(Minghui.org) Some of our local practitioners are in the middle of tribulations involving sickness karma. Some have been able to strengthen their righteous thoughts and pass the test of life and death. There are still a few, however, whose conditions are not so good and who are having great difficulty in trying to work through their issues. Some have reluctantly conformed to ordinary people's approaches. Some eventually lost their lives.
I'd like to share my thoughts on these situations.
Practitioners going through tribulations often found their situations very difficult and initially talked about what they were experiencing with fellow practitioners. Almost all of the practitioners were keen to help those in trouble in terms of providing ideas and practical assistance.
One practitioner advised another who was experiencing difficulties to study the Fa more, do the exercises more often, and do the three things well. She also helped him to look inward for any attachments, such as, attachments to making money or sentimentality toward his children.
Another practitioner printed an article from Minghui.org on how to negate the illusion of sickness karma, and asked him to listen to and read other such articles and see if he could learn from them.
Still someone else said, “No, this won’t work, no matter how high a level a practitioner enlightens to, how can it be higher than Master’s Fa? The tribulation can only be overcome by raising your xinxing.”
Another practitioner said, “Oh, didn’t I just pass a tribulation of life and death not long ago? It’s just the old forces’ making trouble. I just ignored it. I was able to pass the tribulation by letting go of life and death and following Master's arrangements.”
Yet another practitioner invited a coordinator from another region to share experiences with the practitioner experiencing difficulty. They joined in studying the Fa and sending righteous thoughts seemingly harmonizing with the one body.
Gradually, the practitioner in question was uncertain about what to do; but the enthusiasm of the others did not diminish. As time went by, he was bothered and tired, and even refused to let other practitioners into his home. Those who came to help were puzzled and thought that he was now impossible to help.
In view of this situation, some practitioners going through ordeals chose not to let others know about their situations. Instead, they closed the door and tried to overcome their tribulations alone.
Those in tribulations still wanted to cultivate, but amid hardships their mind became influenced by notions, and hence, their righteous belief in Master and the Fa was not so solid.
Master said:
“… different levels have different Fa.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun).
Although the words of those trying to help seemed to follow the Fa, the understanding they had at their levels couldn't replace enlightenment by those that needed the help. Only when the practitioners experiencing problems realize what they need to do or choose to make changes, will they improve.
When answering a question about helping practitioners with serious illnesses, Master said:
“Helping other Dafa disciples to get through ordeals is everyone’s responsibility, and something that should be done. That’s fine to do. But if the person being helped doesn’t change on his part, and relies completely on others’ help, then it is never going to work out. If with your assistance his positive and good thoughts become stronger and stronger, then the external support from you will help achieve better and better results. That’s how these things work.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2019 New York Fa Conference”)
If the helpers mostly use advice and teaching methods without necessarily understanding the roadblocks in the minds of the practitioners going through ordeals, then they can't evoke righteous thoughts about Master and the Fa.
Some practitioners don't cultivate their speech but gossip about the inferior behavior of practitioners going through tribulations. This inadvertently increases the negative impact on their entire cultivation community and can bring unfavorable consequences.
If the helpers only give “prescriptions” to those going through ordeals, from a certain point of view, they regard themselves as outsiders. Haven't they ignored that we are fellow practitioners, and the persecution against one is the persecution of us all? Have they forgotten to look inward at their own cultivation when they see the problems of others?
Master said,
“What a cultivator works on is always him or herself, and even the slightest change to your human thinking amounts to an improvement and will be witnessed by divine beings.” (“A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Europe”)
So why do we only look at other's shortcomings and forget to cultivate ourselves? As we visit practitioners to offer help we need to understand the hardships they are experiencing physically and mentally. Why do they say, “That's easy for you to say because you're not facing this difficult situation?”
Master said,
“I often say that if all a person wants is the well-being of others and if this is without the slightest personal motivation or personal understanding, what he says will move the listener to tears.” (“Clearheadedness” in Essentials For Further Advancement)
We are all dedicated to helping fellow practitioners; so why do they reject us? Isn't that worth pondering? We cultivate compassion, and compassion should be our normal state.
Of course, it is a manifestation of one body when we visit and help those going though ordeals. What I want to say is that Dafa disciples are one body, and everyone of us is a particle of Dafa. If everyone can look inward, our overall improvement will also be as one body. When this is the case, it could become the main factor in changing the local cultivation environment.
I am also one of the practitioners busy visiting and helping others experiencing tribulations. I have written this article aiming to communicate, without pointing the finger at those who are trying to help others. In fact, it is heartwarming to see practitioners overcoming their busy schedules and troubles to help those in need.
In a recent lecture Master also said that helping fellow practitioners is our responsibility. I just hope that those who help can search inward for their own attachments, and then share their cultivation experiences with the people they are trying to help, and improve together rather than just focusing on others' attachments.
“The Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and rectifies all abnormalities.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
I hope that each of us will constantly look inward unconditionally, and rationally improve as one body.
Category: Improving Oneself
