Ben H.
Cultivating among the ordinary society
符合常人狀態修煉
Sharing by Benjamin H.
As time goes by, I can feel more and more that the future for Falun Dafa practitioners, as well as all sentient beings, is going to be bright. Lately, I have had more and more realisations about cultivating amidst society, and harmonising the world around me.
隨著時間的推移，我對大法弟子以及眾生的美好未來感受越來越多。最近，我對於如何在社會中修煉、圓容我周圍的環境有很多的體悟。
When I began my cultivation, I was of course completely in the mindset of self cultivation. I saw this everyday society as putrid, and saw my single goal in life as getting out of it and never looking back. But this mindset brought me great pain. I stifled all my political and social opinions, put aside all my hobbies, and saw as attachments all my career goals, and aspirations for the future in this world. To everyday people, I was an empty shell – those around me felt that I had no concerns whatsoever for the world around me. They saw me as uncompassionate, uncaring for the issues of world poverty and human suffering that I was once so deeply concerned about. I would tell them that Dafa practitioners are compassionate, and about the suffering of practitioners in China, but even I myself was unsure of how to balance looking at the issues in China, and my perception of being ‘unmoved’ – which as I saw it then was being cold, detached and unemmotional. The message would never get through to those around me, as people felt they had nothing in common with me. Just as Master said in the chapter on zealousy, or ‘being too engrossed’, in Zhuan Falun, nobody thought I was normal, and it was indeed horrible for me. But I saw my misery as the manifestation of sentimentality, and would not give myself even the benefit of crying alone in my room.
當我開始修煉時，完全是處於自我修煉的狀態。我覺得常人社會很骯髒，我生命中唯一的目地就是脫離它，永不回頭。但是，這種想法給我帶來了極大的痛苦。我抑制自己對政治和社會的看法，放棄了所有的愛好，將事業上的目標和對未來世界的憧憬當成執著。對常人來說，我就像一個空殼 – 周圍的人覺得我沒有善心，對這個世界上所發生的事漠不關心，而從前我曾經深深的關心著人類的貧窮與苦難。我跟他們說，大法學員是善良的，還告訴他們學員們在中國所遭受的迫害。然而，就連我自己都不清楚該如何看待中國所發生的事，我當時所理解的”不動心”就是冷漠、不動情。我周圍的人之所以不能瞭解真象，是因為他們覺得跟我沒有共同語言。正如師父在<轉法輪>的”歡喜心”這一節中講到的，沒有人把我當成正常人看，這對我來說真的可怕。但我認為自己的苦惱是人的情的表現，我不允許自己哪怕是在房間裡獨自哭泣。
Things slowly began to change when I began a relationship with a girl whom I had, out of selfish desires, left a year before I began my cultivation. I started to realise that to form a harmonious relationship, I needed to smile sometimes. I needed to show an interest in her affairs, before she, or anyone else, would show an interest in mine. But my interest in everyday affairs was always a facade. I would pretend to be happy for someone when I wasn’t, would pretend to be interested when I wasn’t, I had a sense that I had become quite a shallow person, but I thought that this was how a practitioner should be – still completely unconcerned for anything in the secular world, mind and soul far away in another place. Of course, I was still very much in the mindset of self-cultivation, but I myself was unable to understand why, nor could I understand what was meant exactly when other practitioners told me that the period for self-cultivation was over.
當我又開始與一個女孩子交往時，情況開始慢慢的改變。我曾於得法的前一年出於自私的原因離開了這個女孩兒。我開始意識到，要與女朋友關係和諧，我需要學會微笑。如果要她或任何人對我的事感興趣，我則需要對她的事表現出興趣。但是，我對常人事的興趣不過是裝裝樣子 ，我假裝為某人高興，假裝有興趣，而實際上卻不是。我感覺到自己變成了很淺薄的人，但我認為修煉人就是這樣的，於是仍然對常人世界的任何事毫不關心，腦子與思維都在另外空間。當然，這時的我仍然處於自我修煉的狀態，所以當有學員告訴我自我修煉的時期已經結束，我不明白是怎麼回事。
Things have changed quickly since the publication of Nine Commentaries – I have been thrust into everyday society. Every week I write articles that don’t even mention Falun Gong, and I write about political and social issues in the everyday world. I use my understanding of the Fa to analyse the issues, to decide what a righteous understanding at this level of the cosmos should be. I call non-practitioners and listen ernestly to their opinions.
自從九評出版以後，情況有了快速的變化 – 我一下子被推入常人社會。我每星期都要寫與法輪功無關的文章，報道常人社會的政治和社會問題。我用自己對法的理解來分析問題，並確定在宇宙中人這一層的正的理應該是怎樣的。我與常人接觸並認真傾聽他們的看法。
My work for the paper has brought about a desirable situation in my everyday affairs. I am studying journalism at university, and my work at the paper looks fantastic on a job resume. So while I am working for the paper and helping to clarify the truth, I am also playing a harmonising role in this world, and I am furthering my career.
