(Minghui,org) On my path of cultivation in Falun Dafa, I have encountered various difficulties and tribulations. I thought I had handled those issues well, since the old forces had created the illusion for me that I was doing a good job.
A recent accident warned me to look back at my cultivation in order to help me gain a better understanding of cultivation. I found that I had only handled issues well at the surface level, but my heart had not improved. I had been stuck on some attachments that I was not very clear about, and was unable to move forward.
Teacher (the founder of Falun Dafa) said,
“The old forces have arranged for all Dafa disciples a set of their things, so if a Dafa disciple doesn’t follow Master’s requirements, he must be following the old forces’ arrangements. The old forces are in essence gigantic trials and tribulations that accompany you at all times, focused on whether in Fa-rectification Dafa disciples are able to step forward.” (“Be Clearheaded”, The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III)
I was out with fellow practitioners to do some Dafa projects, but my mind was occupied with some trivial matters.
It was snowing heavily, and there were large patches of ice on the road. As I walked around the corner of a street, I accidentally slipped on the ice and was thrown into the air. I instinctively stretched out my right arm underneath my bottom to protect myself. Very soon, I fell heavily onto the ground, and my entire body crashed on my right arm – the bones trembled, cracked and compressed; I felt that the muscles of my arm were shattered.
Before I understood what had exactly happened, a big black and white X-ray photo appeared in my mind, showing that my hand and arm were separated at the wrist by about an inch.
I realized that the old forces would not give me any opportunity to relax. I managed to stagger up and shouted, “Teacher, I don't want the old forces' arrangement!” Holding my stiff arm and withstanding the excruciating pain, I began to send forth righteous thoughts.
Although I did not go to the hospital, I struggled as to whether or not I should have a doctor reset the bones for me.
Ever since I began to practice Falun Dafa, I no longer needed to see doctors because I had become very healthy. So I told myself that the old forces had taken advantage of my loopholes in cultivation, but I had Teacher and Dafa.
I realized that I had various fears: my hand would become disabled; I would not be able to take care of myself and do Dafa projects; others would laugh at me...
Then I thought that if I had to choose between life and death and Dafa today, what would I have chosen? In fact, I had already pondered this question before, and I knew my answer was Dafa. But now it was time for me to prove whether or not my faith in Teacher was genuine. After reaffirming myself, I said in tears, “Teacher, even if this hand will indeed be crippled, I will not go to the hospital because only you can help me!”
With that thought, the intense pain stopped immediately, surrounded by energy. I seemed to have entered another dimension, and in the meantime I could hear a voice saying, “No disability...”
It was just as Teacher said,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide” (“The Master-Disciple Bond”, from Hong Yin Vol. II)
This accident taught me that the old forces had intended to exploit my loopholes in cultivation to persecute me, and to shake my faith in Dafa. After this accident, however, my righteous thoughts became stronger. I knew that Teacher had used the opportunity to help me to eliminate my attachments, and to gain the strength to negate the old forces' arrangements.
One day, I was planning to join group Fa-study after making truth-clarifying phone calls when I suddenly remembered that I had not posted my experiences of making the phone calls to the feedback platform. In a hurry to get things done, I posted my feedback multiple times instead of just once. I apologized to the fellow practitioner who managed the platform, and promised that I would not make the same mistake in the future.
I realized afterwards that my mental state at that moment was not pure. It was true that I did not want to create trouble for the fellow practitioner when I apologized to her. However, hidden in my mind were selfish thoughts, such as how would the fellow practitioner think about me? Would she think that I intentionally hit the wrong button to post multiple times in order to show off how well my phone calls went that day?
Another serious issue was that I had spent group Fa-study time on posting feedback so I was disrespectful to Teacher and Dafa.
I joined fellow practitioners to make phone calls to help people understand the facts of Dafa, the persecution, and to rescue incarcerated practitioners. On this platform, we encourage one another and improve together. In the process of making phone calls, no matter what kind of problems I encountered, I first searched inward and believed that I had removed a lot of human attachments and that my thoughts were pure and simple. The reason that so many bad thoughts appeared in my mind this time was because the old forces had seized my attachments, and magnified them to hinder me from improving in cultivation and assisting Teacher to save people.
Studying Master's teachings, I learned that the old forces came from the old universe, and had participated in the arrangements of our lives now and in the past. The side of ours that has not been enlightened is directly related to the old forces. However, the old forces do not understand Teacher's Fa-rectification. They can see our human attachments, notions, and then grasp our attachments to interfere and drag us down – so some practitioners let up or lose righteous thoughts; some leave this world; some are trapped in tribulations for a long time; and some become depressed and lose hope.
Teacher said,
“The old forces have arranged for all Dafa disciples a set of their things...” (“Be Clearheaded”, The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III)
and
“...because any desire you have can become an attachment and can be used by the evil. As soon as that kind of thought emerges, the evil might conjure a false image for you, and this will then cause interference.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference”, Guiding the Voyage)
The old forces' interference can be demonstrated in various areas. Most of the practitioners are diligent and can handle hardships. The old forces let practitioners gradually become obsessed with accomplishing tasks and regard Dafa tasks as a way of cultivation. Then the old forces let us believe that we are doing a good job in our cultivation, and hence change our mentality from validating Dafa to validating ourselves.
Teacher said,
“I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism.” (“Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature”, from Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement)
Teacher said,
“The old forces are, with regard to going toward the renewal and rescuing all beings, like an obstacle that's the biggest, the most difficult to push away, the most likely to cause one to lose direction, to make one unable to easily distinguish the true from the false, a critical, life-or-death lock at the brink of the new colossal firmament's birth, and a gigantic obstacle to renewal.” (“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
I had promised myself that I would negate the old forces' arrangements. Back then, however, I did not know that even though I was unwilling to accept the results of the old forces' arrangements, I had already accepted the old forces' arrangements. I now have learned that only when I truly elevate in cultivation, let go of my human attachments, and walk the path arranged by Teacher, can I genuinely negate the old forces' arrangements.
Teacher said,
“We often talk about “cultivation.” But what does it really mean? Few people really know, in fact. “Cultivation” is the perfection and fulfillment of a being.” (“2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C.”)
As long as I do not have any desires and follow Master's teachings, I can attain selflessness and altruism. When I can genuinely let go of all worldly things and completely deny the old forces' arrangements, I will be able to walk the path toward divinity.
We came from the old universe and carry with us the element of the old forces' selfish nature. Now we must split with the old forces and truly be the being that Teacher described:
“... you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism.” (“Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature”, from Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement)
Cultivating solidly in the Fa means we must use the Fa to measure our every word and behavior to see if it is in line with the Fa; it means to walk the path of cultivation arranged by Teacher and become a life created by Dafa.
Cultivation is the most important and serious matter in the world. On the path of true cultivation we need a strong will, and nothing will shake our will. Then we will be able to achieve our goal.
We must always treat ourselves as cultivators in Dafa and use Dafa's teachings to handle all problems. Then we will be able to elevate in the Fa and gain the power of Dafa.
Shortly after I finished this article, I ran into some conflicts with a few fellow practitioners. I became a bit deflated as I didn't handle them well. Even though I talked about eliminating my attachments in my article, I failed to walk the walk. Should I still share this article? As soon as the thought popped up, I became alert – this is an attachment to self, as I was worried about how others would think of me if I still demonstrated human attachments after writing the article. I realized that the old forces wanted to prevent me from sharing the article by using my attachment to self, and I was not going to fall into its trap.
No matter what paths the old forces have arranged for me, I will look inward and cultivate according to the standards of Dafa. There is only one path for me to walk – the path arranged by Teacher and Dafa.