PureInsight | June 13, 2005
[PureInsight.org] Since March 2005, the evil from other dimensions has been persecuting a fellow Falun Gong practitioner in our area in the form of sickness karma. At first, he had difficulty studying the Fa. Next he started having problems with his memory. Then he was unable to eat. One day he fell down and his family sent him to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed him with brain cancer and put him on chemotherapy. A few days ago he became terribly weak and was admitted to the hospital again. The doctor gave him a blood transfusion and hooked him up to a ventilator.
Actually, he contacted a few fellow practitioners, including me, to discuss his problem at the beginning of March when the problem started. We all realized that he was facing a very serious problem and wanted to help. We exchanged cultivation notes with him and tried to help him find the root cause. We also studied the Fa with him and sent forth righteous thoughts with him, but there was no significant improvement in his health. Then I got busy, so I didn't go visit him any more.
I thought of him all the time, but those were not righteous thoughts. I thought, "I have done everything I could do. The rest depends on him. If he does not upgrade his understanding of the tribulation, he will not overcome the problem no matter how much we try." Moreover, I would reprimand him each time I mentioned him to others. "He did not cultivate well in the past," I would comment. "And he does not have a good understanding of sickness karma." On my way to the hospital yesterday, I was even thinking, "If we don't cultivate ourselves well, we will only become a burden to fellow practitioners." Whenever I said those things, I knew right away that it was not a righteous thought, so I would eradicate it from my mind at once. In fact, each time I said nasty things to fellow practitioners, I would immediately feel remorse. Sometimes I would even ask myself whether I have unconsciously sided with the evil to persecute fellow practitioners. Despite my regret and remorse, I continued to think that it was his cross to bear.
It was not until several days ago when this fellow practitioner was admitted to the hospital again that I finally acknowledged the fact that there was something wrong with me. I decided that I must not be uninvolved in this problem any longer. I must completely change my foundation of my perspective and I must seek inward thoroughly. When the evil from other dimensions persecutes a Falun Gong practitioner, it is targeting Falun Gong. If I aspire to be the protector of the universe, I shouldn't allow the evil to attack him. When I disparaged the flaws in his cultivation practice, I added a lot of negative matter to his field. Moreover, I have been watching coldheartedly the evil persecute him at will.
What should I do to change the foundation of my mind? What should all the Falun Gong practitioners in our area do to help him?
I remembered that a few years ago I attended a small gathering where Falun Gong practitioners exchanged their experiences of seeking inward and eliminating their attachments in order to truly help a fellow practitioner overcome the demonic attacks in the form of sickness karma. No one heaped scorn on the fellow practitioner who encountered sickness karma. I decided to call one of the fellow practitioners who attended the gathering and exchanged cultivation notes with him about this issue. After having exchanged cultivation notes with him, I identified the following attachments in me.
1. During the Fa-Rectification Period, Evil Is Exploiting Falun Gong Practitioners' Loopholes
The evil from other dimensions may be targeting a specific Falun Gong practitioner, but it is essentially targeting Falun Gong as a whole. If I fail to recognize this, I will think the evil's attack on individual Falun Gong practitioners is none of my business. Next the evil will divide and conquer until every Falun Gong practitioner collapses. If we form one invincible body and treat each other's problems as our own, evil will think twice before launching an attack on any of us. With that in mind, the fact that this fellow practitioner has been suffering from such a severe attack for months reflects a problem in all the Falun Gong practitioners. Because we are nonchalant about other people's plights, because we don't communicate with each other enough, and we lack compassion, evil hae been allowed to persecute this fellow practitioner for months.
2. Evil Is Not Entitled to Test Falun Gong Practitioners
We are Teacher's disciples and not evil's disciples, so evil is not entitled to test us. However, when evil attacks this fellow practitioner, I failed to remember that. I sometimes even think along the way of the evil, "If this continues, he is going to die!" I failed to actively eliminate the evil that had been persecuting him. Instead, I escalated his tribulation. Cultivators carry stronger energy than non-cultivators. When I approve of the evil's attack on him, I have assisted the evil's attack with my negative energy!
3. Understanding and Encouragement
This fellow practitioner needed our understanding, our affection and our encouragement after having undergone a lot of physical and psychological torments. I lacked compassion and affection when I tried to help him. I was manipulative and controlling. I tried to make him follow my advice, but I didn't have the patience to upgrade his understanding on such attacks. I even became abusive when he failed to meet my expectations. I was eager to manipulate him, but I didn't help him. In fact, I have actually aggravated his situation in his darkest hour and made him feel alone and helpless.
Teacher said, "People within your field may unintentionally have their illnesses healed since this field can rectify all abnormal conditions." (From "Energy Field" in Lecture Three of Zhuan Falun.)
I used to believe that when and only when a practitioner cultivates himself well will he be able to overcome the demons' attacks. Now I know I was wrong. I had acknowledged that evil is entitled to persecute us when we have loopholes in our cultivation practice. Evil's persecution of one Falun Gong practitioner is persecution of all Falun Gong practitioners. It is important for all of us to overcome the old forces' persecution.
Teacher said, "But all the same, Master doesn't acknowledge them. And you shouldn't acknowledge them either. Do things well in an upright and dignified way, negate them, and strengthen your righteous thoughts some. 'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them'—then they won't dare to do that. So it can all be resolved. When you can really do that, not just saying it but putting it into action, Master will definitely stand up for you. What's more, there are lots of Fa guardians around Master, there are lots of Buddhas, Daos, and Gods, and there are even greater beings, and they will all participate, because forced persecution that's not acknowledged is a crime, and the cosmos's old laws don't allow it either—irrational persecution absolutely is not allowed, and the old forces don't dare to do it if that is the situation. So you should do things as righteously as you can." (From "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
4. Each Step Matters
Teacher has repeatedly taught us that everything we are doing today will determine the future. Overcoming the demonic attack on this fellow practitioner will not only save his life, but also countless sentient beings in his world and the sentient beings in the human realm that await hearing the truth about Falun Gong from him. Meanwhile, everything we are doing today will become the future cultivators' examples. Therefore, it is essential for me to set good examples. There is Teacher and the Fa with us. I am confident that we will do well eventually!
When I called on him yesterday, he looked well and appeared to be very clearheaded. He has been listening to four to five lectures of Zhuan Falun every day. Lately he has listened to Teacher's Fa lectures 18 times. He told me that he doesn't feel tired at all when he listens to the Fa lectures. Each time he develops a new understanding of the Fa. He has also been practicing the sitting meditation and sending forth righteous thoughts every day. He did not complain about fellow practitioners and appeared to be very lighthearted and optimistic. I didn't help him much on this issue, but he has inspired me a lot on my own cultivation practice! I was feeling both apologetic and grateful.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/5/27/32512.html
