Recently, I encountered several tribulations piled on top of each other, such as an intensive elimination of "illness-karma," through which I solidified my understandings on some issues--notably that of how the old forces take advantage of our karma and attachments.

Master said "At the same time, it happens that students have bad elements that have accumulated over the long course of their existence, as well as karma produced in low-level realms. All of these need to be eliminated, and this has resulted in the harsh test for the students in this affair. They've utilized the lies made against me by vicious people to test students' determination in Dafa. That's the situation." (Master Li Hongzhi's Lecture at the Great Lakes Conference in North America)

It had been a long time, over a year, since I had had any kind of serious "illness-karma" elimination symptoms, and I was somewhat surprised when it occurred.

Firstly, I succumbed to the attachment of seeking comfort once the elimination began; I gave in to the evil and collapsed in bed for over two days. I felt that I had no energy left whatsoever, and was therefore unable to do much at all. I now realize that if I had not strengthened my determination and pushed through it, that I would have remained there for...well, forever, until I would take that one step forward. I will return to this shortly.

Nonetheless, the matter remains that the old forces' arrangements are evil, and are therefore not worthy of being imposed on Dafa or on us as particles of Dafa, "You should clearheadedly distinguish self-cultivation from evil's assault on the Fa. All of the arrangements that have interfered with Dafa, that have tried to forcefully impose something on me or the Fa, are absolutely unacceptable." (Speech by Master Li Hongzhi at the Western US Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference of Falun Dafa)

When in Washington DC for the 2001 Experience Sharing conference, I had the following experience: I sat down to read Zhuan Falun and experienced severe pain in my right knee, which made my mind too uncomfortable to read the Fa. I thought "If this is caused by my own karma and is arranged by Teacher, then I accept it. However, if this is imposed by those old beings and is something that I should not bear, then this is evil and does not conform to the true Fa-principles of the cosmos, and I absolutely reject it." Almost immediately the pain subsided to a level that was still noticeable but did not interfere with Fa-study.

I did not explore this experience well enough from the perspective of the Fa, however, and thus failed to deter some interference that manifested in other ways; one such case is the "illness-karma."

As I understand, just as a qigong master can transform karma into other illnesses or tribulations, so the old forces can, and have, used our remaining karma to "test Dafa in a destructive manner"; namely, wherever we have weak spots, notions or attachments, our karma will manifest in the way that would be the most potentially damaging to Dafa and to Fa-rectification.

The question then became, "If this is evil, then what is the righteous thing to do? What is Master expecting me to do; what is his arrangement in this matter?" The answers were simple, in a way.

One, look inwards to discover what attachments were revealed through this. I discovered the attachment to comfort, mixed with laziness, which had enabled this tribulation to be so effective in stalling the Dafa work.

Two, understand from the Fa just what I should do. Through Fa-study, I discovered that I had had an inadequate understanding of what these old arrangements were and how omnipresent they were in my everyday life, and was thereby rendered unable to effectively dissolve them.

Master said that "what Dafa disciples are enduring is no longer their own karma, but something they should not endure under the evil beings' persecution" (The Effect of Righteous Thoughts).

At the Canada conference, Master said, "our students can become tranquil for five minutes, sitting with their hands in Jieyin, and thinking about eliminating the bad thoughts in their minds, karma, and bad notions or external interference. As you're like this, think that they die, and then they will be eliminated". My understanding of this, and of sending forth righteous thoughts, has been deepening gradually since May. It is becoming clearer and the thoughts more effective.

I now realize that when I "clean myself" for five minutes at a time, if I have recognized the evil's arrangement in regards to, for example, this "illness-karma" interference, then this will also be included in what is eliminated. This is only possible, however, if I have first of all discovered whatever attachments, if any, were exposed by the interference, and removed those substances with a determined heart (as was recently pointed out by a fellow practitioner: sending forth righteous thoughts cannot replace true cultivation).

Nonetheless, we are cultivating, so it is not that I can avoid transforming my karma and suffering; I cannot eliminate my attachments by just sitting there, either. I still must look inwards, solidly cultivate, and endure what should be endured. Master has simply given us a means of eliminating what should not be endured--those things imposed by the old beings, and as I understand it this power is given to us solely in order for us to safeguard the Fa and all beings. "I have asked disciples to send forth righteous thoughts to clear away the damage these beings have deliberately done to the Fa-rectification, thereby lessening what Dafa disciples should not endure during the persecution and, at the same time, saving all beings and consummating Dafa disciples' paradises" (The Effect of Righteous Thoughts).

Finally, I would like to quote what Master said: "A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces."

We cannot accept whatever they try to impose on us, including their diverse and often subtly disguised arrangements. Let us clearly recognize and dissolve all of their arrangements and truly herald in the bright new future.

This represents merely my current understanding on these issues. As it is incomplete, please feel free to point out anything incorrect or add more so that we may all benefit and improve together.