(Minghui.org) A few months ago I learned that practitioner Chen fell ill, was hospitalized, and is now in a state of unconsciousness. I was shocked. I kept wondering how such a diligent practitioner could end up in that kind of situation.
Chen was kind and friendly; full of wisdom and good to her family. She was diligent in doing the three things, so what happened puzzled me even more.
I remembered a conversation we had. She said that parents love their children more than they love themselves, and they would be willing to die for them. I thought she was talking casually, so I didn’t think much of it at the time. Now I wonder if she was really that attached to her children, or perhaps this was her opinion of how parents should behave.
If she was merely talking about human emotions in general, then it should be fine. But if she was tangled up in emotions and couldn’t get out of it then it would not be a good thing. Even if she didn’t have the attachment, it was certainly dangerous to hold onto that kind of human notion. It gives me a chill to think that the old forces could take a practitioner’s life over a trivial thought.
My mother-in-law could not let go of her attachment to family love and it led to a big conflict within our family. When I discussed this with Chen to my surprise, she didn’t say anything about practitioners needing to let go of such an attachment. Instead she said parents could love their children so much that they would be willing to die for them. She seemed to imply that it was normal for my mother-in-law to love her son—my husband—that much. She advised me not to think about it too much.
Chen had the same sickness karma symptoms as my mother-in-law. The difference was that my mother-in-law died and Chen became unconscious. They were both elderly and good-hearted practitioners. Now that Chen is unconscious, I wonder what her friends and family think? Chen’s symptoms were similar to those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. How is she going to do the three things? Her condition created a loss for Dafa. I wonder if this was caused by not being aware of her thoughts or failing to address her attachments? This is truly heartbreaking.
A cultivator should let go of the sentimentality that permeates the human world. All things, including the love between parents and children, cannot be taken with us when we leave this world.
As practitioners, we should always look inward whenever issues arise. A trivial matter could be a life and death test that blocks us from reaching a higher level. Ignoring a small detail could lead to a tragic ending.
After seeing what happened to others, I realized that I should search inward too, and make sure every single thought is based on the principles of the Fa.
Editor's note: This article only represents the author’s current understanding meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare with one another in study, in cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)
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Category: Improving Oneself