參與辦報的工作給我的日常生活帶來了好的變化。我現在大學的新聞專業學習，辦報的工作使得我的工作履歷看起來很出色。在為報紙工作以及講真象的同時，我也在扮演著社會中一個和諧的角色，我自己的事業也有進展。
This has in turn brought about a good climate for clarifying the truth to my friends and family. The issues that they care deeply about, I now also have knowledge and understanding of. I am all of a sudden interested in their affairs, their passions, aspirations, their views on the world. They see me writing stories for the paper about all kinds of issues in a meaningful way, and for the first time they feel close to me, they respect me, and they truly feel that I am compassionate. Now the issue of the persecution of Falun Gong comes up quite naturally, and I talk about it in the same way I talk about everything else. Since I have now tapped into their views about the world, they feel they can relate to my issues of concern, and they use their understanding of the world around them to express sympathy, or outrage, or offer help in any way they can see.
這為我向親朋好友講真象帶來了好機會。我現在瞭解了他們深切關心的問題。我對他們的事情、他們的熱情、他們的渴望和他們的世界觀產生了興趣。他們看到我為報紙寫有意義的文章，報道各種各樣的問題，也頭一次感到與我的關係接近了。他們尊重我，真正感受到了我的善心。現在法輪功遭受迫害的話題很自然的便被提起，我就像談論其它事情一樣談論這個話題。由於我進入了他們的世界，他們覺得能理解我所關心的問題，他們用自己方式來表達同情、憤怒，或提供任何他們能想到的幫助。
It has also brought about a change in my girlfriend’s understanding of Falun Gong. She told me not long ago that she never believed me when I used to talk about Falun Gong, because it was all just words. But she said that now I have truly demonstrated with my character that Falun Gong is good, that it is nothing at all like what the Chinese government says it is. We now have a loving relationship based on mutual gratitude and respect.
這也改變了我的女朋友對法輪功的理解。前不久她告訴我：她以前從不相信我所談的法輪功的事，因為那都是嘴上說的。但現在她說我的表現說明法輪功是好的，一點也不像中國政府所說的。我們現在建立了互敬互愛的關係。
As time has gone by, I have felt the environment around me become more and more harmonised, and this has brought me a deep sense of happiness, and a deep wish to further transform the world around me into a perfected, harmonised society based on the wonderful truths of the Great Fa. After sharing and contemplation, another practitioner, and I put a motion to the student council of my university, the University of Technology, Sydney. The motion commended Falun Dafa for its three principles and benefit to the public, condemned the persecution in China, and called on the Australian government to cease the banner issue, and put human rights before trade with China, as well as resolving the student council to write letters to Mr Downer, Mr Howard, and the Chinese Embassy. The motion passed swiftly, unanimously. We gave them a ten minute powerpoint presentation first, with a few simple photos of large-scale practise sites in China before the persecution, and photos of victims of torture, while discussing the issues. They were all very supportive, some were very deeply moved and took extra initiative to help in their various ways. The other practitioner sat quietly and sent righteous thoughts while I presented, which maintained a harmony in the room. The process from the initial idea right through to the motion being passes has been almost effortless. Instead of sharing about the process, I thought I would just briefly share about one of the reasons why I think it went so well.
漸漸的我感覺我周圍的環境越來越和諧，這為我帶來了真正的快樂，也使我產生了一個深深的願望，想要進一步把我周圍的世界變成一個圓容和諧的環境。通過交流與思考，我與另一個學員在悉尼理工大學學生會發起了一項動議案。動議贊頌了法輪大法的三個原則以及給公眾帶來的益處，並譴責中國的迫害，呼籲澳洲政府停止簽發證書，不要將貿易置於人權之上；同時還決定讓學生會寫信給唐納先生、霍華德先生和中國大使館。動議很快便全體通過。我們首先向他們做了10分鍾的演示說明，展示了幾幅中國在迫害前的大型煉功照片、學員遭受酷刑的照片並對此展開討論。他們都很支持，有些人深深的被打動，主動以他們的方式提供幫助。當我在做演示時，另一個學員坐在那裡靜靜的發正念，使房間裡保持著和諧的氛圍。整個過程幾乎沒費什麼力。關於這個過程我就不交流了，主要想交流一下我自己認為這次做得比較好的一個原因。
Basically, I think the good relationship forged with the student council has played an important role. Ever since I have started having dealings with the student council, I have always taken an interest in their affairs. They are very political, very active and very vocal about issues that they care about – and indeed they care very deeply about the issues of concern to them. Deeply, they are kind people and want the best for the world. Perhaps their political and social views might differ from mine, but I have always been supportive and cultivated away the judgemental attitude that I first had towards them.
