(Clearwisdom.net)
A long time ago, Teacher told us about denying the arrangements of the old forces. However, many practitioners still do not understand this very well. I also went through a process of understanding the meaning, beginning at the surface, and then developing my understanding more deeply.
When I initially read about the principle of denying the arrangements of the old forces, I understood it as denying the tests and tribulations arranged by the old forces while clarifying the truth; to not allow ourselves to be held in detention centers or forced labor camps. Later, I found that this understanding was looking at it from only one point of view. Actually, we also need to deny the old forces' arrangements in our daily lives.
Teacher has told us that the old forces have made very detailed, thorough, and systematic arrangements. So, the old forces have actually arranged some difficulties and troubles in our lives (including in our living environments), and used our attachments and human thoughts to interfere and cause damage.
First of all, we should have a clear understanding of the Fa, completely deny all the arrangements of the old forces, and not allow interference or damage for any reason or in any way. Today, Dafa practitioners shoulder their missions in the Fa-rectification. Any disturbance to Dafa practitioners is interfering with Fa-rectification, even interference in minor matters in our lives is not allowed. The old forces have been stubbornly interfering with the Fa-rectification in order to achieve what they want. They have arranged not only big tests and tribulations for Dafa practitioners, but also all the troubles and hardships that interfere with the daily lives of Dafa practitioners; and in this way they achieve their goal. We often do not understand enough about the latter type of arrangement.
Practitioners all have the mission of validating Dafa. I have found that some practitioners are often in a difficult situation financially, have problems in their families or in society etc, and have lots of disturbances. Actually, the old forces are using our human notions to interfere and cause damage, enabling practitioners to fall because of the endless troubles, and preventing them from concentrating on studying and validating the Fa. In this regard, we should find our attachments and gaps and correct them. At the same time, we must not acknowledge the old forces' arrangements, and must repel them with righteous thoughts.
For instance, in our workplaces or businesses, we are utterly confused by the loss of our ability to obtain the incomes that originally belonged to us. Others can make money, but our practitioners can't earn money even when capable of doing the same work. Many of our practitioners have serious difficulties in being able to feed their families. They are bothered and puzzled by these things all the time. Thus, they can't study the Fa, practice the exercises, or do Fa-rectification work as usual. In fact, the old forces cause these difficulties. They impose such interference on us. In no way should we acknowledge their plans! Teacher has said that Dafa practitioners are so fortunate--especially as Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification process. How can we be unable to feed our families, or worry about our daily survival? Is that normal? We should really enlighten to this! These are caused because we have loopholes in our self-cultivation and have not understood the Fa well.
We are Dafa practitioners. We must validate the Fa in an open and dignified way, clarify the truth, and save all the sentient beings. We are supposed to have stable incomes to maintain normal lives, and thus concentrate entirely on saving sentient beings. This is what Fa-rectification requires. Also, a very basic living environment is given to us by the universal law. Therefore, any serious disturbance to our living conditions is interference and persecution imposed on us by the old forces. We must reject it completely. All our attachments, human notions, and karma can be abandoned by studying the Fa, practicing the exercises, and saving sentient beings. We do not need any tests, tribulations, or interference. Hence, we must firmly and righteously repel all tests, tribulations, and interference arranged by the old forces.
Our family, work, and social environments, even the minor matters in our lives, and the sicknesses of our family members are the arrangements and interference of the old forces. As long as something interferes with validating the Fa, it is certainly caused by the old forces, and we must firmly repel it with righteous thoughts!
One morning, I was busy writing articles to expose the evil, when my mother said to me: "Your grandmother is critically ill and unconscious! I have to return to Shandong, and you must come with me." My grandmother is nearly 90 years old. I thought, "If I go back to Shandong, it will take at least two weeks of my time, and will delay writing the exposition materials. If this is interference from the old forces, I can't accept it." Two and a half hours later, my mother said to me, "I received a call from Shandong. Your grandmother is stable now, and they said we do not need to go back." On the surface it seemed to have occurred by chance, but as a Dafa practitioner, I understand that I repelled the arrangements of the old forces with righteous thoughts.
Another time, the Urban Construction Department informed my family that our grocery store had to be made smaller by 3 meters. I have been illegally detained in a forced labor camp twice and lost my job, so the grocery store is my only source of income. I realized that this occurrence was an arrangement of the old forces. They wanted me to fall into financial hardship so I wouldn't be able to validate Dafa wholeheartedly. I steadfastly sent forth righteous thoughts to reject the old forces' arrangements--completely deny them. Two days later, I was notified that we did not need to reduce the size of the grocery store. Again I repelled the arrangement of the old forces.
I have enlightened from Teacher's lecture: The old forces have made extremely thorough arrangements for everything in the world, nothing occurs by chance, and their plans all aim at the Fa-rectification. The old forces purposely arranged all the troubles, hardships, and obstacles we encounter. Thus, we must correct our mistakes, get rid of attachments, and firmly eliminate the interference with our righteous thoughts. Teacher said,
"So when it comes to those evil beings and their arrangements, as long as your righteous thoughts are strong enough you can reject them, repel them, and make them helpless."
"And that's because we absolutely cannot acknowledge them."
("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")
