(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioners have gone through six years of Fa-rectification cultivation. The so-called tests of Falun Dafa practitioners by the old forces of the cosmos are unprecedented. Many practitioners have successfully overcome huge tribulations. Some practitioners, however, have lost their lives during this evil persecution, and others are still suffering serious problems. As Falun Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period, we shoulder the mission of assisting Teacher in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings in the human world. We are the only hope for human beings if they are to be saved. Every practitioner plays an important role in saving sentient beings and must fully recognize the evil nature of the old forces as it seeks to destroy all beings. We should negate the arrangements of the old forces by keeping our minds, and therefore our bodies, pure and righteous while validating the Fa openly and honorably.
Since July 20, 1999, when the persecution began, most practitioners in our Fa-study group have gone to Beijing one by one to appeal against the persecution. All means were used to clarify the truth of Falun Gong and to validate the Fa, even while suffering brutal persecution. Some were sentenced and sent to forced labor camps and prisons. Five steadfast practitioners were tortured to death in prisons and forced labor camps, and three died as a result of illnesses incurred as a result of the persecution.
A fellow practitioner endured the persecution passively and was later persecuted to death
One young female practitioner from our study group went to Beijing to appeal several times since July 20, 1999. She never compromised with the evil, but was illegally detained at the local detention center for more than nine months. In that vicious environment, she insisted on openly studying the Fa and practicing the exercises, and she was released unconditionally. After this practitioner returned, she did not stop validating the Fa. She shared her understandings with other local practitioners many times and this helped them to step forward. Because of this she became the focus of the local persecution. Later she again went to Beijing to appeal. She was arrested by officers from a police station in Beijing and suffered all sorts of torture, such as beatings, pricking her fingertips with needles, and burns with cigarette butts. She did not compromise and later escaped using righteous thoughts. After she returned home, she continued to use different methods to validate Dafa, and her exposure of the evil persecution was admired by many.
In November 2000, this young practitioner was arrested for producing Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials and sentenced to five years in prison. Facing the evil persecution, she conducted a hunger strike for more than 120 days in protest. She was released on bail for medical treatment and again joined the might current of Fa-rectification. However, quite often in her sharing with practitioners, she talked about how she improved herself and exposed the evil during ordeals. From her words and actions, we could see she regarded every persecution as overcoming tribulation with righteous thoughts. Although she endured a lot, she did not truly understand the principle that these tribulations should not exist in the first place. Dafa practitioners' missions are to firmly protect the Fa, clarify the truth, save all sentient beings, and rectify all incorrect states. This should not include enduring tribulations for self-improvement. Also, she hasn't written about the brutal persecution she suffered and exposed it on the Internet. While she did indeed face the persecution, she endured with the incorrect understanding that it was unavoidable.
On March 8, 2002, this practitioner was again arrested and suffered the torture of the "big hang up" in the police station. She was then sent to the prison, where she conducted another hunger strike to protest the persecution. While she was hospitalized, wicked people forcibly injected unknown drugs into her veins, which damaged her central nervous system. Her limbs were restrained to the hospital bed at all times. Only several times, when she became critically ill, did the prison allow her family members to care for her at the hospital. After she saw her family, she did not tell them about the cruel torture she had suffered, for fear that it would make them sad and upset. She held back the details of the persecution she had encountered. Her family also did not tell more people about her suffering in the prison soon enough to help her. On May 14, 2002, after she experienced all sorts of torments, she died from the persecution she had experienced while in jail.
Because she was repeatedly detained and tortured, she was harmed enormously both physically and mentally. In every situation, she firmly endured and was able to leave jail many times. However, she mistakenly regarded enduring persecution as a part of Fa-rectification cultivation. She did not clearly see that the evil is not qualified to test us, and that brainwashing centers, detention centers, forced labor camps and prisons are not for Dafa practitioners. No matter how noble practitioners' behavior is during imprisonment, illegal detention is part of the path arranged by the old forces.
Accepting illness karma as if there is no alternative
Another young female Dafa practitioner persisted in practicing under all circumstances. In the vicious Heizuizi Forced Labor Camp, she was steadfast and did not compromise, even when she was only allowed 22 hours of sleep in 33 days. Later, due to severe persecution, she had symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis and was released for medical treatment.
After she came home, she persisted in studying the Fa, practicing the exercises, and sending forth righteous thoughts daily. She also exposed her suffering in the forced labor camp on the Internet. She appeared to be very diligent every day and never slacked off in studying the Fa, practicing the exercises, and sending forth righteous thoughts. However, she rarely went out to clarify the truth about Falun Gong, because she had the notion that she should wait for her physical health to return. As a result, her physical situation became worse and worse, and she was puzzled about this. In the beginning, she could walk and eat normally, but gradually, she lost those capabilities. Fellow Dafa practitioners shared their understandings, and they often sent forth righteous thoughts with her to clear away the evil elements in other dimensions that persecuted her, but it was not effective. She considered the old forces' persecution to be a manifestation of illness karma. These thoughts were an insurmountable barrier for her. She also struggled in trying to defeat the illness karma, but the young woman died several months later.
