Click on the below-mentioned, numbered subjects:
- Welcome
- What’s Happening?
- Look Inward When Meeting with Problems to Break Through the Barriers Imposed by the Old Forces
- Studying the Fa Wholeheartedly
- Some Thoughts on Reading "Towards Consummation"
- Western Practitioner: Shedding Despondency and Embracing the Truth of the Fa
- Dissolving Resentment
- Breaking Out of Sickness Karma
- 1. Welcome
Welcome to the May 2014 Falun Dafa India Newsletter.
We come to another milestone – Our Revered Master’s Birthday and the World Falun Dafa Day.
On this occasion it would be appropriate to recall Master’s message for the First India Fa Conference:
...I hope that India's Dafa disciples may be like those of other nationalities, study the Fa well and abundantly--and do so frequently--become true cultivators of Dafa, and shoulder the responsibility of helping Dafa to spread widely and save sentient beings.
How many of us can put our hands to our heart and honestly say that we have been studying the Fa well and doing it frequently?
Shouldn’t we wake up and become more diligent and fulfill our vows to Master?
In this issue, we have a compilation of experience-sharing Articles gleaned from Clearwisdom that always shine through because of their insights and fine quality of sharing. It is important to read the Clearwisdom, Pureinsight and other Dafa sites.
We make an effort to select Articles from the Archives which people don’t go back to and are relevant even today. Contributions are welcome from practitioners.
Heshi! Hope, you like the selection of Articles and gain some new insights!
Note: "All the contents in this newsletter - except for quotations and excerpts of writings of the founder Mr. Li Hongzhi - are only ideas and experiences of practitioners and do not represent Falun Dafa in itself."
Top
- 2. What’s Happening?
Practitioners from Bangalore completed the 9-Day Video Lectures in a school where the students said they now understand what cultivation is and would like to cultivate.
In the school in Chintamani a full day session was organized interacting with students and it concluded with the screening of Free China. Students had many questions after watching the Film.
Practitioners from Bangalore organized a screening of Free China for the BMS Media students and many students said they would like to introduce Falun Dafa to their friends and wherever they had group activity.
Bangalore practitioners also introduced Falun Dafa to the Ladies Group of 65 ladies at the Kodwa Samaj. The Ladies said they would like to learn the exercises and were moved by the stories of the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China.
Top
- 3. Look Inward When Meeting with Problems to Break Through the Barriers Imposed by the Old Forces
By Huilian, a practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
Master said in his new article “Dafa
Disciples Must Study the Fa,”
“For a Dafa disciple, cultivation is first priority. That’s
because if you fail to cultivate well, you will not be able to
accomplish what you are to do; and if you fail to cultivate well,
your power to save sentient beings will not be that great.”
In order to help local practitioners quickly form a whole body,
I frequently share my understandings of the with others. I
encouraged them to look inward when they meet with problems so that
together we can do well the required by Master.
However, at times there has been tension and barriers between
practitioners due to misunderstandings. Some misunderstandings are
difficult to clear away and sometimes I felt wronged. The
accusations and gossiping behind my back made me feel terribly
uncomfortable.
The Fa principle of looking inward when encountering problems is
a precious tool that has helped me come out of this tribulation. I
was able to identify the attachments of mine that were deeply
hidden, and I purified myself and resolved the tension. I would
like to share my experience of how I looked inward during the past
year.
Letting Go of Selfishness and Looking Inward
Master taught us, in “To the European Fa Conference,”
“Some students have, throughout the course of their cultivation,
always looked outward, sought external solutions, and looked for
things outwardly, focusing on things such as how others are not
treating them well, saying displeasing things, acting too much like
ordinary people, always being hard on them, or never accepting
their ideas.”
Using Master’s teachings as a mirror, why was it that when I
pointed out the shortcoming of another practitioner, no one in our
Fa study group supported me? I thought that I was being responsible
to the whole body and thought that I was within the Fa. I did it
for the good of the practitioner. But in fact after I examined
myself, I saw that it was because I felt that I was better than
others.
