(Minghui.org) One morning last October, after sending forth righteous thoughts at six o’clock, I was going to get up and make breakfast. As I did, there was a sudden pain in my right leg. My leg hurt so much that I was afraid to take a deep breath. It was as if a knife was piercing my flesh from my spine, all the way down to my foot. Covered in sweat from the pain, I could neither stand nor sit.

My husband said: “It must be your hernia. The nerves are being pressed on.”

I suffered from this problem before, but it was never this bad. My son then offered to take me to the hospital. “No,” I said, “don’t worry about me, it will soon be better.”

My daughter called: “Due to the pandemic, I can’t come over ... If you don’t want to go to the hospital, let my brother buy you some warm packs to try. They are not medication.” So I applied the warm packs for a couple of hours, which helped.

For the next three days, the pain was the same if not worse. I recited, “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” in my mind. I also searched within myself for any attachments that could have caused such interference. Nothing happens without a reason. I did find numerous sentiments, but they were still not the root cause.

I asked myself, “What are my fundamental attachments?” It suddenly occurred to me that I desired a comfortable life. The day before the pain started, I went to see my sister, who is also a practitioner. She had just bought a new apartment. I envied her. We never had a place of our own; my husband and I live with my son, like boarders. We sleep in the living room, which is quite cold in winter. All of my classmates are doing better than I am; they have their own places. They have a car to drive and a pension. My siblings are also doing better than I am. Compared to them, my situation in life is pitiful. Sadness rushed in my heart just thinking about it.

What bothered me, even more, was my husband’s attitude. He was more than happy to give money to his son and daughter-in-law, but he became a penny pincher when I asked him for even a small amount. He was often guarded and dismissive towards me; but to our son and daughter-in-law, he agreed to anything they’d say. I used to ask myself: Why is my life so hard? If I were not a Dafa practitioner, I would not have let him have his way and would be sure to get even with him.

It took me several days to find all these attachments. Such strong emotions were preventing me from moving forward in cultivation. Not only was my thinking inconsistent with the Fa, but I was also going backward in cultivation. I was different in the past: I was willing to provide money and help to my children without expecting anything in return. I raised my grandchildren and gave my son money to pay off his debts. I moved to be near where my son lives. I helped pay for his apartments and his children’s college tuition.

I also lost my land in the countryside after I left. And I did not argue about the fact it was worth tens of thousands of dollars. I did not think about loss and gain then, but now I have begun to focus on self-interest. Doesn’t everything happen for a reason? Whatever debt is owed has to be repaid.

I thought about how selfish I had become. While in pain, I came to realize that one cannot bring these things to the grave, so there is no point in being attached. I didn’t want any of those emotions and wanted them all gone. At that moment, my heart was at ease. All the fame and money were worthless to me. I asked myself: Aren’t I cultivating the great Dafa, isn’t it precious? Am I still stuck at the human level? Aren’t all of my troubles intended to help me cultivate my heart? Would I be happy to just live a comfortable life as a human being and let all those years that I waited for the {Fa}} go to waste?

Cultivation should be my priority. What is mine will be mine, and I should not pursue things I do not already have. We are in the final stage of the Fa-rectification, and my human sentiments need to go. Master Li (Dafa’s founder) worries about me and seriously wants me to give them up.

I was overwhelmed with shame for not living up to the expectations of a Falun Dafa practitioner. We are here to save sentient beings, not to enjoy life. I felt guilty for receiving Master’s compassionate salvation. I then made up my mind to study the Fa well, cultivate myself better to save more people, and fulfill the mission of a Dafa practitioner.

As I dug deeper, I found that my attitude toward Fa study had also been slacking off because I was unable to join a group study. I studied when I wanted to. I took naps, ate, and drank while I studied the Fa. All of these behaviors are not respectful to the Fa.

Additionally, the cultivation of speech is another area that I needed to correct. Talking behind others’ backs comes from communist party culture, and is not part of my true nature.

After I found my fundamental attachments, and I was ready to eliminate them, Master took the sickness karma away. The pain was completely gone on day five. My body felt light as if I had moved up to a new level. Sickness tribulation is also a xinxing tribulation. Cultivation is the process of eliminating human attachments layer by layer.

While we go through a karma-elimination tribulation, our human notions and righteous thoughts are fighting with each other. The human side will call it an illness, and the righteous side denies it. That would be the time to send forth righteous thoughts to clean out any notions which are incompatible with the Fa. Strong righteous thoughts can help us withstand any negative mentality at pivotal points. Believe in Master and the Fa!

For more than 20 years, Master supported and protected me through sickness karma and persecution every step of the way. We would not be where we are today if it were not for Master. It is a privilege to be a Dafa practitioner. Thank you, Master!

Tears are streaming down my face as I write this. But they are tears of joy for my witnessing Dafa’s miraculous power. During this final phase, I was able to take another step forward and find my path.

Thanks again to Master for his compassionate salvation!