(Minghui.org) Over the past two years, I've often heard stories about fellow practitioners suffering from sickness karma. I would like to talk about my own experience of breaking through the illusion of sickness karma, and my understanding of the topic.
Although I have experienced several bouts of sickness karma, I have managed to break through each one of them very quickly on my path of cultivation. I make a practice of immediately looking within when this phenomenon arises, and I remind myself to endure the hardship without complaint. It is important for a cultivator to find out where they have deviated from the Fa's principles and make fundamental changes in their character (xinxing).
I will now share my understanding of sickness karma.
If you don't want to unwittingly acknowledge the old force's arrangements, including all facets of the current persecution, you must take decisive action to counter their arrangements. For example, some practitioners lie down whenever they feel some discomfort. The more they think about their problem, the more bitter, helpless, and overwhelmed they feel. Some are okay with letting others take over the tasks that they should be doing.
Think about it. You send righteous thoughts to deny the old force's arrangements and persecutory elements, but you lie there and let others complete your tasks for you? Isn't this acknowledging that you are lacking in resolve, and that you are incapable of rising to the occasion? If you always hold the thought, “I am capable of doing whatever needs to be done. There is no need to dwell on the physical or mental discomfort that my body feels,” you will find that your tribulation passes very quickly.
Since thought is the precursor of action, and Dafa saves the main consciousness, if your main consciousness is not in control, doesn't that mean that your righteous thoughts are lacking? Doesn't the bitter expression on your face denote that you are treating your sickness karma as a bad thing, as would an ordinary person?
While facing the persecution, rather than endure it passively, I instead looked within and found my shortcomings and the areas in my life that did not comply with the Fa's requirements. I regarded the hardship as joy, as well as a good opportunity for me to eliminate any meddling deities and improve my cultivation.
To successfully break through the old force's arrangements, we must be clear on the Fa's principles. For example, Dafa disciples did not come to this world solely to cultivate themselves. The old forces put a lot of emphasis on self-cultivation, and as such they have no qualms in destroying you, just to achieve their goal, which is to have you meet their standard.
However, for those who practice Falun Gong, achieving personal consummation is not the central focus. We made vows to save sentient beings, and that is our primary responsibility. The attachments that show up during cultivation will be gradually rectified by the Fa. The old forces do not have the right or authority to subject Dafa disciples to their so-called cultivation tests.
If, as a cultivator, you don't conduct yourself well when conflicts arise, it will surely produce negative consequences. However, if you always keep a righteous state of mind and remember Master's Fa, then things will turn out good. Why do some practitioners start to become anxious and despondent as soon as their bodies start to feel unwell? Why do they bemoan their fate, thinking that their suffering is so unfair?
As soon as this thinking emerges, aren't you pursuing bad things? Dafa disciples have been cultivating for so many years, and their bodies have already been replaced by high energy matter; even the nuclei have been transformed. Thus, how can the substances in the Three Realms have any effect on you? They no longer work. So, how can you be affected by the illusion of sickness karma?
I try to always hold the thought that Dafa disciples' bodies are free from illness. Therefore, any thoughts that arise about my body being unwell quickly disappear. I easily pass these types of tests, sometimes within a few seconds.
It is our duty and responsibility to assist fellow practitioners, whenever they encounter tribulations. We need to do this according to the Fa's principles and help them find their own shortcomings. We should not blame others or try to rush things, nor should we point out all of their shortcomings, thinking that it will help them better understand their predicament.
The old forces often test practitioners who admire or overly rely on a particular person in their group. They arrange to have that practitioner become ill to see if others around him or her will continue in their cultivation. This type of phenomenon could also happen when a group of practitioners are not living according to the Fa's principles.
When a local practitioner is being persecuted, others around him should look inward and upgrade their character. The process of helping fellow practitioners strengthen their righteous thoughts and identify their shortcomings is also a process of cultivating and upgrading oneself.
One day, my wife, who is also a practitioner, said, “Come here!” pointing to her bulging waistline. “Look, I now have two duck-egg like lumps.” I replied, “I don't want to look. From now on, you should forget about them.”
After about month, she informed me that her tummy was completely flat. Although this was a minor thing, it still reveals a principle. If your mind can achieve a state of non-action, then that is your realm. When you're facing a tribulation, try not to direct too much attention or energy toward it. If you can remain detached, or better yet, simply forget about it, your tribulation will surely pass quickly!