(Minghui.org) Whenever I experience conflicts, grievances, sickness karma or other interference, especially when I feel I haven’t cultivated diligently, I remember what Master said,
“Those ordeals and the suffering, no matter how great or harsh you find them to be, are good things, because they take place solely on account of your cultivation.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Vol. VIII)
However sometimes when I’m hit with a sudden tribulation, I still feel confused, This is especially true when I feel I’m doing the three things required of us. I wonder: “I have been doing the three things well, why am I still experiencing such tribulations?”
Master said in, Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference,
“Whether your motive is to save sentient beings, to validate the Fa, or to make progress in your own cultivation, they are ordeals all the same. They aren’t supposed to make way for you just because you think, “I’m doing this for Dafa” or “I’m doing this to save sentient beings.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Vol. VIII)
I’ve read this teaching many times, however when I read it today, I felt as if I was reading it for the first time. I gained some new understanding: We may experience all kinds of interference, tribulations or suffering even when we do well—all these are arranged for our improvement in cultivation.
Then, a line of Master’s poem in Hong Yin,
“It is not that it’s painful on the path of cultivation,Karma of lifetimes and lifetimes impedes...” (“Causality,” Hong Yin)
In the course of tens of thousands of years of reincarnation, every person has accumulated an enormous amount of karma. For ordinary people, if they have much karma and little virtue, they would most likely live a difficult life, experiencing many tribulations and hardships; those with less karma may enjoy a prosperous life and have fewer difficulties. As for cultivators, if we have a lot of karma, we may experience larger tests and tribulations.
In the past, when I read these paragraphs of Fa, I didn’t think deeply and my understanding was only superficial. Today I felt I gained a new level of understanding about, “Whether good or bad – it is a good thing.”
Since we have chosen the path of cultivation, we should look at things from the perspective of a cultivator, hold ourselves to the Fa’s standards, and change our way of thinking so that we won’t be caught up in ordinary people’s way of reasoning. We should look at everything that happens to us as a good thing for our cultivation, and our thoughts will become simpler and purer, with kind thoughts towards everyone. Then, our revered Master can protect and strengthen us in every way on our cultivation path.
This is only my personal understanding at my current level. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare in studying, compare in cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)
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