Realms of Enlightenment—Purposeful and Non-Purposeful

I heard a story a couple of days ago. A practitioner came home after shopping and found out that he was given less than what he paid for. When talking to other practitioners about how to handle this matter, there were three answers from practitioners. The first answer was to go back to the seller and ask for what he deserved. The second answer was to not go back to ask for what he was not given because the seller had already lost his/her virtue by giving less than what should have been given, and the virtue had already been transferred to the practitioner who suffered by receiving less than what he paid for. The third answer was that the practitioner must go back and explain the situation kindly to the seller, and also tell the seller about the principle that doing good things results in good rewards and doing bad deeds results in bad rewards; the practitioner must wisely take this opportunity to clarify the truth to save the seller.

The three answers reflect three different realms of enlightenment. The first answer reveals personal attachments of everyday people, which are selfish. The second answer reflects some understanding of Dafa principles about not arguing over loss and gain. The enlightenment level of the second answer is higher than the first answer, but still contains selfishness; it is a proper understanding from cultivation ways in the past. However, the third answer is much higher and contains no selfishness at all. It is really being responsible to Dafa and other sentient beings. This is really an outstanding behavior and realm.

Upon hearing this story, I related it to something from Master’s book Zhuan Falun. In the third lecture of the book, Master mentions having connected his mind with some very high level Great Enlightened Beings. Master felt that those Great Enlightened Beings’ minds were as tranquil as still water, which was completely still and empty. But Master has been doing something purposeful, which is to save sentient beings, and was uncomfortable in the presence of such stillness and emptiness. When I read this paragraph in the past, I did not really understand the meaning. I thought that those Great Enlightened Beings were so great and pure that they are not attached to anything. Now I’ve come to understand that their tranquillity is only a reflection of a certain realm. Non-attachment and emptiness is really outstanding and is what a practitioner must reach. This could be a realm that reflects the Truth. This realm is reached at the level of non-attachment. I’ve come to realize that the highest level requires not only emptiness but also something purposeful rather than non-purposeful or empty. For example, when coming across a circumstance where someone is facing a life-threatening situation, a practitioner must bravely stand up and act without selfishness. My understanding is that maintaining the attachment of nothingness and emptiness in such a dangerous situation is a kind of numbness and coldness that ignores the lives of sentient beings.

I understand that the real realm of emptiness is doing something but not pursuing anything. This is what the real realm of emptiness is. One must do something when he ought to do so. Dafa practitioners must try with a single-minded effort to do the three things that Master has asked us to do. This is not something that is purposeful, but rather, it is our duty and mission.

I thought that no attachment to everyday people’s things and maintaining a tranquil mind was the Truth. But now I’ve understood further from the Fa that we should do whatever we must do and do it to our utmost.