(Minghui.org) Having faith is the foundation for any cultivator. Without that, one would not take up the practice, not to mention be able to overcome tribulations in cultivation with righteous thoughts. Recently, a thought came to my mind and I realized that I wasn’t very clear about the difference between how everyday people think of faith (belief) and how cultivators act with faith.
When everyday people say that they believe something, it means that they have seen or heard about it and, after giving it some thought, come to the conclusion that they believe it: Seeing is believing. This is how most people think at the level of everyday society.
As cultivators, however, we understand that human beings have been enveloped by their acquired notions, layer by layer, and they don’t really know how they come to conclusions about things. From my own observations, such conclusions are often controlled or influenced by their acquired notions.
So, if we as cultivators fail to measure our conduct by the Fa principles, there won’t be any difference between us and everyday people, and we will most likely come to wrong conclusions about things as well. We understand the concept of body, speech, and mind in cultivation, so if we still followed our warped notions, wouldn’t we be doing things based on such notions?
Unlike many other practitioners, when I first started practicing Falun Dafa, I was in physical “pain” for quite a long time and improved very little. If I had thought like an everyday person, I would most likely have developed doubts about the Fa, and if I had wavered in my “faith” in the practice, I would have started to behave like an everyday person, or even worse. From an everyday person’s perspective, it might seem quite reasonable to think: My health hasn’t improved even after I have been cultivating for so long, so why should I still believe in the practice?
I remember a sharing article about a veteran practitioner who had been practicing Dafa for over 20 years and everyone thought he was very diligent. He was also persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party. However, when he was critically “ill,” he asked practitioners who went to see him, “Do you think the Fa we are practicing is true?”
Unlike other tribulations, “sickness karma” could cause people to waver in their faith at a deep level. As for other tribulations, such as physical or financial persecution, or conflicts between people, we can easily regard them as reducing our karma or tests, and when we explain to our family, they might understand. However, long term “sickness karma” can not only erode our faith, but also that of our family members, and they might go from supporting Dafa to not believing Dafa or even harboring resentment toward Dafa.
My understanding is that we must go beyond everyday people’s concept of “faith” to be able to break free from this trap. Then, what does “faith” mean for us as cultivators? My understanding is that we must step out of ourselves and not use “self” as a reference point. No matter what our “self” experiences, we should never have any doubt about the Fa. No matter what “sickness karma” appears in our body, we should keep calm in our hearts and believe that, with Master and the Fa by our side, we have nothing to fear.
Dafa has been taught and spread around the world for 32 years, and countless practitioners have been freed of all kinds of illnesses and regained their health. We must not deny the truth simply because we ourselves have shown some signs of sickness karma. Master has always told us to look inward when we encounter issues, so we must realize that everything happens for a reason and look within and improve our xinxing. Master treats every Dafa practitioner equally.
In ancient China, Monk Ji Gong was the only highly accomplished monk in Lingyin Temple at the time—the other monks failed to achieve enlightenment. Does that mean the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are false? Not at all. If even just one out of 10,000 achieved enlightenment, the teachings are still true!
In China, due to various reasons, traditional Chinese medicine is no longer what it was in the true sense, and a lot of ailments can no longer be cured by traditional Chinese medicine. Then, can we say that traditional Chinese medicine is fake and no good? Of course not. I have witnessed some miraculous outcomes using traditional Chinese medicine, which truly brought the patient back from the brink of death. The medicine worked wonders!
We understand from Master’s teachings that some of those to whom we owed karmic debts in our past lives may not want to accept a benevolent resolution. This could be why some Dafa disciples experience “sickness karma” for a long time.
Master always makes the best arrangements for us as long as we remain clear-headed and do not let our minds wander aimlessly with human notions or even doubt Master and the Fa. We should just act in line with the Fa principles and let go of any attachments we still have, because doing otherwise will not do us any good.
At first when I was suffering “sickness karma,” I, too, had a very shallow understanding of the Fa and often thought: “I’ve studied the Fa a lot today, and I have also looked within to find many of my attachments. I have been trying to cultivate well, but why is it that my health hasn’t improved?” Thankfully, I broke away from this wrong way of thinking in time, otherwise I would have gone astray and started doubting Dafa and Master and wouldn’t have been able to overcome the tribulations.
We often tell people that good and evil will be rewarded accordingly when the timing is right. Some people may say: “I have done bad things, but I’m still enjoying life and have no troubles!” Think about it: If we have done something good, and we think that we should be rewarded (such as regaining good health), isn’t our xinxing still at the level of everyday people?
I used to take what Master said in Zhuan Falun out of context to justify my wrong way of thinking. For example, Master said, “Once you upgrade your xinxing, your body will undergo a great change.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) I took it out of context, thinking that, as long as I do something good, my xinxing would be upgraded. I later realized that I didn’t truly understand what Master said and perceived my situation with a strong attachment to pursuit of self-interest.
It is easier said than done when we talk about holding righteous “faith” and letting go of selfishness, especially when we encounter big tribulations. Reflecting on when my “sickness karma” was so severe that I couldn’t even study the Fa or do the exercises properly, when I couldn’t even take care of myself and was in extreme physical pain and mental torment, plus pressure from my family members who couldn’t understand what was going on, I feel deeply that the only thing that helped me pull through all the suffering and tribulations was the “faith” I held in Master and the Fa.
I hope that my sharing can serve as a kind reminder to fellow practitioners of the importance of holding strong faith in Master and the Fa under any circumstances.
Please kindly point out anything not in line with the Fa in my sharing.