(Clearwisdom.net)
Some media in mainland China have recently spread so-called "public opinion" regarding the death of a certain Falun Gong practitioner widely. The reports are nothing but propaganda. Under such circumstances, both the public and some practitioners jave had questions.
Whenever this happens, their minds waiver and they have questions. Actually, they harbor misunderstandings about the Fa. Deep down they believe that once a person learns Falun Dafa, it's guaranteed that their human body will not die. When they hear that someone passed away, they are confused and cannot understand the phenomenon. They wonder in their minds, "She cultivated so diligently and did so much for Dafa. How could this happen to her?" This phenomenon still exists everywhere among some practitioners. They are not aware that many practitioners who passed away early already reached consummation and consummated at different levels. If practitioners keep righteous thoughts at the final step, it is no problem even if they shed their human bodies. If you do not believe in Dafa until the very end, and even go to the opposite side, then Master cannot help you. For those who passed away early, the old forces took advantage of their loopholes, and they are now used to test other Dafa practitioners.
However, how can we associate Fa study with the flesh body not dying? Cultivation in any discipline does not guarantee that all cultivators reach completion in this lifetime. Some cultivators can reach consummation in this lifetime, while others cannot. This is determined by the cultivator's inborn quality, enlightenment quality and other factors. For those cultivators who cannot consummate in this lifetime, it is natural that their flesh body will die when its time has come. It is not said in Falun Dafa that once a person obtains the Fa he/she will never die. Master said in Zhuan Falun,
"There's no way everybody can attain the Dao. Even if you are able to persevere in your cultivation, it remains to be seen whether you can succeed, and it remains to be seen whether you're really committed to cultivating. There's no way everybody can become a Buddha." (from the 2003 English translation version of Zhuan Falun)
Therefore it is impossible that all cultivators can reach the consummation Master gives them, and then some of them will die. There should not be any fuss about it, and it's understandable.
Some practitioners heard that one practitioner passed away, so they wanted to find the fundamental attachment and reason he/she passed away. If they could not find it, they would not understand. Actually you are not him/her; there are many things you do not know. Whether one can reach consummation in this life or pass away ahead of time, or already reach consummation--this is decided by many complicated factors. You are not enlightened, so it's hard for you to see clearly. Therefore you should not be attached to these things. In other disciplines, when a Taoist or lama passed away, his disciples would think it understandable and they would not search for the reason he did not reach consummation in this life, neither would they question their religion. There must be a reason if he did not reach consummation this life. The concrete reason was not necessarily discovered; if someone did not reach consummation, then he can do it next life if he continues his cultivation. Falun Dafa practitioners who do not reach consummation in this lifetime did not practice in vain. They will attain their positions or rewards they are supposed to get according to their cultivation status.
If you do not clearly understand this problem, the old forces will take advantage of the loophole. When fellow practitioners have serious sickness karma or die, what should we do? Master said in "Teaching the Fa in San Francisco 2005",
"No matter what happens, nobody should be affected inside. Each student should think only of giving help as a Dafa disciple as he's able, and there is nothing to get worked up about. Even if you can't help that person you should still face this issue with righteous thoughts. Continue to do whatever you are supposed to. Don't become attached to it by looking at it in a human way, don't make these problems worse in your minds, look very righteously at how it relates to everything else and don't think of it as being very important, and be very calm. The old forces will then lose interest, thinking, 'These people aren't moved. If none of them are moved, what is the point?' They will then let the matter drop, and that person's sickness karma will disappear instantly."
Members of the public also have misunderstandings of this issue. If these media and mouthpieces exploit the death of some monks or Taoists to attack Buddhism or Taoism, then ordinary people will feel ridiculous. There are so many monks and Taoists who can not reach consummation in this life. This is the way it has always been. Why is it not understandable if some Falun Gong practitioners pass away? Why are you puzzled by the media reports? Even if Dafa is thought as a qigong practice to cure illness and improve health, who can guarantee that every practitioner won't have an illness or die? Even at a hospital there are patients that cannot be cured. There are so many people who obtained a new life after studying Dafa, why do some people focus on one instance but ignore the big picture?
I think that the old forces are manipulating this behind the scenes and taking advantaging of the loopholes practitioners have. If all practitioners understand the Fa principles and keep their minds steadfast to clearly understand this problem, then the old forces will not take advantage of the loopholes and the media and CCP propaganda machine will have no audience even if they spread rumors to deceive people.
Due to my limited cultivation status I welcome any compassionate advice and suggestions.
