(Clearwisdom.net) A practitioner in Weifang City passed away due to sickness karma. Some fellow practitioners believed it was because that practitioner didn't have enough righteous thoughts, since they had already helped him with sending forth righteous thoughts and exchanged experiences based on their understanding of the Fa. Other practitioners believe that it is because the whole body didn't coordinate well. They didn't continuously send forth righteous thoughts for him, and then added bad things onto him by assuming he lacked righteous thoughts.

Master has clearly talked about sickness karma, especially in the article "Sickness Karma" in Essentials for Further Advancement. In addition, Master has answered questions about this issue many times in his lectures. Generation after generation, we accumulated a lot of karma during our countless previous lives. Master has helped us to get rid of a big part, leaving only a small part for us to pay for. Master said in Zhuan Falun (Lecture Two), "It is absolutely prohibited for you to not endure some suffering." Before the persecution started, no matter who suffered from sickness karma, everyone excitedly talked about his or her experience of eliminating karma. Feeling that Master helped eliminate a big part of karma, everyone felt very happy. Then why do we become restless now while facing the situation of eliminating sickness karma?

Right now, whenever a practitioner continuously experiences sickness karma, fellow practitioners ask each other to send forth righteous thoughts for him or her. This seems to be a common phenomenon. In addition, practitioners write experience sharing articles to tell others how sending forth righteous thoughts helped fellow practitioners to pass through a sickness karma test.

It seems like sending forth righteous thoughts is an almighty prescription. Sometimes, when a family member suffers a toothache, or when someone faces difficult things, practitioners all send forth righteous thoughts, rather than looking inside, as a practitioner should do, to find where he or she didn't do well.

Experiencing sickness karma is only one aspect of eliminating karma. Some practitioners realize that it is a xinxing test and manage it well, while facing troubles in ordinary society. They know to look inside, and nobody sends forth righteous thoughts for them. So why do we hurry to send forth righteous thoughts when faced with sickness karma? Isn't this also to pass a xinxing test? Are we so attached to our bodies that the evil can take advantage and take away that practitioner's body? Isn't everyone responsible for that? If we didn't pay so much attention to his sickness karma, he probably would quickly pass through it.

I also read a lot of experience sharing articles on this subject. My understanding is as follows: If a practitioner can pass a sickness karma test, it's not only because everyone sent forth righteous thoughts for him or her, but also because, with everyone's help, that practitioner reached a higher level in the Fa. He or she passes it with sufficient righteous thoughts and enlightenment. If we really hope that practitioners makes it through sickness karma, we need to help him or her change their concepts. Master said in Los Angeles,

"...you are not in any way beings of the Three Realms, and you are no longer ordinary persons,"

"But how could a divine being have ordinary people administer treatment on him? And how could ordinary people heal a divine being's sickness?" ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles," February 25, 2006)

When practitioners give up trying to pass sickness karma tests by going to a hospital or using other ordinary methods, they give up on trying to overcome the test and become ordinary people, at least in this respect. The old forces are very likely to use this excuse to persecute someone more severely.

Some practitioners are wondering why they face sickness karma since they do the three things so well. Is this any different from the person who suffered a stroke in Zhuan Falun? Some practitioners only consider it as interference. I think this thought itself is looking externally, rather than looking within. Why do you encounter interference? Do you have any gaps?

Master said, "I am rooted in the universe. If anyone can harm you, he or she would be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this universe." (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) With Master's protection, who dares to harm Dafa disciples? Who dares to interfere with us? Who dares to force bad things onto us? Only when we have gaps, can those things happen. It is our own problem in this final analysis.

Master said that whatever we encounter in cultivation are good things. However, when practitioners think that it is a good thing only if we pass through something, this contains a hidden meaning: that it would be a bad thing if we didn't pass through it. I think that thought is wrong, and means we do not believe in the Fa. Believe in the Fa first, then you may enlighten. Without belief in the Fa, how can you enlighten? Without enlightenment, how can we do well? Nothing happens by accident. No matter what happens to us, everything is for our cultivation and great virtue. If we pass through them, we upgrade to a higher level. Otherwise, it is a matter of looking within. If you don't want to become a Buddha, Buddha cannot help you, and Master and his fashen cannot do anything for you.

Master always directs us to practice cultivation until we succeed and reach consummation. In "Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful," "The Effect of Righteous Thoughts," "Righteous Thoughts," "Stop the Evil Acts with Righteous Thoughts" and "Eliminate the Dark Minions With Righteous Thoughts," Master has emphasized the important points of sending forth righteous thoughts. I hope fellow practitioners can calm down to review Master's articles mentioned above and move forward with righteous thoughts.

"Stop letting the evil exploit gaps, and stop being interfered with by human attachments." ("Eliminate the Dark Minions With Righteous Thoughts," 2004) Fellow practitioners, let's firmly remember Master's words.

At the same time, it is necessary to help fellow practitioners by sending forth righteous thoughts. Even when practitioners do not do well, we cannot accept the old forces' arrangement. However, we should help fellow practitioners to study the Fa more, upgrade within the Fa, look within and strengthen righteous thoughts. Only by doing this, can they pass through any test and upgrade to a higher level.

I hope fellow practitioners will kindly point out anything that is improper in my understanding.

December 13, 2009