. The troubles and interference will all just disappear, and our paths will become smooth. So, studying the Fa and cultivating the heart is very important! All righteous thoughts are from the Fa. The power that saves sentient beings is all from the Fa. If we can all get down to studying the Fa, cultivating our hearts, and looking within, then the evil will be destroyed. That is because they wouldn't have any further gaps to exploit, and we wouldn't have any human mindsets or notions that would allow them to obstruct us and cause trouble for us.

We are to do things, but without pursuit. Everyone with a good way to save people should bring it out and we'll all harmonize it together. During the process, if there are any specific areas that are not perfect enough or not good enough, then we can use our own ways to quietly harmonize with them, without being attached to our own thoughts and methods of doing things. Once we are attached to self, then isn't that precisely the behaviour of old lives of various levels? Aren't the lives of the many levels just the same? They just want to change others, yet not improve themselves. While parts of our thinking have yet to enter the new cosmos, we still foster the old universe's corrupt selfishness. Yet, the new universe requires us to cultivate the righteous attainment of selflessness.

We should not allow any human mindsets to be stirred. Regardless of the changes that occur in the society of everyday people, all of such is inevitable, we are not to be moved.

“Doing but without pursuit —
So constant, abiding in the Dao.”
(“Abiding in the Dao” from Hong Yin)

Proceed with steadily doing well what we ought to, and that is studying the Fa well, purifying ourselves, sending forth righteous thoughts, cleaning out evil, saving sentient beings, and unconditionally harmonizing all that Master wants. This is walking straight our paths.