(Minghui.org) I’m over 80 years old, and I’ve seen some problems in other elderly practitioners. I like to share my understandings on this. Please correct me if you see anything not in line with the Fa teachings.
Master Li said,
“There is a criterion, however, that the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your thoughts undergo even a little deviation, your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Some elderly practitioners have passed away because their thoughts deviated from the Fa, which then made it difficult for them to help Master save people. An elderly practitioner had symptoms of gastritis and pleurisy. Her son took her to the hospital, where a doctor said, “In such situations, we usually operate. But at her age, it would be too risky. How about we treat it conservatively?”
The son discussed this with his mother, who agreed, because she knew Master was taking care of her. With this righteous thought, she returned to group Fa study and did the exercises. She soon recovered and went out to clarify the truth once again.
When her husband passed away a few years later, her son moved in to take care of her. He did not believe in Dafa and prevented her from contacting other practitioners. She slacked off in her cultivation and soon passed away.
It reminded me of some experiences I’ve had and the lessons I learned from them.
Don’t Study the Fa With Pursuit
I ran into another practitioner at the mall and asked how she was doing. She told me that she had stopped cultivating. When I asked why, she said, “I’ve itched all over for a long time. I studied one chapter of Zhuan Falun and did the exercises, but it didn’t improve, so I don’t want to cultivate anymore.”
“That’s a shame,” I responded. “Didn’t you look inward for the reason? First, you assumed that you were the cause of the interference. You are not. It’s the old forces, and you should not recognize this. Second, you studied the Fa to seek something. Doing the exercises to resolve problems also will not do. You did not act like a true practitioner.”
Some elderly practitioners believe they are too old to practice. I feel sorry for them. We followed Master to come to this world and help him rectify the Fa and save people. We have a great historic mission. People are depending on us!
Master said,
“If you are just being a good person among ordinary people and do not cultivate, you are still committing an extremely huge crime! That’s because you are not saving the sentient beings that you are supposed to save!! You are not fulfilling the contract you signed in prehistory!! Isn’t it such an issue?! When I taught the Fa in the past, I never used such a tone to talk to you. Master is anxious, as the end is fast approaching.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
I want to cry every time I read this paragraph. I’m determined to do well. I’ve read many practitioners’ articles on Minghui.org. They let go of themselves and told people the facts about Dafa with divine thoughts. Many young practitioners also did very well. They steadfastly believe in Master and Dafa in spite of torture and persecution. They were not angry or upset. They kept the mindset of a practitioner and calmly told the police about Dafa. And in the end, they altered their cultivation environment.
Letting Go of “Self”
Master said,
“But, as long as you go by Dafa, go by what Master has told you, you will have a path to walk, and that will be something nobody can change. But the path will be very narrow—narrow to the extent that only if you are extremely righteous will things work out and will you manage to save people. Only if you can go about things in an extremely righteous manner will there be no problems.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
Master has extended our elderly practitioners’ lives. He gave us immeasurable wisdom, energy, and abilities. Should we still be scared of those evil, rotten demons at the lowest level? A small finger can crush them. We also have Master’s fashen (law bodies) and guardian gods next to us. With Master and Dafa here, we have nothing to be afraid of. We need to put down our attachments and help Master save people with our kind hearts.
I have been detained several times. A practitioner and I once went out to clarify the truth. Someone reported us, and we were taken to a police station. I sent forth righteous thoughts. The police took me to the hospital for a physical exam. I looked into the sky and said to the lives in other dimensions, “All sentient beings here, please remember that heaven will bring you happiness and peace if you treat Dafa kindly.” I wanted to let the lives in other dimensions have an opportunity to choose a bright future.
I was then taken to the detention center guardhouse to be processed for admission. Many people were there, and I met a female practitioner. Both of us had high blood pressure. The police told her to take the blood pressure medication, and she complied. They wanted me to take it, too. I glared at them and refused. They backed off right away, with one of them saying, “Do what you want.” My righteous thoughts dissolved the evil factors behind them.
A few drug dealing suspects and young people were also waiting at the guardhouse. I thought, “This detention center is no place for a practitioner. My mission is to help Master rectify the Fa and save people.” I then started to recite Zhuan Falun. The detention center refused to admit me when my name was called. The police called to pressure them repeatedly, but the detention center remained firm.
The police were forced to take me back. One of them commented, “She looks so healthy. Why didn’t they take her. They took the other one with high blood pressure.” That showed me that our righteous thoughts can bring about different results.
The police wanted to release me on bail and told me to sit on a bench. It appeared they were going to interrogate me, as they had set up recording equipment. It seemed like a good opportunity to clarify the truth to them.
I began to talk before they started asking questions. I said, “Falun Dafa is the Buddha Law that saves people in the end times. It teaches people to follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” I also told them why Jiang Zemin, the former leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), persecuted Falun Dafa; that the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident was fabricated to deceive people; and why people should quit the CCP and its youth organizations to ensure a safe future.
I knew Master was supporting me. The officers actually listened. I developed symptoms of illness karma after I finished speaking. The police then called my child to come take me home.
I searched inward to see what loophole I had, which allowed me to be persecuted. I recollected that when I clarified the truth with a fellow practitioner, we had arguments. I exhibited attachments to competitiveness and self-righteousness. They are all deviations from the Fa.
I had a dream where I was in the wilderness and couldn’t find my way home. After I woke up, I realized that I was wasting my time playing on my cell phone or watching TV with my family. My Fa study was delayed and the old forces took the opportunity to exploit this loophole. I invited the persecution myself. It was a hard lesson.
Master advised us:
“Right now every minute and every second is crucial. If you miss out during this period of time, you miss out on everything. History won’t recur. The history of the cosmos and the Three Realms have gone through so many, long, long years—what have all the beings been waiting for? What are they all here for? For exactly these few years! Yet there are [Dafa] students who are squandering their lives during these few years, not seizing the time. And yet you are shouldering such huge responsibilities for all beings and for history!” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume IV)
I will strive to work with fellow practitioners to accomplish our historic mission—helping Master rectify the Fa and save more sentient beings.
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Category: Cultivation Insights