An elderly Falun Dafa practitioner's illness symptoms completely disappeared after she began Falun Gong practice. She has been firm in her practice for the past several years, and has used different ways to clarify the truth and validate Dafa. At the end of 2003, she experienced frequent urination, a symptom of diabetes. Although she made great efforts to study the Fa, practice the exercises, and send forth righteous thoughts every day, her illness symptoms did not improve. She realized that she should not acknowledge the old forces' arrangements, but she began to attempt to manage her "diabetes" by eliminating food with sugar. She lost weight and gradually became very thin. In the end, she felt sleepy while studying the Fa, had difficulty practicing the exercises, and could not concentrate while sending forth righteous thoughts. Her cultivation situation became worse and worse, and eventually she could not even leave her room. She lost her life as a result of illness karma.
Illegal detention is also an arrangement of the old forces
A very steadfast Falun Dafa practitioner was arrested many times and held in custody in detention centers and forced labor camps. He firmly validated Dafa in all environments. He often had the wrong notion in his mind, that being arrested and detained many times was validating the Fa. He endured much vicious persecution in breaking through tribulations, and felt he also improved himself and accumulated mighty virtue. He was arrested nine times and escaped each time with righteous thoughts. After he came out, he did not calm down to study the Fa and find the deeper reason for encountering persecution by the evil. Instead, "overcoming tribulations nine times" became his main topic to share with others. In June 2004, he was once again arrested in another area. The evil convicted him, forged much so-called evidence, and sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment.
Sometimes the arrest and detainment of Falun Dafa practitioners can be a result of their own attachments and gaps, which the evil use as an excuse for the persecution. We should clearly realize that even if practitioners have attachments or gaps, it should not become an excuse for the persecution. Most importantly, we should first cultivate ourselves solidly in the Fa. Being arrested and detained is absolutely not the path that Teacher arranged. The old forces used our attachments and our wrong thoughts of improving and accumulating mighty virtue through ordeals to persecute us.
The old forces' ultimate aim is to destroy sentient beings. Every practitioner can save many sentient beings, but the old forces are watching each practitioner and waiting for every chance to persecute us. If they find an opportunity, they will put us into jail. Without freedom, we can't save sentient beings, so the old forces would have achieved their goal.
Consistent thoughts and actions in Fa-rectification cultivation can thoroughly oppose the old forces' arrangements
At the final stage of Fa-rectification, some practitioners around us have been persecuted to death, deprived of life by "serious illness," and some are still confused by illness karma and unable to help themselves. Fellow practitioners who face these tribulations are superficially aware of the Fa principles. They understand this is evil persecution, and righteous thoughts should be sent to clear it away and negate the imposed persecution. However, their actions sometimes run counter to practitioners' standards. After the appearance of illness karma, some practitioners seek medical treatment at the hospital, even while sending forth righteous thoughts. How can this be the behavior of a Falun Dafa practitioner?
A Falun Dafa practitioner who escaped from jail at the end of 2003 became very emaciated afterwards and lost the ability to take care of herself. However, she did not give in to the "serious illness." She first wrote about the brutal persecution she had suffered in prison and exposed it on the Minghui web site. She insisted on walking on her own, and eating and putting on clothes by herself. She once took three to four hours to eat a small amount of noodles, several hours to dress, half a day to walk just a few meters, and more than half an hour to get up from bed. She tried hard to go to her workplace and tell her colleagues and everyone else about the persecution. Six months later she completely recovered.
In 2004, another practitioner was critically ill as a result of persecution in a jail in Jilin Province. The doctor diagnosed him with nephritic syndrome, but he recovered with righteous thoughts and efforts from fellow practitioners. His body was swollen, seeped water, and he had difficulty breathing and could not walk. On the way from jail to home, drivers were too scared to take this man when they saw his physical condition, fearing he might die while in the car.
After he got home, his physical condition worsened, and his life was in danger. His family prepared to take him to the hospital for treatment, but he still firmly believed in Teacher and Dafa. He described on the Minghui website the persecution and torture that he and other practitioners endured in jail. He also improved his Fa study, practiced the exercises, and sent forth righteous thoughts, as well as sharing experiences with other practitioners. He was clear about the mission of Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, and he clarified the truth to people in any way he could. One month later, he was almost fully recovered. His family was very surprised, and people around him became more interested in Dafa after seeing his amazing recovery.
We should understand from the Fa the real purpose of coming to the human world.
That purpose is to save sentient beings through promoting Dafa and explaining the facts. We should clearly understand in our minds that Falun Dafa practitioners shouldn't just expose the brutal persecution.
If we are persecuted by the evil during Fa-rectification cultivation, it is the result of the old forces' interference. When we are in an incorrect situation, such as imprisonment, illness karma, or other forms of ordeals, we should regard the Fa as Teacher and completely negate the old forces' arrangements. Regardless of what the old forces may have arranged over the course of history, in Fa-rectification cultivation today, we must believe in Teacher and Dafa at all times. We must clearly see the evil nature of the old forces, continuously validate Dafa, and steadfastly walk on the path of Fa-rectification arranged by Teacher.
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