The Hard Lesson of Admiring Ability and Not Following the Fa

(Minghui.org) I had intense chest pain immediately after reading Master’s latest lecture, “Another Stick Warning,” so I recited the phrases “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” About 40 minutes later, I finally felt better.

Master’s article and this incident let me realize a serious mistake I had made in the past few years. I realized that my chest pain was caused by karma that I had created due to my wrongdoing. I’d like to share my experience here and hope fellow practitioners can learn from my lesson and not repeat the same mistake again.

Going Astray

A few years ago, I met a fellow practitioner from Heilongjiang Province known to be cultivating in a state of gradual enlightenment. I was told that his gong was unlocked, and he could see things happening in other dimensions. Although he could not express his thoughts clearly and completely, I believed he was very honest and humble. Out of curiosity, I paid particular attention to everything he said. If he could not express something clearly, I tried to articulate things for him. I introduced him to fellow practitioners, and spoke highly of him. As a result, many practitioners often asked him questions, and were curious to know if he had anything new to tell us.

What was more impressive to me was that he could see some of my attachments and issues. He occasionally talked about who he was in history. At first I noticed that he would not share things easily, but over time, he told me more. Judging from how well he kept to himself, I believed he was doing much better than what I would have been able to.

Master said,

“I am pointing out this issue to let everyone know that once there is such a person, you must be sure not to regard him as a remarkable, enlightened being. This is a very serious issue in cultivation. Only through following this Dafa can you do things correctly. You should not follow or listen to him because he has supernormal abilities, supernatural powers, or because he can see somethings. You will do him harm, as he will develop the attachment of zealotry and end up losing everything and having them switched off. In the end, he will stumble. One who has reached the state of Unlocking Gong may also stumble. If one cannot conduct oneself well, one will also stumble even if one is enlightened. When things are not handled properly, even a Buddha can stumble, not to mention people like you who are cultivating among everyday people! Therefore, no matter how many supernormal abilities you have developed, how great they are, or how powerful your divine powers are, you must conduct yourself well.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun, 2014 Translation Version)

I blindly followed that fellow practitioner, admiring his supernatural abilities, while completely failing to fully understand Dafa teachings and Master's expectations. My desires to take shortcuts with someone who had supernatural abilities, coupled with my human sentiments, caused me to stray away from Dafa, harming myself as well as fellow practitioners. I fell deeply into the old forces’ trap, but fortunately Master did not give up on me. In retrospect, I realize now that I did things that were destructive to Dafa. It is painful to realize the losses that I caused for myself and fellow practitioners.

Internal Destruction of the Fa Is the Most Deceptive

Although I had no intention of harming the Fa, the old forces seized my attachments and made me cause interference for fellow practitioners. Such internal interference is most deceptive, and the damage it causes is also immeasurable.

When collaborating with fellow practitioners, I tended to rely on practitioners whom I believed were in a state of gradual enlightenment. Hence a lot of their unintentional words contributed to my faith in them and belief that they must have special abilities, and were cultivating at high levels. The old forces grasped my attachments to make me fall, yet I failed to recognize such vicious arrangements.

Many practitioners trusted me because I had been practicing Dafa for a long time and was also an eloquent speaker. When I introduced the practitioner with “abilities” to other fellow practitioners, I abused their trust and dragged them to fall with me. Yet I still fathomed that I was doing well with my cultivation, that my faith in Master and Dafa had become stronger, and that my understanding of the Fa had improved.

Thinking about the matter, I realized that there were certain signs in the practitioner whom I blindly followed that should have been ringing the alarm for me, if my mind had been more clear.

Although he was humble, he was irritated every time people questioned or disagreed with him. When I commented that fellow practitioners could do better in validating Dafa by helping one another improve through sharing our experiences rather than just flattering each other, he explained that he used to have low self-esteem, and that was why he hated to be looked down upon, and would not show weakness when being challenged.

Thanks to compassionate Master, who soon arranged for me to move out of that area. Master also arranged for me to meet a fellow practitioner who had a similar experience as I did, but had since corrected the mistake and returned to the path arranged by Master. This fellow practitioner's painful lesson, along with Dafa teachings, made me sober and enabled me to reflect on my past mistakes. But before reading Master’s new article, I didn’t fully realize the damage I had brought to other practitioners, nor had I done much to fix it.

Master told us,

“After the Minghui website discussed this situation, there were people who still tried to defend it and even posted things online. Do you want to disturb Dafa disciples’ cultivation even more? Are you upset about the report on Minghui? So agitated—isn’t that a human attachment? Is this the state of a cultivator? At this point in the process, have you looked inside? No matter what, those Dafa disciples who have made it through since July 20, 1999, Master really cherishes all of you, and the countless Gods all hold you in high esteem, but you should also know to respect yourselves. Wake up! You’ve already made it through the most difficult part of your journey; don't capsize your boat in a stinking ditch at the very end. I suggest you stay away from this person and don’t give this person an audience. Salvation is directed at all persons. No matter what your identity, remove those things that are online, because if they stay there, they’ll become solid evidence for why you can’t achieve consummation. Master will say one more thing: Every moment of yours, you are on the path of cultivation practice, and at every moment, I am the one who is looking after you. You must not seek out interference for yourself. Walk well what little is left of your path.” (“Another Stick Warning”)

Cultivation is sacred and solemn. I hope that my personal experience will be helpful to fellow practitioners who are still obsessed with practitioners with supernatural abilities. I hope that the practitioners involved can let go of your emotions, and be responsible for fellow practitioners, Dafa, and most importantly yourselves!

I am grateful for Master's merciful salvation. With remorse and sincerity, I want to apologize for what I did in the past. I hope that Master and fellow practitioners can forgive me! Heshi!