(Minghui.org) A practitioner from another area whom I had not seen for several months called me a few days ago. She wanted to talk to me about some of the problems that she has been experiencing at home, at work and with others. She could not understand why so many problems had suddenly come up.
Another practitioner shared with me her day-to-day problems, such as having to take care of two elderly people and meet other family members' demands. She was doing the three things practitioners are supposed to do. Since she was retired, people kept asking for her help, such as picking up a child or doing some chores. She was always eager to help. But because she was so busy, she was very worried that she neglected to study the Fa sometimes. She asked me if this was interference, so I said, “Do you feel very annoyed or troubled when asked to help others?” She answered, “Yes.” I then suggested that maybe these occurrences happen with the purpose of telling her that it is time to let go of these notions. We know that Fa study is to guide our cultivation. When things happen, aren't they good opportunities for us to improve our xinxing?
Upon seeing this practitioner become agitated, I thought, “How should practitioners look at tribulations and interference when doing things?” I also noticed that when some practitioners experience physical pain or interference, they immediately think, “Don't accept it, and negate all of the arrangements made by the old forces.” Such a thought indicates that these practitioners have very strong righteous thoughts.
Teacher told us:
“When you have strong righteous thoughts, nothing can impede you. From the day that a Dafa disciple takes up cultivation his whole life is rearranged. In other words, this life of yours is now the life of a cultivator. Nothing is by chance anymore, and nothing will happen just by chance. Everything on your life's journey is directly related to your improvement and cultivation.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
Doesn't this mean that nothing happens by chance for a practitioner? Therefore, we can't do things according to our human notions.
Teacher said:
“Whatever you experience during your cultivation--whether good or bad--is good, for it comes about only because you are cultivating. A cultivator cannot achieve Consummation when laden with human thoughts, laden with karmic debts, or laden with attachments.” (“To the Chicago Fa Conference”)
We need to ask ourselves, have we fundamentally changed, based on this most basic Fa principle? How can we push away opportunities provided for our cultivation? Looking outward is a loophole, and the old forces will capitalize on this to inflict endless interference and tribulations.
Nothing encountered is accidental
I gained the Fa in 1993, and when I started to practice I kept in mind, “Teacher has rearranged my life. Therefore, everything I encounter is not by accident and must be related to my cultivation.”
I truly regard all conflicts and physical pain as good things, even though I have sometimes endured with tears in my eyes. I still felt happy in my heart because I knew that it was to improve my xinxing. When I experienced sickness karma during the early days of my cultivation, and was in excruciating pain, I was still very happy in my heart. I knew that Teacher was helping me to remove karma in other dimensions. If I didn't experience any tribulations of conflict or karma elimination, I wondered if I had remained at one level for too long, and that I must have something to improve.
Looking inward and eliminating attachments
Whenever I felt discomfort, I considered it to be a good thing. However, my understanding changed. I no longer considered feeling unwell as sickness karma, but realized that I had to look inward and eliminate my attachments. I would consider any type of feeling unwell as cleansing the body and an opportunity to eliminate interference from the old forces. Therefore, we will still need to pass these tests with righteous thoughts many times. Our willpower and our ability to endure hardships would be developed through cultivation practice. If the gong that is developed in our body moves around, Teacher has told us:
“... you will feel physically itchy, painful, uncomfortable, etc. The extremes of the nervous system are particularly sensitive, and there will be all kinds of symptoms.” (Zhuan Falun)
I realized that as we continue to cultivate and make breakthroughs to higher realms, our body would also have corresponding changes. Those who are sensitive might feel it. No matter what happens, we must face it with righteous thoughts. Our hearts should not be moved and we must do whatever needs to be done.
As a practitioner during the Fa rectification period, I regard everything that I encounter as a good thing. I'm not suggesting that retribution arranged by the old forces is a good thing, but if we negate them and eliminate them, doesn’t it mean that we have elevated to a higher level?
Taking every opportunity to validate Dafa
After the persecution started, some practitioners asked me if those in my work unit made trouble for me. I replied, “I never regard it as trouble. Usually, I don't have the opportunity to talk to them. Isn't it a chance for them to learn about us?” People in my work unit often called me in for a talk, so I always took the opportunity to clarify the facts to them, and the results have been very good.
Since I understood that everything I encounter was not accidental, I looked at anything that happened to me from the perspective of the Fa. Initially, I was unable to think like this, but gradually I was able to let go of my human notions. I considered the fact that everyone I met had a predestined relationship with me, and I knew that I needed to treat them with righteous thoughts. I did not experience any interference because of this way of thinking. Sometimes, I wondered why I wasn't annoyed with these people. Teacher said:
“Remember, what is for human beings conventional wisdom is inverted. So when you encounter troublesome things as you cultivate, don't regard them all as problems, as interference to your rightful tasks, or as attacks against those tasks, or think, "This thing I'm doing is of utmost importance, that thing I'm doing is of utmost importance..." Many things might not truly be how you see them, in fact. Your true improvement will always be first and foremost, and the consummation of your cultivation is always first and foremost.” (“Teaching the Fa in Canada, 2006”)
I'm not talking about how well I have cultivated, but I'm sharing my real understanding; that is, I regard everything as a good thing. This is because we are unable to elevate if there are no troubles. Therefore, every time a tribulation or conflict was over and I looked back at the process of letting go of attachments I would really offer my thanks, thanking those people who helped me elevate to a higher level. I would also be grateful to Teacher, who has been compassionately caring for me all along the way.
When tribulations occur, is it a test that we must pass or is it interference arranged by the old forces? My understanding is that it depends on where our starting point is. If our thought is on the Fa, then it is what Teacher has arranged to elevate our level. However, if our thought is not on the Fa, then we follow the arrangements made by the old forces, which are meant to drag us down.
Teacher said:
“... a being's choice is up to him, even if he made some kind of vow in history. At critical moments it's still up to him what he wants to do.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.”)
Therefore, as long as we have righteous thoughts and walk the path arranged by Teacher, we are genuinely cultivating in the Fa. Even if we have loopholes, we can rectify them in the Fa. No matter what the old forces had arranged, it would not have any effect. Since our Teacher does not recognize them, we must not recognize them either.
The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything incorrect.
