(Clearwisdom.net) One day at around 1:00 a.m., shortly after Teacher published the article "Thoroughly Dissolve the Evil," and while Falun Gong practitioners worldwide were sending forth righteous thoughts at set hours to completely dissolve all the evil beings and elements that caused Falun Gong practitioners to be persecuted in the forced labor camps and prisons in China, I suddenly "felt ill." I vomited and had diarrhea and was in so much agony. For three consecutive days, I couldn't eat or do anything.
I have understood from Teacher's Fa lectures that no practitioner should experience serious "sickness karma" that prevents him or her from doing the three things now that the Fa-rectification has progressed to the final stage. I knew this must be persecution by the old forces. The old forces at the highest level have already been annihilated. What remain are but the old forces' arrangements and the evil elements. Even the dark minions and rotten demons are numbered. However, the illusion of sickness karma has been one of their choice weapons to confuse and persecute practitioners. They are hard at work preventing us from sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil beings from other dimensions and are directing the persecution taking place in the forced labor camps and prisons in China. Meanwhile, they are constantly looking for opportunities to exploit our loopholes and creating illusions to trap our minds and harm our physical health.
During this time of physical torment, I tried to memorize the Fa while doing the three things, but I neglected to search within or cultivate myself well. I acted especially poorly when I had conflicts with my husband. I lacked the kindness a cultivator ought to have. I was egocentric and full of myself. I was snobbish and looked down on everyone. My husband repeatedly gave me opportunities to improve my xinxing, but I failed to recognize these opportunities. I always blamed everything on him. I blamed everyone but myself and refused to search inward. Hence, the evil beings from other dimensions exploited my loopholes. That day, I felt I was going to die. I continued to feel nauseated the next morning and had difficulty standing. I told the evil beings, "Even if I have loopholes in my cultivation practice, I will mend and repair them with the Fa. I will never allow you to persecute me like this because you are committing crimes against the Fa by persecuting a cultivator with righteous faith and interfering with my cultivation practice in the Fa-rectification period. I will completely eliminate you. The Fa of the universe will not let you get away with your crimes." I sent forth righteous thoughts for a long time to eliminate all the evil beings and elements from other dimensions interfering with my health. Afterwards, I felt better for a short while, but the torment returned shortly.
The next day, my husband said, "If you cannot make it, why don't you go to the hospital? You don't have to take a prescription. You could just ask for an examination." My husband's words were a wakeup call to me. Wouldn't I be following the old forces' arrangements if I went to the hospital to check out what is "wrong" with me? If I should follow the old forces' arrangements, I would be walking deep into their trap.
I began to search inward. In the past, I have repeatedly told fellow practitioners that my understanding was that a genuine cultivator does not have any illness. Why was I suffering from "illness"? I understood that it was because my heart had grown impure. I became clearheaded instantly. I am Teacher's student and only Teacher has the right to arrange my path. We practitioners may have had a lot of karma before we started to practice Falun Gong, but Teacher cleansed our bodies the day we started cultivation practice. The remaining karma is placed at each level of our cultivation practice and manifests as "xinxing" tests. We must each complete these tests. There is no test we cannot pass as long as it is Teacher who arranges it. With Teacher's help, we may pass even the greatest test and tribulation. We have traveled this far and we will complete our cultivation practice! Teacher's arrangements are the best. How can the evil beings possibly persecute us?
That night at midnight when I sent forth righteous thoughts, I felt my body enveloped with light as energy traveled through me. All the physical discomfort and bad elements around me disappeared completely. It felt as though electricity ran through me and cleansed my body. I felt much lighter instantly. On the third day, I felt completely well.
I would like to share my experience with elderly practitioners like me and remind them to have a good understanding of "sickness karma." As cultivators, we are illness-free. There is no such a thing as a relapse for us. Since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, all the bouts of so-called "sickness karma" are illusions set up by the evil beings to ensnare and persecute us. In order to convince us that we are ill, the evil beings usually create an illusion of relapse. If we should fall prey to the illusion, we will end up following our old notions and concepts and step into the old forces' traps and arrangements.
Then how should we respond to this issue?
1. In my understanding, the "sickness karma" may be caused by a lack of studying the Fa, falling behind in cultivation practice or harboring attachments or loopholes. The evil beings from other dimensions exploit these weaknesses. We should reinforce our righteous thoughts and eliminate all the evil interference and persecution. Meanwhile, we should study the Fa in tranquility and identify and mend our loopholes. We should rectify ourselves according to the Fa in each and every thought, word and action. We must completely deny the old forces' arrangements and elements.
2. It is also an illusion when an elderly practitioner experiences "sickness karma." It is likely that he or she is no longer diligent in cultivation practice and steps into the old forces' arrangements. Teacher said,
"[...] the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your mind goes wrong a little bit, your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over." ("Characteristics of Falun Dafa" in Zhuan Falun)
We must remain clearheaded and stay on the path Teacher has arranged for us in the Fa-rectification period. Studying the Fa, being diligent in our cultivation practice and having righteous thoughts and righteous actions is the only way to remain on this path. While offering sentient beings Teacher's salvation, we must persevere in cultivating solidly, improve our levels continuously, and do well the three things Teacher requires of us. This is the only way of cultivation in the Fa-rectification period. This is Teacher's arrangement and no one may alter Teacher's arrangement.
3. Each practitioner comes from a different origin and carries different karma. After Teacher removed the majority of our karma, He placed the remaining karma at different levels of our cultivation practice, transforming it into xinxing tests. We must walk the path and pass those tests. As long as we are clearheaded and know what we are doing, I believe we can pass these tests. Teacher arranged these tests for us to elevate our xinxing, transform our karma and upgrade our gong.
4. Only Teacher's words are the Fa. Our cultivation path is arranged by Teacher. As long as we have strong righteous thoughts and remain clearheaded, we may completely deny any pact we may have signed, words we have said, or evil deeds we have done in the past. As long as we follow Teacher's Fa and have righteous thoughts and actions, the old forces cannot touch us and we will be free of the old forces.
In short, this is an issue of having faith in Teacher and the Fa. Only Teacher's words are Fa. As long as we remember we are Teacher's students at all times, conduct ourselves according to the Fa, remain clearheaded at all times, and have strong righteous thoughts at all times, nothing bad can happen to us.
This is my understanding at my present cultivation level. Please kindly point out anything erroneous in my understanding.
