Some Thoughts About the Pandemic: Anything and Everything Is a Test for Dafa Disciples

(Minghui.org) The COVID situation suddenly worsened in many places in China since November 2022. One neighborhood after another was locked down. People panicked and stockpiled groceries and supplies. 

Our area was locked down on November 23, and residents were not allowed to go out except for COVID testing. There were three people living with me at the time, my sister-in-law Jun (who also practices Falun Dafa like me) and my daughter Jie (who does not practice Falun Dafa). Neither Jun nor I did COVID tests or believe in the CCP propaganda about the pandemic. My daughter, a working professional, only did tests when required by her work.

Jie developed a fever on November 24, and also had nausea and vomiting. I thought her stomach problem flared up again. While not a Falun Dafa practitioner, she has always been supportive of the practice. 

Jie felt awful and kept checking her temperature. It was always 38⁰C, and she complained that her bones hurt. I asked her to recite “Falun Dafa is good, and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” She did, but her pain persisted. Jun played audio tapes of Master’s Fa teachings for a whole afternoon for Jie to listen, but Jie was still miserable with bone pain. 

The next day, Jie still hurt all over her body. Jun also started feeling uncomfortable: her stomach bothered her, and she began coughing and feeling fatigued. I also had a sore throat and some coughing. 

Having exhibited this abnormal state, I began studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts and looking within. I realized the tribulation was also an opportunity to improve and elevate myself. When I looked within in the past, I mostly just scratched the surface without digging deeper for my attachments. But this time, I was able to identify some deeply-seated notions that had dominated my life, and also some hard-to-find thought patterns. I kept sending righteous thoughts to eliminate them. I already felt my body lighter and cleaner.

I remembered what Master said:

“Once you take up Dafa, whatever it is you encounter—good or bad—is a good thing.” Teachings at the 2005 Conference in San Francisco

It was really like that. I treated my “symptoms” as a good thing, prompting me to look within and improve myself. I had no new symptoms. 

I then checked on my daughter. Jie still had a fever and bone pain. I became anxious, worrying that she might suffer further health issues if she kept running a high fever after two days. I've got to get her fever down. But the fever medicines were all sold out. I called a fellow practitioner whose husband usually kept extra medicine at home. They managed to deliver the fever medicine to me.

Jie went to sleep after taking the medicine. I began studying the Fa. As soon as I opened the book, a thought came to my mind: “You did not pass the test of sentimentality.”

Shocked, my thought replied: “Jie is not a cultivator. I am afraid she can not handle it.”

“If you had remained undeterred by her fever for one more hour, you would’ve passed the test. When you let go of sentimentality, you would elevate, and Jie would eliminate a large chunk of karma. She is also enduring some karma for you. This test is also for you to get rid of attachment to sentimentality.”

I regretted getting fever medicine, as I truly did not realize it was a test for me. 

When I shared with Jun at night, I felt resentful towards her, saying, “If you did not suggest I get fever medicine, I would have passed the test.”

As soon as I said that, I realized I was wrong again, because resentment was also an attachment. Why should I resent Jun when I was the one who was anxious about Jie? I knew I would still have tried to get the medicine even if Jun didn’t make the suggestion. I failed to pass the test and even tried to pin the blame on Jun. These thoughts were not right, and I needed to eliminate them.

I spent several days searching for my attachments. When I found some and eliminated them, my throat felt better. When I felt lazy and didn’t want to look within for attachments, my throat hurt again. I felt like I was going through one test after another. 

My husband passed away almost four years ago and I had never dreamed of him after his death. On November 29, I dreamed of him and I complained to him that I was exhausted after taking care of Jun and Jie. Good thing he returned, and he should take care of them now.

He looked at me seriously and said, “Master is watching over each one of you, and these few days are test time. Not only have you failed to pass the test and elevate, but you have also developed new attachments. Master is anxious about you. As a matter of fact, the virus is nothing. It’s just that you did not realize it is a test.”

It was such a vivid dream. I felt sorry that I let Master down. I normally am clear that Master is watching over us. But, why, at the critical moment, was my heart moved by my daughter’s symptoms? 

I realized that the cosmos is going through Fa-rectification, and the dark minions and rotten demons in other dimensions are disintegrating. But no matter what happens in human society, Master is in control.

We, Dafa disciples, are the beings “Transcending the Five Elements and the Three Realms” (Zhuan Falun). The virus can not enter our space. While the virus in the human world is mutating and the situation appears grave, it all depends on how we handle the situation. Do we handle it with the standard of Fa or not? When we cultivate in the human world, anything and everything is a test, and also an opportunity to elevate and improve ourselves.

This is what I understand at this point. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.