Have We Found Joy in Hardship?
By a Falun Gong practitioner in Shandong Province, China
(Clearwisdom.net) Teacher said, "To consummate yourself, reaping Buddhahood, ("Tempering the Will" from Hong Yin,
translation version A) Teacher has taught us to find joy in hardship. Have we been able to do this?
I have been practicing Falun Gong for 10 years. Every time I face a difficult
test, I think of this poem and try to be strict with myself. I have had trials
and made errors, but I have followed Teacher's teachings and treated hardship as
joy. When I started to learn the Falun Gong sitting meditation, my body was so
stiff that my knees were high up in the air. I was in a lot of pain when I tried
to sit in the single lotus position. However, I managed to sit in the position
for 30 minutes the first time. When it was nearly 30 minutes, I felt as though
time had stopped. At times I felt like passing out and crying, but I managed to
endure the 30 minutes. Six months later, I could finally sit in the single lotus
position with both knees flat on the ground. It was not until three years later
that I could finally sit in the full lotus position. The first time I sat in the
full lotus position, I practiced the sitting meditation for 30 minutes. Yet it
was not worth mentioning compared to those fellow practitioners who are more
capable in enduring hardship. During cultivation in the Fa-rectification period, I have also suffered a lot
of hardship. I try my very best in clarifying the truth about the
persecution of Falun Gong. Sometimes when I faced demonic tribulations, it felt
very painful. But then, I thought of fellow practitioners who were imprisoned
for clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and tortured to death, or those who
have become disabled from the torture. Then, I immediately felt that the
hardship I was experiencing was nothing. When I thought of the hardship Teacher
has endured to rectify the universe and to save us, I no longer felt the
hardship. When I read in "Minghui Weekly" about fellow
practitioners who have suffered the most severe persecution, I was a little
intimidated by the persecution, but later I used it to motivate me to stay
diligent in my cultivation. I feel that I, as a Falun Gong practitioner, must
abide by Teacher's words and must never back down because of fear. A fellow
practitioner told me once that she was afraid when she read about the
persecution of practitioners and confessed that she feared she might be next.
Isn't that an attachment? It's a strong attachment to selfishness! Teacher has
asked us to walk well the path of Fa-rectification. How can we allow ourselves
to fear the persecution? I ought to eliminate fear from the origin of life. If cases of persecution
increase, we should do the three things better to end the
persecution. If we are afraid of validating the Fa, the old forces
will take advantage of the loophole. There is a story about three pirates
boarding a cruise ship with 90 passengers. Two of the 90 passengers tried to
fight the pirates and were killed. The rest of the 88 passengers were too afraid
to fight. Finally when the three pirates looted all the valuables, they sank the
ship and, thus, all the passengers drowned. Think about it. How can 90 people be
defeated by three men? Isn't this the way of ordinary people? They are afraid of
losses out of selfishness. But who can protect their lives? Teacher said, "Cultivation is cultivation, and cultivation is about getting rid of
one's attachments, putting a stop to bad human behavior and all kinds of
fears, including the human attachments of being afraid of this and being
afraid of that." ("Pass the Deadly Test") Teacher said, "If a cultivator can let go of the thought of life and death under any
circumstance, evil is sure to be afraid of him. If every student is able to do
this, evil will of itself no longer exist." ("Eliminate Your Last
Attachment(s)" in Essentials for Further Advancement II) In order to end the persecution as soon as possible, we must be able to
endure hardship and let go of fear. We must walk well the path of Fa-rectification
and transcend the level of ordinary people. In the Fa-rectification period, Teacher will help us with everything as long
as we have steadfast faith in the Fa. I have faced many tribulations, but
Teacher has helped me pass all of them. When I wished to clarify the truth to
people in order to save them, Teacher made arrangements. When I ran into trouble
due to my attachments, Teacher helped me overcome the trouble once I detected my
attachments and rectified my mentality. As a result, those difficulties didn't
cost me any tangible losses. I have been validating the Fa and protesting the
persecution of Falun Gong for nine years. I may not have done well. Sometimes I
went to extremes, failed to be rational or harbored strong attachments when I
did the three things, but compassionate and magnificent Teacher has always given
me hints and watched over me. No words can describe my immense gratitude towards
Teacher. If not for Teacher, how could I possibly have journeyed this far? This
is the reason why I have a steadfast faith in following Teacher to rectify the
Fa. Compared to what Teacher has given me, I have done virtually nothing. Finally I would like to remind fellow practitioners and myself of one thing:
In the final golden hours of the Fa-rectification period, don't be afraid of
hardship. Comfort will not help us pass any test or upgrade our levels. Teacher
said, "If your will is not firm, As long as we have a steadfast faith in Teacher and the Fa, treat the Fa as
Teacher and never waver in our faith, Teacher will be able to help us in every
possible way and we shall be invincible. Fellow practitioners, a lot of hardship
is nothing. Teacher said, "The mighty virtue of Dafa disciples gloriously illuminates the
universe." ("Greetings") The Fa-rectification is near the end. Don't lose this opportunity that comes
only once in eternity! Please kindly point out anything erroneous in my understanding.
Let joy be found in hardship.
Physical pains count little as suffering,
Indeed, cultivating mind is hardest.
Each and every barrier must be broken through,
And everywhere does evil lurk.
Abundant troubles rain down together,
All to see: Can you pull through?
The world's miseries endured,
One departs the earth a Buddha."
The hurdles are like mountains.
How will you transcend this mortal life?" (from "Severing" in Hong
Yin II)
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/7/16/182090.html
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