(Minghui.org) As time passes, some elderly Falun Dafa practitioners appear to be aging, and this situation is becoming more widespread. Bodily aging can cause a mental burden to fellow practitioners and interfere with their cultivation. This should get our attention, and we should make every effort to overcome this obstacle with righteous thoughts.
Over the years, a number of elderly practitioners have been trying hard to resist their aging by sending forth righteous thoughts and looking inside for a reason. They took this as a test to pass, but still continued to struggle.
Fear of Aging Can Cause One to Waver
Most practitioners have tried their best to overcome difficulties brought on by their aged body. However, some thought, “Isn’t Dafa capable of keeping us young? Why am I this way now? How can I cultivate to enlightenment with such an aged body? Does Master still look after me? Why are many practitioners showing aging now? …”
Some also thought that they should slow down with their Dafa activities as they were becoming physically weaker. They thought they should stay at home. Others thought, “We have been cultivating for more than a dozen years and our aged bodies are telling us that we have not cultivated beyond the Three Realms. Can we still achieve enlightenment?”
These practitioners began to develop a strong attachment to their aging conditions. Then, they thought that the need for more comfort comes with old age. They used the excuse of feeling weak and stopped going out and clarifying the truth about Dafa to people.
The Appearance of Aging Has Multiple Reasons
Aging of a human body is because that body follows the law of “formation-stasis- degeneration-destruction” of the old universe. It is not because Falun Dafa cultivation practice is somehow lacking. Dafa cultivates both mind and body.
Master said,
“The most noticeable feature of cultivation methods that cultivate both mind and body is that they prolong a person’s life and deter aging. Our Falun Gong also has this noticeable feature.” (Chapter II from Falun Gong).
“By replacing cells’ elements with high-energy matter, the human body is converted into a body made of matter from other dimensions. As a result you will stay young forever.” (Chapter I from The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection)
However, prolonging life and delaying aging are conditional and have certain time constraints. If one cannot meet the requirements within a cultivator's prearranged path, then his cells will not be replaced with high-energy matter; he will still age.
Master said,
“This part on the surface that hasn't been completely changed in the process of cultivation has not gone beyond the constraints of time in this dimension. When this side of you has been cultivated to a point where it is no longer restrained by the time here and has become disassociated with this dimension's time, the time here will have no effect on you. This has happened to some students, but not everyone is like this. Each person's cultivation path is different, and the states arranged for them are different. For most practitioners, the side that has been well-cultivated can't be directed by the divine side, since they are separated.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
Master also said,
“Another reason is that the factors of the old forces that interfere are still exerting an effect.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
“Many of the older Dafa disciples’ bodies have aged. Perhaps there are some problems there.” (“Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day”)
From Master’s teachings, I came to understand that there are multiple reasons for this phenomenon. However, no matter the reason, it is a test for the practitioner who experiences aging. These practitioners should hold righteous thoughts, cultivate diligently and do their best to walk well the final steps of the journey.
Believe Wholeheartedly in Master and Dafa
As veteran Dafa practitioners, we should strive to maintain righteous thoughts and carry out our responsibilities at all times; we must believe in Master and Dafa.
Master taught us,
“No matter what the circumstances, your fundamental faith in Dafa cannot waver, because when [your faith remains strong], even if you can't fully understand something or you haven't done something well and didn't pass a major test, or even if you lost your human body and left this world, you will nevertheless achieve Consummation. (Applause) That's because Master does not acknowledge this persecution, and that thing was done to you by the persecution. So you must make sure to heed this.” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
We must keep studying the Fa well, look inside for reasons when faced with difficulties and diligently cultivate ourselves. We must remove all doubts in our mind, discard our attachments and not leave any loopholes for the old forces to seize upon.
Let Go of Attachments and Cultivate with Determination
Practitioners who are concerned about whether or not they can succeed in cultivation need to consider what Master said:
“That’s another attachment. Furthermore, disbelief is in itself the biggest obstacle in cultivation. I just said, “If someone hears the Dao in the morning, he can die at dusk.” It means that if your mind is filled with Fa, the bad things that remain won’t be much, or maybe they’ll have even been eliminated all the way.” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe)
Practitioners should let go of their attachment to aging and the thought of life and death. They must keep cultivating forward with a peaceful mind and not be moved by the appearance of any bodily manifestations.
Master said,
“If you can let go of life and death, you're a God; if you can't let go of life and death, you're a human—this is the difference.” (“Teaching the Fa in New York City” from Lectures in the United States)
“If a person can't abandon his concern for life and death, he absolutely won't be able to Consummate.” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Singapore)
Master also said,
“As a matter of fact, with regard to the veteran students [that started] prior to the persecution, I raised all of you to your positions.” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
Therefore, no matter what tribulations we encounter on our future cultivation path, they are to improve our xinxing. All we should do is focus on cultivating ourselves instead of worrying about this body.
Determination to Cultivate Resolves Any Difficulty
I know a practitioner in his 80's who has hypertension and arteriosclerosis. He has exhibited precursory symptoms of coronary heart disease in recent years. This practitioner ignored these symptoms and focused on cultivation and doing the three things well. According to ordinary medical understanding, he should have already had coronary artery disease. But this thought never occurred to him.
We should also keep sending righteous thoughts to reject any interference. Master told us,
“Another reason is that the factors of the old forces that interfere are still exerting an effect.” (Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles)
We should be alert to the fact, that if given an opportunity, the old forces will create various illusions to interfere with our cultivation. Bodily aging is no different than symptoms of sickness karma.
Finally, practitioners should make their best effort to validate Dafa and help save lives. Physical weakness, lack of energy, and a variety of bodily dysfunctions should be seen as tests for older practitioners.
There are many elderly practitioners who have done well with the three things. One practitioner has prostatic hypertrophy and needs to go to the bathroom frequently. He was anxious and thought, “Time is very tight! As a Dafa practitioner I must go out to tell people about the persecution.” He then went to raise awareness in shopping malls, hospitals and places with public restrooms.
Another elderly practitioner could not walk beyond 30 to 50 yards. He took a bus when he went out to distribute Dafa materials, and when he was really tired, he thought of a Minghui article. In the article a practitioner who had just been released from imprisonment and had to crawl due to a leg injury, but still went out to distribute material. The practitioner then regained his energy and continued to do distribute materials.
Some elderly practitioners wrote letters to explain the facts to people about Falun Dafa. They even got help from postal workers and their mail went out without difficulty. Some have also distributed paper currency with Dafa content written on it.
In short, the practitioners who experience manifestations of aging should recapture the diligence they had when they first stepped on their cultivation path and keep doing the three things well.
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Category: Improving Oneself
