What I Learned While Helping Practitioners with Sickness Karma

(Minghui.org) A number of practitioners in our area have been suffering from different degrees of sickness karma since 2021, some with symptoms of cerebral thrombosis, some with diabetes, and some with broken legs and feet from falls. Some of them were taken to hospitals by their families, some are still taking medication, and some passed away. Many of them are veteran practitioners who started to practice Falun Dafa before the persecution began on July 20, 1999.

Many practitioners did not realize the seriousness of the problem and are still baffled by what happened to those suffering sickness karma. They asked many questions, such as “Isn’t that practitioner cultivating well?” “How could she have cerebral thrombosis if she had been doing the three things?” “That practitioner spoke eloquently during our group study and his sharings were in line with the Fa—how could he still be taking medication?”

I would like to share my thoughts regarding such situations.

True Cultivation

More than 23 years have passed since the persecution of Dafa began on July 20, 1999. Dafa practitioners have gone through the test of life and death and have come this far thanks to Master’s protection. However, the majority of practitioners have not reached the standard for consummation and Master has delayed the end time of the Fa-rectification again and again.

When tribulations happen in our cultivation, we need to ask ourselves if we have truly cultivated ourselves, if our understanding of the Fa remains on the surface level, and if we view the tribulations with human notions or Fa principles.

Master said,

“True cultivators have no illnesses, since my Law Bodies have eliminated them.” (“Explaining the Fa for Falun Dafa Assistants in Changchun,” Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)

For minor sickness karma, most practitioners could face it with righteous thoughts and thus passed the tests. However, when the situation worsened or dragged on for a long time, some became doubtful or faltered. The old forces then used their families to persuade them with affection, or even threaten them, to go to the hospital for examinations, tests, injections, medications, and even surgeries. Once the practitioners took the paths arranged by the old forces, the latter would seize the opportunity to drag them down and destroy them, smearing Dafa’s image.

I also noticed that when some practitioners had conflicts with their families, they failed to realize that the conflicts were for them to improve their xinxing and remove their attachments. They used human thinking to deal with the issue and argued with their families, feeling hurt and unfairly treated. If they couldn’t pass the test for a long time, their cultivation environment at home might become worse and the tribulation would be more difficult to handle.

Some practitioners felt complacent that they were studying the Fa, doing the exercises, sending forth righteous thoughts, and distributing Dafa materials every day. While they’ve done all of the three things we need to do, they have ignored the most important step in cultivation—to look inward unconditionally and improve one’s character. Only when we truly assimilate to the Fa and improve our character can we reach the requirement for the final consummation.

Helping a Practitioner Overcome Her Tribulation

In terms of how to help fellow practitioners going through the tribulation, I’d like to share the following experience I had with fellow practitioners.

A practitioner in her 70s was hospitalized at the beginning of 2022. I visited her on February 17. She told me in tears what she went through.

She had two stents put in her heart. She also had pleural effusion and diabetic syndrome. Four toes on her right foot had been removed, leaving only her big toe. Because the sole of her right foot had ulcerated, she’d had to have skin from her thigh grafted to the sole of her foot. She’d had over a dozen follow-up repair operations. Her eyesight was bad, and she had to use a walker all the time because she was unsteady on her feet. She had to take at least a dozen different medications daily.

She regretted that she didn’t have enough righteous mind at the time and had gone to the hospital, taking the path arranged by the old forces. She could not read the Fa or do the exercises. She choked up and said, “Can I still be a Dafa disciple? Will Master still take care of me?”

Her desperate cries deeply saddened me. I said, “Master is compassionate and he won’t leave any Dafa disciple behind! I came to see you today because of Master’s arrangement. We are one body and your concerns are my concerns. Let’s deny the old forces, study the Fa diligently, and cultivate ourselves. You will be able to change the situation and improve.”

From then on, I went to her home every day to study the Fa with her. At first, I read the Fa and she listened. After studying one lecture, we shared our understanding of the Fa. I learned that she diligently did the three things, including hanging banners, distributing Dafa materials, and clarifying truth to people face to face, before her sickness tribulation. She also kept up with her Fa study and exercises. So what was the root cause of her sickness karma?

After learning more about her, I discovered the cause of her problems was not studying the Fa attentively, which meant she was unable to understand the Fa principles clearly and led her to deal with her issues with human notions.

I didn’t know if she could recall that Master said, “True cultivators have no illnesses.” When she had sickness symptoms, she failed to see them as a false appearance. She let her human notions take over her mind. The old forces used her family’s sentiments to influence her, so she ended up in the hospital.

The lesson was painful and cultivation is serious. When she understood where she fell short, she began to listen carefully to the Fa and practitioners’ sharing articles. She also increased the time she sent righteous thoughts to eliminate all the beings and mechanisms installed in her that were persecuting her. I encouraged her to maintain her righteous thoughts and reminded her to avoid doing things superficially and that she truly improve her character.

Physically and mentally, she changed dramatically in just two months. She was no longer depressed but became confident. She stopped all of her medications, her eyesight was restored, and she could get around without her walker. Her family and friends witnessed this and changed their attitudes about Dafa. Some of them published their solemn statements on Minghui.org to void their past disrespect of Dafa and some began to recite the auspicious phrases “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”

A Few Suggestions

While helping several other practitioners fight their sickness karma, I noticed that many of them had slacked off in their cultivation. They failed to seize opportunities to improve their character so they could not find the root cause of their sickness karma. I have a few suggestions here and hope they are helpful.

First, for those who have been practicing for over 20 years, we might ask ourselves if we have truly let go of life and death.

Master said,

“If you can let go of life and death, you’re a God; if you can’t let go of life and death, you’re a human...” (“Fa Teaching Given in New York City,” Teachings at Conferences in the United States)

What Master taught us is not only a theory but also a principle we must follow in our actions; otherwise, the old forces will seize our loopholes to exploit us.

Second, what is true cultivation? Have we improved our character through daily Fa study, exercises, sending forth righteous thoughts, and working on saving sentient beings? Have we unconditionally looked inward in every thought? Character improvement is the key to overcoming sickness karma!

Third, one cannot believe in Master and the Fa 100% just by talking about it. We need to put it into action, especially at critical moments.

Fourth, we need to remember Master’s words “True cultivators have no illnesses” in our hearts and hold onto these words when sickness karma becomes serious or is prolonged. We need to truly recognize that it is a false appearance. If we consider it a regular illness, it will turn out to be so!

Fifth, elderly practitioners should think over if their life is prolonged by Master has prolonged their lives for them to cultivate. We should all cultivate diligently and cherish the opportunities Master gives us.

The above is just my personal understanding. Please point out anything that is not in line with the Fa.

Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare in studying, compare in cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)