(Minghui.org) Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, said, “We’d say that a good or bad outcome comes from one thought. The difference in one thought leads to different results.” (Lecture four, Zhuan Falun)
While on my cultivation path, I have come to understand how important a cultivator’s thoughts are. Here, I would like to share some examples that I have observed in this regard.
Not Noticing What Happened
Ms. An (alias) was hit by a car at the entrance of her company. Coworkers asked that she check into a hospital. She said, “It’s okay, you know, I am a Falun Dafa practitioner.” Several days later, a coworker told her, “I’ve written down his license plate number. If you have an internal injury, it may take a few days before you can feel it. If you feel uncomfortable, let’s find him.” Ms. An said, “I am all right. No need.” A family member of a colleague who happened to be on the scene said to her, “Didn’t you see? The part of car that hit you had a big dent.” Ms. An replied that she was not injured, and didn’t notice what happened to the car.
Not Reacting As a True Practitioner
Ms. Bai (alias) was hit by a two-wheeled electric car close to her home. The car owner suggested, “Let’s have you checked carefully at a hospital.” She agreed. As a result, she was found to have a fractured ankle. She had to stay home for a couple of months and lost several hundred yuan because of the incident.
Looking Inward and Cultivating Well
Ms. Cao (alias) was diagnosed as having heart disease before practicing Falun Dafa. However, once she started practicing Dafa she was fine. She experienced severe pain from time to time this year. Every time this happened she would scream in pain. She told herself, “This is a good thing! Because we know from the Fa that no matter whether we encounter good or bad things in cultivation, they are all good things.” At the same time, she looked inward and cultivated herself, and everything was fine.
Forgetting the Fa Principles
Mr. Dong (alias) lived alone. He fell one day and couldn’t get up. He didn’t think of Master’s teachings, nor did he think of asking Master for help. He waited for someone to help. After a long time, his daughter-in-law came home and found him lying on the floor. She took him to the hospital. He continued taking medicine after he was discharged.
Dafa Materials Confiscated Without Arresting Practitioners
A married couple, both practitioners, had a Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials production site at their home. One day, a group of public security officers broke into their house. The wife’s first thought was on Master’s Fa,
“My roots are planted in this universe, and so someone would have to be able to harm me in order to harm you, which means that they would have to have the power to harm this universe.” (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)
These lawless persons confiscated printers, a large amount of truth-clarifying Dafa brochures, and other Dafa materials. However, they didn’t arrest the two practitioners. The couple was fine and didn’t lose a single day. They continued to help Master do the three things and save sentient beings.
One Thought Makes the Difference
Mr. Yi (alias) was illegally arrested and taken to a detention center. He thought about being detained without realizing that he should deny this thought. He was detained for seven months. During the rescue process, he and his non-practitioner family members felt the process to be smooth at times and difficult at other times.
After Mr. Yi returned home and discussed the rescue process with us, we found that the whole process was closely related to Mr. Yi’s thoughts at the detention center. It seems that Mr. Yi’s own thoughts were driving the rescue process.
During the rescue process, local practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts, sent out information about Mr. Yi and the perpetrators, collected phone numbers, mailed truth-clarifying letters, and hired lawyers. The phone calls from overseas practitioners especially shook up the wicked Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members.
They all knew that their names were listed on the Minghui website. However, the rescue process did not go smoothly. It was hoped that the case would be withdrawn, but in the end Mr. Yi returned home on bail, pending trial. During the sharing, when Mr. Yi heard that he could have been released and was almost acquitted, he said, “This is all my fault. All I wanted was to be bailed out. Even the amount of money extorted for the bail is exactly the amount I had in mind!” One thought makes the difference.
Staying Unaffected
Recently, several practitioners in my region experienced tribulations. Some were severely persecuted, and several practitioners even passed away. Some practitioners’ confidence was shaken, while others looked inward and became more diligent. There was also a small number of practitioners who were interfered with and persecuted to different degrees. From time to time, so-called insider news came out: What the evil will do, so on and so on. When some practitioners heard about it, they said that this was fake news and no interference should be allowed in the saving of sentient beings. Some practitioners remembered Master’s Fa: “Just by staying unaffected you will be able to handle all situations.” (Teachings at the Midwestern U.S. Conference)
As a result, some practitioners transferred their office machines or even Dafa books to other locations; some did not dare to go out to clarify the truth and distribute truth-clarification materials; and some were not disturbed and simply did whatever they should do.
Master said,
“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)
In following Master, we all experience different kinds of situations. When encountering difficulties, whether a physical tribulation or evil persecution, if we used righteous thoughts, the difficulties would disappear instantly and things turned around unexpectedly. If we used ordinary human ways of thinking, we would fall into the trap of the old forces and get into trouble.
Let us cherish the little time left. Let us study the Fa more and study the Fa well. We should ensure the quantity and quality of our Fa study. In the meantime, we must truly cultivate ourselves! If we don’t use the Fa to look inward and behave accordingly, no matter how much we study the Fa, no matter how much we do, we won’t be able to truly believe in Master and the Fa, and we won’t be able to maintain righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Only by cultivating ourselves can we remember Master’s teachings in the face of sudden tribulations and maintain righteous thoughts at critical times.
The above is my understanding at my current level. If there is anything inappropriate, please compassionately correct me.
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Category: Improving Oneself
