(Minghui.org) Three elderly Falun Dafa practitioners in our area passed away during the 2017 Chinese New Year season. I feel that their sudden deaths should be a reminder to us, and especially to older practitioners, that cultivation is a serious matter.

Holidays are celebrated with family, relatives and friends. However, practitioners should not be too attached to celebrating and forget to do the three things well.

This is particularly true for elderly practitioners whose lives may have been extended to give them time to cultivate. As I understand it, if there are any loopholes in our cultivation, the old forces will latch on to them to persecute us.

One elderly practitioner shared her experience of a trip with her family. Her son took her and the entire family to Yunnan for a few days. The hair on her forehead suddenly turned gray during the trip, like a layer of snow was on top of her head. Her hair turned back to normal immediately after she returned home. She realized it was a hint from Master.

My grandmother was not as fortunate as this practitioner. While on her death bed, she saw what she described as the Angel of Death, but had the thought to practice Dafa. With that thought, the Angel of Death disappeared and a deity then appeared.

She left the hospital and resumed her path of cultivation. Soon after, she regained her health and no longer needed to take any medications. People were amazed by her recovery.

During the Chinese New Year, she was partying and playing cards for several consecutive days forgetting that she was a practitioner. Her illnesses recurred worse than before. She could not have righteous thoughts given the severe pain she experienced. She eventually told Master that she wanted to give up, and she passed away soon after that.

Cultivation is a very serious matter. Fellow practitioners, please cherish the time that Master has given us to cultivate and stay on the right path until the end.