(Minghui.org) Thomas Didymus (Thomas the Apostle) was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. As a young man, Thomas was upright, open-minded, and good to his parents.
Jesus appeared before his disciples shortly after his resurrection, however, Thomas was not present at the time. Thus, when the other disciples excitedly told him about seeing Jesus, he doubted them, saying: “Unless I see the nail marks on his hands and poke my fingers into the nail holes, and use my hand to touch his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, Jesus appeared again among his disciples. “To reassure you,” he told Thomas, “extend your finger here and look at my hand. Stretch out your hand and touch my side. Don't be a non-believer, be a person with faith.”
Thomas replied: “My Lord! My God!”
Jesus said: “Do you not believe until seeing me? Blessed are those who believe though not seeing.”
Since Thomas had harbored an attitude of “no seeing, no believing,” after the resurrection of his Lord, people often called him “doubting Thomas.”
As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I can see that many of us share the same attitude as Thomas - only if we can see it, will we believe.
For example, when everything is going well and there are no conflicts, we firmly believe in Dafa. However, when we are mistreated, we tend to complain.
Master said,
“A benevolent person always has a heart of compassion.With no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy.” (“Realms” in Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement)
Although we've read this teaching countless times, some of us still find it hard to adhere to Master's words when someone mistreats them.
However, when people mistreat us, don't we gain in four ways? So, what's there to complain about? When we complain, isn't this a form of a doubt? If we firmly believe in Master, would we ever resent someone for mistreating us? Wouldn't we feel thankful instead?
Many practitioners have memorized Master's teachings on how karma gets transformed into virtue through suffering. Yet, some of us still get anxious when faced with sickness karma, and seek out medical treatment. Isn't this the same as doubting Master? If we have firm faith in the Fa, the thought of seeing a doctor would never arise in our minds.
Before the persecution began in 1999, most practitioners appeared to be firm in their belief. They clearly understood that they should take the Fa as Master. However, after being persecuted, many of them trembled in fear.
If we believe that Master is always by our side, would we ever fear the police or yield to their demands? Would we feel lonely? With a firm belief in the Fa, one's heart would be very calm.
The depth of one's belief is only revealed under trying circumstances. When one's beliefs are deeply rooted, they can move the ten-directional world!
If we harbor the attachment of suspicion into our cultivation, there's a chance we might even become suspicious of Master! Grasping the Buddha Fa in one hand and the human world in the other, will get us nowhere.
It is faith that bonds and connects us with the divine. The stronger the faith the stronger the bond. Without faith, divine beings cannot help us return to our original nature.
Suspicion is a warped, incorrect human notion. Only by ridding ourselves of suspicion, can we have strong righteous thoughts.
If a cultivator still harbors suspicion, he is vacillating between becoming a divine being and being human. When we firmly believe in Master, we are connected to him and only then can he help us. When we're filled with doubt, our connection with Master is not so strong, thus he can't help us.
There is a saying among everyday people: “Avoid working with people who are suspicious. Instead, work with people who believe and trust you.” If you constantly doubt others, nothing can get accomplished. Only by having firm faith in Master can one reach consummation.
Everyday people need to see before they can believe, while practitioners need to believe before they can see.
Master taught us,
“'Seeing is believing; no seeing, no believing.' This is the view of an inferior person. Humans are lost in illusion and have generated a lot of karma. How could they see, with their original nature obscured? Enlightening comes before seeing. Cultivate your mind and eliminate your karma. Once your original nature comes forth you will be able to see.” (from “Why One Cannot See” in Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement)
When we are suspicious, we swing to and fro like Thomas. Although he worked hard at cultivating virtue, his attachment to suspicion made it impossible for him to cultivate up to high levels.
For a practitioner, having solid faith in Master is both fundamental and critical. Without it, we can never hope to reach consummation!