(Minghui.org) Continued from Part 7
Editor’s note: The environment in mainland China is filled with Communist Party culture. Immersed in such an environment, one is influenced by Party culture without realizing it. This 8-part series explores some commonly seen problems among practitioners that may be attributable to the Party culture. We hope it serves as a reminder as we work to break free from the grip of the communist party.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has instilled decadent ideologies into Chinese people during its decades of rule. Among the most harmful of its doctrines are those that bring forth human desires, such as lust.
Turning From Ascetic to Decadent
It is said in the book Dissolving the Culture of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), “In its propaganda, the CCP holds up an 'ascetic' banner, spurning love and family. However, in recent decades, the CCP made a 180-degree turn from 'asceticism' and now encourages indulgence in carnal desires without restraint.”
The author explained, “These seemingly conflicting policies brought about by the CCP serve the same purpose. In the past, people were asked to abstain from worldly desires so they would worship the Party, view the Party as their family, and accept anything not natural for human nature.”
“After the earlier ideological propaganda was exposed, the Party began to encourage people to indulge in pornography, promiscuous sex, have mistresses, and so on. This is taught to ruin the people's morals so no one would be able to judge what the CCP is doing.”
A practitioner said in an experience-sharing article, “In today's China, the moral standard has been destroyed. Corrupt government officials indulge in carnal pleasure, and the common people take them as role models. Advertisements for treating syphilis and gonorrhea can be seen everywhere.”
In this environment, evil spirits have controlled many people, and even some practitioners have followed suit.
Those who practice Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance should never be influenced by these decadent practices or follow society's trend. Otherwise, he or she will face dire consequences.
The relationship between husband and wife is heavenly law. The ancients respected this law and would not indulge in sex outside of marriage. Lustful desires were frowned upon and regarded with distaste.
In addition, lust is a powerful tool that the old forces use to destroy practitioners. Alas, many practitioners accept being controlled by the old forces without realizing its detrimental effect.
Carnal Desires Enforced by the Old Forces
Many practitioners who have made mistakes regarding this issue have been possessed by beings from other dimensions.
The old forces order low-level spirits to send negative energy to practitioners' reproductive organs. Those who are interfered with felt excited, which in turn strengthens the attachment to lust. Thus, they remain on the wrong path. These practitioners become addicted even further and cannot disentangle themselves. Then, the low-level beings possess practitioners' bodies and fulfill their carnal desires.
I noticed that practitioners who follow their lustful feelings and refuse to rectify themselves experience smelly, itchy, and painful body parts. In other dimensions, their bodies are covered by all types of animals that affect their well-being.
These symptoms of deteriorating health are just a warning. If the practitioner does not correct his or her behavior, the persecution will worsen.
The demons of lust, alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling do really exist. Why are some addictions so difficult to get rid of? This is because humans are weak. If one has deviated from goodness and upright principles, one will be possessed by evil spirits. Low-level spirits and animals in other dimensions will not miss the chance to possess a human.
This is especially true for a cultivator who develops unrighteous thoughts, such as lust, jealousy, or anger; they will be possessed for certain. This will result in many illness-like symptoms.
Interference Brings Forth Sinning
Once low-level beings possess a body, there will be interference and persecution. Master's fashen and other Gods cannot help, because one harbors unrighteous thoughts and uncontrollable desires. All of these deviate from the Fa. Only by purifying one's mind and following the Fa principles will one resolve this condition.
The old forces will control and reinforce practitioners' lustful desires to draw the practitioner further away from goodness. The old forces will strengthen their attachments and destroy him or her.
Those who have such attachments are not charming, attractive, or likable. Those are all illusions put in the mind by the old forces. Awaken and see through this deception. Remember that you are sinning and going against the Fa. Do not find excuses to justify your thoughts and behaviors, or this might lead you to enlighten along an evil path.
