(Clearwisdom.net)
Recently, after analyzing the cultivation states of the practitioners in my area, I have developed a deeper understanding on the interference and persecution by the old forces that I would like to share with everyone.
One of my family members is also a practitioner. Since his release from a forced labor camp last year, the old forces have interfered with him severely, exploiting his attachment to lust and his lack of faith. In our area, there is another elderly practitioner who has also been interfered with due to the attachment to lust and desire. In addition, a practitioner in our area who was fairly diligent recently developed symptoms of enlightenment on an evil path. After we shared deeply on the situation, I found that they had two main problems.
Confusion on the Fa Principles and Old Forces' Arrangements
Master has said that, before the persecution began in July 1999, he had already pushed Dafa disciples to their positions. My understanding is that Dafa disciples themselves had fully harmonized with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Any notion or thought that does not conform with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is not from a Dafa disciple. In other words, Dafa disciples themselves do not have bad things such as attachments, desires, and notions. The attachments, desires, and notions we have were placed into our dimensions by the old forces when we were most recently reincarnated. Their goal was to interfere with us during the Fa-rectification, so that we would follow the arrangements of the old forces. However, these are merely external interferences that don't belong to us. The above-mentioned practitioners did not reach this understanding. They talked about themselves having this or that attachment or notion, as though the attachment or notion was a part of them. Actually this understanding is not uncommon among practitioners. As a result, they are unable to resist the interference. In "Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference," Master said:
"Why do we ask you to cultivate yourself? You should first of all eliminate bad thoughts through cultivation. The reason you can get rid of those bad things is that you don't acknowledge them as you. That is extremely crucial. It is because you don't acknowledge them as you that you can then eliminate them. The fact is, they really aren't you. They are the various notions, or even karma, developed from the things you have done after birth--those things. But people usually see them as part of themselves: 'I have a clever mind, and nobody can get the best of me. I'm better than others in every respect.' They see those postnatally formed things as part of themselves or even believe them to be the best. Whatever a person wants is up to him, and only when you don't want that stuff can it be eliminated for you."
Master also said in another passage that if a practitioner seeks something, then others cannot interfere. Because these three practitioners did not understand what was or was not a part of them, they were severely interfered with by the old forces.
Wrong Perspective
Because the fundamental nature of the old universe was selfish, as beings created in the old universe, prior to studying the Fa and in the early stages of cultivation, we were selfish. As we progressed in Fa study, we could no longer cultivate while holding old notions. We must gradually but completely eliminate our selfish nature and cultivate into a selfless being. However, the three practitioners mentioned earlier did not realize this problem. Subconsciously, they were still cultivating from a selfish perspective. For example, they thought they needed to study the Fa well and eliminate certain attachments so that they could elevate. They needed to clarify the facts and save people, so that they could reach consummation without interference. Although on the surface it looked as though they were meeting the requirements of the Fa, actually they were all focused on themselves. Everything was from a selfish perspective. As a result, they could not develop a righteous understanding and could not see the inner meanings of the Fa. They did not have strong righteous thoughts. Their gaps were exploited and they were persecuted or led astray.
Many practitioners have these issues to varying degrees. Practitioners, especially those who are interfered with or persecuted, should look carefully within.
After coming to these two understandings, I began looking inside, too. I first tried to analyze my thoughts and the state of my physical body. I affirmed that the thoughts and the state of my physical body were not mine. Anything that did not conform to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance should be strictly rejected and dispelled. Also, any thoughts that contained the concept of "me" and my name were in the "selfish" categories and were interference by the old forces. Instead, I simply regarded myself as a Dafa disciple. For example, instead of thinking, "It is time for me to study the Fa" or "I did this right," I think, "It is time for the Dafa disciple to study the Fa" or "The Dafa disciple did this right." I only use my name and the concept of me when talking with others. I found that I have been able to limit the interference of selfishness. After I came to understand these Fa principles, the interference from bad notions and attachments has also weakened.
The above are some of my understandings. I hope this sharing can help other practitioners who are interfered with and persecuted by the old forces to fundamentally negate the arrangements of the old forces. Heshi.