For example, practitioner A felt a lot of pressure when she
worked with me in talking to people about Falun Gong. Practitioner
B said that she was jealous of me. She wondered how I had managed
to help so many sentient beings have a clear understanding of Falun
Gong. She didn't believe that I was able to urge so many people to
renounce their CCP membership each time. When I heard all her
suspicions, I felt very uncomfortable. I told her about an article
posted on , where one elderly lady was
able to help more than sixty people in a single day to renounce
their CCP memberships, and I was only able to help half that number
of people. As for the quality of how I clarify the facts about
Falun Gong, Master is watching over me and the divine beings are
watching, so why should you worry?
Through Fa study, I understood that this was the evil making use
of the practitioner’s mouth to create barriers between us. This was
causing interference to our saving of sentient beings. But I also
realized that I didn't really know how to look inward. I wouldn't
allow my fundamental attachment to be touched. The moment it was
touched, I would explode.
The second time I met with practitioner B was after two
practitioners had been taken away by CCP personnel while talking to
others about Falun Gong. Practitioner B said, “See how good this
practitioner was when clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, yet
when she was arrested she divulged everything and now she is not
even cultivating.” Actually even though practitioner B was talking
about the situation she saw, I felt that she was actually
indirectly criticizing me. I felt that what she meant was that if I
didn’t cultivate myself, I was an everyday person doing Dafa
things, even though I managed to urge so many people to renounce
their CCP membership.
I thought to myself, “But it is better than you who have the
capability but did not try your best.” As a Dafa practitioner,
shouldn’t we treat fellow practitioners with the standards of
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? Especially regarding
forbearance, why wasn't I able to do that?
Even if what the fellow practitioner said was not totally
consistent with the facts, I must also look inward to see if I have
any shortcomings in this aspect. In some matters, perhaps it was
Master making use of her mouth to test me and see if I was able to
tolerate and forgive fellow practitioners. Although I was able to
do the three things required by Master, what was my motivation for
doing them? Master said, “Ordinary people can do Dafa work too.”
(“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New
York”) When I realized this, I took the initiative to approach
practitioner B for a chat. She also realized that what she said was
not right. I also talked about the various shortcomings I had in
cultivation and asked her to help me identify them, and in this way
we could work together to cultivate ourselves and save sentient
beings.
Master said,
“Cultivation is about looking inside yourself. Whether you are
right or wrong, you should examine yourself. Cultivation is about
getting rid of human attachments.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of
Los Angeles”)
Through this incident, I realized that all the unpleasant
situations you meet with and all the unpleasant words that you hear
are opportunities to look inward to search for hidden human
attachments, and cultivate them away. In this way you will
continually purify yourself. This is assimilating to the Fa.
When you Cultivate Yourself You Will Be Able to Resolve
Conflicts
Recently an elderly practitioner in our Fa study group said that
she had run out of truth clarifying materials, so I went to my
hometown, more than one hundred kilometers away, to get some
materials. The materials I brought back included "Heavens endow
good fortune," "How to survive the tribulations and disasters
safely," as well as the . The practitioner said that the materials were outdated
and the figure showing the number of people who had renounced their
CCP membership was not up to date. I explained to her that there
was a date listed for the figure and that the practitioners in my
hometown said these materials were very effective. The practitioner
didn't say anything else and took the materials home. For the next
three weeks, this elderly practitioner didn't come to my house for
Fa study and I worried if something had happened to her. Thus I
asked another practitioner about her. I was told that the elderly
practitioner did not understand the materials I had given her, and
she didn't want to come to my house in case I gave her more
materials. After hearing this, I was perplexed. The elderly
practitioner said that she was willing to distribute the materials
and that I had not given her that many.
While I was still confused, another practitioner told me about
something that had happened between this elderly practitioner and
myself. As I listened I thought that the facts were not accurate. I
just smiled and quietly sent righteous thoughts. Practitioners are
a whole body. When conflicts happen between practitioners, we must
look inward. I knew I should not bear any grudges and I must
treasure the sacred predestined relationships between practitioners
that were arranged by Master. I must not let barriers between
practitioners continue and I must eliminate all the interference
that is unfavorable to the cultivation of Dafa practitioners. I
must not be moved by these conflicts.
