Fear of Pain Is an Attachment

(Minghui.org) In recent years, a few of our local practitioners passed away due to sickness karma. I felt sad and helpless. As cultivators, we do have attachments, but practitioners being persecuted to death severely interferes with our saving people during the Fa-rectification period. Every practitioner who suffered from sickness karma had to endure discomfort and even severe pain. In fact, many practitioners gave up because of the intolerable pain. They ended up going to the hospital and then blamed themselves. Their fear of losing face then became another attachment. The tribulation dragged on for a long time, causing them to lose confidence and eventually their lives.

I had a sharing with a paralyzed practitioner who has since passed away. She went to the hospital because she couldn’t stand the pain. Another practitioner (who also passed away) couldn’t stand the bloating in the abdomen and went to the hospital. A practitioner with hemorrhoids (who later passed away too) could not bear the pain. Another practitioner suffered severe pain, and the situation dragged on for a few years; he eventually went to the hospital.

All of these practitioners knew not to recognize the persecution of the old forces, but they all had fear of pain. When they were in pain, they could not calm down to send righteous thoughts. They always believed that their pain was different from the pain from sickness karma. Master said:

"Cultivation paths are differentYet all are within Dafa"(“No Obstacles”, Hong Yin II)

Although the manifestation of tribulations was different for everyone, the attachment was the same. Fear of pain is also an attachment. Gods do not frown in pain or shake while sending righteous thoughts, nor would they think about easing their pain when sending righteous thoughts. Sending righteous thoughts like that would not eliminate the evil. I knew several practitioners who successfully overcame their tribulations. They were all able to sit steadily while sending forth righteous thoughts even though they were suffering severe pain.

I have also experienced this kind of nonstop pain myself. No matter how I adjusted my posture, I could not ease it even a bit. I denied the old forces in my mind but to no effect. Once, when looking inward, I saw Master’s teaching imprinted in my mind: “When you can really do that, not just saying it but putting it into action, Master will definitely stand up for you.” (“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”) I then enlightened that if I sent righteous thoughts while twisting my body back and forth, it would be acknowledging the old forces. If I don’t acknowledge or feel the pain since it was imposed by the old forces, that would be denying the old forces’ arrangements!

With this understanding in mind, I sat up straight and without moving no matter how painful it was. I peacefully watched the pain moving in my body. Even though the pain was not alleviated, I could bear it. I kept sending righteous thoughts while in pain. Half an hour later, I felt very tired. I told Master that I had to rest for a while and would continue afterward. When I woke up, I realized that Master had already gotten rid of the evil for me. Even before I found my attachment, Master did it for me after I no longer feared the pain.

From this incident, I enlightened that during tribulations from sickness karma, we should negate the old forces along with any feelings they impose on us, including pain. When our hearts are not moved by the pain, we should be able to pass the test.