(Minghui.org) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner in the United States who works from home as a volunteer for a media agency. I would like to share a recent experience on overcoming a tribulation.
Several days ago I was working on news production, when my vision suddenly became blurred.
A similar thing happened before I started practicing Falun Gong. It lasted about an hour and appeared to be a mild stroke. Thinking that I was still young, I did not pay much attention to it. It did not happen again until recently.
Question from My Wife
My wife, a physician, worried about me because this type of problem is common in my family. My grandfather died of stroke. She once asked me, “Suppose you have a stroke one day, should I call the ambulance or not?”
It was a tricky question. As a practitioner, I knew that such things should not happen to me. I have responsibilities to fulfill and a family to support. On the other hand, if something does happen because of my karma and I tell my wife not to get help, she would not understand me and would probably think negatively about Dafa. From this perspective, going to the hospital might not be a bad idea—at least they would not blame Dafa because of me.
New Understanding
I had sickness symptoms in the past, but none was major. When I noticed my blurry vision this time, I suddenly had a real sense of danger. If it turned out to indeed be critical, I should contact someone else on the project to take over my part to avoid delay.
I drank some water, thinking that it might help dilute my blood and alleviate blood vessel blockage. But the symptom got worse. So what did this mean? If it continued to get worse, should I go to the hospital?
I calmed down to think it over. There is nothing wrong in my fulfilling my responsibilities as a Dafa disciple and avoiding actions that might tarnish Dafa.
I realized that my thoughts were not wrong. If I failed to overcome the tribulation, I might have a negative impact on Dafa. In addition, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my duty to save sentient beings. My thoughts were based on the Fa. If such thoughts were correct, Master must have considered this as well. Compared to seeking help from a doctor, why didn't I trust Master and ask him for help?
I thus became confident that I didn't need help from a doctor. In a few seconds, the blurred vision symptom disappeared.
Reflections
From this experience, I gained new understanding of the Fa. In the past I only thought about avoiding tarnishing Dafa, even if I took a step back in my own cultivation. What I did not realize was that Teacher could resolve all of this, and once I had full confidence in the Fa, things would change.
Whether we are steadfast on the Fa is a crucial test for all of us. When encountering tribulations, it is not only a test that evaluates how well we cultivate, but also a chance for us to think over and find out what loopholes caused those tribulations. Once we can identify our omissions and rectify our thoughts, the tribulations will be easier to overcome.
Taking this experience as an example, I realized that my thoughts were based on my understandings of the Fa—to safeguard the Fa as a Dafa disciple. On the other hand, my belief in Teacher and the Fa was not strong enough, and the situation became even more complicated when it was intertwined with my sentimentality towards my wife. As soon as I recognized these problems of mine, the situation immediately changed.
I am always grateful to Master for his compassionate guidance along my cultivation path. Thanks to Master's teachings, cultivation is no longer a mystery, nor is it inconceivable. As long as we look within based on the Fa, we elevate every step along the way. Let's cultivate genuinely with our hearts, support each other, and improve as one body.
Category: Improving Oneself
