(Minghui.org) Most practitioners regard illness symptoms as interference by the old forces. They resolutely reject them, and increase the time they spend sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate them. Some practitioners pass these tribulations quickly. Others drag on for some time, while some fail, and pass away.
Some practitioners regard illness symptoms as Master adjusting their bodies or helping them develop higher energy. These practitioners believe that Master controls everything. They are not anxious, and they usually overcome tribulations quickly.
I often wonder how a practitioner with a closed celestial eye judges what kind of situation he is in. If he judges wrong, will it affect his passing the tribulation?
When I felt discomfort in my heart area I thought it was interference, and I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate it. But I was also facing a xinxing test. I felt that I had this tribulation because I needed to expand my capacity. So I thought that it must be Master helping me expand my heart’s capacity. How could I not let things go, given that Master was helping me?
The discomfort disappeared quickly once I thought this way, and I passed the xinxing test too. I also found that once we believe that it was Master helping us with something, we won't think much about the symptoms or focus on whether they get better or worse.
But I still wasn't clear about how to tell what the situation was, until one day I read in Zhuan Falun,
“Should you believe that you are ill, this may really cause you to become ill.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
“As a practitioner, if you always think that it is an illness, you are actually asking for it. If you ask for an illness, it will come inside your body. As a practitioner, your xinxing level should be high. You should not always worry that it is an illness, for this fear of illness is an attachment and it can bring you trouble just the same.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
I suddenly realized that the situation will be whatever you want it to be. It all depends on how you think about it. Our mindsets and initial response when we encounter tribulations or tests is extremely important. In fact it's the most crucial point that determines whether we can pass tribulations. It also reflects our cultivation state and determines the direction and results of the situation.
Practitioners in China who've been arrested face similar situations. Some quickly escape when Domestic Security or police come. Others reprimand the evil doers for violating the law. In many cases the persecutors give up.
But many practitioners are arrested, and each step after their arrest is a test. Some practitioners feel their contact with the police is arranged by Master, for them to hear the facts. They open the door, welcom them, and tell them facts about Dafa. Many officers are moved. Some quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations, and protect practitioners afterwards.
When one isn't frightened by the police and remembers that the police are also waiting to be saved, then it's equivalent to the situation where one does not attribute one’s discomfort to interference by the old forces. We shouldn't feel worried or frightened. We should remember that Master has arranged the best for us.
Some practitioners may wonder whether the police who arrest them may be the ones that Master referred to as being beyond salvation. These people won't listen to the facts no matter what. Could facing them put you in danger?
The answer is that if your righteous thoughts and field are truly strong, no one can harm you. They will be frightened away by just a single righteous word from you. The dangers do not come from external factors, but instead come from within. They can only interfere when one’s thoughts are not righteous.
Master said,
“If you develop an evil thought or go after something bad, they will come to give you a hand, and you will be following a demonic cultivation way. This problem can take place.” (Lecture Five, Zhuan Falun)
As a matter of fact, fearing persecution and regarding the police who come to arrest you as evil, are pursuing bad things. These thoughts agree with the old forces and may help them succeed in what they want to do. We should remember that we practitioners are to play the main role, reject any negative thoughts, and not even recognize the existence of the old forces.
If we can truly reach this state, the persecution will no longer exist.
Master said,
“It is thus all the harder to, while being subjected to ordeals imposed by the old forces, manage to walk the path correctly. And this is even more so for the Dafa disciples in mainland China. For them, amidst the tremendously harsh persecution, every single thought and idea is critical. Whether you’ve done well or not; whether or not you’ve been susceptible to being persecuted; whether or not you’ve handled things correctly and to what degree you have been persecuted—all of this is directly connected to how you have walked your path and how you have thought about things.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”, Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
Let us cultivate our every thought. Let our righteous thoughts be more pure, and our belief in Master and Dafa be strong. The losses we face from interference will then be reduced, and we can save more sentient beings during these last precious moments.