(Clearwisdom.net) During the Fa-rectification period, a very small number of practitioners are showing severe states of illness karma, which has had a big impact on doing the three things. So why do the old forces dare to take advantage of illness karma to persecute practitioners? I came to realize the following several situations.

1. Fellow Practitioners' Pursuit from Unrighteous Thoughts

When we see fellow practitioners in the state of illness karma, our own human notions may surface and we may think, "Would I be okay if I faced the same problem?" We should help fellow practitioners to overcome illness karma but should not fear the illness ourselves and question our own ability to overcome illness. Otherwise, it is due to our own attachment. If we don't deny our human notions, they could potentially bring us trouble.

2. Not Following Dafa's Requirements Leaves Loopholes for Old Forces

A male practitioner made mistakes on the issue of lust and developed inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Furthermore, he made the same mistakes over and over and was exposed to the general public. In the end, he developed a severe condition in his groin area that didn't disappear until he completely made up his mind to openly talk about his bad deeds and was determined to get rid of the attachment of lust. These mistakes on the issue of lust were explicitly forbidden in Teacher's Fa lectures. So we must not commit these type of mistakes and give the old forces excuses to persecute us.

3. Giving Up Cultivation or Not Doing the Three Things

Prior to July 20, 1999, Teacher removed the root cause of various diseases suffered by practitioners before they started practicing Falun Gong. After July 20, 1999, the cultivation became cultivation in the Fa-rectification period, and practitioners are to do the three things well in order to meet the requirements of a practitioner in the Fa-rectification period. If a practitioner does not do the three things for a long time, he or she is not meeting the high standard and his or her previous illnesses may recur. Some practitioners studied the Fa without doing sending forth righteous thoughts or clarifying the truth. In the end, the practitioner developed cancer and went to the hospital for surgery. Consequently, the practitioner developed doubt about Dafa. Thus, one tribulation led to another. Some practitioners gave up their practice and their old illnesses recurred. When these practitioners later returned to cultivation and advanced diligently on their paths of cultivation, they regained the state where their bodies felt energized and were free of health problems.

4. Unwillingness to Overcome Difficulties Leads to Them Piling Up

I knew the story of a practitioner who did the three things but did not cultivate diligently. She was putting more of her heart and mind on ordinary people's issues in daily life while thinking she was conforming to the ways of ordinary people. Since she did not overcome tribulations, it amounted to stacking tribulations one on top of another. Teacher has taught us the Fa about putting off tribulations and letting them pile up. Eventually this practitioner showed symptoms of illness karma and had a tumor in her abdomen and was hospitalized. The tumor was serious, the doctors did not know how to treat it effectively. Her family did not want her to check out of the hospital, so she just passively stayed. Later, she finally awoke and became clear that she should put doing the three things at the top of her priority list. She started doing the three things while she was still in the hospital. In the end, her health improved and she threw away all the prescribed medications. Then she checked out early. It's been a few years now and she has not had anymore illness karma.

5. Fellow Practitioners Whose Lives Are Prolonged Because of Cultivation

These practitioners are mostly older, and their predestined ages have been reached. Their lives have been prolonged for the sake of cultivation. Therefore, these practitioners must be very serious about their cultivation. As soon as they slack off even a bit, their lives might be in danger. I personally know two such practitioners. One had cancer before practicing Falun Gong, another suffered heart disease, and the hospital staff believed the disease was terminal. After the two started practicing Falun Gong, they were both very diligent in their cultivation. They continued to look inward whenever they encountered any problems, whether or not the problems could be attributed to them. Also, their ability to endure was very good. Although they suffered a lot of conflict at heart, they could at least bear everything on a superficial level. Then they would go back and try to find what might have gone wrong with their xinxing and what could be improved in the future. They both have their own shortcomings, but overall they have conquered most hurdles along their paths. Ten years have passed, and they have not experienced severe incidents of illness karma that could negatively impact their doing the three things.

I also knew some older practitioners who have passed away due to illness karma. Before they passed away, many practitioners went to their homes and sent forth righteous thoughts for them. But it was not very effective and eventually they had to leave. At the same time, the practitioners who helped them with sending forth righteous thoughts developed doubts about whether righteous thoughts could really help practitioners who are in tribulation. In fact, the righteous thoughts of practitioners are effective in denying the old forces' arrangements. Even if the practitioners in tribulation are not awake or clear themselves, other practitioners' strong righteous thoughts can still break old forces' arrangements as long as the thoughts are strong enough. Teacher has taught us in the Fa,

"Disciple asks: In the period of personal cultivation, when I would go through a test of sickness karma I knew it was to eliminate my karma and that through my endurance and steadfastness in the Fa I could pass the test, and in the end Master would remove the karma. But in the period of Fa-rectification cultivation, if the old forces, its dark minions, rotten demons, and the vile Party's evil specter persecute my physical body, and it likewise manifests as sickness karma, then because we shouldn't acknowledge the old forces' persecution and shouldn't just endure it, can I eliminate the evil factors behind it by being steadfast in the Fa and sending righteous thoughts to negate the persecution?

Teacher: When you have strong righteous thoughts, nothing can impede you."
("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles")

It is not that fellow practitioners' righteous thoughts are not effective. It is because practitioners who are helping don't have high-level xinxing, so they can't send out such strong righteous thoughts. Righteous thoughts are an indicator of one's xinxing. Without such high-level xinxing, you can't send out such strong righteous thoughts.

For fellow practitioners who are suffering illness karma, we should cherish a benevolent heart in sharing our cultivation experience and Fa understanding with them. We should kindly point out their problems, and at the same time see the strength in their cultivation. We should not be attached to or be swayed by a fellow practitioner's illness. As they are already in tribulation, we should be considerate about their ability to endure when talking to them. Don't impose your understanding on fellow practitioners. Be tolerant and encouraging to practitioners. This is the good state we should have.

Above is just my personal enlightenment and sharing in hopes that we will diligently advance together. Please kindly point out anything that falls short of the Fa.

September 22, 2009