I thought that if there were any problems, we should open our
hearts and exchange experiences and understandings. I made a phone
call to the elderly practitioner and invited her to go shopping (to
talk to others about Falun Gong) with me. She agreed happily. After
we met, the practitioner was very emotional. She said, “You spent
money on printing the truth clarifying materials and let me
distribute them. I did not spend a single cent, yet I was
resentful. I was wrong.” She said that she would return to group Fa
study, and if there were materials to distribute I should give them
to her. The practitioner said that she had been studying Master’s
new article “What is a Dafa Disciple” repeatedly and she now
understood many Fa principles. She said that her criticism and
misunderstanding of me was not appropriate.
I believe that the misunderstanding between this elderly
practitioner and me was interference caused by the evil to create
barriers between us. If I had listened to her words and argued with
her, then I would have fallen for the evil's trick, and then the
elderly practitioner's misunderstanding of me would have been even
deeper. This would have caused unpleasant consequences.
I feel that practitioners will not meet with situations that are
unrelated to cultivation. Through continually looking inward, I
have noticed that I frequently impose my views on others. I
believed that if I am capable of doing a task, the other
practitioner should be able to do the same. I didn't consider the
ability of the person to withstand the same pressure. I didn't
consider that there might be serious consequences for those
practitioners who did not have a steady attitude when they tried to
save sentient beings. This year there were some materials
preparation sites that were destroyed by the evil. Some
practitioners were arrested and sent to forced labor camps. But
this elderly practitioner maintained a righteous mindset and has
been walking with steady steps every step of her cultivation.
We are all particles of Dafa. The only difference is that we are
at different cultivation and enlightenment levels. We should never
use the Fa principles that we understand at our levels to measure
other people, and we should not impose our views on others. We
should be considerate of others in all situations. We should also
make use of each conflict and every word that makes us feel
uncomfortable, as well as every thought that is not righteous, to
look inward and to continually improve ourselves, while treating
the practitioners around us with a selfless attitude. We should
sincerely assimilate our every word and action to the Fa, fulfill
our vows on the path to godhood, and fulfill our historic mission
to follow Master home.
Please compassionately point out anything inappropriate.
Top
- 4. Studying the Fa Wholeheartedly
By a practitioner from China
(Minghui.org)
I started practicing Falun Gong in 1997 and have been doing the since 2005. However, I still fell short when compared with other practitioners. When I looked inward, I found the cause was that I wasn't studying the wholeheartedly. What is studying the Fa wholeheartedly? My current understanding is that it is not only studying the Fa, but also evaluating everything with the standard of the Fa. I’d like to share my experiences in this regard.
In April 2001 while I was on my way home, a friend offered me a ride on his motorcycle. The road was extremely bumpy. When the motorcycle jumped up high in the air, I was thrown to the ground. The soft tissue surrounding my left eye was injured. The most serious injury was on the left side of my nose, as the bone was visible. I bled profusely. Later, people told me that I looked horrible at the scene. I was sent to a town clinic for stitches.
Later on, my children were worried about me and took me to the district hospital. As a result, I didn’t study the Fa or do the exercises for three weeks. Prior to that, I had never skipped Fa study and the exercises, not even after the persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999. As soon as I finally returned home from the hospital, I resumed Fa study and doing the exercises. However, I had doubt in my heart. I wondered if Teacher was still watching over me. If Teacher was looking after me, why did I have this accident? In hindsight, this thought itself was disrespectful to Teacher.
About two months later, I was doing the sitting meditation at night. I was facing the balcony and the door was open. Suddenly I opened my eyes and saw a cloud of white light on the balcony. I thought that it was caused by a high voltage power line accidentally touching the wire. I didn't think about it again. I just closed my eyes and continued the sitting meditation. The next morning, I noticed that the high voltage power line was no longer there. Maybe it was removed while I was in the hospital. I then realized that Teacher was giving me a hint that he was watching over me. I was truly happy.
After the persecution started in 1999, I wasn't able to get in touch with fellow practitioners until mid-June of 2004. The practitioners in my county were very happy to learn that I was still practicing Falun Gong. They sent me some of Teacher’s new articles, , and other materials. It was then that I learned that Teacher had asked us to do the three things, told us about interference from the old forces, heard stories about fellow practitioners validating Dafa in Beijing, etc.
In 2006, I bought a computer and logged on to the Minghui website. I was able to learn the current situation about Falun Gong and read all of Teacher’s lectures. Later, I established a material production site at my home. One time when I was reading the Fa, I read the following sentence:
“If he hadn’t learned Falun Dafa maybe he would have died right then and there when he fell.”
