Be Wary of Old Force Tricks

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners should not let the old forces mislead us into believing that we can get sick. Master has cleansed the body and soul of all Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples; that is to say, we should no longer have illness karma. Any practitioner who has symptoms of illness should strengthen his thoughts, study Master’s teachings more diligently, and use strong righteous thoughts to eliminate all interference from the old forces.

In recent years, it has happened all too often that practitioners have passed away, having failed to walk the paths that Master arranged for them. The reasons for their deaths vary, but most of them fell into the traps that the old forces set up. Not only were they unable to fulfill the vows they made in a prehistoric time, their deaths also affected non-practitioners in a negative way and they missed the chance to learn the facts of Falun Gong and the opportunity to be saved.

Master says in Lecture Six of Zhuan Falun:

“For instance, there once was a person who was tied to a bed. They took one of his arms and claimed that they would slit it to make it bleed. Then they blindfolded his eyes and scratched his wrist once. (He was not at all cut and bleeding.) A water faucet was turned on so that he could hear water dripping, and he thus thought that it was his blood that was dripping. The man died shortly afterwards. In fact, he was not bleeding at all. What was dripping was running water. He died because of this psychological factor.”

This part of Master’s teaching helps me to gain a new perspective on how the old forces use illness karma to persecute Dafa practitioners.

I understand that the person did not die from losing too much blood, but died because he was made to believe he was losing too much blood.

Those who conducted this experiment created an artificial situation: They first tied him up to take away his freedom and his ability to escape which created the setting for success of their experiment. Then they gave the test subject non-verbal signals to support the message that they would drain his blood to make him believe this would actually happen. The last step was the most crucial—to blindfold him.

He did not know this was a set-up and illusory. He was made to believe this was really happening. His arm was not cut. Any last hope of survival was destroyed by hearing the sound of water dripping from the faucet. He had completely fallen into the trap—he believed that his vein was slashed, that he was bleeding, and that he would die for sure. He believed that he was bleeding at the rate of the sound of the dripping water and his life was running out, thus he died.

The old forces use the same tricks on practitioners. They create illusions to trick practitioners into believing that they are dying from some disease. For Dafa disciples, especially those who obtained the Fa before the onset of the persecution in 1999, Master has pushed us forward. From then on, our cultivation entered the era of Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings. Master watches over us and makes sure that no severe illness karma will happen to us. Symptoms of severe illness practitioners have are illusions created by the old forces.

Master told us:

“We negate even the very emergence of the old forces and everything that they've arranged; we don't even acknowledge their existence. We're fundamentally negating all of their things, and all of, and only, the things you do while negating and getting rid of them is mighty-virtue. It's not that you're cultivating amidst the ordeals they created. Rather, you are to walk your own path well while not acknowledging them, not even acknowledging the elimination of their ordeals' manifestations. (Applause) So looking at it from this angle, what we need to do is completely negate the old forces. Dafa disciples and I don't even acknowledge the manifestations of their last-ditch efforts.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference”)

This is telling us that we absolutely should not acknowledge anything that is arranged by the old forces. We must keep a clear mind and know that any illness karma, no matter how fierce, is false. To hold firmly to one’s righteous thoughts is very important, and we must not focus on our bodily discomforts. No matter how severe the symptoms are, we ought to tell ourselves that we are fine, that we don’t have any illnesses, and that all symptoms of illness are illusory.

After adjusting our thinking, we must act righteously; that is to say, we must never let the old forces “tie” us to a bed.

“Tying” a practitioner to a bed is the first step that the old forces use to persecute Dafa practitioners. “Tying” to a bed has different manifestations. The most superficial expression is that the symptoms are very serious. For example, it might be very hard to stand so one will lie in bed to feel better.

One lies in bed and does not even study the Fa nor do the exercises. When that happens, he even stops going out to tell people about Falun Gong. If one cannot do the three things well, this practitioner is being “tied to a bed” to a certain degree. The old forces will further take advantage of human sentiment to manipulate a practitioner's family members to persecute practitioners.

To completely be “tied” means the evil forces will “blindfold” us. Some may say that no one is blindfolding him, nor will he allow anyone to blindfold him. The eyes I am talking about are the eyes that can penetrate the surface, see the truth, and see through the old force’s tricks. This pair of eyes is full of wisdom, and one can only obtain them through studying the Fa.

