(Clearwisdom.net) Passing tests is not limited only to those tests related to the brutal persecution. Tests also occur in our daily lives, and with each test there is an issue of whether we pass it and how well we do in the process. Determination and steadfastness in the Fa is key. While going through tribulations, our hearts need to stay on the Fa and follow the Fa's requirements. We need to firmly believe in Master and the Fa and keep them at the forefront of our minds.
I would like to share an experience I had around 2001. While I was on a business trip, I was arrested by the local National Security Bureau. I reached my destination on Monday and was arrested Friday night. I later realized from a conversation with one of the staff at the National Security Bureau that they started watching me as soon as I got off the plane. They surrounded my hotel. I was followed every day for the entire week without even realizing it. On Friday night, I invited a dozen people, including a client and coworkers, to chat in the hotel room. That's when people from the National Security Bureau came in and confirmed my identity. I calmed down and said to Master in my heart, “No matter what the situation is, I will not compromise my faith.” Immediately after that, the perpetrators searched all of my belongings. They registered every item that was related to Dafa and took pictures. The division head said, “You'll be sentenced to at least two-and-a-half years. If we add a couple of more things to the report, it would be more than three years.”
During their break-time at night, there were three people from the National Security Bureau watching me. The police car was right downstairs, as well as by the hotel gate, to prevent me from escaping. I was not afraid at that time. They later sent a deputy director there, but I was calm and peaceful. I even invited him to have a seat and chat after he came in. During the ten hours of surveillance, I told the staff the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution, dispelling the propaganda put out by the Party. I showed them a DVD about the staged Tiananmen self-immolation incident. I patiently explained things to them and answered their questions. They were deeply poisoned by the Party. In the afternoon on Saturday, they said they were too busy and no longer wanted to watch me. So they decided to release me. The entire process took about 20 hours.
After I returned to my company, my coworkers talked about what had transpired at great length, as they were simply amazed by it. No matter what situations we face, as long as we stay on the Fa, miracles will happen. It is just like what Master said,
“There are two circumstances in which they can't touch a Dafa disciple. One is that he is rock-solid. They don't dare touch him, because they know at that time that if this disciple has taken a righteous path and conducted himself well and someone still dares to persecute him, it doesn't matter that they're the old forces or what the old principles are--I absolutely won't spare them. There are countless righteous Gods by my side, too! And I also have countless Law Bodies who do Fa-rectification. My only concern is that Dafa disciples themselves won't be firm inside; when there's some kind of attachment, some kind of fear, or what not, then the old forces see it and take advantage of the omissions and persecute them. And if a person's righteous thoughts aren't sufficient while he's being persecuted, he will be persecuted even worse. This is always the case.” (“Touring North America to Teach the Fa”)
At that time, I only thought of Master, and Master took care of everything for me. During critical moments, it is all about whether one truly believes in Master or not.
I remember that there was once a fellow practitioner who wrote a repentance statement, stating that he would no longer practice Falun Gong. He also spread his distorted theory. I asked him, “Right before you decided to be 'transformed,' what were you thinking.?” He stared at me for a while and said, “If I did not give up on my belief, I would have died there.” I said, “You saw the tribulation as being too large. You saw it as even bigger than the Fa and Master. At that time, if you thought of the Fa and firmly believed in Master, the tribulation would have been gone immediately.” He stared at me again for a long time without saying anything. He had looked at it as an issue between human beings. As soon as one thinks that this is the government persecuting a person, one would have to surrender. However, this is cultivation. As long as one follows the cultivation principles, he can pass the tests. On the contrary, if he follows the rules of human beings, he indeed would not be able to endure and overcome the tribulation.
This does not apply only to tests related to the persecution, but rather all tests that we have to go through, such as not being diligent in cultivation in our daily lives, when we can't eliminate the attachment to human emotion, or when we are unable to keep our hearts on the Fa at all times. The things in our daily lives are oftentimes easily overlooked because we don't have to endure huge pressure. We can easily slack off, and not remain clear-minded and determined as when we face huge tribulations. However, the crux of the matter remains the same. The mindset that is required of us is similar, regardless of what kind of test it is.
I also feel that whether we dare to tell people the facts about Dafa and whether we can do well or not is directly tied to our belief in the Fa and Master. Master has this requirement of us and has taught us the Fa principles very clearly. Our mission is to save sentient beings. If we don't do it, doesn't that mean we are not following the Fa's requirements? Cultivation is about searching inward, comparing our actions to the Fa's requirements, and identifying any gaps so that we can eliminate them.
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