(Minghui.org) I’d like to tell you about the changes I experienced this past year.
When I was in college, my roommates and I read romance novels, and I was the most obsessed. When I picked up a novel, I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. I often read all night under the dim light of the dormitory bathroom. I stopped reading them after I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1998. I now realize that Master helped me, and suppressed my urge.
In 2007, it dawned on me, that I no longer read novels, and I was happy about the change. However, that happiness became an attachment, and I found myself wanting to read novels again—this time the urge was even stronger. Over the past 10 years on my cultivation journey, many major tribulations were caused by my urge to read novels. I understood the Fa principles and knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t seem to quit. Every day, I tried to break free from the desire, and there was some improvement, but whenever work got stressful I picked up my phone to read novels on there.
I reminded myself that I was a cultivator, and felt regret. I tried to improve for a few days but then slacked off again. It’s a constant struggle. I would delete the novel apps only to reinstall them later. I was anxious and afraid that I wouldn’t be able to control myself. Overcoming my desire to read novels became a major obstacle.
One Sunday in May, around 6 p.m., I was lying in bed reading a novel, when I heard my mom’s phone ringing in the next room, and it kept ringing persistently. I had a vague feeling that the call was for me to answer, but I didn’t want to put down my phone or move. After a while, I heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairs, and my mom burst in, out of breath, saying, “Quick! Put away the Dafa books, people from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee are coming to our home!”
In a panic, I put away the Dafa books and asked my mom what was happening. She explained that a distant relative happened to overhear some officials saying they were going to search our home. The message was relayed through several people until it reached my mom.
I realized that my attachment to reading novels brought on this tribulation. I knew I was wrong and made up my mind to let go of my urge to read novels this time.
I began sending righteous thoughts to disintegrate all the evil arrangements and plans that wanted to persecute me and lead people to commit crimes against Dafa. I have attachments that need to be rectified through Dafa, and the old forces do not have the right to test me. I firmly held this thought and disintegrated evil beings and factors in other dimensions.
My mom received another call saying that the officials from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee were not coming today but would come a few days later. I knew that Master blocked this tribulation, and was giving me time to rectify myself and improve in my cultivation. I felt an overwhelming gratitude toward Master.
From then on, whenever my urge to read novels or other attachments arose, I would think to eliminate that attachment. For the next few days, whenever I was awake, I focused on finding and eliminating my attachments. After that, the tribulation of the planned home search was disintegrated. It truly is “Once your thought is righteous, evil will collapse” (“What is there to fear,” Hong Yin II). I am deeply grateful for Master’s compassionate protection.
I then began to focus on the attachment of lust, which was behind my urge to read novels. I held the thought: “Eliminate the attachment, and let it die.” One day during this process, I saw an article on the Minghui website that said something like: “Whenever you think of a certain person or event, that thought corresponds to an attachment in your heart.”
For over a decade, I struggled to eliminate my attachment to reading novels, but I couldn’t. It was because scenes and characters from those novels frequently came to my mind, and I followed those thoughts, which became increasingly detailed. I became immersed, making it very hard for me to pull away.
Because everything in other dimensions is alive, the more I thought about it, the more energy I gave it, which allowed it to easily control me.
After I understood this principle, when a character from a novel reappeared in my mind, I would immediately think: “Eliminate the attachment, and let it die.” I firmly sent out this thought until my mind was completely clear. In this way, my attachment to reading novels, which had lasted for 17 years, was completely eradicated. I am grateful to Master and thankful for the sharing articles from other practitioners.
Understanding the Seriousness of Sending Righteous Thoughts
I read an article from a practitioner that said: “In the Fa-rectification period, ‘immediate retribution’ is a manifestation of compassion toward sentient beings.” When I saw the words “immediate retribution,” I felt a jolt. Isn’t this the phrase for sending righteous thoughts?
Whether people do good or bad deeds regarding Dafa, they will receive either blessings or retribution. This truly helps clarify the truth for themselves and those around them, and it indeed plays a role in saving sentient beings. Immediate retribution is also a form of compassion. One of my workplace leaders understood the truth in this way.
When I was explaining the truth about Dafa to my workplace leader and encouraging her to treat Dafa kindly, which would bring blessings to herself and her family, she strongly agreed and shared a relevant story about immediate retribution that I was not aware of. It was in the first few years of the persecution against Falun Dafa when a colleague living above my apartment had a quarrel with my husband. In a fit of anger, she reported me to the authorities that I practiced Falun Dafa. As a result, I suffered a series of persecution, including an illegal home search, being sent to a brainwashing class, and having my work unlawfully suspended. This colleague faced a series of disasters as a result of reporting me. Her husband had an affair but didn’t want a divorce and often physically abused her. After finally managing to get divorced, she met a caring and wealthy man, but just on the eve of their wedding, he had a car accident and died at the scene. Now, her ex-husband is relentlessly bothering her again. In the end, this leader said: “People really shouldn’t do bad things. Otherwise, there will truly be retribution.”
There is another example, but this one was about receiving blessings. A colleague of mine, who lived next door, took the risk to help me store Dafa materials at his home. I saw that his life became increasingly smooth afterward. He didn’t work hard, had poor work performance, and liked to gamble, yet the year-end bonus at his company always seemed to favor him. As a result, he received more money than the others. His wife, who originally worked in a rural area, was admitted to graduate school and started working in a city, allowing them to send their son to a good school. Later, their son was accepted into a university in a first-tier city and was hired by a large company right after graduation. Meanwhile, he himself was transferred from a rural unit to work in the city without using any connections or bribes.
A small difference in thought and action can lead to very different outcomes. A person’s attitude toward Dafa can completely change the trajectory of their life. One day, when my husband, who still didn’t fully understand the truth about Dafa, opposed my practice again. I shared with him the stories of these two individuals—one who faced difficulties and the other who received blessings. I pointed out that his rejection of Dafa would lead him down an increasingly difficult path. He lost a good job and, believing the lies of the CCP, voluntarily took the third vaccine shot, which ruined his health.
These examples of people receiving immediate retribution and blessings began to make an impact. Now, my husband is slowly starting to accept Dafa.
I realized the power of righteous thoughts, and now take sending righteous thoughts even more seriously and I’ve corrected my previous state of being distracted.
I’m grateful for Master’s compassionate guidance, protection, and empowerment, and I appreciate the sharing articles from Dafa practitioners that allow me to continue moving forward on my cultivation path.
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Improving Oneself
