PureInsight | April 26, 2004
[PureInsight.org] Every once in a while, people of all nations, of all cultures and languages, young, old, rich and poor, tall, short, ugly or handsome will experience an incident in their lives that makes them exclaim, "Life is not fair." Even I get this thought in my head occasionally, but then I remind myself that I am a Dafa cultivator, and the universal Fa is wise and good. I know that everything happens for a reason, though I may not be aware at that the time what ultimate the purpose for a specific incident might be.
This "unfairness" might begin in childhood, when someone bullies a youngster on a playground or during a school bus ride; it might happen in an office at the water cooler, when a group stands together, looking at you askance, making you wonder what gossip they are hatching against you; a sudden illness might befall a family member, making you think again, "Life is not fair! I am a diligent Dafa cultivator – why is this happening?" Friends and acquaintances you have known for years suddenly exclude you from the "inner circle," making you hurt inside. But, if we trust in the Fa and know that Master knows all, that He sees the karmic relationship that we cannot yet discern, then we have nothing to fear or worry about.
We plan and scheme, and when disappointment comes our way, when all our hard work and upright living seems to have been for naught, we might want to rant and rave about "the unfairness of it all." If we have the wisdom to sit back, empty our minds and consider things from the perspective of Master's teachings, the outcome will be much easier to put up with, because all is based in the Fa, well-ordered and arranged far ahead, no matter how unfair and chaotic things seem.
"Life is not fair, but the Fa is good" might be difficult to say, especially for those who do not yet believe in a higher power, a heavenly hand that sweeps over all, with purpose and wisdom. When people ask me, "How do you know there is a higher power?" I ask them, "How do you know there is not? Can you prove to me that there is no higher power?" When that happens, I get strange looks at first, and then the questions practically fall over each other, affording me another opportunity to let people know about the Fa. I tell them stories from my own life, how our second oldest daughter contracted severe cancer last year, and how I, a believer in Dafa, honestly did not spend one minute worrying, knowing that Master had arranged this eons ago and I must trust His wisdom to deal with our daughter's illness and my mental attitude. I sent many a noble thought heavenward, that all might be well, but NOT according to my will, but according to the eternal plan. Not dwelling on "Life is not fair…" gave me peace of mind. Our daughter is now back at work, healed for the moment.
Life is not fair for our Falun Gong practitioner in China, either. They are enduring a horrendous persecution. But looked at from a different tangent, if this persecution had not happened, as fiendish as it has played out, perhaps not nearly as many people around the world would have become aware of the practice of Falun Dafa. With each new atrocity the perpetrators of this outrageous, unprecedented oppression commit that we expose, more and more people at least are getting to know the phrase "FALUN DAFA." What could be better than as many people as possible becoming aware of an opportunity to achieve fulfillment in the Universal Law?
"Life is not fair!" The German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, creator of the world-famous Ninth Symphony could have screamed, and could have argued with the universe when he realized he had become totally deaf. He could have retreated from society, never written another piece of music and sat out his days in resentment, self-pity and hatred. Instead, he trusted the higher powers and decided to think positive. This amazing man went to work and composed his forever-enduring masterpiece, the Ninth Symphony, while stone deaf! During the inaugural performance in Vienna, the conductor had Beethoven stand on the podium, with his back to the audience, helping to conduct. When the performance was over and the audience rose with thunderous applause, the conductor had to hold Beethoven by the arm and turn him to face the audience, because Beethoven could not even hear the applause. Yes, it was perhaps unfortunate that he should lose his hearing, but he had not lost his spirit and brought joy to the world with the Ninth Symphony's "Ode to Joy."
When the thought hits you that "Life is not fair," consider this:
1. The Fa is just and wise and good;
2. You still have great possibilities left. The Chinese character for "crisis" may also be interpreted as the character for "opportunity."
3. You can begin again and learn from previous failings. You failed, but you are not a failure.
4. This is just a curve in the path, not the end of the path. Keep on going and you will make it to fulfillment!
So, the next time you are tempted to say, "Life is not fair," start counting all the good things life has put within your reach, first and foremost your ability how to think. A wise man has told us, "As you think, so you are." With the aid of the Fa, it is up to each one of us to "make life fair." The marvelous book Zhuan Falun will help along the way.