I was stunned. Wasn’t Teacher talking about me? If I had not practiced Falun Gong, maybe I would have sustained a brain injury during the motorcycle accident. That would have been much more serious than contusions around my eyes. Why did I even doubt Teacher? Teacher didn’t mind and still used the strong light to give me a hint. In retrospect, if I had studied the Fa wholeheartedly, I would not have had such doubt.
I had a dream two days ago in which I came across two big snakes blocking my way. I woke up instantly feeling very afraid. I thought to myself, “The sound of a snake is similar to that of lust. Teacher is giving me a hint that I am attached to lust and lust is poisonous to practitioners. Other practitioners know to ask Teacher for help when they have a problem. Why did I forget to ask Teacher for help? Why didn't I eliminate it with the supernormal capabilities Teacher gave us?” It boils down to the issue of whether or not one believes in Teacher.
I enlightened that our practitioners are beings who are “Beyond the five elements and leaving the three realms” (from ) but snakes are lives in this human world. How could they harm Dafa practitioners? Why wasn’t my first thought in the Fa? We can’t simply claim to believe in Teacher and Dafa; we need to keep it in our heart. This can only be achieved by sincerely studying the Fa. Therefore, Teacher requires us to “make studying the Law and reading the books the essential part of their daily cultivation.” (from “What is Expected of Falun Dafa Assistance Centers” in The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection) Teacher repeatedly emphasized the importance of studying the Fa. Even at the very end, Teacher again published the article “Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa.” We should see how crucial Fa study is. This is Teacher’s compassion for us.
The above is my personal understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.
Top
- 5. Some Thoughts on Reading "Towards Consummation"
A North American Practitioner
(Minghui.org)
In the fifth paragraph of "Towards Consummation", Master Li said: Do you know that one of the biggest excuses the old evil forces use at present to attack Dafa is that your fundamental attachments remain buried? So in order to identify those people, the tribulations have been made more severe. If you are attached to Dafa's consistency with humans' science, they manipulate wicked human beings to spread rumors that Dafa is superstitious; if you are attached to Dafa's power to heal illness, they manipulate the wicked human beings to spread rumors that Dafa forbids people to take medicine and that this has led to 1,400 deaths; even if you say that Dafa isn't involved in politics, they have wicked human beings spread rumors that Dafa and Li Hongzhi have foreign political forces behind them, and so forth; if you say that Dafa collects no fees, they say that Master has sought to accumulate wealth through corrupt means. Whatever you are attached to, they have evil elements concoct rumors in that regard. Even if you are afraid that Dafa is being undermined, they fabricate articles allegedly written by Master. Think about it, everyone: The enormous test at present is to see how Dafa fares and how students conduct themselves in Master's absence. How could Master speak out? How could I again tell you what to do? Furthermore, they manipulate wicked human beings to examine Dafa and its disciples in every detail, giving them a comprehensive and thorough test that targets all human intentions and attachments. Were you truly able to discard those fundamental human attachments in your cultivation practice, these last trials and tribulations wouldn't have been so vicious. My understanding of these words is that it is precisely because we have these attachments that there are these groundless accusations to disintegrate our pure conviction in the Dafa. Because these attachments are the weak points in our hearts, the groundless allegations aim directly at these weak points. Haven't some practitioners believed that because we went to Zhongnanhai and the Congress of the United States to reveal the truth about how practitioners were persecuted in China, we were involved in politics and deviating from Dafa? Think about it carefully; in Zhuan Falun, Master Li said, "It is a Xinxing issue if you do not help stop a murder or a fire when you see it. How will you otherwise demonstrate that you are a good person? If you do not help stop a murder or arson, in what else will you get involved?" Isn't slandering Dafa more serious than murder or arson? Didn't those practitioners, whose illnesses could not be cured because of their attachments to curing diseases, stop practicing because of these groundless accusations? Some practitioners, attached to the fact that Dafa is free of charge, stopped practicing because of the groundless accusations that Master Li has collected money through corrupt means. Think about it in another way: which book in the world has touched our souls like this? Which book has led us to discover the path to return to our original true selves? What if all the wealth and rank in the world were given to Master Li? Is he interested in such things? Some practitioners are attached to science. If scientific methods were not able to prove Dafa's supernormal principles, would that also cause you to leave Dafa? Because some practitioners were attached to the fear that Dafa will be sabotaged, fake articles were produced. However, in "Forgone Conclusion", Master Li said, " Dafa can rectify the universe, so it naturally has the power to repress evil, put right disorder, perfect and harmonize all things, and remain invincible." In "Fixity of the Fa", Master Li wrote: "I tell you that, with the exception of those several books of mine that have been formally published, plus my signed and dated short articles which have been distributed to different parts of the country by the Research Society, all that has been rearranged without permission is disrupting the Fa."
