Thoughts about Helping Practitioners Overcome Tribulations

(Minghui.org) In 2015, my cultivation in Falun Dafa was in a compromised state. One of my colleagues was hospitalized with tuberculosis. I developed a dry cough and didn’t pay much attention to it. I had overcome tribulations in cultivation before and I presumed that it was just a karma-elimination process.

Normally the process would be over after a certain period of time. Later on I filed a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I was detained for ten days because of that. After I was released, I was transferred to a work position where I was not very busy. Gradually I slacked off in my Falun Dafa cultivation. I did not study the Fa study and do the exercises every day. I was not diligent in clarifying the truth to people or sending righteous thoughts. I was in this state for a long time. My cough became much worse.

I bought a new apartment. To pay less tax, I claimed that this was the only apartment I owned, though I did have another one. As soon as I signed the contract, I suddenly felt weak. I realized that I wasn’t being truthful and wasn’t complying with the Fa principles. My xinxing fell. I regretted it very much. I compromised my principles for a little bit of personal gain. I shared my understandings with other practitioners, who also pointed out my pursuit of personal interests.

I started to have difficulty walking. It seemed that there was a problem with my health. Because of my attachments to showing off and complacency, I joined the football team where I worked. I had difficulty running around. I sweat at night. But I disregarded it and did whatever I was supposed to do.

Other practitioners in my Fa study group said that I appeared to be emaciated. After I shared with them, I remembered that practitioners didn’t have illnesses and my state of health was a cleansing process. They told me to look within and improve my xinxing so that I could recover quickly.

I studied three lectures in Zhuan Falun every day. Some Fa principles were manifested to me. I realized that only Master wants us to complete our cultivation and that only Master is truly good to us. Master taught us the Fa and made it possible to have eternal life and unprecedented glory. Master protects us while we are walking our cultivation path and returning to our true self in the Fa-rectification period.

Diligent practitioners were busy but I was slacking off. I didn’t want to stay in this world and became indifferent to any worldly things. I became attached to the time of consummation. I developed the thought of leaving this world sooner. The old forces took advantage of my loophole and persecuted me further.

I tried to clarify the truth to my former classmates when we had a get-together. Because I didn’t cultivate myself well, it didn’t go well. My selfishness in validating myself instead of the Fa prevented them from being saved. But I didn’t realize that at the time.

I looked pale. My supervisor called my wife and asked her to come take me home. I was told to take some time off. Many practitioners came to see me and helped me from the perspective of the Fa. I was greatly encouraged. They hoped that I would overcome this tribulation as soon as possible so I could go out and validate the Fa.

But I failed to overcome it in a relatively short period of time. The practitioners worried that I would not be able to improve my health and encouraged me to go to the hospital. I didn’t because another practitioner had died in the hospital not long before.

I stayed home studying the Fa and doing the exercises, hoping this test would be over soon. I didn’t do the three things Master asks us to do. This was not correct. I paid too much attention to this “false manifestation” of my health. The other practitioners fell into the same trap. If other practitioners would have stayed with me doing the three things instead of me staying at home alone, things might have improved. Many practitioners worried that I would damage Dafa and persuaded me to see the doctor.

I went to the hospital and they found a problem with one of my lungs. Things got worse after I returned home. Actually I shouldn’t have gone to the hospital under any circumstances. Why go to the hospital? Master told us that “True cultivators have no illnesses” (“Explaining the Fa for Falun Dafa Assistants in Changchun,” Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa) Did we really believe in Master? Other practitioners lost confidence in me. And in my heart, I also lost confidence in myself. I couldn’t focus when I studied the Fa and was not willing to do the exercises. One practitioner was disappointed with me and left me alone. I knew that the others hoped that I could pass through this test and validate the Fa. I hoped so, too. But my main consciousness started to erode.

I shared with other practitioners and dug out many attachments. I didn’t know where to start cultivating. I became resistant to the suggestions and ideas of other practitioners and didn’t accept their understandings. I didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t discipline myself. I was using an oxygen machine. I couldn’t sleep well and felt very stressed. I was thinking of getting out of this trouble as soon as possible so as not to damage Dafa. But things went against my wishes. I even lost my voice. I felt very pressured by fellow practitioners. Every practitioner had his own understanding and each one was different. I didn’t know where to start to improve myself or what to do first.

