(Minghui.org) Some Falun Dafa practitioners experienced amazing abilities, or have special skills and talents. They may think they are special or these are their own abilities. Others may admire and compliment them. Because of this misunderstanding, those practitioners may have been exploited by the old forces, which caused many losses.
A few months ago, a husband and his wife were arrested after they were followed by Domestic Security officers for a long time.
The husband clarified the truth and persuaded many people to quit the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and its youth organizations. He was proud of himself. Due to his inflated ego, he was impatient with his wife and even slapped and scolded her.
There were serious problems with the truth-clarifying materials he made, but when the other practitioners pointed it out, he did not correct the flaws. He said, “When you help 5,000 people quit the Party, you can then talk to me.” This practitioner took all the credit for helping people quit the Party.
A few practitioners’ celestial eyes are open or they develop some supernormal abilities. They regard it as the result of their own abilities and inborn qualities and think they are special. They are proud of themselves, which can result in demonic interference from their own minds, and some of them have been persecuted. There are so many lessons in this regard.
In fact, all the achievements we’ve made during Fa-rectification cultivation are inseparable from Master Li’s (Dafa’s founder) arrangements and blessings. Without Master’s help, we couldn’t achieve anything. No matter what ability, technology, talent, or financial resources we have, we must not think highly of ourselves, or think that this is “my” ability. Any such thought, even the slightest, can cause us trouble.
When everyday people thank us for telling them the truth of Dafa, many practitioners say, “Don’t thank me, you should thank my Master.” When some people praise practitioners’ appearance and good health, many practitioners say, “It’s because I practice Falun Dafa.”
All our achievements are 100 percent because of Master, and this is what every practitioner should remember.
Master said,
“The success of his work is only a manifestation among ordinary humans. It is the mighty power of Dafa itself and the specific arrangements made by my Law Bodies that enable people to obtain the Fa and spread the Fa widely. Without my Law Bodies doing these things, even protecting the people in charge could hardly be ensured, let alone spreading the Fa widely. So don’t always think of yourselves too highly.” (“A Heavy Blow,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
A local practitioner did many great things over the years to expose the persecution and validate the Fa. He convinced at least 100 police and government officials at all levels to quit the Party. Some police officers and even state security officials, who planned to persecute him, not only gave up the persecution but also quit the Party after he told them the truth. It’s very rare for the police, especially those in lead positions, to quit the CCP. What’s even more commendable is that the practitioner also convinced the police to help distribute truth-clarifying materials and rescue other practitioners who were arrested.
Several practitioners in our area who were arrested, were rescued by him by gaining help from the head of the police station, the head of the Domestic Security Division, the director of the police department, the director of the National Security Bureau, and officials from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. Some practitioners were repeatedly arrested, but he helped rescue them.
He once made a phone call to the head of the city’s police department and asked him to find a way to rescue practitioners. When a police officer from another district came to our area to arrest a practitioner, he called the district police chief. The director immediately contacted the Domestic Security Division captain to release the practitioner. This practitioner also asked some deputy ministerial-level officials and high-ranking generals to help deliver his truth-clarifying letter to the authorities. This practitioner studies the Fa diligently and is very humble and low-key.
On the surface it looked like this practitioner cultivated well, but to everyone’s surprise, he suffered two serious illnesses in less than two years. Last year, he couldn’t eat for many days, and he became emaciated. This went on for more than a month. When he did not get better, his family forced him to go to a hospital. The examination showed that he had more than 10 diseases such as pancreatic cancer, high blood pressure, and kidney cysts. Under Master’s merciful protection, he was discharged from the hospital without undergoing surgery, and he helped more than 30 people in the hospital quit the Party. During a follow-up, the doctor found his cancer was gone. But this year, not long after Master’s new article was published, he had another serious illness, which was more serious. His condition quickly deteriorated, and he nearly died.
The other practitioners solemnly told him, “If you didn’t have any problems, you would never have experienced these tribulations. In the past 10 years or so, you only talked about how you exposed the persecution, how you clarified the truth to the police, government officials, and high-level officials, and how you helped people quit the Party.”
Some practitioners said bluntly, “Do you take credit for the great things that happen when you validate the Fa? Those high-ranking officials were all arranged by Master to cooperate with you, and everything is done by Master.” Some practitioners asked him, “Do you feel the things you do are due to your ability or talent?”
But someone told him, “You’re cultivating at a very high level. You’ve reached the level of Jesus and Shakyamuni. When you are sick you are bearing the burdens for sentient beings, just as Jesus suffered on the cross.”
Fortunately, this practitioner has a good foundation, and in the midst of tribulations, he was rational. He told the practitioners who said that he attained high-level cultivation, “Please don’t compliment me.” He agreed with those practitioners who said he hadn’t eliminated his desire for fame and fortune and that he should completely let go of these attachments.
He sincerely told us, “Over the years, I only focused on exposing the persecution, validating the Fa, and helping people quit the Party, and I have slacked off in my personal cultivation. I still haven’t eliminated my attachments to fame, fortune, and resentment. I repeatedly had Master bear hardships for me. Although I am not good at cultivating, my body is still here, and Master is still giving me a chance, so I will definitely cultivate better. Since practitioners pointed this out to me, I will fix it.”
After he saw his shortcomings, this practitioner did not cover up his attachment and cultivated in a down-to-earth manner. Dafa once again displayed a miracle. The doctor initially said the cancer spread and metastasized, and his life was in danger—but a few days later, the doctor said that it was not a malignant tumor, but an ordinary cyst, which did not need to be removed.
Four days later the practitioner was discharged from the city hospital and has no health problems. During his stay in the hospital, he also went from ward to ward to persuade patients and doctors to quit the Party, and more than 20 of them did.
Cultivation is very serious. No matter how famous you are or how much you have done to validate the Fa, if you have loopholes, the old forces will not let you go.
After I saw my fellow practitioners’ tribulations, I asked myself, when I made a little achievement, did I think it was due to my abilities? I realized that I also had this thought. When I found this problem, I felt humbled.
Why do practitioners take credit for the things Master does? When we examine that mindset, it’s because we pursue fame and want to be admired, and praised by others. A Dafa disciple who truly assimilates to the Fa will not have this attachment.
Master said that “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I realized that all the achievements in our cultivation are completely attributable to Master. They are Master’s grace and blessings for us.