I feel Master Li's benevolent compassion from this article. He has once again given us an opportunity to find our fundamental attachments, and to step forward from the midst of our attachments. The faster we eliminate our attachments, the quicker we can step forward from these trials and tribulations together. At the same time, I also realized the importance of reading Master Li's books. Only by understanding the Fa from within Fa can we step out of the confusion and distinguish between good and evil.
Top
- 6. Western Practitioner: Shedding Despondency and Embracing the Truth of the Fa
(Minghui.org)
Over the last week, since just before Master published the article, "The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be," I have been shown my attachment to disheartenment and dejection.
When I first looked into it, I could not understand how it is possible to have a lack of heart or a dejected spirit when Master has saved us and given us so much. The problem I discovered though was that due to the attachment that I held onto, I was rendered human, and I could not accept Master's affirmations and praise wholeheartedly.
I also failed to accept my life's true purpose and mission to save sentient beings. My path is not, as I felt before, a mission bestowed by Master, but rather one that I chose myself. Only the Fa-rectification and Dafa could enable such a grand wish to manifest.
Now that I understand these things, I feel so grateful for Master's benevolence and guidance. I wish to share my experience and the path of my understanding with you in hopes that it will encourage you and strengthen your belief in Master.
***
Looking Back at My Cultivation
I have felt that there was something wrong with my state of mind for years. Whenever I attempted to explain it to other practitioners I found that I was unsuccessful in conveying my problem. I know that for the first two years, the evil tried relentlessly to destroy my will and determination in the Fa by implanting the question and notion that I, a student of Dafa, was not really good, and that I had come to disrupt the Fa. Can you recognize the evil old force arrangement? The old forces forced endless lust thoughts into my head and I could not go anywhere without it, nor avoid it at home, yet this was not something that I thought I even cared about. I became very upset about these thoughts that I could not prevent, and began to feel severely dejected, yet I never gave up cultivation, nor considered it.
I recall when Jiang Zemin went to Houston, Texas. I arranged to fly there from Canada. When I arrived at the airport, I realized that I did not have my passport or birth certificate, which is required to travel to the United States from Canada. To make matters worse, it was shortly after 9/11 and the border security was very tight. Another practitioner drove me home to get my identification, but after a frantic search, I could not find it.
Time was running out before the flight, so we headed back for the airport. During the 20 minute drive I faced a major battle in my mind. The evil was saying, "If you were really good, if you were really pure, you would not be having this problem right now." I was also thinking, "It is such an important event to send forth righteous thoughts toward the evil head, and I am under threat of being denied this opportunity due to my own shortcomings."
I was acutely aware that if I could not get a clear understanding I would not get to Houston and that if I did, I would. The struggle was intense. I finally shouted in desperation, "I don't care if I did not do well before, I will do well now!" I then became very calm and clarified the truth to the airport authorities and went to Houston with a deeper understanding of righteous thoughts. Recognizing Gaps in the Firmness of My Faith Recently, there have been many questions arising in my mind. It is sort of like what Master said in Guiding the Voyage, < "Of course, through this series of events our students have gained a clearer understanding; there was a huge difference when the tribulations had just started. Some were shocked. Some were contemplating, "What kind of person is Li Hongzhi?" Some were thinking, "Is this Fa righteous?" A comprehensive test has targeted all human attachments. No matter what attachments you held when you came to Dafa, those attachments had to be tested. Some people thought that this or that aspect of Dafa was good, but today's test is relentless, as no human attachment can be taken to heaven." I can see that I have been cultivating all along according to perception and feeling. I have come this far because of my good enlightenment quality and inborn quality. Yet, recently, I was made aware of the need to solidify my belief on the basis of rationale, until it is adamantine in nature.
