(Clearwisdom.net) At the same time that the old forces create difficulties for Master's Fa-rectification, they also increase tribulations and complexities in practitioners' cultivation. However, Master has led us to break through the difficulties. When we harmonize with the requirements of the Fa at different levels by unceasingly purifying ourselves by following Master's requirements, we will face the selection for the new universe. Whether we will be chosen is dependent upon how we have cultivated ourselves. Master said, "So if someone wants to go to the future he has to meet the requirements of the future." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Vancouver, Canada, in 2003")
This then shows the high standards that Dafa practitioners must meet, when at the same time the old forces are persecuting and interfering with practitioners' cultivation.
Then how will this be reflected in our cultivation? One way is the evil situation created by recent arrests of practitioners. Another is "illness karma" that has appeared for some practitioners. In my personal experience, it has been my ordinary mentalities, which have not been eliminated, showed a tendency to escalate. This interference also shows, from another perspective, the intensified persecution by the old forces, and it is the old forces' last desperate attempt. It also shows, in the most difficult of situations, how we handle ourselves to better meet the standard of the new universe and to be selected by Master.
Then what was the reason for the escalation of my human notions? This manifested in my life such that my husband (a practitioner) and I often intensified our arguing over trivial things. Without any mutual concessions, we got into arguments whenever we talked, and sometimes we even said coarse words to each other. I was bothered just by looking at his every move. I felt that my cultivation condition was not even as good as it was at the beginning!
What was the reason? I sometimes failed to improve or maintain my xinxing when I encountered these situations, and I felt regret afterwards that I treated him that way. Moreover, I still failed to control myself when I again encountered those situations. Since I started paying attention to rejecting the old forces arrangements from each of my thoughts, I have developed further understanding about how to reject the old forces arrangements. I started to reconsider the problem between my husband and me. Why did I keep failing to control myself when I encountered these situations? I thought that this was not only because of me, but that there must have been interference from the old forces. They were probably enhancing my attachment to wear us out so that neither of us could elevate.
As soon as I had that thought, my mind calmed down a lot. Afterwards, I was not bothered that much when my husband said something. I also said in my mind, "Old forces, give up your ideas of making me not be good to my husband. Give up your ideas of not letting me discard the attachment. I will not cooperate with you. I will treat him well, and we will form an integrated whole body. We will not let you take advantage." With this thought in mind, my irritable mentality disappeared immediately. Especially during the recent several days, whenever I encountered something that was against my will and some bad thoughts were about to form in my mind, I eliminated the bad thoughts by thinking, "I do not acknowledge the old force's arrangements." In this way, the domestic problem between my husband and me that had bothered us for so long was resolved. Therefore, I think that cultivators have an urgent need to reject the old forces' arrangements. One must clearly understand the issue based on the Fa and then pay attention to resolving the specific issue in an appropriate way.
From this realization, I developed some new understandings. My niece's child is a Dafa practitioner, and her celestial eye is open. I once asked her, "Master said that the old forces had set a disk in our bodies. Can you see where it is?" She looked with her celestial eye and said, "The disk is evil, and it is brown. For practitioners who cultivate well, the disk is small. For the ones with a strong human mentality, the disk is big. A strong human mentality is nourishment for the disk." I realized that one's every impure thought is only a reflection of his attachment and the evil elements arranged by the old forces. The relationship between the two is that with a stronger human mentality, one is providing more energy to the evil elements and "nourishing the demon." The evil elements likewise enlarge the attachment. As a result, one has overwhelming thoughts that are very difficult to suppress.
Then, which of my viewpoints had conformed to the old forces requirements and caused this situation? I recalled that I originally had a thought that the tribulations in my family were hard for me to endure, that if I could not eliminate these elements, I would wait for the time to come and then have them blow away. They were nothing big anyway. This thought was like cooperating with the old forces arrangements and acknowledging the existence of this mentality. Therefore, the conflicts with my husband worsened, and we could not communicate. As soon as we talked, we would argue, and I sometimes even felt that no one could talk any sense into him. I also communicated many times with fellow practitioners about the difficulties of passing the tribulations within my family. Now I have realized that it was because the old forces were causing trouble. If one does not sincerely cultivate in this regard, one will keep enlarging this mentality. This prevents the mentality from being eliminated and prevents one from elevating. Even though I kept reading Falun Gong books and looking inside, the effect was not obvious. Sometimes I was able to tolerate it, but I still felt uncomfortable. The reason was that I still acknowledged the old forces' arrangement in an alternate way, and I still had the human mentality of not being willing to let go of the attachments. I was waiting for Master to remove them. This, in fact, conforms to the old forces' arrangements.
For a long time, I did not pay attention to rejecting the old forces, and I felt that the old forces did not have much to do with me. I only verbally said something about rejecting them. From the lesson I have learned during my cultivation, rejecting the old forces is critical to every one of us. Because the disk they set is in your body, they peek at your every word and deed at all times. The part of you which has been cultivated well is isolated from you by Master, and the old forces cannot do anything to that part of you. But they use the part of your mind that has not been cultivated well to manipulate and persecute you. When you are not diligently cultivating yourself, the old forces are "diligently" persecuting you. Therefore, if a practitioner does not diligently cultivate, and is satisfied with his current situation, the old forces will enlarge his attachments and cause him to slide down.
It was just like a practitioner said, "Dafa disciples' cultivation in the human world often depends on the disciple himself understanding in the midst of illusion and cultivating himself. As a matter of fact, when many Dafa disciples were persecuted to death, the righteous gods wanted to rescue them and protect them. However, because the disciple did not clearly identify the old force's viewpoint in his thoughts, did not reject the old force's principle, and instead followed the old forces' arrangement, the old forces found excuses to persecute him." Therefore, in any specific situation we should be clear whether or not our viewpoint is the old forces' viewpoint. If we fail to recognize it and we agree with it, we are in fact accepting the old force's arrangement, which is equivalent to choosing the old forces. Therefore, we must be clear-minded in all situations.
We all know that our cultivation is arranged by Master, and the old forces have no right to interfere. However, the requirement is that we must look inside and elevate our xinxing. We must follow Master's teachings. If in our actions, we do not follow Master's teachings during tests or retributions, our selfishness is already rooted together with the old forces, and we are actually in the same gang as the old forces. Moreover, the old forces are afraid of us doing the three things, but some practitioners do not want to come out, and they stay at home to protect themselves. Then how can Master arrange for such practitioners?
Therefore, when a thought forms, we must catch the thought, and determine if an attachment is in effect, then take the opportunity to eliminate the attachment. During the five minutes of self cleansing before sending forth righteous thoughts, we should be serious. We should aim at such thoughts and identify the attachments. We can then eliminate the attachments and disintegrate the evil to truly, "Remove your human thoughts and evil will naturally die out." ("Don't Be Sad" from Hong Yin II)
December 7, 2006
