Reflecting on Recent Tribulations

(Minghui.org) I have encountered a number of tribulations recently and would like to share with fellow practitioners.

My Husband’s Sudden Sickness Karma

One morning in early 2024, my husband suddenly began vomiting. Concerned, I brought the doctor from our residential community to examine him. His blood pressure reading was alarmingly high, at 170. Although the doctor administered some medication to lower his blood pressure, it had no effect, so I had to rush him to the hospital.

A CT image revealed that he had suffered hemorrhagic stroke, prompting his immediate transfer to the ICU. Two days later, while the hemorrhaging was brought under control, he developed acute pneumonia.

My husband had been a smoker for over 40 years. A large amount of phlegm blocked his lungs and airways. An emergency tracheotomy was needed to suction out the phlegm. Without that procedure, he might not have survived.

After a thorough discussion, we agreed to the operation. Later, my husband developed additional symptoms, such as hyperglycemia, hypoxemia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia.

I was shocked at this unexpected turn of events and began to self-reflect. I realize that a Dafa practitioner’s cultivation state can influence the surrounding environment. “There must be something I haven’t done well, and I need to seriously look within myself. My husband suffered a brain hemorrhage, so I must examine my own mindset.”

A few days earlier, while I was out talking to people about Falun Dafa and the persecution, I noticed that an unrighteous thought crossed my mind more than once: “When will this ever end? The weather is getting colder now.”

My strong attachment to comfort was taken advantage of by the old forces, resulting in my husband’s sudden tribulations. I realized that I needed to quickly rectify myself and always keep in mind the sacred mission of a Dafa disciple, to assist Master in saving more people.

My husband was eventually transferred from the county hospital to a larger one in the city. Throughout his months of treatment, I seized every possible opportunity to clarify the truth to people and to encourage them to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organizations.

Thanks to Master’s compassionate arrangement, I met a fellow practitioner who had been forced to leave home and seek refuge in our area. I was able to help him settle in and become part of our group in validating the Fa and saving people. My husband also recovered and has now largely regained his health.

The lesson I learned from this ordeal: Due to my attachment to comfort, I became impatient and found it hard to keep up with Fa study and doing the exercises; sometimes I felt lonely and worried about the fleeting passage of time; I was also agitated by our financial loss. All these human notions and attachments hindered me in my cultivation and were taken advantage of by the old forces to cause trouble and interference.

I would like to thank all my fellow practitioners who supported me with strong righteous thoughts and financial assistance during the time when I had to look after my husband in the hospital. With their strong support, I pulled through the tribulation. Thank you, fellow practitioners!

Detours on My Daughter’s Cultivation Path

My daughter began studying the Fa and practicing the exercises with me when she was still in elementary school. When she was in high school, the evil persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP started. Despite being singled out, shamed, isolated and attacked at school, she remained steadfast and followed Master through a true life-and-death test. She never shed a tear in front of me or spoke of giving up the practice; instead, she held a firm belief in Master and Dafa.

Upon graduation from a medical college after five years of studies, she was employed by a hospital in Beijing, thanks to Master’s arrangement. The hospital leadership assigned her to intern at various major hospitals.

During her interning at the Fourth Hospital, she and her colleagues went on a trip to the suburbs. Two police officers turned up and wanted to take her away, claiming someone had reported her as a Falun Gong practitioner.

Her group leader quickly became alert and demanded that the police present their law enforcement IDs. When they failed to produce any, the group leader rebuked them harshly, leaving the police with no choice but to leave in embarrassment.

After that incident, my daughter resigned and went to Canada. She has been working there for 15 years now. When she learned that her father was seriously sick, she overcame all kinds of obstacles and interference and returned home to see him.

During our chats I learned that she had stopped Fa study and doing the exercises for quite some time, not to mention clarifying the truth to help save people. Concerned and frustrated, I lost my temper and scolded her harshly, letting our mother-daughter bond and human emotions overwhelm me. Afterwards, I recognized my mistake and deeply regretted my actions, fearing that all my cultivation efforts had been in vain.

Later, I calmed down and reflected upon what I did. A line in Zhuan Falun came to my mind. Master said,

“How can one be forced to cultivate? You cannot be made or forced to cultivate. It is up to you to truly make progress. No one can do anything about it if you do not wish to improve yourself.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)

To support my daughter returning to Dafa cultivation, we studied two of Master’s new articles together: “Stay Far Away From Peril” and “Cultivation in Dafa Is Serious.”

In the end, her affinity with Dafa appeared to have been awakened, allowing her to realize the true purpose of being human in this world. She said to me, “Mom, trust me. Everything will be fine.” I sincerely hope that fellow practitioners in Canada will support my daughter.

My Own Xinxing Test

During the several months my husband was hospitalized, I didn’t have much time to study the Fa. As a result, my human notions and selfish thoughts appeared frequently.

Once, I read an article on Minghui.org, that our local practitioners immediately recognized who the article was referring to. As I read, I began to feel angry and very frustrated. It seemed to me that the article focused on criticism, blame, and even included one-sided judgment and unfounded speculation. Reflecting on this, I realized that deep down, I have a strong aversion to being criticized.

While I was feeling down, a thought suddenly occurred to me: “What am I doing? I shouldn’t be bothered with such a small thing! Instead, I should be grateful to my fellow practitioner for helping me improve in cultivation.”

However, a few days later, my selfish thoughts reappeared, “How could she say that I was forming factions when I tried to organize practitioners to clarify the truth to people?! Well, if she thinks that way, I don’t mind being the one who ‘forms fractions.’”

I found myself torn between righteous thoughts and human notions. Although I recognized that the article’s writer was helping me improve, I still struggled to let go of my ego. So I sat down and started sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate my dislike of being criticized and my selfish thoughts to protect my reputation and prove myself.

Looking inward more deeply, I detected my attachment to fame and name as arranged by the old forces, and realized more clearly that no matter how much we have done in saving sentient beings, it must never be used as a means to seek personal recognition. Master has told us clearly in Zhuan Falun,

“In offering salvation to people, there is no condition or consideration for cost, reward, or fame. They are thus far nobler than the heroes of everyday people. They do it completely out of their benevolent compassion.” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun)

All beings were created by the Fa, and all our abilities are bestowed upon us by Master. For Dafa disciples, saving people is a sacred and unshakable duty. Saving people unconditionally is compassion; saving people conditionally is selfishness. Being too concerned with appearances, overprotective of oneself, and arguing to prove oneself—aren’t these all signs of someone seeking fame? A true cultivator should rejoice in being corrected.

I felt really ashamed of my selfish thoughts and realized that the more I tried to justify myself, the further away I strayed from the Fa principles. I’m determined to clear out all my selfish and impure thoughts and rectify myself according to the Fa.