Some Thoughts on Long-Term Family Tribulations

(Minghui.org) When facing persecution in China or severe illness symptoms, many practitioners see these as old forces’ interference and know they should not acknowledge them. Yet, when they face long-term family tribulations, some practitioners treat them as inevitable and do not try to overcome them. I have seen this several times.

Master said,

“As I just mentioned, I can’t acknowledge any of these. So I need to eliminate them, including this evil drama. Originally they wanted to treat us the way religions were treated in the past. Their warped notions have made them think that the persecution of Gods in history was rightful. Incidents such as Jesus being nailed to the cross have become the precedent for high-level beings who come down to save people. How could this be acceptable? This itself is degenerate! A God comes down to save people, yet humans nail him to a cross--what a huge sin people have committed! They are still paying for it today. But that wasn’t done by human beings alone. It was caused by the degeneration of beings at higher levels. They don’t dare to admit anything wrong on their part in all of these matters. This is because everything is becoming warped--so warped that they’ve deviated from the Fa and gradually become how they are. No beings at any level have ever dared to touch them. Everything is determined by interwoven elements that have become extremely complicated. All of these impure things have to be eliminated--completely eliminated!” (“Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America”)

My understanding is that persecution exists in many different forms. It could be being sick, being arrested or tortured, or having economic difficulties. Some practitioners do not think that long-term family tribulations are a form of persecution. I’ve observed several such situations.

Our Family Members Are Not Ordinary People

When their family members are seriously ill and need intensive care or face certain dangers, some practitioners think their family members are ordinary people, that they have their own fates that practitioners cannot change. They forgot that Master said,

“Haven’t I said that with one person practicing, the whole family benefits?” (Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia)

Of all the people in the world, very few have predestined relationships to become practitioners’ family members. What a strong predestined relationship they must have with us! As everyday people, they will, of course, go through birth, old age, illness, and death. But what happens to them if they interfere with your doing the three things? Isn’t it a form of persecution? The evil is using them to stop us.

Master said,

“Do you know what a magnificent thing it is for Dafa disciples to Consummate? Master has to take care of everything all around you. Is there any need for you to worry about anything? Do you have the ability to take care of those things? Will things go according to your wishes? Haven’t I already explained this principle to you all? If their fortune isn’t that good, it’s totally useless no matter what kind of plans you make. But Master is able to arrange things for you. I can make arrangements, regardless of whether they have good fortune or not. What are you worried about? You should just cultivate and I’ll take care of everything for you. Hasn’t that been said already?” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)

Several years ago, my father in China suddenly became seriously ill. He thought it was the end and he wanted to see me one last time. I was unable to go back to China, especially since I was involved in several important Dafa projects. I told my mother that I would not be able to come home. She could not understand me and thought practitioners had no feelings.

I was sad. I was worried my family members would misunderstand Dafa.

I thought I must have an attachment of affection for my family members, since that affection had disturbed my cultivation. The evil took advantage of my loophole.

I let go of the attachment and sent righteous thoughts to dissolve all evil elements behind the disturbance.

Two days later I called my parents. I was told my father had greatly improved. Soon afterwards he completely recovered.

From this incident I understood that Master will arrange everything as long as my righteous thoughts are strong. What I did was based on the Fa. I should not allow my family members to be used by the evil to stop me from saving people. It was really for my family members’ own good. If I treated the incident as a part of my personal cultivation, the evil might take advantage and create endless tribulations for me.

I recall an incident from a Minghui article about a police officer insulting a practitioner, who said, “You insulted me!” The officer beat him. Another practitioner said, “You insulted Dafa!” and the officer stopped.

The results differed based on the practitioner’s starting point—personal cultivation or cultivation during Fa-rectification.

Persecution Is Not Inevitable

In family tribulations, some practitioners do not think from the Fa’s standpoint and became trapped by surface appearances. They think what is happening is inevitable and there is nothing they can do about it.

Master said,

“You should also be clear that “natural” does not exist, and “the inevitable” has reasons behind it. In fact, “natural” is irresponsibly used by everyday people to make excuses for themselves when they are unable to explain the phenomena of the universe, life, and matter. They cannot imagine what “nature” itself is. Under the influence of this kind of notion you think that all these tribulations are inevitable and that this is just the way it is, thereby developing a passive and pessimistic attitude. So your human side must stay aware. More importantly, your side that has attained the Fa must be clear.” (“Expounding on the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)

Master also said,

“As a Dafa disciple, when you can truly do well, I think your troubles won’t be as absolute as they look to you. Because you fail to look at things from the Fa, those everyday people’s troubles remain just that, everyday people’s troubles. In the eyes of human beings things don’t change, but in the eyes of gods all of this is subject to change.” (Teaching Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)

Everyday people might think something is inevitable and cannot be changed. As practitioners, we should follow supernormal principles and let our divine side play a role and correct whatever is wrong. Then our surrounding environment will change accordingly.

