(Minghui.org) Recently, while reading Master’s article “Pacify the External by Cultivating the Internal” (Essentials For Further Advancement), I developed a new understanding: while cultivating our character, we can positively change our external environment.
I replaced my printer a while ago, but it repeatedly kept malfunctioning by feeding multiple pages at once. Since I needed to print double-sided documents, this caused me many problems. Neither fellow practitioners with technical skills nor professional repairmen could fix it. I became very anxious and worried, even nervous and stressed, whenever I used the printer. I came to realize that my mindset was not right. I had the attachments to comfort and a fear of trouble, so I decided to eliminate them. Then, my mind became calmer, and amazingly, the printer’s malfunction gradually disappeared. Now, the issue only happens occasionally.
My relationship with my daughter and son-in-law was strained, largely because I couldn’t stand the fact that they didn’t do any household chores. I felt that children should respect and care for their parents, but now it was the other way around in my family. We even argued over it, and although I knew from the standpoint of the Fa that I wasn’t correct, I struggled to get over it emotionally.
I looked inward. Isn’t respecting and caring for parents a common human principle? According to higher principles, family members are brought together by karmic debts. It is a way of repaying karma, and it is also an opportunity to improve oneself. I decided to focus on cultivating myself. I stopped arguing with them, and as a result, their behavior also improved. Our family interactions became more harmonious.
Reflecting on the two stories above, I have come to realize that, as Dafa disciples, our personal cultivation and the environment surrounding us are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Maintaining righteous thoughts and looking inward, while clarifying the truth and assisting Master in Fa rectification, is the key to resolving conflicts. This is one aspect of Master’s Fa teaching, “Pacify the External by Cultivating the Internal.” (Essentials for Further Advancement.)
This is my personal understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.