(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, a phenomena has appeared among practitioners in several cities in my area that has created dissension among practitioners. The issue is that some practitioners, either divorced or not married, have decided to tie the knot. Even some of the well-known coordinators have gotten involved and are spreading gossip. Unfortunately, the facts get twisted. This creates a lot of pressure on the practitioners involved and creates divisions among practitioners.
Two divorced practitioners wanted to get married. Many practitioners were dragged into the debate and expressed their opinions. They even sent forth the righteous thoughts for the couple. Under such pressure, the practitioners broke up. Actually this is just a reflection of immaturity in the cultivation of all those involved. In another region, practitioners know that Teacher didn't say practitioners shouldn't get married, so they don't openly state their objections, but their words are full of negative factors about marriage. Of course, there are also practitioners that support marriage.
Here, I want to say that we can't really see clearly every practitioner's cultivation situation or his cultivation path that Teacher arranges for him. Teacher said:
“A cultivator has no role models. The path each person is to take is different, because each person’s foundation is different, the sizes of their various attachments are different, the characteristics of their beings are different, their jobs among everyday people are different, their family environments are different, and so on. These factors determine that each person’s path of cultivation is different, that how they get rid of their attachments is different, and that the sizes of their tests are different. Therefore, amidst the manifestations of things it’s very hard to find a path that others have made, and it’s even less possible for a person to get a ride down one.” ("Path" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Therefore, we should just encourage fellow practitioners, whether they get married or not, to remain diligent in their Fa study and do well the three things.
I am a young female disciple. I have gone through many tests and interferences concerning qing. I want to share my experiences and hope that my sharing will help fellow practitioners to avoid mistakes and also encourage all of us to walk well on our cultivation path.
1. Seeing the Demon of Lust with My Celestial Eye
When I first left home and went into hiding, I was depressed and stressed out. I was disappointed concerning my cultivation. One day when I was taking a nap, I saw a man in a suit and leather shoes coming to hug me. I was happy. Then I said to myself, “That's not right. This is the demon of lust.” I then sent forth the righteous thoughts. When I recited the Fa rectification formula, I saw that the demon's body was melting. But some of its parts came close to me. When I woke up, I didn't feel right. I sent forth the righteous thoughts several times, but could not eliminate what was interfering with me.
Teacher said in “Demonic Interference in Cultivation,”
“This form of interference can come from either demons or from the master, who transforms one object into another to test you. Both forms exist because everyone must pass this test.” (Zhuan Falun)
That evening, several practitioners joined me in sending forth the righteous thoughts. The energy field was very strong. Teacher opened my celestial eye. I saw something in the shape of a snake leave my field. The snake's head looked just like I did in my dream. I knew that it was the demon of lust that had taken advantage of me when I didn't guard my thoughts in my dream.
2. Setting up a Righteous Environment and Eliminating the Attachment of Qing
Later, the tests of qing that the old forces arranged were beyond my expectations. It was almost a deadly test that I would have failed if I hadn't had a firm cultivation foundation.
I worked with a male practitioner, C, that was a few years old than I. We helped fellow practitioners set up truth-clarification material production sites. C was a new practitioner and married. We worked well together and had no disagreements.
A year and half later, one day a few hours after I had left my truth-clarification material production site, the police issued an arrest warrant for me and sent it out to many provinces. They had monitored a practitioner's phone. I hid in another practitioner's home. I was worried and felt great pressure. When I was exhausted both physically and mentally, I suddenly had the urge to see C. His comforting words and smiling face kept haunting me. This longing for him almost destroyed me completely. Every breath I took, I felt great pain and I wanted to see him desperately.
The longing was so strong that it made me break out in tears. The other practitioner thought I was under too much pressure. Actually, I was trying to control my thoughts. I knew the evil intention of the old forces. They wanted to trap me in qing with C. In that region, both of us played a critical role.
Teacher said:
“I can sense the state of your thinking--'It's hard, really hard.' But didn't you wait those thousands of years just for today? Could your future Consummation compare with this little bit that you're enduring today?” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
“Let me tell you: A human being, this shell of yours, is born within this emotion and has been immersed in emotion since birth. The bodily cells that compose this shell are born in emotion’s environment. If you part from it you are no longer a human but a god. When people get attached to emotion they are actually being passive, even though they think they are being active.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference")
“Let me tell you this: Until you dissociate yourself from ordinary human society, until you Consummate, you will always have emotion. It’s one way to ensure that you can cultivate in ordinary human society. And since you have emotions, your heart is going to be affected by them. What you can do is try your best to suppress them, and try your best to maintain yourself like a practitioner should, and not act like an everyday person who does whatever he feels like.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Singapore")
I kept Teacher's words in my mind: “Cultivation is very serious. Dafa is solemn.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference") I sent forth the righteous thoughts and it relieved the pain temporarily. After a while, the pain returned as strong as ever. The stronger the urge to see him, the more determined I was not to give in. I even stopped myself from discussing technical problems with him, because I knew that my situation would interfere with his cultivation, too.