As many cultivators have experienced, when we set aside our human notions and attachments, many things change for the better. Sometimes the changes are immediate. The more we understand the Fa and improve ourselves, the quicker the situation will change.

Some practitioners do not acknowledge the persecution at all. When they are arrested, they do not see the relationship between the police and themselves as “persecutor” and “victim.” Instead, they see it as “the person to be saved” and “the person offering salvation.” When a practitioner’s understanding reaches a certain level, no evil can touch them, so the persecution does not exist for them.

Our Human Notions Obstruct Our Family Members

Whoever incarnates as a practitioner’s family member has a strong predestined relationship with Dafa. Many of them know Dafa is good. An ordinary person will be blessed by reciting “Falun Dafa is good,” not to mention the family members who have such a close relationship with practitioners!

Master said,

“What does mankind amount to? It’s only that the old forces are using it and have sealed off your greater abilities. How could you think that way about things? If all of you think that way, the old forces will see it and think: "How can they all have those thoughts? Those thoughts have to be removed, so let’s make that premier turn bad." They would rather make him turn bad in order to get rid of your ordinary human thoughts. Isn’t that right? The old forces have no regard for human life--if they want to kill, they’ll just kill. Amidst the Fa-rectification they’re only attached to their own arrangements.” (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)

Sometimes, because we practitioners do not cultivate well, the old forces take advantage of our attachments and harm our family members.

Master told us,

“Changes in your thinking can lead to changes in your surrounding environment.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IX )

When our thinking is not righteous, our family members’ situation may become worse. Our family members also came here for Dafa, and they should be saved by Dafa. They are not here to be used by the old forces to disturb our cultivation. Our cultivation is the key.

No Long-term Tribulations Should Exist During Fa Rectification

Master told us,

“Whenever a tribulation comes, you do not see it with the side of your original nature but view it completely with your human side. Evil demons then capitalize on this point and inflict endless interference and damage, leaving students in long-term tribulations. As a matter of fact, this results from an inadequate understanding of the Fa by your human side. You have humanly restrained your divine side; in other words, you have restrained the parts that have been successfully cultivated and have prevented them from doing Fa-rectification. How can the uncultivated side restrain your main thoughts or the side that has already attained the Fa? Having humanly fostered the evil demons, you allow them to capitalize on the loopholes in the Fa. When a tribulation arrives, if you, a disciple, can truly maintain an unshakable calm or be determined to meet different requirements at different levels, this should be sufficient for you to pass the test. If it continues endlessly and if there do not exist other problems in your xinxing or conduct, it must be that the evil demons are capitalizing on the weak spots caused by your lack of control. After all, a cultivator is not an ordinary human. So why doesn’t the side of you that is your original nature rectify the Fa?” (“Expounding on the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)

Master also said,

“We negate even the very emergence of the old forces and everything that they’ve arranged; we don’t even acknowledge their existence. We’re fundamentally negating all of their things, and all of, and only, the things you do while negating and getting rid of them is mighty-virtue. It’s not that you’re cultivating amidst the ordeals they created. Rather, you are to walk your own path well while not acknowledging them, not even acknowledging the elimination of their ordeals’ manifestations. (Applause) So looking at it from this angle, what we need to do is completely negate the old forces. Dafa disciples and I don’t even acknowledge the manifestations of their last-ditch efforts.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)

In my understanding, if there is no problem with a practitioner’s xinxing, then no long-term tribulation should exist during the Fa-rectification. All long-term tribulations are arranged by the old forces.

When we practitioners do not follow supernormal principles, our divine sides are suppressed. The evil can take the advantage of that and trap us in long-term tribulations. It will distract us from saving people. If we truly negate the tribulation, we will be beyond the tribulation and it will end.

Let us remind ourselves that we came to this earth this time with Master to assist Master during Fa-rectification. We are not here for personal cultivation. Our main mission is to save people. Only when we go beyond the old universe, which is based on egotism and selfishness, can we enter the new universe that is based on selflessness and altruism.

During Fa-rectification, long-term family tribulations should not exist and should be negated.

This is my understanding at my current level.