After tying a practitioner to a bed and blindfolding him, his righteous thoughts will fade, and illness karma will become more aggressive. When the physical pain is too hard to endure, the evil forces will present the sensation of “bleeding.”

Master said:

“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference” from Essentials for Further Advancement II.)

Practitioners should try their best to join group Fa study and share with other practitioners. If you cannot leave your house, you can invite fellow practitioners to your residence and tell your family that practitioners will help you break through difficult tribulations and save your life.

Practitioners can help you gain more faith in Master and the Fa, and eliminate the evil elements that are doing damage. Practitioners can also help you remove the blindfold, understand the truth, and walk out of the maze.

Master said:

“But today's Dafa disciples are doing something different from the cultivation ways in every other period in history, and that's because you are shouldering a greater responsibility that surpasses your personal Consummation. Saving sentient beings and validating the Fa, these far surpass your personal cultivation, they're even greater things. And that's something that the old forces can't handle correctly, and they're interfering with you. Negate them, and face all of it with the right thoughts!” (Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference)

Dafa practitioners have mighty powers and supernatural capabilities which are installed for us to assist Master. Dwelling amidst the various layers of the old universe, if Dafa practitioners’ righteous thoughts are strong, the old forces cannot touch us, let alone “drain our blood.”

The old forces can be very treacherous. When practitioners do not fall for their tricks, they then create more phony scenes. A practitioner's children may begin to worry about the practitioner's physical condition. The children will show concern for their parent and often visit to urge the practitioner to see a doctor and take medication.

Some children might even stay with the practitioner to prevent them from contacting other practitioners or do Dafa-related activities. Some tell the practitioner to treat their illness first, then do the exercises after they get better. When a practitioner's condition worsens, relatives will forcibly take the practitioner to a hospital.

The old forces then create more illusions by having the practitioner surrounded by doctors and nurses who do all kinds of tests and x-rays on the practitioner, and then make diagnoses and prescribe medication for the practitioner. Nurses might blame the practitioner and their family for not coming to the hospital sooner.

At this point, practitioners must repeat what Master says, “…by having your heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations,” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)”)

We must be firm in our faith in Master and do the following:

When all else fails, the old forces will make you recall that your parents or some other family member died of a similar illness, or create a scenario that a patient in the same hospital ward is critically ill or just died from the same illness.

No matter where you are at this point, you must remember that you are not an ordinary person. You are a Dafa practitioner who has come to this human world with a mission. You must say to yourself, “I don’t have any illnesses. This is all an illusion,” and sincerely believe it.

There is no need for you to be concerned even if you are isolated because Master has said, “I have already told you that every student is followed by more than one of my Law bodies. My Law bodies will do these things.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)

Dafa practitioners have mighty power and capabilities. Even if we are confined to a bed, we can still do things without moving our hands and feet.

It is just as Master says:

“If what arises is a righteous thought, and you take the position that all of this is false, that it’s the old forces meddling, and you remind yourself of how long you’ve cultivated Dafa for and that no such thing is possible, if that thought truly comes from within, instantly the problem will vanish.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference”)

No matter how aggressive the symptoms of illness are, we should hold firmly to our faith in Master and trust that we are fine even if the doctors have exhausted treatment options, and our family has given up hope. The goal of the old forces is to have us give up on our health and hope for life. As soon as one has lost hope for life, the old forces will snatch his life away.

Dafa practitioners must hold onto the thought that they must live, not die. The old forces’ goal to have you let go of your life will then be futile.

“When disciples have ample righteous thoughts, Master has the power to turn back the tide.” (“The Master-Disciple Bond” from Hong Ying II)

At this critical moment, we can say: “I have not yet fulfilled the vows that I made. Master, please strengthen my righteous thoughts.” At the same time, we need to completely deny the old force arrangements and the contracts that we made with them in other dimensions so they cannot interfere with our cultivation.

We must also look within to search for where we can improve. The old forces amplify and expand our defects, so we must find our attachments and rectify ourselves. We must bring ourselves back to the path that Master arranged for us.

If we can completely deny the old forces from that very first step and be determined to rectify ourselves, their skullduggery will be completely ruined. Dafa practitioners must maintain a solid faith in Master and not be fooled by any false representations.