A couple of weeks ago, Master made it very clear to me through an incident at my house that He is looking after me. It was so clear, with material proof, that there was no way I could doubt the fact. This was the first point that I needed to accept in order to tackle the attachments that have been deeply hidden for so long, yet so detrimental to my cultivation and to my ability to save sentient beings.
Next Master published the article, "The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be." Master said,
"And yet a small number of students--veteran students, even--have to differing degrees exhibited a despondent state and slackened in their resolve to be diligent. They haven't realized that this is an attachment to the duration of Fa-rectification, or is caused by interference from incorrect, acquired notions, which results in their gaps being exploited by interfering factors that the old forces left behind early on in the surface of the human dimension, wicked specters, or rotten demons--things that have magnified and strengthened those attachments and human notions--all of which has brought about this despondent state."
I read this article very carefully, but still did not identify the despondency in my own nature. Then, not wanting me to miss this chance, Master created the following circumstances over the last few days:
Recognizing My Despondence and Finding its Roots
I went to work, feeling upset about the fact that my university professor is cynical and is always antithetical to expressions of virtue and righteous belief that can be found in the classic works of the humanities that we are studying. I was upset because a third essay was due and I was bound to defend and promote virtue, only to get mediocre marks from this professor who doesn't seem to have the ability to understand the points I am making, points which are based on righteous belief. After a brief conversation with a co-worker about this situation, the word "disheartened" came into my mind. Next, there were a series of conflicts with my co-workers, like a game of dominoes, conflicts I could not avoid. The conflicts were so ridiculous, as my co-workers acted like spiteful teenagers conspiring against me. Then I ask my boss a question about a photo that looks like something upright, only to learn that it has no meaning of the sort to him. The culmination of all this enhanced my disheartened feeling, until I was forced to acknowledge it.
The conclusion and lesson from all of this was that I have a major problem with disheartenment. I realized I was disheartened in many areas of my life. I easily became upset about how terrible the world is, how little kindness exists within it, and how much it hurts me, and so on.
Then, after obtaining the Fa, I found that when I tried to help others, my efforts were often misinterpreted. I often felt lonely and dispirited, and the only comfort I gained was from the Fa and from the knowledge that there have been enlightened beings throughout history, because my life made no sense otherwise.
I knew that I did not want an ordinary life. I knew that I could not give up or turn back, yet, due to my notions I could not accept all the wonderful and magnificent things that Master has bestowed to his disciples which would cleanse my soul, enable me to let go of the suffering and pain, let go of the past, and forge ahead.
Master taught in Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference,
"The path Dafa disciples are taking today is unprecedented. A fixed notion has formed in the minds of many people in the world, which is that when someone is devoted to a religious faith or is a cultivator, it won't work out unless he withdraws from society and leaves the secular world. The Dafa disciples' way of cultivation, then, has no predecessor and no model. I have always said that in cultivation Dafa disciples have no role models. And it's not just that in your personal cultivation you have to walk your own path--even the form of cultivation I have imparted to you has no example to follow. So you just have to blaze this path yourselves."
This passage helped me to realize how unique our cultivation path really is and to see it rationally and with clarity. It is necessary to consider the incredible difficulty of our cultivation, especially the difficulty we encounter when living amidst ordinary people. We all experience it, but do we see it from the Fa's perspective? Our righteous belief is so strong beside their lack of belief. Our strength and power is incomprehensible to them, while we must always find the appropriate words and level of kindness to speak to them and leave them with a good impression. Due my attachments, and lack of clear mindedness about our cultivation path, I began to speak about my own shortcomings with some non-cultivators and encountered this recent bout of difficulties, finally realizing how far my understanding was off from the Fa's standard.
I could say that the collection of things that continuously distress me and interfere with my ability to do what I wish to do during the Fa-rectification are all related to the attachment of despondence that has been there constantly undermining my cultivation. Now that I see it, thanks to Master's merciful article, I know I can fully overcome all the shortcomings, because my heart has always wanted to do so.
