The Old Forces Don't Let Up

(Minghui.org) A local practitioner passed away suddenly this past July. She was 66 years old and started practicing before the Chinese Communist Party launched its persecution of Falun Gong in 1999.

All the practitioners in our area were shocked. She had been persecuted and depressed for a while, but then returned to Dafa cultivation. She had coordinated an evening Fa study at her house for over a decade.

Her death was very strange. A practitioner who lived close to her had seen her just before she died. “We were studying the Fa the day before her death, and she looked normal,” he said. “After dinner, I went to see her again, and her husband was angry and yelling at her. I tried to calm him down, but he shouted at me. She pulled me in her room and locked the door. She kept on burping, and her face turned blue. I wasn’t sure what was wrong since she had been perfectly fine that afternoon.

“She told me that her husband had beat her earlier that month. He stabbed her chest with a chopstick, which left a purple wound. She said he punched and kicked her to the floor. The back of her head was injured, and she passed out. When she woke up, she saw her husband lying next to her without moving. She thought he might have fallen over and hurt himself. She called her son immediately to take him to the hospital. However, the doctor said that there was nothing wrong with him. She then realized that her husband had faked being passed out to avoid being blamed for abusing her. She was very upset. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t let go of the resentment.”

Around 5:00 p.m. the next day, she passed away.

We couldn’t believe it at first. How could she die so suddenly?

Later on, we learned that the husband was afraid that he had injured her severely. Before she died, he called his children to come home and force her to go to the hospital. She was then diagnosed with myocardial infarction. The doctor said that there was an injection that cost 10,000 yuan that might cure her. However, the doctor also said that the drug was experimental, and if there was an adverse reaction to the injection, the hospital would not be responsible for it. The family forced her to go to the ICU and get the injection. She passed away after that.

Master told us:

“Nothing is by chance anymore, and nothing will happen just by chance. Everything on your life's journey is directly related to your improvement and cultivation.” (Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles)

We thought about the practitioner’s death, and we realized that it was not actually all that sudden. She didn’t appear to cultivate diligently. She had three children and raised five grandchildren as well. Her children and grandchildren visited her every weekend, and she would spend one day making dumplings and steamed buns and make more food the next day. The children took leftovers home. Her husband often fought with her for spending too much time and energy on hosting the family, but she insisted on doing it.

Her youngest son took over the family business, and her husband helped out in the store every day. At first, she still spent half of each day helping in the store. Her daughter-in-law later asked her not to go to the store after they had a conflict. The practitioner didn’t realize that it was Master giving her more time to study the Fa. Instead, she felt bored, started to grow vegetables in her yard, and offered to cook for others who were too busy to cook.

She kept herself busy with ordinary tasks. How could she do the three things well? She and her husband both had pensions, and their children were financially well off.

When she first took up the practice, she was illiterate. After studying hard, however, she could fluently read Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa. She was the one who ran the family business at that time. She also had to do all the housework and raise her children. She studied the Fa at night until 10:00 p.m., and then went out to distribute Falun Dafa informational materials. She never skipped any of the three things. She was also illegally sentenced for a time for being a practitioner.

However, as the environment became better in recent years, and as her children grew up and became prosperous, she didn’t take advantage of her free time to do the three things well. Instead, she focused on how to live her everyday life better. She forgot about her vow and forgot what Master told us:

“... that the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your mind goes wrong a little bit, your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over.” (Zhuan Falun)

Obviously, the old forces had interfered with this practitioner. They made her busy with ordinary things, leaving little time to participate in crucial activities.

Master also told us:

“If you want to practice cultivation, human sentimentality must be relinquished.” (Zhuan Falun)

The death of the practitioner was a profound lesson for us. We should each look inward to see if we are diligently cultivating and if we understand Master’s teachings. I thought that the practitioner had practiced very well because all her illnesses vanished after practicing Falun Dafa. Her skin was smooth, and she was energetic and strong like a young person. However, I didn’t think about why an older person was granted that state. It was for her to cultivate and do the three things well.

Her death woke us up and made us see that the old forces are watching practitioners all the time to see if they slack off.

Master said:

“The old forces don't dare to oppose our clarifying the truth or saving sentient beings. What's key is to not let them take advantage of the gaps in your state of mind when you do things.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston)

As long as we firmly believe in Master and Dafa, persevere in doing the three things well, deal with conflicts as true practitioners, and cultivate ourselves solidly, the old forces can’t do anything to us no matter how insane they become.

We must walk our paths correctly and diligently. Only then can we succeed and return with Master.