I was tormented physically and mentally. I felt whatever I did was wrong. I didn’t even know how to send forth righteous thoughts. When I was studying the Fa with other practitioners, I was thinking of finishing the Fa study as soon as possible so that I could lie down. I couldn’t sleep at night. I was emaciated and didn’t eat. My family members became scared and took me to the hospital. I was feeling quite broken down when I got there. However, somehow I felt relieved. My family thought that the doctors could help me get through this tribulation. I agreed to see if they could help me.

I was not able to sleep most nights in the hospital. I asked Master to help me. I listened to the Fa. When I was asleep, I saw a truck drive over my head and I shouted for Master’s help in my dream. I could still feel my head rumbling after I woke up. Fellow practitioners visited me, encouraged me, and sent forth righteous thoughts for me. I could feel their energy falling down on me like snowflakes. The next scan of my lung showed that the hole in it had disappeared! The doctors, however, decided that more aggressive treatment was needed. They inserted a tube into my chest and did other things. In the end they said that my condition was incurable and the tube in my chest would have to remain in place.

The medicine I was given weakened my bones and I had pain in all my joints. I couldn’t even raise my hand. My memory declined. Sometimes I lost consciousness.

I then decided to stop all medications and to study the Fa and practice the exercises. My bodily functions recovered quickly. I sent righteous thoughts with my fellow practitioners again. They shared with me and encouraged me to study the Fa more, hoping that I could overcome this tribulation as soon as possible.

One day when I did the exercises, the tube in my chest fell out and the hole sealed itself up automatically. The flesh grew back over the opening within days.

After going through this tribulation, I had the following understandings:

1. I didn’t do well in regard to respecting Master and the Fa. I realized that if my mind wandered and I was not focused when I was studying the Fa, that was disrespectful to Master and the Fa. Respecting Master and the Fa is not just a formality. Practitioners must show their respect for Dafa either with formalities or in their hearts.

2. As Dafa practitioners, do we completely believe in Master and the Fa? The practitioners who were in tribulations were looked after by Master as long as they hadn’t given up practice and regardless of their cultivation state. By no means should fellow practitioners judge others. It is not correct thinking to encourage a practitioner in the midst of a tribulation to go to the hospital when he doesn’t seem to be making progress. Is that helpful? If practitioners worry that the practitioner involved in a tribulation might damage Dafa, isn’t this playing the role of a demon?

What kind of help does a practitioner in tribulation need? They need help to reinforce their belief in Master and the Fa. When practitioners improve their xinxing, their bodies will surely go through changes. When we cannot find our fundamental attachments while in tribulations, we should study the Fa with a focused mind, practice the exercises, and improve our xinxing. The best things that other practitioners can do to help a practitioner in tribulation is to reinforce their belief in Master and the Fa and study the Fa and do the exercises together. Studying the Fa and doing the exercises eliminates karma and helps us to improve ourselves. We must have this unwavering thought as Master said: “True cultivators have no illnesses” (“Explaining the Fa for Falun Dafa Assistants in Changchun,” Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa) Anything we came across was a good thing and an opportunity for us to improve.

It is possible to eliminate karma during a tribulation. But we have to change our notions. Human beings want comfort and no troubles. Master told us “Let joy be found in hardship” (“Tempering the Will,” Hong Yin) Have we achieved that state? When we just started practicing Falun Dafa, we would worry if we didn’t come across any tribulations within a period of time because we would wonder if Master was taking care of us. Master asks us to practice as we did when we first started cultivation. Have we become too relaxed in cultivation and forgotten the original reason we came to this world?

3. It is a good idea to visit the Minghui website whenever possible. When we read the articles on the website, it is as if we are attending an experience sharing conference every time. We can compare ourselves and find out where we fall short. We can gain insights from the articles. When we are lost in our attachments, the sharing articles can make us more determined in cultivation and improve our understandings. We can learn lessons from others’ mistakes and keep our path righteous.

4. How do we help the practitioner in tribulation? My opinion is that only one or two practitioners are needed to assist a practitioner in tribulation. Studying the Fa and practicing the exercises together is most important. The practitioner is looked after by Master and will be fine. Studying the Fa together will help reinforce the practitioner’s righteous thoughts. The exercises should be done regularly to help the body in all dimensions.