(Clearwisdom.net) When experiencing sickness karma, some practitioners were able to maintain strong righteous thoughts and pass the test, but others either passed away or continued to suffer the tribulation for a long time. I would like to write about my own experience on this subject.
Before I started cultivating in Falun Dafa, I had a serious skin disease. I applied many different medications, but the disease never fully went away. After I started cultivating Dafa, I understood that this condition was a manifestation of sickness karma. I understood that since I was now a practitioner, I did not have an illness and thus no longer needed to use any medications. However, because of my poor enlightenment quality, every now and then I would still apply some medication. I had strongly relied on the medication before starting cultivation, and it had became a habit for me to use it. Not until I accidentally broke the bottle did I stop using the medication. Because I didn't fully become resolved in eliminating the tribulation in my heart, the skin problem kept recurring, but I didn't pay much attention to it.
Around 2001, another practitioner said to me: "There are so many family conflicts and troubles, everything is pushed to the surface." I didn't deny this thought and agreed. As a result, interference and many troubles suddenly surfaced. My face and body were covered with boils, which were extremely itchy. Every time when I woke up at night due to the discomfort from the itching boils, my clothes were stained with blood. At work, the stares from my coworkers also made me uncomfortable and exposed my attachment to beauty. I dared not meet other people, especially fellow practitioners. I was afraid that my poor cultivation level might negatively affect other practitioners.
After looking inward, I subsequently realized that I had not been looking at this issue from the standpoint of the Fa. I should study the Fa and send righteous thoughts with fellow practitioners, and then eliminate the evil and clear out any inappropriate factors within the established strong righteous field.
During that time I began to diligently study the Fa. My skin was extremely painful, but I firmly believed in Master and Dafa and kept the thought that I am a Dafa practitioner at the forefront of my mind.
Master said:
"When you are overcoming a real hardship or tribulation, you try it. When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible. If you can actually do it, you will indeed find: "After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!"" (Zhuan Falun)
I recited this paragraph every day. After three months of being in excruciating pain, I passed the test and my skin condition finally fully disappeared.
After this experience, I realized that some practitioners only start to cultivate diligently and truly look for their loopholes and do the three things well once they experience sickness karma. Why do we start to strive forward vigorously only during the tribulation of sickness karma or when passing a test? Why can't we be more active and stay focused on cultivating ourselves at all times?
Some practitioners said that they have blurred vision and can't see things clearly. Some practitioners can't hear very well. We should deny all these inappropriate states with strong righteous thoughts and never give sickness karma any space to thrive. We are Dafa disciples walking on a divine path, so we should not feel so lost and helpless when facing such tests.
Master said:
"If a Buddha waved his hand once, all of humankind's diseases could be wiped out." (Zhuan Falun)
Master also said:
"And when you are thinking things over, whether you use human notions or the righteous thoughts of a cultivator is going to determine the different results you get." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference")
When we are not experiencing tribulations, we find all kinds of excuses to slack off in our cultivation. But as soon as sickness karma manifests itself, we switch all of our attention onto it. We are cultivators assisting Master in Fa-rectification and we are going back home with Master, thus our lives have been changed. When we are experiencing sickness karma, we should immediately deny it with righteous thoughts and not act so helplessly. When we deny the old forces, then we start to dominate the small universe of our body. When facing negative factors, we should deny and destroy them with strong righteous thoughts and break through their restrictions.
Above is my own understanding. Please point out anything that is improper.
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