One day I decided with a strong will, “As a Dafa disciple, to better assist Teacher to rectify the Fa, I should completely eliminate the qing that is trying to control my mind.”
Before sending forth righteous thoughts, I asked Teacher, “Teacher, no matter how the old forces arranged the qing test for me, I do not acknowledge it, nor do I want it. To be responsible for the Fa, for the stability of our region, and also for C's cultivation, I will eliminate the qing that the old forces imposed on me.”
I calmed down and started to send forth righteous thoughts. Teacher came to my aid, and I felt a strong energy field surrounding me. My fields were suddenly clean. It was benevolent Teacher who removed the qing for me. I burst into tears.
This experience made me realize that the basis for personal and Fa-rectification cultivation are different. For Fa-rectification cultivation, we should eliminate attachments, set up a basis that allows us to better assist Teacher to rectify the Fa, and complete our mission and responsibility. For personal cultivation, we are to eliminate the attachments to personal benefits. Once we accomplish this, the old forces can't easily take advantage of us.
One day I went with C to install a computer system at another practitioner's home. That practitioner wasn't going to return home until after midnight. Only he and I were in the room. For a moment, the atmosphere became strange. I felt my qing, but I didn't have any evil desire or lust. I thought that I should let him know my real thoughts, so I said, “As a cultivator, it is natural to have human qing, but we can't indulge our behavior. We need to restrict our every thought and every action. The gods are watching Dafa disciples.” “So are the evils,” he added.
At that moment, I felt a pure, benevolent field covering us. How sacred is Dafa disciples' assisting Teacher to rectify the Fa! Teacher said, “what you do then, with a pure heart, will be the best and most sacred.” (“Further Understanding,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
3. Believing in Myself and Letting the Qing Go
Once I went to see C for some Dafa work. When I got on the bus, it began to drizzle. I generally didn't carry an umbrella with me. I then had a thought: “Dafa disciples are doing work to validate the Fa. It should not rain.” When I got off the bus, the rain indeed stopped.
I needed to transfer to another bus. Right after I stepped on the next bus, there was a torrential downpour. Looking at the dark clouds through the bus window, I said in my heart, “Teacher, I didn't indulge my qing with C. I have already let it go, so I should not have any doubt about myself anymore. Teacher mentioned, 'this is already an attachment called suspicion.’ ("What Has Teacher Given to Practitioners?" in Zhuan Falun) I must let go of my suspicion. Teacher, please help me. The god in charge of rain, please stop the rain. I need to get off the bus now.” With that thought, the rain stopped immediately, the clouds disappeared, and the sun came out.
Tears ran down my cheeks. I knew Teacher was encouraging me. I felt that my body in another dimension was enormously huge. How glorious that I was fortunate enough to be Teacher's disciple!
4. Helping Fellow Practitioners Eliminate the Demon of Lust with Righteous Thoughts
When I was in hiding and working at a truth-clarification material production site, I burned incense and bowed to Teacher's picture daily. I studied the Fa with a calm mind under the lotus lantern in front of Teacher's picture.
One night, Practitioner G visited me. After a few words, he grew silent. Suddenly, Teacher opened my celestial eye. I saw dense creatures like black bugs in his field rushing into my field. I knew that he must have an improper thought that caused the demon of lust to attack. I asked Teacher to strengthen me and immediately started sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the demon of lust. Within a short time the field was clean and the demon of lust destroyed.
Another time, this practitioner acted as if something were controlling him. He just stared at me for a long time. Two practitioners from another city were also present. The atmosphere was quite strange. G played a very important role in the local area.
I had to take a trip and could have returned quickly. But, for the stability of the group and not letting evil take advantage of G, I purposely stayed away for a while. G was not happy, and some practitioners who didn't know the real reason were also unhappy. I felt immense pressure, but I remembered Teacher's words: “don't think that you need to have people see what you're doing. Master can see everything you do, and so can all gods. When you have done well that's your own, eternal mighty-virtue.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students,"). I just endured the pressure and kept looking within.
Thank you, Teacher! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
If you should find any gaps in my cultivation and handling of the situation, please kindly help me.
