(Minghui.org) I got up one morning and noticed that the left side of my face below my eye was swollen. The whole lower part of my face and my lips were all out of shape. It looked awful.
As a Falun Dafa practitioner, my first thought was concern over how my appearance might affect my efforts to clarify the truth. I wasn’t sure what to do. I looked within to try to find any attachments that may have caused this tribulation. I searched inside but could not immediately figure out what the problem was.
All of a sudden, I realized that this tribulation was arranged to take me away from the Fa and drive me to think with the notions of everyday people. As long as I could see through this evil arrangement, I would do just the opposite. I put more effort into my Fa study and read Zhuan Falun all the way through in three days. I also increased the length of time I did the exercises that purify our bodies, strengthen our supernatural abilities, and reduce our karma. I sent forth righteous thoughts more often. I largely recovered in only three days and luckily passed this test.
Later the illness karma hit again, but I also passed this tribulation after increased Fa study and sending forth of righteous thoughts more intensely. After these two experiences, I recalled a wonderful earlier experience.
In early 2000, I was illegally detained with several other practitioners. On a cold winter day, one practitioner was tied to the iron fence in the yard as punishment for trying to do the Falun Dafa exercises. I wanted to support her, so I started to do the exercises, too, but I also ended up handcuffed to the fence.
My hands were cuffed behind my back and my feet barely touched the ground. My body weight was largely on my wrists and this quickly became very painful. I started to recite Zhuan Falun, and the pain miraculously went away. A whole day passed quickly as I also finished reciting nine lectures of Zhuan Falun. At night in the cell, the police asked me whether I would do the exercises again. When I said I would, they slapped my face a few dozen times. After realizing that I would not give in, one officer tied my hands behind my back. At night I managed to move my hands to the front and the next morning I moved my hands behind my back again. I was left outside in that position from eight in the morning to six in the evening with no lunch. This went on for three or four days. I kept reciting Zhuan Falun, almost the entire book each day. I did not suffer too much. The officer realized that I would not give in, so he gave up. I passed this test with ease. When I was recalling this, I realized that, at the time, I did not have the notions of enduring a tribulation or passing a test.
Then I also recalled what Master said:
“You know what? Just on the one issue of cultivation alone it's so complex at the cosmos's lower levels. But it becomes simple at higher levels, where there's no longer any concept of cultivation but only the concept of karma elimination. At levels higher up, all troubles are to pave the way for ascending to Heaven. And at even higher levels, concepts like eliminating karma, enduring hardships, and cultivation no longer exist, and it's just a choice! This is the principle at high levels of the cosmos: you think someone is good enough, so you choose him--that's the principle. "Cultivation? We didn't arrange cultivation for him. What's cultivation? We just want to cleanse it, cleanse it step by step, all the way up. Cleanse it--it's as simple as that!" Yet when manifest at different levels, it becomes paving the way, having troubles, enduring hardships, eliminating karma, cultivating, and so on, cultivating one way, practicing another way... ”. (Teaching the Fa the 2003 Lantern Festival)
Master also said:
“Now you can see why I’ve often told you to read the book more, right?! The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
An idea became more and more clear: All I need to do to assimilate into this Fa is to immerse my body and spirit into the Fa, fill my heart with the Fa, and pursue nothing. Then, all tests, karma, and tribulations will diminish without us even knowing it. This is because we are no longer in it. We have chosen (to be assimilated to) Dafa, and Master and Dafa have chosen us.
No matter what kind of tribulation or test we encounter, and no matter how complex the situation is, if we simply hold onto Dafa, we will assimilate to the Fa. The old forces aim to drag us away from the Fa, whereas Master is aiming to bring us into the Fa and truly be part of the Fa. When we wholeheartedly enter the Fa, all tests, karma, and attachments vanish before we even know it.
For Master, Fa-rectification of the human world and forging a person in Dafa can be finished in the blink of an eye. It is our everyday notions that prevent us from advancing in cultivation. All tribulations are arranged by the old forces, and even the old forces themselves are nothing significant either. Master told us to clarify the truth and save sentient beings, despite tribulation or any impact from the old forces. This is what Master arranged for us.
When I truly assimilated into the Fa, I felt warm, just like the sun in early spring. It is also like a baby growing in a mother's body. I can feel the huge energy of the Fa inside my body, bringing happiness to every cell in me. It is not the kind of joy of ordinary happiness. It is beyond human language. It is the type of joy from deep inside the heart. It is the joy of returning to our true home, in harmony with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Lay down all your notions and assimilate to Dafa. This is the root of our lives and the value and meaning of life. It is the foundation of the eternity of the universe. It is also the ultimate wish of our initial life: to bathe in the light of the Fa forever.
This is only my personal understandings. Please point out anything that is not proper.