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What Is Tribulation
(Clearwisdom.net) Master said in "True Cultivation", Essentials for
Further Advancement, "My truly cultivating disciples, what I have taught you is the Fa for
cultivation of Buddha and Dao. Nonetheless, you pour out your grievances
to me over the loss of your worldly interests, rather than feeling upset
for being unable to let go of ordinary human attachments. Is this
cultivation? Whether you can let go of ordinary human attachments is a
fatal test on your way to becoming a truly extraordinary being. Every
disciple who truly cultivates must pass it, for it is the dividing line
between a cultivator and an everyday person." According to my understanding, "tribulation" is infringement upon one's
reputation, self-interest, and emotion; "tribulation" is a blow to one's
attachments; "tribulation" is a challenge to one's selfishness. Two people at work may be transferred to a location far from their homes.
Zhang San may feel sad and depressed, while Li Si does not. Because of Zhang
San's attachments, this became a "tribulation" to Zhang San, but it is not a
tribulation to Li Si. If a wild bird is caught and put into a cage, it will be extremely agitated
because it has been used to living a free life. Being put in a cage is a
"tribulation" for this bird. On the other hand, if you release a bird which
has been brought up in a cage, it will starve to death because it is used to
living in a cage. So being set free is a "tribulation" for it. When I was young, I practiced martial arts in a martial arts center. The
coach would hit or kick us if our movements were even slightly incorrect. The
students always hit or kicked each other during fighting classes or playing.
But I had never felt being hit to be a tribulation. If Dafa disciples let go of any concerns for reputation, self-interest, and
emotion, and get rid of all attachments, will tribulations still exist?
Everyday people's lives are arranged based on their karma. What practitioners
have experienced is arranged according to our attachments, otherwise there
will be no such arrangement. Master said in "Expounding on the Fa", Essentials for Further
Advancement "Whenever a tribulation comes, you do not see it with the side of your
original nature but view it completely with your human side. Evil demons
then capitalize on this point and inflict endless interference and damage,
leaving students in long-term tribulations. " Suppose that Zhang San is a practitioner, and, instead of focusing on the
inconvenience he tries to get rid of his attachment. Then the tribulation will
no longer exist. On the other hand, if he doesn't look inside himself, but
dwells on it, then the "tribulation" will continue to haunt him. When we get rid of any concerns or desires for reputation, self-interest,
and emotion, as well as various attachments, and are able to attain the
righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism, the only purpose for us
to live in the human world will be to offer salvation to the sentient beings
and to safeguard the cosmos. Then we'll not perceive anything that may appear
to infringe on us as a "tribulation." It will be an action of benevolence and
greatness. For example, during the 16th Party Congress in China, officials from the
communities, security sections, and police stations came to Dafa
practitioners' homes everyday. Some practitioners had to deal with officials
from several branches of government. Under such a situation, some
practitioners felt that tribulation was approaching, while others saw it as a
precious opportunity to save people. The not so steadfast practitioners
thought about themselves, while the latter thought about the sentient beings.
Just as Master said in Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa
Conference, July 22, 2002, "The different states of their cultivation result in their different
perceptions. Some might think the situation is grim; for some people the
situation might seem to have already eased up; and some people might think
that it's precisely a great opportunity to save sentient beings and
clarify the truth. People's different grasps of and comprehension of the
Fa lead to different perceptions of the current situation, and all that's
happening is targeting different human thoughts. " The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out any
mistakes. Posting date: 12/22/2002
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