(Clearwisdom.net) We often read on the Clearwisdom/Minghui website about Dafa practitioners being beaten and bullied by the evil police and the willing prisoners. Practitioners are forced to stand in the "military position," and forced into other torturous positions, made to sit for extended periods on a steel stool, forced to drink dish-washing water, and made to perform long-term slave labor. They also do some other insulting things that can't be imagined by an ordinary person. I have been wondering, why on earth have fellow practitioners been forced to do all these insulting things that people can't hardly imagine? Why can't we follow Master's teachings?
"No matter what the situation, do not cooperate with the evil's demands, orders, or what it instigates." ("Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I believe the fundamental reason is because the practitioners did not keep up their righteous thoughts.
When being persecuted, fellow practitioners must have sent forth righteous thoughts in the beginning. Then when they felt that sending forth righteous thoughts wasn't working, they co-operated with the evil after they could no longer endure the physical and mental pain. The evil will desperately struggle and will not easily stop. It has placed a very high requirement upon us. Understanding the Fa-principles and having some righteous thoughts doesn't necessarily mean that you can pass the test. Your righteous thoughts should be very strong and long-lasting.
I recalled something that was written on a little brochure, "A Single Thought Determines Whether You're a Divine Being or a Human Being" One fellow practitioner jumped from a high building to avoid being abducted by the evil persecutors. As a result, she had many fractured bones in her body. She determinedly refused to be hospitalized. After going home, every day, except for eating and sleeping, she concentrated on sending forth righteous thoughts, and eliminating the evil lives and elements from her own physical body. As a result, one week later, her fractured bones were all recovered. An X-ray revealed not a single trace of the bone fractures. At the same time I was amazed at the fellow practitioner's miracle, I was thinking, "If we all behaved like this fellow practitioner, who is so determined in her righteous thoughts, strong and persevering, then the persecution would never have happened, nor would an existing persecution continue."
In a relaxing environment we also face the same problem of whether we can keep our strong righteous thoughts. It is worth noting that the persecution, from the perspective of a relaxing situation, is not as obvious as it is from a jail cell, and the result of the persecution which is shown in this dimension is not that serious. Many fellow practitioners do not realize that they themselves are already in tribulations, and not paying attention to sending forth righteous thoughts and eliminating the interference.
For example, some fellow practitioners' family members have lots of interference. Some other practitioners are deeply involved in their work and family affairs and can not pull themselves out of it. Some others are seriously interfered with when they are sending forth righteous thoughts and they fall asleep the moment they close their eyes, not even aware that their hands are not straight. Some practitioners are unable to do sit cross-legged for more than half an hour, and some can hardly study the Fa with a concentrated mind and can't see the Fa-principles. Some practitioner are interfered with by the demon of sleepiness and can hardly get up in the morning to do the exercises, and some have deceiving symptoms of a serious illness... Although the above-mentioned problems fall within the category of individual cultivation, if we do not cultivate our own selves well, it will have a direct impact on saving sentient beings. Some fellow practitioners once mentioned that whatever stops you from sparing no effort in doing the three things well are your biggest tribulations. I agree that what they said is very true. When the cultivation environment becomes more relaxed, it does not mean that the standards for Dafa practitioners have lowered. It is also not an excuse for indulgence in seeking comfort. Driven by the attachment of seeking comfort, it is very difficult to have righteous thoughts and it is even more difficult to maintain righteous thoughts. As a result of the obvious problem (like the interference of the demon of sleepiness), the interference turns out to be more and more intense and it seems very difficult to eliminate.
In facing the tribulations, if we can clearly distinguish every single thought in our minds and ask ourselves, "Did I maintain righteous thoughts? Are my righteous thoughts strong enough? Are they persistent?" We should follow Master's requirement,
"While sending righteous thoughts, don't panic or be afraid, and as long as that wicked person keeps being violent, keep sending righteous thoughts." ("Stop the Evil Acts with Righteous Thoughts")
If we can truly do so, the power of the righteous thoughts will definitely manifest, many of the so-called tests and tribulations will not look as big as before, and it won't be so difficult to pass the tests.
From another perspective, it is nothing for us to shoulder all the insults and pains, since they will all completely vanish in the end. But the sentient beings cannot see the brightness, nor can they see the hope of the future. They cannot see the exhibition of the boundless Buddha Fa. They will feel despair, they will drift with the tide, and they may be destroyed. Fellow practitioners, let us keep our strong and persistent righteous thoughts and tell ourselves, "No matter when and where, no matter how long or how short the time is, no matter how we feel about ourselves, no matter how the external environment changes, no matter how the ordinary people behave... we should always keep up our righteous thoughts without slacking off." Fellow practitioners, let us use our Dafa practitioners' strong righteous thoughts to cultivate ourselves well, to end this persecution, and save more sentient beings.
