(Clearwisdom.net) It has been over ten days since I heard from a fellow practitioner that an older practitioner I will call A died from sickness karma. Practitioner A had done very well in explaining the facts about Falun Gong face to face. She was in good physical condition, yet she died within roughly five days after she came down with sickness karma.
A few days ago, I heard that practitioners B and C were suffering from severe sickness karma. They did not pass the test faced by practitioners and checked into a hospital. In addition, several other practitioners suffered physical persecution in the form of illness and we were rather distressed.
After sharing among practitioners, we discovered that five practitioners had suffered serious sickness karma interference during recent months. Surprisingly, two of the practitioners are very young. All in all, one out of five practitioners died, three went to the hospital for treatment, and another practitioner's situation is unknown.
Thinking over the past several months, we realized that two more young practitioners had gone to the hospital when suffering acute sickness karma. On the other hand, there were other practitioners who suffered symptoms of eliminating karma in the form of sickness karma, however, they overcame the tribulation with righteous thoughts. It does not end here, as there were several practitioners who experienced illness interference. They remained firm practitioners, yet they have not completely recovered.
We read articles on the Internet that detailed severe illness karma suffered by practitioners, and it appears to be a common phenomenon. We even found practitioners who hadn't suffered sickness karma in the past were suddenly saddled with it, and some of them were quite young.
I realized that this was not a simple or isolated ordeal. Teacher's comment in an article:
"For someone who cultivates, failing for a long time to pass a test or doing bad things after taking up cultivation will become a massive, imposing barrier standing between you and the finish line. And how, then, will you deal with that? ("Only Teacher's Words and Voice Can Be Used in Audio Recordings of Dafa Scriptures; No Other Recordings Are Allowed")
Cultivation is serious, and requirements for practitioners are very strict. We must truly meet Dafa's requirements and only then may we become the greatest enlightened beings of the new universe.
On the surface, some practitioners can't pass the test of sickness karma, because they are not firm enough in Dafa and fail to let go of life and death at key moments. However, I wonder if there are reasons on a deeper level?
Having cultivated for up to ten years, many practitioners have indeed removed human attachments and notions and achieved the standard of enlightened beings. Some practitioners have not improved in some aspects. They haven't let go of human notions, or haven't achieved the level they should attain, and adamantly defend their situation. Some people simply don't realize they have attachments, while others recognize that they do but don't want to or can't abandon them.
For instance, practitioner A had done very well in talking to people about Falun Gong and advising people to quit the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations face to face. However, her children and husband did not approve of her learning Dafa. Two years ago, her husband passed away. She felt guilty, was immersed in sentiment, and didn't take sending forth righteous thoughts seriously. Is this the real reason that she lost her human body due to sickness karma?
Practitioner B had symptoms of a stroke and accepted her husband's decision to go to a hospital. According to other practitioners, practitioner B had not been diligent lately and studied the Fa little. All along, she has been taking advice from her husband, a non-practitioner, and worried that if she didn't go to the hospital, it would cause a negative impact on her husband and relatives. In this case, the reason was not her understanding of sickness karma, and whether or not she was able to let go of the attachment to curing illness. It is not wrong to listen to one's husband in everyday situations, but what about when it comes to practicing Falun Gong? As a genuine practitioner, how can you listen to a non-practitioner instead of Teacher's words?
Practitioner C learned the practice about three years ago because she was in poor health. Her body soon recovered, so her husband and children were very happy and supportive. On the surface, this sickness karma was a result of conflicts with her daughter-in-law. She suddenly lost her eyesight. Fellow practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts and exchanged views with her. She could see large print but became basically illiterate and forgot the exercises movements. Practitioner C occasionally used 1-yuan bills that had truth-clarification messages written on them that she had gotten from other practitioners, but that was the end of her talking to people about Falun Gong.
In the eyes of the evil in other dimensions, this does not count as the action of a Fa-rectification period practitioner. Therefore, they wanted her removed from the group of practitioners, which we practitioners can't acknowledge. So our assessment is that practitioners need to help her study the Fa and practice the exercises.
Every practitioner has a different situation, different conditions and environment, different human notions, different attachments and different loopholes. Alas, the old forces use illness to destructively "test" practitioners until they lose their human bodies. I think every practitioner should compare themselves to the Dafa standard, look inward, and clean up all that is wrong. Practitioners should find their human notions with the help of the Fa. Practitioners need to ask themselves, "Which of my activities and behaviors have loopholes? What Fa principles elude you and what attachments need to be abandoned? Are you rock-solid in your faith in Teacher and Falun Dafa? Have you respected Teacher and Dafa and unconditionally looked inward? How much do you understand about the responsibility and mission of Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioners, and how much have you achieved?"
Of course, looking inward doesn't solely address the sickness karma demon. One shouldn't practice the path arranged by the old forces. We should become mature as soon as possible. This is what Teacher expects of us. Moreover, this is the final stage, so what shall we do if we can't reach the standard? Teacher said,
"Time is pressing for you as well as for the countless sentient beings in this cosmos. Perhaps Master has used heavy words. But I must ask those students who have long been in a state of confusion: have you really thought in earnest about what course to follow?" ("To the European Fa Conference")
Some practitioners who are faced with an ordeal have said, "I have already searched within, but I couldn't find anything." Although some notions are hidden very deeply, I'm certain that as long as we want to genuinely practice Falun Gong, we will find them, because what Teacher wants is our hearts.
Take myself as a example. Sometimes, with good intentions and a lot of effort, I distribute materials that provide facts about Falun Gong and advise people to quit the CCP. But sometimes I do nothing for a long time for a number of reasons. I do realize the responsibility and mission of Fa-rectification period practitioners. I had some understanding on the surface, but I was unable to consistently do well in explaining the truth and saving people, due to my strong attachment to likes and dislikes. Things that I want to do and goals that I set, I will to my very best to accomplish. But if a fellow practitioner puts forward some idea that requires cooperation among practitioners, I immediately reject it. Only when rationality sets in do I slowly sober up and cooperate with fellow practitioners. I need to always remember to do whatever the Fa-rectification requires of me.
The attachment to likes and dislikes also displays a positive side by sometimes helping me to be more diligent in doing the three things. But I didn't unconditionally assimilate into the Fa and always kept some questions in the back of my mind. I put Teacher and Dafa in a secondary position and placed the things I liked at the forefront. I knew perfectly well that my condition was not right, but I didn't see the problem and thus did not make a fundamental change. I also realized, however, that as long as I studied the Fa diligently and was determined to truly look inward, no matter how deeply the attachment is hidden, Teacher will certainly point it out. Many times I have remembered suddenly one sentence or one paragraph that Teacher had said, that pointed out my attachments, or I have seem my problem when reading practitioners' experience sharing articles.
Before I close, I would like to share another thought. Persecution from illness demons also aims at the entire group of practitioners. As well as looking inward, fellow practitioners should send forth strong righteous thoughts and disintegrate the evil persecution. Practitioners who still experience demonic interference from illness, even if they have not been able to find the loopholes, should be firm in Dafa and refuse to accept the evil persecution. Teacher said, "Old age, illness, and death are also forms of demons" (Zhuan Falun)
The above is my limited understanding. Please let me know if there is anything that does not comply with the Fa.