Master warned,
“What do the old forces and the old cosmos see as the gravest thing? Lust, [in the form of] sexual activity outside of marriage. That's what they see as the most serious of things. In the past, once someone violated the precept on that, he would be thrown out of the temple, and his cultivation would be utterly finished. So how do gods look at this now? Do you know what they have said in the prophecies that they left behind? They prophesied that all of the Dafa disciples who would be left in the end would be those who had maintained their purity along these lines. In other words, these things are extremely serious to them. So the old forces and all of the gods in that cosmos will not defend anyone who violates the prohibition on this, anyone who doesn't do well in this regard; in fact they will push you downwards. They know [and think to themselves], 'Li Hongzhi, you won't abandon your disciples, so we will make you abandon them.' That's why they have the students who have made mistakes make more mistakes, over and over, and in the end do wicked things and go to the opposite side. 'We will fill his head with crooked understandings and make him damage Dafa. Then we will see if you still keep him.' And you know, that is what they have done. Do you think all those who have 'enlightened' along an evil path really wanted to go toward evilness? There are reasons behind all of that.” (Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles)
Seen in Other Dimensions
When seen in other dimensions, practitioners and everyday people who indulge in such carnal activities are covered with piles of dirty maggots bathed in feces. These practitioners look ugly and smell bad. Any physical contact with such everyday people will bring more maggots onto the practitioner.
Practitioners are shining, golden Buddhas, Taos, and Gods. How can we covet an everyday person with carnal desires? How can we be covered by disgusting things and not let go? Lust and desires are the things that we must let go.
Those who keep making mistakes when it comes to relationships between opposite sexes are physically tortured in hell.
If you could see what happens to an individual with carnal desires in other dimensions, would you still have lustful desires?
As the end of the Fa-rectification approaches, the requirements of the Fa become stricter by the day. We must purify our bodies and minds to reach a higher standard.
The pursuit of physical pleasures will result in physical persecution by the old forces. By then, repentance will be too late.
Master said,
“When Dafa disciples themselves can't do well, they cannot save sentient beings. If you cannot manage to do well yourself, how could you save sentient beings? When the thoughts that you project are unrighteous, how could you do that task well? It's the same as assisting the evil, then.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2007 New York Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference VIII)
“Dafa, the solution for a troubled world,Puts a stop to its downward slide.” (“Illuminating All” from Hong Yin II)
“Dafa Disciples are one body,Following Master in Fa-rectification,working against sinister tides.” (“Following Master” from Hong Yin III)
Effect of Lustful Desires on Practitioners
There is a practitioner who is around 70 years old. She still was attached to marital life and was filled with lustful desires. We have discussed this issue many times, but our discussions were not effective.
One night, she put up Falun Dafa posters in a public place and was arrested. She was released, but this was very dangerous. I always send forth righteous thoughts for her.
In other dimensions, she was already being persecuted by the old forces. I told her that if she wants to escape danger, she must completely let go of her attachments.
Another elderly practitioner had been diagnosed with hemiplegia, and his condition worsened. We sent forth righteous thoughts for him, but it was not effective. His wife told us the truth: He had developed lustful desires and bothered her every night.
Many practitioners' behavior looks up to par, but they have rotten substances in their mind. If they hold tightly to these thoughts, they will experience demonic interference. The more lustful desire one has, the older one will look, and one will experience sickness karma.
Master said,
“Washing away all wrong thought,Buddhahood, with lessadversity, is wrought.” (“Nothing kept” from Hong Yin)
“Those who are attached to lust are no different from wicked people. While reciting the scriptures, they even cast furtive glances; they are far from the Dao and are wicked, everyday people.” (“Cultivators' Avoidances” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
A practitioner mentioned in his article “Fellow Practitioners: Please beware of physical attraction” that a 70-year old diligent practitioner passed away while doing the standing exercises. A young practitioner saw that he was taken away by a demon of lust that was dressed as a Bodhisattva.
We must be aware of every thought of ours. There must be no hidden lustful thoughts. The old forces are waiting to take advantage of our loopholes. We must learn the lessons from our losses.
Please remember at all times that, although everyday people cannot see these lustful thoughts, gods and spirits can.
Dominating the Mind
It is extremely dangerous to watch pornography or surf pornographic websites.