The worst interference is that this attachment prevented me from accepting Master's praise and affirmations that we Dafa practitioners are magnificent, that our actions are truly wonderful, that the road ahead is bright, that we are divine beings, and others. Thinking from such a low and human perspective as I was, how could I possibly have accepted these words from our Teacher? They seemed incredible to me.
Gaining Clarity and the Will to Forge Ahead
I must now apologize, however, and say that I did not know any better. I have relied on my innate being, my perception, and my heart, yet fundamentally failed to take responsibility for my mission.
Many times before, I leapt out of despondence to become aware of a certain vibration of beings that are everywhere filling the space around me; they are my beings; the beings that I came to save! When I acknowledge them they are so happy that they jump for joy. Before, I could not stay with them for long due to the attachments controlling me. But they are still waiting for me, all the sentient beings are waiting for all Dafa disciples to wake up and realize our divine missions without question.
Once we realize who we are, and how magnificent we are, we will have no trouble doing well and saving them. Indeed I have wasted time over these years and suffered needlessly while undoubtedly failing to meet the expectations of the countless sentient beings depending on me. Now that I have seen this, nothing will stand in the way of our paths to the new cosmos. We (the sentient beings in the realms that belong to me and me) will follow Master's encouragement wholeheartedly from now on,
"I know that after you become clear on this you will quickly catch up, but you should take fewer detours on this most magnificent, divine path; not leave reason for regret in your futures; and not fall so far behind in terms of levels. That is my hope, your hope, and the hope of the beings who are counting on you." ("The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be")
Top
- 7. Dissolving Resentment
By a Dafa practitioner from China
(Minghui.org)
Recently I realized that whenever I had a conflict with others, I blamed them first. I then postponed the idea of looking within. This is not truly “looking within.” For example, there was a local practitioner who created a lot of disturbances within our group and verbally abused other practitioners who had conflicts with her. Seeing her harm so many practitioners, I developed a deep resentment towards her. Whenever I thought of her, or if someone mentioned her name, I felt very disgusted. And I forgot that I should look inward at my own attachments first: Why was I the one who always saw these injustices? Recently I had some small conflicts with another practitioner. Whenever I asked her for help with Dafa projects, she always turned me down. I felt she didn’t want me to bother her, so I started to resent her. I noticed that this practitioner brought her cell phone to our Fa study site and that her sitting posture was improper. As I was reminding her of safety issues, I began to find fault with her in my heart: Why was she so careless about our safety, and how could she be so disrespectful of Master and the Fa? My tendency to get upset and blame others if what they were doing didn't suit my mindset or touched upon my attachments grew and grew. And I began to realize that this resentful feeling was a type of sentimentality that easily got control of me. It goes completely against the principles of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and should be eliminated during Fa-rectification. Then why do I develop these resentments? When conflicts occur, I always think about them with human notions. I've always wanted to validate myself or to try to protect “my feelings,” “my understandings,” “my interests,” or “my reputation,” etc. These are all human attachments. Therefore, the primary cause of my resentment is “selfishness.” In another words, if I can go beyond the level of thinking “everything is about me” and really start to think about others first, and if I can try my best to help fellow practitioners or send righteous thoughts for them quietly, will I still have resentments when conflicts arise? If we look at this issue from the perspective of Fa-rectification, resentment might also have historic reasons, such as karmic ties between practitioners, or the old forces exploiting our gaps and magnifying such conflicts. The substance of resentment will create divisions among us, and it will cause interference when we validate the Fa. And, especially when there is very little evil left now, the damage caused by our resentments might also interfere with our cooperation as a group. Additionally, because most practitioners don't talk about the resentful feelings they have, we may not see their strong manifestations on the surface either. So this problem can sometimes be ignored by practitioners. However, the damage it causes can be really severe. Resentment is a wall that keeps practitioners from truly looking within. It is also related to many other human attachments, such as validating oneself, looking down on others, not considering others, or not being forbearing. Resentment is a negative being. Put it another way, it is a demon that lives off of the resentful substances emitted by Dafa disciples. Let’s all dissolve the resentment in our hearts and not allow it to cause more divisions among us.
Top
- 8. Breaking Out of Sickness Karma
By a practitioner from northeast China
(PureInsight.org)
A few years ago, a practitioner from our area broke out of the evil den with righteous thoughts. However, after she returned home, she succumbed to sickness karma and died. I didn't know her, but I grieved her death.
