(Clearwisdom.net) We have encountered many obstacles in cultivation. Some of us have overcome them smoothly, and some have not. Some have even lost their lives because of the evil, or the evil has pulled them back down to the world of fame, material gain and qing. I had encountered obstacles due to illness and pursuit. I did not overcome them easily, and some of them were close calls. I eventually let go of my human attachments and put myself at a cultivator's level, and only then was I able to overcome these obstacles.
The interference of the “illness karma” went on for several years. The obstacle eventually became so huge that my life seemed to be in danger, and I was admitted to a hospital. When I was discharged from the hospital, the new test results were nearly the same as the results from when I was just admitted. In the end, through Fa study and sharing with fellow practitioners, I let go of the thought of death and trusted fully in Master. I was then able to overcome the “illness karma.”
I had a difficult time letting go of fame and material gain, as well. I was attached to them and wanted to cultivate in Dafa at the same time. At school, I used ordinary people's methods to deal with problems pretty well. However, I still had the attachments, and I still needed to face this test. After graduation, I did not find employment for over a year. After many xinxing tests, Fa study and improving through cultivation, I let go of my attachments to fame and personal gain almost entirely. I was able to see them from a cultivator's perspective. Even though the pressure from family, society and my financial situation were no less than before, I felt nearly no pressure in my mind. I often felt the happiness of cultivating in Dafa, and I was carefree. At that point, an opportunity knocked on my door, and it was a very good job offer.
Those days, all I felt was the happiness of cultivating Dafa. I had heart to heart conversations with colleagues at work, and we got along very well. Maybe it was because of the wisdom that I gained, I could always solve problems very quickly. I would quickly search within when issues arose. As soon I found and eliminated my human attachments, I would feel relaxed and happy again. As long as we can let go of our attachments, cultivation feels like a blessing. It is really like what Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, “...after passing the shady willow trees there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!”
How to overcome cultivation obstacles has been something that we practitioners have discussed for a long time. One such prominent obstacle is the issue of how to break through “illness karma”, as the evil had taken some practitioners away because of “illness karma”. Some ordinary people, and even some practitioners, had questioned this. They believed that if Dafa can protect ordinary people who acknowledged Dafa, then why can't Dafa protect the practitioners? My understanding is that it is not that Dafa cannot protect fellow practitioners, it is because Dafa has different expectations for ordinary people and cultivators. If a fellow practitioner can put himself at the level where a cultivator ought to be and let go of his human side, then Dafa can definitely protect him. He would even be able to protect himself. To ordinary human beings, as long as one can acknowledge Dafa as being good, then one may be saved, and Dafa can protect him. The criterion for him is whether or not he is good enough to be saved. However, the expectations for practitioners cannot be that low, as we have to live up to the standard of cultivators. During the Fa rectification period, Dafa practitioners are to become divine beings and lords of the new universe, so their standard is that of gods.
Dafa practitioners are not to use Dafa as a way to have comfortable lives in the human world. We are using the ordinary people's environment to cultivate ourselves. For those practitioners who have been stuck behind obstacles for a long time, they should ask themselves whether they are looking to Dafa to give them a good life. Would they still cultivate if they have to give up everything? We still live in ordinary society because we still have the missions of validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. We should not be attached to life in the ordinary world. Otherwise we might not want to leave at the time of enlightenment! Have we truly put ourselves in the position of a cultivator? Are we truly looking at all the good and bad things that we encounter in the ordinary world as good opportunities to cultivate ourselves? Of course, living in the ordinary world, our hearts may not be spotless all the time, but at crucial junctures, our xinxing must be at the right level, otherwise we would not be able to pass the tests.
We were allowed to take our time to understand the Fa at the beginning, so many started to cultivate with attachments, such as an attachment to illnesses. However, now it would not be acceptable if we still cannot see ourselves as cultivators and let go of our attachments. Master would not want to leave behind those practitioners who are not diligent. However, cultivators cannot become gods if they do not meet the standards for gods. If Dafa practitioners do not do well, the old forces will find excuses for further persecution.
The keys to overcoming obstacles are the elevation of one's xinxing and letting go of one's human attachments. If we can truly see ourselves as cultivators and reach the standard of cultivators, then Dafa will be able to protect us. We will then overcome the obstacles and see the blessings of cultivating in Dafa.
