(Minghui.org) I would like to share my experience and the lesson I learned after I co-rented a place with a practitioner of the opposite gender. Because I am young and practice Falun Dafa, I enjoyed good health and seldom got sick. Illness karma was so far away from me that I was even wishing for it. This unrighteous thought brought me trouble. One day I had facial paralysis. My mouth drooped on one side, and I could not blink one eye.

These symptoms affected my ability to validate the Fa, which made me worry. Worse of all, I could not find the reason for the illness symptoms. The fear of not being able to identify the root cause was far more troublesome than the symptoms.

Most of my colleagues know that I am a Dafa practitioner, so I felt very uneasy about the facial paralysis, which could damage their impression of Dafa. I tried very hard to look inward, and I identified many attachments, including lust, jealousy, fear, personal gain, and not guarding my speech. Nevertheless, my facial problem persisted for days while I continued to search for the reason.

I became very worried and asked esteemed Master for guidance. Master arranged for an elderly female practitioner I had never met to point out to me that I should not be co-leasing with someone of the opposite sex. This did not comply with the Fa and was inappropriate. She suggested that I move out. I realized that the facial paralysis was a hint that my unrighteous behavior damaged the image of a Dafa practitioner.

My finances were tight at that time, but once I made the decision to move out, Master made arrangements for me. It took less than 12 hours between my deciding to move and making it happen. The experience was truly amazing. After correcting my wrongdoing, I fulfilled a practitioner’s responsibilities to diligently study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts, and clarify the facts about Dafa. As a result, my facial condition improved, and the illness symptoms disappeared.

I learned that we should not fear illness karma, that fear itself is already an attachment. As Dafa practitioners, we should maintain a positive mindset instead of putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We should be clear about our responsibilities and set the right priorities without being overly concerned about other people’s opinions. If we can remove our fear and look inward to find the causes of the problems, illness karma is merely illusory and can be overcome with confidence.

Looking back, it was a bad idea for unrelated male and female practitioners to rent a residence together. I wasn't vigilant and neglected my principles when I rented with a female practitioner. Moreover, my deliberately concealing it was even further from how a cultivator should behave. What I did was similar to the example given in Zhuan Falun of someone holding a Dafa book and shouting that he was not afraid of being hit by a car.

Please learn from my experience. Do not take the decision to co-lease with the opposite sex lightly, regardless of how bad off you may be financially or how far apart your ages are. Such negligence could ruin one's cultivation opportunities.

Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s understanding in their current cultivation state meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare with one another in study, in cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)