(Minghui.org) On June 5, 2024, Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, wrote, “Ordeals have been wrought upon our practice since 1999, when they began in China, and have never ceased, be it in the United States or elsewhere in the world.” (“The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces”)

My understanding is that such ordeals are a war between good and evil. That is, they are battles between the Fa-rectification and the old forces in the universe. For mankind, they determine either one’s salvation by the Creator, or destruction by demons. Master has explained to us clearly that no matter where we are, the ordeals “have never ceased.” Now that six months have passed, how much have we awakened, and how much effort have we put in?

Two world wars have happened in this cycle of human civilization. From the beginning to the end of each war, people’s mindsets and lifestyles changed from how they were in peacetime. On the front lines, generals and soldiers carried out their missions and went through tests of life and death; in the rear, people also felt heavy pressure and mental trauma. As long as the fighting continued, the tensions and trauma did not end. Through these wars, mankind’s karma was eliminated on a large scale and the world was rearranged according to divine plans.

As Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, we came to this world with the Creator to fulfill our mission of helping to save sentient beings from different gigantic cosmoses. During this battle between good and evil, we eliminate karma, endure the difficulties of battle, and put into practice the sacred vows we had made to the Creator. How each day was spent during these 25 years will be written into the final chapter of our 200-million-year record of reincarnation in the human world. When this chapter is finished, the record will be completed, and that could be the time for the Great Judgment–returning to the Creator, handing back the military orders, and receiving judgment based on our merits and demerits.

During this process, when there were things we should have done but did not do, Master helped us accomplish them. There are things we should have enlightened to but have not after a long time, and Master published articles one after another to remind us, until he could not say more. During this war between good and evil, Master has eliminated karma for sentient beings as well as Dafa practitioners, but we kept asking Master to give us more time and accommodate our shortcomings. Many still complain that the persecution has not ended and that the era of the Fa rectifying the human world has not come. This mindset is essentially that of an everyday person. Master has spoken clearly, but we continued doing things our own way.

Fame, gain, and sentimentality in this human world might appear enticing. But are they really important if we think about our balance sheet of merits and demerits in front of Master when the Fa-rectification ends? How about the arduous journey we have been through in history due to karma before becoming practitioners? Have we thought about how much Master has sacrificed for us during this long war?

Many young practitioners who came for Dafa have grown up, but they no longer practice. Could we, as parents, have negatively influenced them due to our cultivation states? We should not let down these beings from high levels, who trusted us and chose us as parents because of Dafa. At least we should try to do better, following Master’s words:

“Pacify the External by Cultivating the Internal.” (Essentials for Further Advancement)

Many practitioners have skills that could be applied to help save people in return for the skills and abilities we have received. If we do not work tirelessly to help save people, if we are still attached to everyday life and human desires, we should wake up, sincerely repent before Master, and work hard from now on. Master said:

“Moreover, it is not an easy thing if one wants to cultivate. I have said that this is a very serious matter. It is something beyond everyday people and more difficult than anything of everyday people.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)

When we meet with difficulty, do we retreat or do we push forward?

We are beings selected by Master, but are we aware that we are in the middle of a war each day? Do we see ourselves as generals and soldiers on the battlefield, or civilians in the rear? Every conflict in human society is a xinxing test that forces us to make a choice, and we will be held accountable for our choices. Right now, we may not be able to comprehend some things, tolerate certain issues, or resolve specific problems. But improving through cultivation and helping to save people is what we Dafa disciples are here for. We should not interpret what we see with human notions and sentimentality, or make assumptions; otherwise, our regret will come too late.

Another Christmas is coming. To save people, Jesus suffered all kinds of difficulties in his lifetime, and only after being nailed to the cross was he able to untie the karmic knots associated with people he had saved. We are now here to help save people from higher levels. In the past 25 years, how much have we aligned ourselves with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? How much effort have we made, and is it enough to build a ladder to send people back to heaven? I am asking myself these questions, and I am also asking fellow practitioners who accompanied Master to come down to this world.

Master wrote:

“The countless years of hardship were all for this time.” (“A Will That Ebbs Not,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress III)

I hope we will do better and not leave too many regrets during this Fa-rectification period.