I've heard that other practitioners are suffering similar tribulations, so I wanted to share my personal experience regarding this and how I've handled sickness karma.
“I'm not sick”
I was quite ill before I started practicing Falun Gong. Since starting cultivation, I've had sickness karma numerous times and passed these tests.
No matter what kind of symptoms I experienced, my first thought was: “I'm not sick. If Master has given me this opportunity to eliminate karma, then I will endure it. If it is not arranged by Master, then I completely deny it.”
I do whatever it is that I'm supposed to do, whether it is doing the three things that a Dafa disciple should do or completing domestic duties and housework. I don't neglect anything.
Master has told us not to acknowledge the old forces' arrangements. I am Master's disciple, so I won't acknowledge those arrangements. I will only listen to Master.
Heart palpitations stop and hemorrhoids disappear
In the spring of 2007, my heart palpitated very fast. My arms and legs trembled. I had to hold books with two hands in order to read them. In medical terms, this would be considered heart disease, but I am a practitioner and I don't have heart disease.
My attitude was, if my heart wants to palpitate, so be it. I can still do anything.
Two months passed and this incorrect state persisted. One day as I was walking home and had to cross the railroad tracks, my heart palpitated really fast. I gasped for air and my legs felt as if they would crumble underneath me.
I felt as if I were dying, but thought: “I don't have illness. Master is helping me eliminate karma and I must endure it. If this isn't Master's arrangement, then I completely deny it.”
I was then able to walk. By the time I got home, all of the symptoms disappeared.
It was just like Master said,
“Things are bound to turn around after reaching the limit!”
(Zhuan Falun)
This was the longest length of time that I suffered from sickness karma.
One afternoon about three years ago, when I was practicing the fourth exercise, my lower body felt sticky. When I went to the bathroom and wiped myself, I felt a long polyp.
The toilet paper turned bright red and there were drops of blood in the toilet. Most people would say that they had hemorrhoids, but I'm a practitioner. I wasn't frightened in the least. The next day, the hemorrhoids and the polyp were gone.
Don't let sickness karma stop you
I know practitioners firmly believe in Master and the Fa, and it's only on certain ways of doing things that they may have some misconceptions. Some people go and take a rest when they don't feel well. Others neglect their housework. Some even want their families to take care of them.
These mentalities are born of human thinking and leave an opening for the old forces to enter. This is one of the reasons that these practitioners can't overcome tribulations.
Every practitioner knows that it isn't an illness. They send righteous thoughts to disintegrate the evil elements, look inward and deny the old forces' arrangements, but their actions unwittingly conform to ordinary human behavior.
So, fellow practitioners, I urge you: No matter how unwell you feel, continue to do what you are supposed to do, and by all means don't let other people wait on you.
Another thing, remember that you are Dafa disciples. It doesn't matter what kind of illness you had before. There is nothing to fear. There is no need to fear cold or heat, not having food, or feeling too unwell to eat. You need to get rid of these notions.
Living in water for 7 months
On February 16, 2012, my next door neighbor's water pipe sprung a leak. My house, which is at a lower level, was flooded, with water rising 3-4 inches. The water company came out and searched from house to house, but couldn't find the leak. They said that perhaps the water originated from a different source. It was winter and the snow and ice were melting.
I had no choice but to tolerate it. The temperatures are frigid in February in northeast China. The water inside the house froze, and I had no way to get warm.
My neighbor said with good intentions: “Why don't you rent a place? I'm afraid with all that water you will develop rheumatism.”
I smiled and said, “No way! I practice Falun Gong!”
On June 15, 2012, the water supply was shut off and the water drained from my house. This convinced me that the water had originated from a leak in the pipes. I went to the manager of the water company and they sent someone out to investigate. They then found the source of the leak and resolved the problem.
After that, it rained continuously until September 22, 2012. My experience of living in water ended after that.
I didn't omit doing anything while living under these conditions. I practiced the exercises standing in water. I didn't develop any symptoms of sickness karma. Actually, my complexion appeared healthier and more vibrant.
Master said, “Of course, cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while transforming gong is done by one’s master.” (Zhuan Falun)
I hope every practitioner can practice openly and with dignity, cultivate toward divinity, reach consummation and follow Master home.
Top
|