My Fundamental Attachment

Master said in "Towards Consummation:"

"...people are able to see in the Fa things they consider good. Some truly see the Fa-principles of Dafa; while many other students have found with their human notions various yearnings and wishes in Dafa, and, compelled by these human attachments, they have come to practise cultivation in Dafa.

"Some people think that Dafa is in keeping with their own understanding of science; some people think that it agrees with their own code of conduct; some people think that it speaks to their own dissatisfaction with politics; some people think that Dafa can salvage humankind's degenerate morals; some people think that Dafa can cure their illnesses; some people think that Dafa and Master are righteous, and so on and so forth."

Recalling when I first came across Falun Gong, what was my mentality? I didn't think I belonged to any of the people Master¹ mentioned. I thought the reason I could enter my cultivation in Falun Dafa was because I truly realised the principles of the Fa (law or principles in Falun Gong). I felt fortunate that I was not one of those people Master mentioned and I didn't have to get rid of any fundamental attachments. In the meantime, I felt smug and thought, "I have good enlightenment."

Therefore, during the past several years, I never deeply thought about the issue of "fundamental attachments" and thought I didn't have any more to cultivate on this issue.

With today's rapid advancement of Fa-rectification, I felt the urgency and suddenly realised the issue of "fundamental attachments." Did I really not have any fundamental attachments? What was the reason for coming across Dafa ('Great Law' - same as in Falun Dafa) at the very beginning? It's true that after I read Zhuan Falun I immediately realised this was a Buddha Law that saved people. With the mentality of a Fa rectification Dafa practitioner, I calmly looked at this human world and the cultivation phenomenon in human history. I felt a door was opening slowly. I started reevaluating and thinking back on my own cultivation path.

Recalling my cultivation experience, it became clear to me that I obtained Dafa because I understood that Falun Gong is the cultivation of the Buddha Law. However, did I understand the true meaning of "cultivation?" My thoughts went back to the past.

Being influenced by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) culture, I never understood why people would want to become monks or nuns. What do they live for? I thought it was because they couldn't bear the tribulation of being an ordinary person and made that choice in order to avoid having to face day-to-day life. But what's the meaning of that lifestyle? I couldn't understand what was in their minds. What could have been so attractive to them for them to give up the pleasures of regular life? I never was able to completely understand that.

At one time I read several articles and books about Buddhism and realised that people became monks or nuns because they saw causes and effects. I was then depressed because I wasn't able to become a monk in order to cultivate the Buddha Law.

When I read Zhuan Falun, I understood that this is cultivation. This is the real Law passed on to us by the real Buddha. To cultivate in the human world is what I've been looking for - a life path that is satisfactory for both sides.

Master said in Zhuan Falun, "...the entire cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up human attachments." I truly understand this now.

Master taught us that the Three Realms were made for the Fa-rectification and the cultivation phenomena in human history laid cultural groundwork and built a path for Dafa. I gradually became clear-minded.

Where was my fundamental attachment? First, I didn't truly understand the traditional Buddhism. Therefore, I wasn't able to clearly recognise Dafa and mistakenly thought it was the same as the usual Buddha cultivation; hence, I viewed the evil persecution as a test for practitioners. Some practitioners even went to the extreme in terms of "looking inward." They weren't able to stand on the base point of the universal Dafa and to recognise that it is the evil old forces that are persecuting Dafa.

Secondly, why was I thinking of becoming a monk in the past? Wasn't it because I believed in samsara [the cycle of reincarnation] and wanted to get out of that cycle? This doesn't seem wrong. But thinking about it more deeply, I found that this is a human mentality of wanting to get rid of pain and get rid of suffering. Ordinary people don't want to suffer and want to pursue happiness in the human world. Although I am on a little higher level than they are, I still have the same human notions. Certainly there is nothing wrong with the fact that human beings don't want to suffer and are looking for happiness. And there is nothing wrong with human beings wanting to cultivate in order to get out of the cycle of reincarnation. However, the cultivation of Dafa practitioners is simply not the same as the individual cultivation from the past. The cultivation in the past was purely for individual consummation, whereas the cultivation for Falun Dafa practitioners is not the same. The cultivation of Dafa disciples is for validating Dafa and saving sentient beings!

Master said:

"Actually, a cultivator in the past wouldn't care at all about whatever those everyday people thought: 'Whether you think I'm good or bad is all everyday people's thinking, and it doesn't matter to a cultivator. Who cares how you everyday people are? What I cultivate is myself.' One would depart after reaching Consummation, and wouldn't care at all about what happens to everyday people: 'When people have committed sins, they'll have to pay for them; and when they're no longer good enough, let history weed them out.' That's how it was in the past." ("Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America")

This was the basis of cultivation in human history. Selfishness is a fundamental characteristic of the old cosmos, which is the fundamental reason why the old cosmos is coming to its end. In the Fa-rectification cultivation, when the righteous thoughts are weakening, the thoughts of getting out of suffering from traditional cultivation would start interfering with us. With this interference, even the purpose of looking inward is due to selfishness. Cultivating the heart and looking inward all seem like looking for ways to get out of suffering and persecution. It wasn't a heart of truly validating Falun Dafa. It wasn't a heart of saving sentient beings. With this interference, when the environment is becoming relaxed and the persecution is not directly impacting oneself, one would gradually forget about saving beings. With the thoughts of leaving suffering behind based on the deeply rooted traditional cultivation, I found that in difficult times, during suffering, I was always passive even when I looked inward. I was only looking inward when I encountered interference or persecution or faced threats in my personal safety.

"'I've done better today, so it should have improved a little. Tomorrow I'll do even better and it should improve some more.' He can never let go of that thing. On the surface it appears that he's letting it go--'Look, I'm doing well now.' You're doing well now but you are doing well now for its sake. You aren't doing that for the purpose of doing what a true Dafa disciple should do!" ("Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference")

This selfish factor was put first during my own cultivation advancement and not wanting to be persecuted. It wasn't that important whether the sentient beings were being poisoned or eliminated. My own safety was the most important thing, not whether the sentient beings were being saved or not. In other words, in my heart I focused more on how to upgrade my character, not on how to save more sentient beings. This was the reflection of my fundamental attachment of wanting to get out of suffering.

At this moment, I completely realised and understood why, whenever I read Master's new articles, I would have more righteous thoughts, but whenever I faced matters of ordinary people, my righteous thoughts would disappear. The sentient beings are waiting for us to save them. It's extremely urgent! Why was I still so numb? Master is looking for our actions. Sentient beings are anxiously waiting. Why was I not feeling the urgency? Why did I feel discouraged in difficult times? Why was I so passive in validating Dafa? It was all because of my fundamental attachment of wanting to escape the cycle of rebirth and reach Consummation that caused me to stray from the path of saving sentient beings.

Thank you, Master!

Note:

1. Master/Teacher: Respectfully referring to the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi.