(Clearwisdom.net) I heard a story recently about the married couple Mr. and Mrs. A. I met both of them in 1997. At that time, they rode a tricycle (as is common in China) and toured through the town to promote Falun Dafa and teach the exercises. They seemed to be diligent practitioners and continued even after the persecution started. The wife was taken to a forced labor camp, and the husband had to leave home to avoid persecution. Mr. A traveled to northeastern China to find the place where Teacher began his teachings. However, the intensive persecution had changed everything, and he thus returned home feeling disappointed and confused.
Mr. A continued to practice and study the teachings. As their difficult life under the persecution went on, he became attached to wanting to know when Fa-rectification would end. He began to pay special attention to Teacher's new lectures and how Fa-rectification was progressing. When he saw statements that indicated "the practice is entering the last stage," "is approaching the end," and "Fa-rectification in the human world is near," he inevitably thought, "the suffering is almost over" or "it's going to end soon." He yearned and hoped year after year, but the Fa-rectification did not end. As a result, he lost faith in Teacher's words and began to have doubts.
He also noticed that many outstanding practitioners around him continued to suffer from different forms of interference and persecution. He observed that Mr. Liu Chengjun (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/12/29/43612.html) from Changchun City, who remained resolute in his faith even after being incarcerated many times in a forced labor camp, was persecuted to death. He could not understand why Teacher did not stop this from happening to steadfast practitioners. All of this confused and puzzled him, leading him to doubt Falun Dafa more and more. He even tried to find something in Teacher's new lectures that would prove his doubts. He thus came to stop practicing. He still supported his wife's practice, however, so it appears that he has not completely lost his true self. I write this article in an attempt to wake up other practitioners like Mr. A.
I have noticed that this same confusion and bewilderment is what stopped these practitioners and others who are afraid to go out to clarify the truth. I talked to Mr. A and I would like to share the following with fellow practitioners. Please point out anything incorrect in my understanding.
1. Attached to the end of the Fa-rectification
I realized that those who progress diligently focus on their responsibility and mission and rarely pay attention to time. On the other hand, those who linger in the process, especially those who are suffering from tribulations and have lots of human notions, have strong attachments to the end-time. This makes them also vulnerable to confusion, misunderstanding the Fa, losing faith, complaining, and walking down the wrong path. Some even turn their backs on Falun Dafa. What these practitioners do not understand is that Teacher continues to wait for them.
Teacher told us long ago that the main body of Dafa practitioners is in China. No matter where practitioners may be anywhere in the world, they are one body and their practice in the Fa-rectification will end at the same time.
For those in China who are attached to time, do they worry that practitioners overseas are holding back the progress of Fa-rectification? From Teacher's article "Stirred by Reflection," we can see that Teacher has approved the tremendous advancement of practitioners in China and overseas. Hence, I believe that the worries of these practitioners are not necessary.
What's more important, regarding the issue of whether practitioners who have fallen behind will hold back the progress of Fa-rectification, Teacher explained in "Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference (Questions & Answers)",
"They won't delay it, for time waits for no one, after all. It's just that Master is continuing to provide opportunities, and we can wait for you during the process in between. However, the true, great, final moment cannot be delayed."
2. How to treat the issue of practitioners losing their lives
My understanding is that Teacher does not care about the past history of someone who wants to practice Falun Dafa. Teacher will eliminate their karma based on their abilities to endure and arrange their paths so that they can achieve consummation. There will be tribulations and tests on their path but as long as the practitioners can act and think righteously, they will pass.
The old forces hold on to the principles of the old cosmos - karmic retribution - and thus they also arranged a path for every practitioner. The old forces do not have Teacher's mighty power to eliminate karma for practitioners, and they do not have the immense compassion to treat sentient beings. They have the jealous attitude of "if practitioners want to attain such high fruit status, they have to endure tests of equal magnitude." The old forces thus arranged various persecutions in order to test practitioners, and even arranged their deaths.
Teacher negates the old force arrangements. However, the old forces hold tightly onto these practitioners' loopholes. In order to help these practitioners to escape the old forces, Teacher asked every practitioner to carefully study the Fa and to act and think righteously. Practicing Dafa is a serious matter. Some practitioners cannot catch up with the progress of Teacher's Fa-rectification because of their foundation, enlightenment quality and the amount of karma they carry. Some of them, knowingly or unknowingly, deviate from Teacher's arrangements because of their notions or attachments. They hence fall into the old force arrangements.
For those who have fallen into the traps of the old forces and are being persecuted, as long as they can look within, Teacher will still help them to get out of those arrangements. Teacher told us in "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference":
"In this cosmos, no being will suffer in vain. This is especially true for someone who cultivates Dafa, and on top of that is a Dafa disciple in the Fa-rectification period--as long as he's still in the Fa, no matter what ends up happening to him, what awaits him is Consummation."
In "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference", Teacher said,
"But no matter what, even if you really pass away in advance, what awaits you is Consummation!"
There are reasons behind the issue of outstanding practitioners having to suffer from various kinds of persecution. A diligent practitioner may not understand the compensation Teacher has provided for these practitioners. They obtained more than just eternal life. There are still many practitioners who keep to themselves and have strong righteous thoughts, we just never notice them, because they were not persecuted. They practice quietly, learned positive lessons from those who were persecuted, and walk steadily on their cultivation path.
I want to say something to those who still have doubts about the practice: Righteous enlightenment that is based on serious, systematic Fa-study will bring enormous help in grasping the Fa principles. This is especially true when we have limited time to practice. Teacher does not want to give up on anyone who has learned the Fa. He does not want to see any practitioner miss the only opportunity they have awaited for countless years because of one mistake. Please do not hesitate and come back to the Fa. Teacher has been waiting for you.
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