我覺得與學生會之間建立的良好關係起了重要作用。自從我開始與學生會打交道，我總是對他們的事情保持興趣。他們對政治很關心，很活躍，對他們關注的問題積極發表意見。從深裡講，他們是好人，希望給這個世界上帶來最好的東西。也許他們對政治、社會的看法與我不同，但我總是給予他們支持。最初與他們打交道時，我采取判斷式的態度，而後來我修去了這一點。
I have always avoided saying things that would seperate me from them. I don’t make a point of saying that Falun Dafa is non-political, because to them politics is a good thing, capable of bringing about positive change in the world. When they talk about their student campaigns, such as against Voluntary Student Unionism, I take a genuine interest and try to offer advice. I make sure that I show as much concern about their issues of concern as I want them to show towards ‘mine’. I take great care to portray myself as a ‘normal’ person, with long-term goals in life, constructive opinions about the world, a circle of friends, and interests in a range of things, including meditation and the situation in China. I think they see me in a way as ‘campaigning’ for better human rights in China, as a kind of quiet human rights activist, and I think that is a good thing because those are the things that they care about and relate to – it makes them feel closer to me, like they can relate to me and talk to me on their level, and of course it makes them sympathise and empathise with the cause of Falun Dafa practitioners. When they offer me advice, they offer it from their experience, and that makes them feel good, like they can truly offer their help and guidance.
我總是避免說一些把自己和他們分開的話。我並不專門指出法輪功與政治無關，因為在他們來看，政治是一件好事情，能夠給世界帶來積極的變化。當他們談起他們的學生宣傳活動時，我真誠的表示興趣，並努力提供建議。我想讓他們關注”我”所關心的問題，因此盡力對他們的事情表示關注。我注意保持自己一個”普通人”的形象：對生活有長遠的目標，對世界有建設性的意見，有一群朋友，對不少事情有興趣，包括打坐和中國的情況。我覺得在他們看來，我是在作為一個人權工作者為中國的人權而呼籲，並且我覺得這是件好事，因為這是他們關心的事情，這使他們覺得離我比較近，可以在他們的層次上與我交談，而且當然同情並關心法輪大法學員的事情。當他們給我建議的時候，他們根據他們的經驗給我建議，這使他們感覺很好，覺得真正能夠提供幫助和指導。
Once I ran into one of them on campus, and stopped to say hi. She was taking care of a stall giving information about the current political campaign against Voluntary Student Unionism. I chatted to her and her friend about it, and listened to their opinions, while offering mine. I told them about the stories I had written about the issue in The Epoch Times. Basically, I fostered a closer relationship with them by taking an interest in their views. I was all the time holding myself to a practitioners’ mental standard, so naturally I was alert to opportunities to talk about my life and the things I was involved in to do with Falun Gong, but none came up. I said goodbye, and as I was walking off, I heard my friend say to hers, ‘that’s Ben, he runs the Falun Dafa club’, and then proceed to tell her about the pressure the university has been put under from the Chinese government due to its Falun Dafa club (that’s another story!). I think that by presenting the Falun Gong situation in a situation in a way that she understands and relates to, I have moved her, and she now deeply sympathises with my actions to do with the situation in China.
有一次我在校園裡碰到一個學生會的成員，就停下與她打招呼。她正負責一個政治活動的資料臺，我跟她和她的朋友談起此事並傾聽他們的意見，同時也表達了我的看法。我還告訴他們我在大紀元上發表了一篇關於此事的文章。我對他們的想法表現出興趣使得我拉近了與他們的關係。談話時，我一直等待著機會想把話題轉到我的生活以及我所參與的法輪功的活動，但沒有機會。我說完再見，正想走時，聽到我的朋友跟她的朋友說：他叫Ben, 負責法輪大法俱樂部，然後又告訴她大學如何因這個俱樂部受到中國政府的壓力(那是另外一個故事)。我想，我用她能夠理解的方式把法輪功的情況告訴她，使她受到了感動，現在她對於我為中國發生的事情所做的努力深表同情。
I used to think there was no point in thinking about the future, since it was all going to end soon, anyway. But that view is now long gone. I am taking steady steps towards a future in this world by planning my career, building on my relationships, and doing my best to get good results at university. But at the same time, I am a cultivator, and naturally when disturbances come up I will do my very best to take them lightly, look within and improve myself according to the Fa. I take the initiative to do what a Dafa disciple should do, and I find I am able to do that in a way that conforms to my everyday life. And of course this would not be possible without diligently doing the exercises and studying the Fa.
我過去認為，思考未來沒有意義，因為一切很快都會結束。但是我早就不這麼想了。我一步一步的計劃著我的事業，建立關係，在大學裡努力取得好成績。然而，我是一個修煉者，每當有干擾出現時，我都要盡最大努力把問題看淡，按照大法的要求向內找，提高自己。我主動做大法弟子應該做的事情，我發現我能夠以符合常人生活的狀態做大法事。 當然，如果不精進的學法煉功也是做不到的。
I think at this time, all practitioners should strive to become truly exemplary characters in the eyes of the people of the world, so as to leave a sure and steady way for the harmonized existence of the beings of the future.
These are just a few things based on my very limited understanding, and of course there are plenty of things that I am not doing so well in, that I need to do better.
Ben
我想，在這個時期，所有的弟子都應該努力成為世人眼中的真正榜樣，從而為未來存在的生命留下一條圓容、穩固的路。
這些只是我自己很有限的一點理解，當然我還有很多沒做好、需要做得更好的地方。
(http://www.xinguangming.org)