(Clearwisdom.net) Some tribulations are very easy to identify, such as when practitioners in China are arrested, tortured, and forced to stay outside of their houses to avoid persecution. When overseas practitioners are stuck in the prolonged tribulations in family relationships, when practitioners lose their jobs and are faced financial difficulties, and when practitioners are struggling with physical health problems for a long time, we can clearly see that these tribulations taking place in the cultivation period of Fa-rectification are created by the old forces. These tribulations are indeed persecutions of us and we absolutely do not accept their arrangements. General speaking, when these easily distinguished tribulations appear in the ordinary society, it is clear that they are not good things either. Ordinary people will also think these are tribulations.

However, some tribulations (described in the next paragraph) are not so obvious at first glance, and some of them even look as good things on the surface. They are actually carefully arranged by the old forces to take advantage of practitioners' attachments. The purpose is same as the first type of tribulation described above. The old forces use the excuse to "test practitioners" and "help practitioners to improve," and make such tribulations. Their fundamental purpose is to destroy practitioners' determination. Such kinds of tribulations are not easy to realize at very beginning. Practitioners easily fall into their traps, and other practitioners are not clear about them. It usually takes a practitioner a very long time and much energy to eventually realize this type of tribulation. But unfortunately, much precious time has slipped away in the Fa-rectification.

Here are some examples. A practitioner falls in love with another practitioner at first sight. Instead of realizing that this is a tribulation, the practitioner pretty much enjoys the feeling and amplifies the attachment. A practitioner does very well in a Dafa activity, but under other practitioners' praise, the practitioner gets more and more proud of his achievements and becomes arrogant. Some practitioners have very cozy living conditions and become attached to leisure and a cozy environment. In fact, whenever such situations manifest, practitioners are in tribulation. The reason that such tribulations are not easy to identify is that such things are taken as "good" things in ordinary society. However, the attachments brought about by such situations are very dangerous and can destroy a cultivator's determination. At this point, there is no difference between these and the other easily identifiable tribulations.

During the current Fa-rectification period and in this special cultivation environment, the old forces have arranged all kinds of tribulations with different appearances based on each practitioner's different attachments and environment. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, "Eventually a demon will come to scare the person or transform into a beauty to seduce it -- there will be all kinds of things." Such interference exists nowadays. Though the appearance is different, the purpose is the same: to interfere with or block our cultivation. So, we must keep clear minds, especially when in seemingly good and happy situations. We should not be overjoyed, but instead keep a calm and peaceful heart, and use our great righteous thoughts to deny the old forces' arrangements.

March 25, 2003