Master said,
“Of course, what Dafa disciples do is good for people, and our speech stems from righteous thoughts, so what comes forth from our mouths when we speak are lotus flowers. By contrast, none of what forms inside ordinary people amidst society at large is very good, and upon entering one’s body those things will in fact dominate a person. People may say that it doesn’t matter what they see with their eyes, and that they can just stop looking at something if they no longer want to see it. But that’s not true. When your vision makes contact with something, that thing has entered. That’s because any thing can replicate itself in other dimensions, so the longer you look at something, the more it enters. No matter what it is, be it on television or on a computer, it enters once you look at it. As more of these bad things are loaded up in your brain and body, they end up dominating your actions. Your speech, your mode of thinking, your perspective on things—all of it will be affected.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference XI)
Master also said,
“Do you know what a wicked person is? Why is a wicked person wicked? It’s because that person’s mind is filled with too many bad things. He has learned too many bad things, and his mind is full of wicked thoughts. He’s a wicked person, regardless of whether or not it’s apparent. So where did these bad things come from? Didn’t they come from what he heard? [That monk would feel:] 'I don’t want anything, I don’t listen to bad things, I ignore what I see, and I don’t listen to anything.' What is a good person? You’re a good person if your mind is full of good thoughts. If there are only good thoughts in your mind, what you do will meet the criteria. All behaviors are directed by one’s brain, so what you do will certainly be good things.” (Lecture at the First Conference in North America)
Some practitioners are addicted to everyday people's websites and movies. Some even surf the pornographic websites. Some husbands and wives watch pornography. Actually, there are demons behind those things. They will strengthen one's desires and lead to persecution. It is extremely dangerous.
Lustful desire is very difficult to get rid of, and many cultivators have failed because of it. Nowadays in China, the CCP promotes indulgence. Cell phones and computers are flooded with filth, which interferes constantly with a practitioner. If we want to return to our origins, we must constantly purify ourselves with the Fa and improve ourselves.
Master said,
“Sometimes when I see the things that you do it really makes me sad. Yet if I were to really give up on you, that would really pain me, too. I really don't want to abandon you just like that. But you just won't strive to improve! You just won't perform honorably! And you're even tarnishing the reputation of Dafa and doing things that are even undeserving of the title of 'human being,' yet you still call yourself a Dafa disciple! Let me put it this way, what I said just now is for all of those who have done things that are undeserving of the status of Dafa disciples. You'd better tell people about those things openly. That way, many things of yours will be eliminated, and at the same time it will make you really strengthen your resolve [to correct your behavior].” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference III)
If you keep making mistakes and will not tell others openly, the evil spirits can see you no matter where you hide. The old forces will set obstacles or even try to kill you. In the human world, this is represented by harassment from policemen, kidnapping, and passing away.
Fundamental Changes Required
Practitioner A was sentenced to a three-year prison term and tortured. Yet, she did not get rid of the attachment to lust. By the time she was released, her attachment had worsened. She had even made an oath in front of Master's portrait to stop making such mistakes. However, she continued to make the same mistake.
She was forced to leave her home to escape the persecution. However, she continued to be harassed by police no matter where she went.
The old forces can find you wherever you are and will guide the police.
The old forces also told the lives that were killed by her 300 years ago to interfere with her. The old forces did not believe that she should reach consummation with so many dirty thoughts. The lives killed by her prevented her from looking inward and interfered with sharing her problem with fellow practitioners.
I talked to her many times, trying to convince her to talk openly about it. Instead, she tried to cover up her behaviors and looked for excuses.
My third eye saw that the gong columns of these kinds of practitioners are broken. When I sent forth righteous thoughts for her, I saw that some of her bodies are being tortured in hell. Her world was dark, and evil beings were eating her sentient beings. She herself also saw some of her sentient beings kneeling, crying, and begging her to correct herself and improve her level.
When she had trouble breathing, I sent forth righteous thoughts. I saw some lives try to insert some thoughts into her mind, such as “I don't want to live anymore, it's fine wherever I've cultivated to.” Some ghosts tried to kill her. She was in great danger. Fortunately, she developed righteous thoughts and denied all the arrangements by the old forces.
It appears that obtaining the Fa but not genuinely cultivating is a being's greatest sorrow. Only if one purifies oneself and makes fundamental changes in one's mind can the evil be disintegrated.
Damaging Reputation of Dafa
Master said,
“The biggest problem is that the wicked CCP is destroying human morality. The CCP knows that Falun Gong teaches Zhen, Shan, Ren and teaches people to be good, so it in turn teaches people to be bad, especially in terms of relationships with members of the opposite sex. Do you know the depths that Chinese society has sunk to? It is terribly depraved--a society that has become utterly depraved. A pure young girl, an innocent girl, is really hard to find nowadays. Why has it gotten so bad? Doesn't [the CCP] just want to destroy people? Don't Dafa disciples want to cultivate back to their original selves? Why do you not watch yourselves when it comes to this? Do you want to become depraved along with society, along with the evil CCP? Isn't this a grave matter? Looking at things from this point of view, are the people in mainland China still in a human state? Isn't it serious?! Dafa disciples are to intercept and put a stop to the world's descent! It's about not letting mankind slide downward, so why is it that you yourself for such a long time now haven't managed to step out of that? You absolutely must pay attention to this!” (“Fa Teaching at the 2007 New York Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference VIII)
There are practitioners in China and overseas who do wrong and bring damage to the reputation of Dafa. Their behavior has reached a terrifying level and cannot be put down on paper. It saddens everyone.
