(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, a fellow practitioner from our region died from sickness karma. This caused strong reactions among other practitioners. When her life was in danger, many practitioners sent righteous thoughts to her, and then she felt better. Her condition was sometimes good and sometimes bad. After twists and turns, she finally died. As a result, some practitioners doubted the effectiveness of righteous thoughts. This event caused some concern among the practitioners.

In order to elevate as one body, we studied Master's Fa and learned from each other by exchanging views. One 70 year-old practitioner shared her own experience and her understanding. She started practicing Falun Gong in 1995. Although she was uneducated, she was diligent in cultivation and all her ailments disappeared. After the persecution of Falun Dafa began in 1999, she gave up cultivation under pressure, and her diseases reappeared. During the height of the persecution in 2002, she was taken to a hospital three times. She spit up blood continually and was diagnosed with cancer. She spent a lot of money, but her health still deteriorated. She spent more than fifteen thousand yuan just to stay in the hospital, and it was quite a burden for her children. She stayed in the hospital even on the day of the Chinese New Year. She suddenly understood and asked to leave the hospital. She said, " I want to study the Fa, and do the exercises." She survived due to this righteous thought. She ignored the evil's persecution and made the best use of her time to do the "three things" well. She usually studied the Fa until midnight. She lived alone and provided an environment for group Fa study. She also saved up for truth clarifying materials from the meager monthly allowance that her children gave her.

Recently, some practitioners were troubled by sickness karma. One night, she suddenly felt bad and she was almost out of breath. She got up to send righteous thoughts, and overcame the sickness karma. She said that Teacher has Great Compassion for us, no matter what we encounter, whether it is evil or tribulations.

"When Disciples Have Sufficient Righteous Thoughts, Master Has the Almighty Power to Turn the Cosmos Around." (Hong Yin II, provisional translation)

One practitioner had an attachment to the pursuit of comfort and did not strive forward in cultivation. As a result, the evil took advantage of her loopholes. She was bedridden as if with a serious illness. She searched for a cure every day and everywhere. Her daughter had no choice but to take days off to take care of her. They spent eight thousand yuan for all kinds of medicine. Nonetheless, she felt cold even with thick blankets in the morning and she closed the window to avoid the wind blowing into the house. Fellow practitioners visited her and helped her to find her attachment. They studied the Fa with her, encouraged her to walk out, and reminded her that she was a Dafa practitioner during the Fa-rectification period. She became clear-headed, studied the Fa, "clarified the truth" and sent righteous thoughts with fellow practitioners. She also saved money from the medical expenses to produce truth clarifying materials. She usually walked about three miles round-trip to join the group Fa study. Now, her condition is very good.

Finally, let us recall Master's teaching:

"...during the journey you will have hardships, tests of every sort, unforeseen ordeals, and you will have unexpected interference from all kinds of attachments and emotion. The interference will come from family, society, good friends, and even fellow cultivators. And along with this there is interference from changes in the state of human society and from human notions that were formed in society. All of those things can drag you back to being like an ordinary person. But if you can break through all of it, you can advance towards godhood. So as a cultivator, what is truly remarkable is when you can be steadfast and have righteous thoughts so firm that nothing can sway you. Be solid and firm like diamond, or granite, and then nothing can affect you--evil will be afraid at the mere sight of you." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference")

October 29, 2005