(Minghui.org) Cultivation requires practitioners to align their every thought and action in accordance with the Fa principles, and always maintain righteous thoughts. As we go through the process of cultivation, especially since we are at the end of the Fa-rectification period, the requirements are high.
We need to be strict with ourselves. At every moment and on every issue, we need to align ourselves with the Fa, otherwise, the old evil forces will take advantage of our loopholes, and we may lose the precious opportunity of cultivation.
Such a tragedy has happened in our area. Since practitioners didn't let go of their fundamental attachments and other human notions, the old forces took away their lives through the form of sickness karma and left them with regrets. This has also negatively impacted practitioners' efforts of clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings.
One practitioner did the three things but also pursued happiness in every day society, and she enjoyed her good health. Although she studied the Fa and did the exercises, she did not look inward or relinquish her attachments. She fought for her personal interests, and was unwilling to take personal gain lightly.
She didn't get along well with her mother-in-law, and kept insisting that her mother-in-law mistreated her. The conflicts between them lasted a long time and still she was unwilling to look within. Eventually, they stopped talking to each other.
She was then hit hard with sickness karma. It was a big test for her, and later the sickness karma became a test of life and death. She was unable to face it with the right mindset, and after struggling with it she ended up going to the hospital. Doctors could not do anything to help. She resorted to listening to an ill-intentioned person, who advised her to eat a certain type of food, and when she did her level dropped. In the end, she passed away.
Another senior practitioner had a similar experience. He was a contact person for Falun Dafa before the persecution started. He was diligent in cultivation, and had pretty good enlightenment quality. He refused to give in to the evil when he was persecuted. However he harbored fear and didn't do well in speaking to people about Falun Dafa and the persecution.
He was also worried that he would be left behind, and he was quite anxious. The burdens became tribulations in cultivation in the form of sickness karma, resulting in a cold, fever, and constant coughing. Sometimes the sickness karma lasted for a few days, and sometimes a few weeks. When he couldn't endure the pain, he followed his children's advice and went to the hospital.
He was sometimes hospitalized for a few weeks, and really thought that he was sick. Other practitioners talked to him, telling him that he must clarify the truth. They told him to save the people who visited his house because it was arranged by Master, and he should not abandon them.
He responded, “I cannot do it. I often cough. How can I talk to people? Also, what if people told the authorities on me? I would lose my retirement pension.” Practitioners told him: “Don't treat yourself as a patient. Once you negate this interference, you will start to overcome this hurdle. Conduct yourself as a cultivator.”
He said: “It is hard. I feel great pain.” He later stopped studying the Fa and doing the exercises, and gave up cultivation. According to his family members, he developed a short temper, and often yelled at other people. He couldn't take criticism, and fully became an everyday person. He passed away and caused a negative impact on local truth-clarification efforts.
Unfortunately many things like that have happened around us. It's tremendously regretful and sad that some practitioners didn't fulfill the tasks that Master assigned to them, and didn't finish their journey of cultivation. I believe their loopholes were seized upon by the old forces and hence their lives were taken away.
Below are some of what I understand and have enlightened to:
We Must Study the Fa Well and Walk on the Path Arranged by Master
Master has taught us:
“You can use the seminar form to have everyone communicate with one another, and you may discuss and share things with one another. We require that you do it this way.” (Lecture 3, Zhuan Falun)
Group Fa study is a great way for us to improve as a whole, and it is a form arranged by Master. We have a small Fa study group in our area. There are a few issues I have noticed that I wish to point out.
When it's time to harvest crops, practitioners stop attending the group Fa study and fail to meet the requirements for practitioners in the Fa-rectification period. Consequently, when conflicts or problems arise, we cannot form a one body, nor can we collaborate with each other to solve problems. The old forces see this, and test us with sickness karma upon those who slack off in cultivation. I strongly believe we ought to form a one body so that we can do the three things better, and not let down the sentient beings who have placed their hopes in us to save them.
We Must Clarify the Truth Well
Master said:
“Some people have not stepped forward and don't take this task seriously, and they don't think that saving sentient beings is all that important. In reality, your responsibilities as Dafa disciples all lie right there. If you don't take action to save sentient beings, you will not have fulfilled your responsibility as a Dafa disciple and your cultivation will amount to nothing, for your becoming a Dafa disciple was not for the sake of your own Consummation. This means that you shoulder a monumental mission.” (Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference)
If we don't study the Fa well, we cannot clarify the truth well. In our area, there are fairs every few days, which are good events to speak to people about Falun Dafa and the persecution. However, during the harvest season, some practitioners use that as an excuse to not participate.
When they have time, they come out to clarify the truth, but they don't go about the task with righteous thoughts. When other practitioners urge them to do better, saying that sentient beings are in danger and we must clarify the truth to them, they come out for a few days, as if they are cultivating for other practitioners. It seems their cultivation is conditional, and they don't maintain their obligations.
Practitioners in our area have unfortunately missed many opportunities to save people and have fallen behind.
We Must Look Inward and Cultivate Ourselves Well
Many practitioners in our area have passed away as a result of not handling well the issue of sickness karma. When one practitioner encounters problems, he or she is a mirror for other practitioners, and we should realize that it is an opportunity for us to cultivate well together, as his or her problems also involve our own problems in cultivation. We should look inward when it happens, and see if we have human notions that need to be eliminated. We should treat it as a good opportunity to improve ourselves. Doesn't Master hope that all of us will improve together as a whole?
Sometimes we see other practitioners' attachments, but we don't point it out for them due to our having to face our own attachments or our fear, which all need to be eliminated.
My understanding on the issue isn't too comprehensive, and I can only look at things at the surface level. However, if we can really conduct ourselves as true cultivators, and truly and solidly cultivate, then nothing should pose a real problem. Fellow practitioners, we need to be more mature in our cultivation.
Cultivation is hard, but it is also joyful. We have our revered Master, and have the precious opportunity to cultivate during this Fa-rectification period. We should cherish it, and become diligent. It is not hard to do the three things well. We should ease Master's concern for us and make Master proud.
Category: Cultivation
