PureInsight | November 25, 2002
Master states, "Those wars were conditions brought about by greater cosmic changes on the whole, and you were only an element in that circumstance. Without human action happening under cosmic changes, such conditions would not have been brought to ordinary human society, and neither would they be called cosmic changes." (From Zhuan Falun) Master instructs, "When you send righteous thoughts, no matter how intense things get, the surface should be serene." (From "Righteous Thoughts")
At the moment of the decisive battle between right and evil, we should not flinch. Instead, with our righteous thoughts and actions, we should stride across the gap that divides the ordinary people and the cultivators, to meet the expectations of righteous gods. When handling specific matters, we may appear calm and kind on the surface, but we should be serious in our hearts about eliminating evil interferences in other dimensions. This is a very solemn matter and should be regarded accordingly, with righteous thoughts.
Texas is in the southern part of the United States. The summer temperature often exceeds 40 degrees in centigrade (above 90 degrees F.). Although, it appeared to still be summer, turning into fall, the weather in southern Texas was extremely volatile and unpredictable when we were there. It could turn humid, cold and uncommonly windy in a matter of minutes. We arrived in Houston, Texas in the morning of October 23. As soon as we learned that the head evil's airplane would land at the Ellington Air Field, we immediately hurried over there and prepared to wait for its arrival. We knew very well that an epochal, decisive battle between virtue and evil was looming!
By the time we got there it started to rain heavily. Enduring the misery of wet hair and damp clothes, I was attacked by waves after waves of human thoughts, such as "How do I keep my glasses dry," or "How can I keep the rain from dripping into my sleeves?" These human thoughts kept me from maintaining a pure heart during a supposedly sacred mission. We almost became subject to the evil's exploitations. Before we knew it, we were enveloped by strong gusts of wind that came without warning. The wind was gathering its strength, blowing harder and harder, and seemingly these harsh winds would topple down everything. We could feel nothing but our own existence and the wind and pouring rain. Within our limited range of vision due to the gloomy weather, the volatile clouds seemed to race and devour one another. Oh my! The sky and earth seemed to merge into one. Practitioners from Taiwan, Australia and the U.S.A., who knew each other, as well as those who had not met their fellow practitioners, endured the persecutions from the evil in the form of bad weather! At that moment, we suddenly realized the evil's wicked nature. Suddenly, I felt the pain of overwhelming and systemic persecution against the practitioners in China in the last three years, and the compassion that Teacher has endured everything for us Dafa practitioners, everyday people and all other sentient beings. These righteous thoughts suddenly woke me up. The righteous thoughts came deep from my heart. I could truly imagine that I am incomparably noble when I destroy all evil in the universe. Mie! Eliminating the evil! Eliminating the evil completely! In spite of the downpour and the gusts, the wind did not topple any of our banners, though it almost pulled the iron bars in the road block off the ground. In contrast, a seemingly frail practitioner was able to keep the banner in place with powerful righteous thoughts, "I believe that my strength will exceed its usual capacity." When the head evil's plane was about to land, the violent storm suddenly stopped. Every stem of grass and tree suddenly stood still. The change was so abrupt. How rampant the evil was!
Outside the Bush Library, Falun Gong practitioners meditated in the pouring rain. The mud was horribly thick. Wading on the path outside the Bush Library, your shoes would get stuck in the mud. When you finally and laboriously pulled your feet out your shoes would be covered with mud. Every step you made left a deep imprint in the mud. Other groups of protesters were doing anything they could to get the media's attention and could not understand why we kept silent when there were scores of cameras around. Naturally, they would not understand the profound meaning in our silent meditation. When we send powerful righteous thoughts, we were utilizing our wisdom and supernormal capabilities to purge the evil in the cosmos, thus helping to reduce the severity of the vicious persecution against the Dafa and the Dafa practitioners. It is a most profound and meaningful mandate to eliminate the evil, to rectify the Fa, to offer salvation to sentient beings, and to reach consummation.
I started to have a chest pain after standing in the rain for a long time. Then I stopped sending righteous thoughts and began to turn my head frequently to check other practitioners. I was so touched and, in the meantime, felt guilty when I saw my fellow practitioners standing in the rain keeping their palms erect in front of their chests. Their serene look revealed their resolute determination. Even though we don't consciously seek for approval from everyday people, how can they feel indifferent to that scene when they witnessed the rationality and compassion displayed by the practitioners? Only apathetic and uncompassionate people would turn their heads away, pretending not to see anything, because their eyes were completely covered with their attachments. When the head evil was inside the Bush Library, he received an extremely courteous reception as the head of a country. He could pretend to ignore the existence of the Falun Gong practitioners outside who were safeguarding the truth of the cosmos, but he will inevitably lead himself beyond redemption as he refuses to face his own conscience.
The chill air around President Bush's ranch and in the whole area was an extreme challenge for me. At first I thought that every Dafa practitioners who had come here must have the same reaction to the cold so I didn't think of eliminating the interference of cold with righteous thoughts. When I failed to recognize the chill as interference, I passively endured and combated the chill as an everyday person. In fact, the low temperature was not the root case of feeling cold. It was merely a demonic illusion to lower my motivation of sending forth righteous thoughts by exploiting my attachment to seeking warmth and comfort. In hindsight, on our way to the ranch, I didn't feel cold at all because I kept sending powerful righteous thoughts with a clear and focused mind. I was even proud of myself and unconsciously developed an attachment to zealotry, thus created a loophole, which the evil later exploited. After continuously sending righteous thought at an intensive frequency for five hours, with occasional breaks for the Falun Gong exercises, I was shivering with cold. On the other hand, the cold I was not used to kept my mind clear. Nothing could stop Dafa practitioners' righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Harsh, severe torture, brutal tribulations and injustice can never persecute a righteous faith. Only the enormous forbearance, benevolence toward all lives and a kind, understanding mind can make people willing to let down their guards and open their hearts to willingly accept us. This is what the old forces and evil beings in China who had arranged the vicious tortures and persecution in the last three years can never understand.
The wind, humidity and cold during the Texas trip had made quite an impression on me. I would not say I have gone through all the hardships in the world, but at least I can say that I experienced enough hardships for my current endurance level. But then I thought of Teacher's words. Teacher said, "… Today you have barely had any hardship in your personal cultivation, and you haven't been asked to bear the enormous sins yourselves that you committed over your many lifetimes. Meanwhile, I have enabled you to raise your levels in the fastest way, kept everything good from your past, replenished things with what's better at every level for you, always given you in cultivation all the most magnificent things of every realm, and have made it possible for you to return after Consummation to your highest realm's position." (From "Fa-rectification Period Dafa Disciples" in Essentials of Further Advancement II.) Then I felt so ashamed for thinking that I have had enough hardship. What we have endured is virtually nothing compared to what Teacher has endured for us. Come to think of it, it was our privilege to be able to endure any hardship during our participation to the Fa-rectification work.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2002/11/1/19078.html
