(Clearwisdom.net) Several practitioners in my region are experiencing tribulations of sickness. I believe that this is happening because since they began their cultivation, they have not let go of their fundamental attachments. They have become attached to Consummation and to having good health. When they expose the persecution, they talk about what they have done, validating themselves, and have failed to act according to the requirements of Dafa. A self-centered person is selfish. The old forces and dark minions will thus persecute such a person.
I have contacts with many practitioners, including some from the cities. The main reason they experience tribulations is their muddled main consciousnesses, thus leaving themselves open to severe interference by foreign messages. They sometimes give in to this interference and don't even want to know what is going on. The fundamental reason is their murky understandings of the Fa.
I see their common problem is like this. They are rather jealous and somewhat conceited, and have a strong competitive mentality. They do not listen to criticism. They find faults with anyone who criticizes them. This makes it impossible to communicate with them. As a result, fellow practitioners have kept some distance from them. We need to cultivate specific things during the process. But I hope that those practitioners who are experiencing the tribulation of sickness will also search within themselves and see if they have tried their best.
Can one succeed in cultivation if these human mentalities are not eliminated? To be a new, enlightened being in the new cosmos one has to let go of these mentalities, otherwise one can never reach Consummation. Some practitioners believe that by reading Zhuan Falun once one can go one realm higher or one layer of heaven higher. They have already become attached to this belief. With such a human notion, can one become enlightened to the Fa principles? Can one improve oneself? This person's reading the Fa is just for his or her own reaching Consummation.
Master said, "Studying the Fa with attachments is not true cultivation" (Towards Consummation," June 16, 2000) and "You are allowed to begin cultivation with various human attachments." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference")
Can one reach Consummation with the attachment to reaching Consummation? The beings in the new cosmos are altruistic. Have we lived up to this requirement? Have we lived up to Master's expectations? Here I do not intend to blame anyone specifically. I simply want fellow practitioners to overcome the tribulations of sickness as soon as possible.
Some practitioners have been in this ill state for as long as two years, with the shortest being several months. This has had a big impact in the countryside and has become known to many people. One can imagine what a role such incidents have played. The roles this has played is even worse that what the evil can do! I do not mean to say the practitioners are not good. I merely want them to overcome their tribulations and break through the obstacles. One common thing is that they all think they have huge amounts of karma and take the suffering as their paying back the karma. They just endure silently. Some of them also take what they have seen with their celestial eyes as guidance. They believe whatever they see, and do whatever they are told to do and set Dafa aside. I feel the consequences of doing things like that are frightening.
Here I just want to share some words with those who are still experiencing sickness. By acknowledging the karma, by being attached to having good health, and by being interfered with by what you see with your celestial eyes, it seems that you have not let go of your egos. Your way of studying the Fa and practicing the exercises are only for your getting to a higher level and for your good health. Such human mentalities are counter to the requirements of Dafa. You are not cultivating in the Fa! Instead, you are letting the Fa give your human mentalities the "green light." You only accept what is in accord with your human notions and resist what is not in accord with your human notions. Being in such a cultivation state, karma controls you, so that you are always interfered with by karma and foreign messages. You can only genuinely break through these obstacles by being consciously mindful of your every single thought. You must let go of the attachment to your physical conditions! Only by truly letting go of our egos and by letting go of the strong, self-centered mentalities can one leave sickness karma behind.
I want to share a story. One woman practitioner had sickness symptoms lasting more than ten days. During the last three days she just lay on the bed. She could not eat anything and could not move her body, as if her body were separated from her head. She wanted to move but could not feel anything. Then a voice said to her, "You are about to die. It has been determined for you to leave this way. You have done everything you are supposed to do. By passing away you will have reached Consummation. How painful this is for you!" Hearing this, she was suddenly shocked and thought, "Nobody's words count. No matter what arrangements the old forces have made, I do not accept them. I am Master Li's disciple. I only listen to Master's words. I make my own decisions." She was then able to get out of bed and started to do whatever she needed to do. All of her tribulations immediately vanished. She had lost approximately five kilograms (eleven pounds) in those few days, but she was now more energetic. The weight loss has not affected her doing Dafa work. She is quicker than before when planting rice seedlings in the fields.
We all cultivate ourselves by following the same Fa. But has the Fa taken roots in our hearts and minds? While in tribulations, do we hold onto our human notions or have thoughts of enlightened beings? Do we take control of ourselves or do we let the old forces take control?
Let us ask ourselves: Master has given us all the Fa. Do we assist Master in the Fa-rectification or are we becoming obstacles blocking the path of Fa-rectification? I hope that this article can be useful for those who are experiencing sickness karma.
