(Clearwisdom.net) I once read an article in which a fellow Falun Gong practitioner mentioned that he saw the old forces ridiculing him with malice. The practitioner responded by searching inward and identified his attachments. In another article a practitioner said that he prevailed over a demonic tribulation in the form of “sickness karma.” When his righteous thoughts came forward, he saw in his celestial vision that the old forces destroyed one of his internal organs, but the organ was instantly repaired once his “xinxing” improved. Hence, the old forces were unable to touch any of his internal organs again. The practitioner also saw that another practitioner's life was taken because of “illness” as a result of insufficient righteous thoughts. As for himself, he positioned himself correctly and eliminated his attachments, so the old forces could not find any loopholes to exploit and therefore retreated. I read in another article that an imprisoned practitioner was on the edge of death because he had been subjected to persecution for a long time. When he almost entered a coma, he saw a life (part of the old forces) in the image of Buddha who told him that his mission was completed and it's time for him to go to his rightful place in Heaven. That life showed him a dimension and certain magnificent scenes and feelings there. But he remembered that he ought to follow Teacher and rectify the Fa with Teacher in the human realm, so he refused to leave with the “Buddha.” Instantly those scenes disappeared and he saw Teacher smiling at him. All the physical pain disappeared and the practitioner was later released from prison.

After reading these articles, I felt that something was missing. These practitioners did not talk about how they ought to handle those interfering old forces. We Falun Gong practitioners are not supposed to negotiate with the old forces. We are supposed to completely eliminate the old forces. Even if we cultivate ourselves well and leave no loopholes for the old forces to exploit, will the old forces stop interfering with other fellow practitioners and sentient beings after they leave you alone? A cultivator knows to search inward because he studies Teacher's Fa and conducts himself according to Teacher's Fa. He cultivates unconditionally because of Teacher's Fa. The old forces have no business guiding our cultivation. No matter how much we search inward and cultivate, we must not forget to eradicate the old forces.

It is not that we don't give the old forces any opportunity to rectify themselves. Some of the old forces have realized they were wrong, have stopped interfering with Teacher's Fa-rectification and started to repent for their sins. Others are very stubborn and have chosen their own fate of being eradicated. Fellow practitioners are kindhearted, but the old forces must not take advantage of your kindness for their survival.