I know a male practitioner who owns a Chinese medicine clinic. He never went to school, but Master gave him wisdom, and his clinic was very successful. However, he made mistakes in relations with the opposite sex. Master took back the wisdom, his clinics no longer did well, and he lost one million yuan. Since he did not walk on the path arranged by Master, the old forces interfered with him. He was arrested and sentenced to ten years.
During his incarceration, his righteous thoughts faded. He gave up cultivation. I saw that the world he represented exploded.
Master did not give up on him. Master built a new world for him and asked me to send forth righteous thoughts for him. Master hoped that he could look inward and disintegrate the evil. The first step would be getting rid of lustful desire.
Master Does Not Give Up on Practitioners
Betraying their families, being irresponsible to their sentient beings, and not cherishing the opportunity to cultivate will make some practitioners live in darkness and depression for a long time. They indulge in carnal pleasures and qing, and look for physical excitement. They move further and further away from the Fa.
Although these practitioners are still doing the three things, they lost the power granted by Dafa. They are wasting Dafa's resources and their time. How can they save people?
Some still have a conscience. They feel guilty and hold fears. They feel that they have betrayed Master and the Fa, so they develop the attachments of depression and regret. Some of them gave up on themselves. Some practitioners, however, pretend and try to cover their depraved actions.
When will you stop deceiving yourselves and others? Master can see everything on your mind. Would you dare claim that you respect Master? How can you face Master? If it was not for Master's protection, your lives would have been taken away by the old forces a long time ago. Where do you think Master would position you?
Master said,
“Dafa disciples: I said long ago that sexual attraction and desire are a fatal roadblock that a cultivator absolutely must overcome. [Those people are] driven by human feelings and emotions way too much. If they can't even pull themselves out of this little thing, then it would seem that back then the old forces should have arranged to put them behind prison walls in Mainland China, as only under those circumstances would they correct the problem, right? I wonder how you'd behave in a brutal environment like that. Are you like this because your life is too comfortable? All those who don't remove that attachment and make excuses for their behavior are fooling themselves and trying to fool others--it's not like I've made any special arrangements for you.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference V)
Master gave me hints. He asked me to not look down on those practitioners. They are in such big trouble because they did not study the Fa or they studied the Fa but did not cultivate genuinely, so the old forces took advantages of their loopholes. We should pay more attention to them and help them. With Master and the Fa, as long as they correct themselves, they still have opportunities. But time is limited. Whether they can do well all depends on themselves.
Do you know that Master never gives up on you? Master is waiting for you to wake up, purify yourselves, and walk on a righteous path. But it has to be you who makes the first step, have the courage to face your past, tell others about these things openly, and correct your wrongdoings immediately.
Wake Up, Help Each Other, And Improve Together
Master said,
“Cultivation is about people’s minds, about changing their ways of thinking. However pure your thoughts are, that is your Attainment Status.” (Zhuan Falun Fajie - The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained)
“The Ren that we are talking about is about restraining your various desires and attachments so that you will have less unnecessary vexation.” (Zhuan Falun Fajie - The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained)
“If you are able to succeed in improving yourself this way, what you do then, with a pure heart, will be the best and most sacred.” (“Further Understanding” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
“What is a human?Full is he of emotion and desire.What is a God?Human thoughts are nowhere found.” (“The Difference Between Mortal and Divine” from Hong Yin)
It is extremely important for us to purify our thoughts and behavior, get rid off lustful desires, and restrain ourselves. Only if we have pure thoughts can we do the three things well.
Many practitioners have developed illness symptoms or have been imprisoned and tortured. Some even passed away. Many such cases were because of lust.
Those who keep making mistakes on this issue do not listen to Master. This opens the door for the old forces to interfere. Many practitioners have been destroyed this way. We must wake up and take the lesson learned to heart.
I realized that the evil targets one's heart. We should all send forth righteous thoughts to disintegrate the evil. This is also a test for us. We need to form a whole body, help each other, and improve together.
Let's all study the Fa well, look inward, and correct ourselves. Master and righteous Gods will watch and protect us. If we genuinely cultivate, no evil will dare to persecute us.
Category: Improving Oneself