(Clearwisdom.net) Recently there were two Dafa practitioners from the countryside who experienced completely different results after manifesting sickness karma. One lost his human body and the other one miraculously completely recovered. This matter is very thought-provoking. From it, we see the importance of elevating our fundamental thinking from personal cultivation to Fa-rectification cultivation and of completely denying the old forces' arrangements of persecuting practitioners in the form of "sickness karma." I would like to share these two practitioners' stories with fellow practitioners so that everyone can see the seriousness of cultivation practice.
Practitioner A was just over 50 years old. He began to practice Dafa in 1998. Although he was not diligent in the following years, he always insisted on cultivation practice. Early this year, his local practitioners resumed group Fa study and exercise and he normally attended. However, later other practitioners noticed that he no longer came to the group study. At first, they thought that his family members had prevented him from going. Later, it was heard that he had an "incurable illness," and had moved to his younger sister's home in another area for treatment. His younger sister did not practice Falun Gong and worried about his "illness," so she found a female fortune-teller to give some advice. The fortune teller said, "I cannot cure this person because he is meant to reach a fruit status. His life has already been prolonged for five years." Later she asked, "Does he practice Falun Gong?" His younger sister said yes. At this point we must clarify that according to the Fa, fortune telling falls into another category of cultivation. It has a different purpose from what we practice, and it works at a lower level. We wish to remind practitioners to always judge everything they encounter from the Fa's perspective.
Later, practitioner A returned to his own home. After practitioners learned he was back, they all went to visit him. They saw that he was very seriously "sick" and during the period he was at home, he allowed his house to be used by fellow villagers to gamble, and he collected money from the villagers for using his house. By the way, practitioner A had a hand disability and he couldn't do too much work. The fellow practitioners seriously pointed out to him, "Is this a Dafa practitioner's behavior?" They told him if he still wanted to cultivate, he must admit this as a mistake and resolve to cultivate well in the future. After he heard this, he kneeled down immediately and pledged to Master (that he would cultivate diligently). On the second day, his sickness obviously became better and he continued to get better one day after another. One evening, he even went out with other practitioners to do truth-clarification. After over 40 days, however, his disease symptom suddenly recurred. He was extremely afraid and totally forgot his oath. He hurriedly reached for the medicine. When he held a bowl of water to wash down the pills, his arm started shaking uncontrollably. As a result, the water spilled and he wasn't able to take the medicine. At this time, he should have come to realize that this was not the right course of action. But he still regarded it as an illness, and, treating himself as an everyday person, he only relied on medicine. Just a few days later, he died an unfortunate death.
Practitioner B was also just over 50 years old. He had late-stage cirrhosis of the liver. The doctor said there was no cure, and he could only go home and wait to die. His children prepared the shroud and the coffin for him. His fellow practitioners visited him, and shared with him that this was surely persecution from the old forces, and he must completely deny it and walk the path that Teacher has arranged. He elevated his xinxing very quickly. He thought only, "I am a Dafa practitioner. There are so many beings needing me to save them. I absolutely cannot die. I will just listen to Master, not the old forces." After he sent out this thought, he studied the Fa, practiced the exercises, sent forth righteous thoughts and clarified the truth every day. He recovered very quickly. By now he has walked through almost all the villages in his town. Wherever he goes, he clarifies the truth and validates the Fa.
Because of the persecution of sickness karma, several practitioners have lost their human bodies and there are more who are still painfully struggling with it. Of them, most Dafa practitioners cannot change their understandings and let go of their notions regarding sickness. Usually, all of them have said that they had "let go of life and death," but when the sickness karma truly threatened their lives, they could not let go of it, and did not believe in Teacher and Falun Dafa.
In the human world, nothing is more serious than cultivation practice. Let us remember Teacher's warning in "Cautionary Advice:"
"If you do not want to change your human state and rationally rise to a true understanding of Dafa, you will miss the opportunity. If you do not change the human logic that you, as an ordinary human, have formed deep in your bones over thousands of years, you will be unable to break away from this superficial human shell and reach Consummation." (Essentials for Further Advancement)
The Fa has much higher requirements for Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period. Teacher said:
"Except for newer students, from July 20 of 1999 on, Master hasn't created any personal cultivation tests for you, and that's because overall your personal cultivation has changed in every respect so that it's in the direction of saving sentient beings and validating Dafa." ("Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
At this time, the evil elements of the old forces are still trying to use the form of sickness karma to persecute Dafa practitioners. Yet Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period shoulder the historical mission of saving sentient beings. At this time any interference and persecution of Dafa practitioners directly affects the salvation of sentient beings. On the other hand, Dafa practitioners should also elevate their understanding of "sickness karma." Viewing it from the perspective of cultivation in the Fa-rectification period, we should let go of personal gain and loss in the process of cultivation. We should realize that the purpose of our cultivation is to validate the Fa and save sentient beings, not just to have our sickness removed.
For practitioner A in the above example, although he pledged to Teacher and cultivated again, he did not let go of himself from the perspective of Fa-rectification and did not realize the mission and responsibility of Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period. So the basic point of his cultivation was still selfish. However, Buddha Fa is merciful and Lord Buddha has infinite grace. No matter what the basic point of a person's cultivation is, if he pledges to practice again, he will be given a chance. But, if he cannot elevate himself in time, it is very hard to survive the evil persecution.
Practitioner B came to understand the basic point of cultivation in Fa-rectification. He placed himself correctly within the historical context of saving sentient beings and eradicated the arrangements of the old forces that were attempting to use the form of sickness karma to take away his life. What he had in his heart was the safety of sentient beings and Dafa's reputation. This basic point is selflessness. Therefore, the evil's attempts failed.
Of course, if one does not have a solid foundation of personal cultivation, he would not be able to elevate his understanding of "sickness karma." Similarly, he wouldn't be able to let go of self and negate the evil's persecution in the form of sickness karma.
Above are personal understandings. Please kindly point out anything improper.
