By a Dafa practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) Master taught us about "attaining naturally without pursuit" (Falun Buddha Fa-- Lecture at the First Conference in North America), and I tried to require myself to act according to this principle. However, I often became upset because I was unable to achieve this.

Today, I suddenly realized that in fact, I had used "without pursuit" as the means of "attaining naturally," instead of regarding "attaining" as a natural state. My thoughts were based on gaining, so I was really just deceiving myself.

Great enlightened beings have no attachments at all. They absolutely would not pursue anything. Therefore, who is pursuing? Aren't those attachments pursuing? Who has attachments? Isn't it the side of us that's not well cultivated yet? Master said "attaining naturally without pursuit," in other words, doesn't Master want our main consciousnesses to be in control, to discard all attachments and notions, to reach Consummation and to return to the great, free state of no desire and no pursuit?

"No pursuit" is the natural manifestation of a great enlightened being at his level; it's incomparably wonderful and magnificent. Beings that have reached Consummation are all great gods; they can do anything and everything within their worlds. They can have anything they want, so is there any need for them to painstakingly pursue something?

As for Dafa practitioners, "no pursuit" is the manifestation of the benevolent state that is natural to our main consciousness. It's the Fa boat through upon which beings return to their original selves and reach Consummation. Master is rectifying us from the origin of our being, which is our main consciousness. Our main consciousness has no pursuits; all rectified beings below our main consciousness also have no pursuits.

The thoughts of pursuit are notions and karma hidden in beings that have not yet been rectified. They are selfish and putrid; they are poisons that destroy lives. Why do we pursue? Aren't we afraid of not being able to gain? Who do we ask it from? Do we ask Master for them? Master is infinitely benevolent and gives us all of the best things. Is there a need for us to pursue at all? Do we not believe in Master? A god's mind trusts his Master one hundred percent, so why don't we believe in Master?

In fact, it's not our main consciousness or our rectified side that does not believe, it's the notions and karma, they are the ones who are pursuing. But what are they after, fame and fortune? Aren't these the filthiest things of all? Aren't they the burden that causes beings to slide down towards oblivion? When we put down fame and fortune, don't we get rid of a burden and are then able to return to the level of our true, original selves? However, don't we have to achieve all these through "no pursuit" by our main consciousnesses? Yet, I had often treated the pursuits as myself, so wasn't I losing my main consciousness? Wasn't I siding with those evil creatures? To be more precise, isn't that the same as indulging those evil things to brutalize the yet-to-be-rectified lives in my own cosmic system?

On the other hand, thoughts of pursuit are also the fundamental source for the old forces to be attached to their evil arrangements. They stubbornly asked Master to rectify the Fa according to their requirements and cling to their plan to test Dafa and Dafa disciples. They have created boundless karma and poisoned the minds of countless sentient beings.

Master has always asked us to keep a clear main consciousness, and now I truly realize how important this Fa principle is. When my main consciousness is clear, I know all the thoughts of pursuit are not myself; they are my acquired notions. I observed them quietly and feel at ease knowing this so well. Although I had a painful feeling, I knew it was the notions and karma that had felt the pain, but not myself. Their struggle at the time of being eliminated made me feel somehow connected to the pain. However, I should be happy amidst tribulations, I know that after the pain lies elimination of attachments and improvement of my level. What can make me happier than to get rid of attachments? What's more worthy of rejoicing than a being's return to his true, original self?

When my main consciousness is clear, I can clearly see the evil nature of the so-called test by the old forces. I can use my righteous thoughts, obtained through cultivation in Dafa, to eliminate them and save all sentient beings. I am not attached to whether the evil is eliminated at a specific time; it's enough as long as I do it with a pure, determined heart.

Looking at it from a higher level, "no pursuit" is complete giving and pure benevolence. Master has given us all the best and endowed us with the ultimate Fa principle of "no pursuit," doesn't Master want us to attain the righteous enlightenment of selflessness and altruism? Doesn't Master want us to build our mighty virtue through the process of saving people? In fact, everything is from Master's benevolent giving. On the surface, we have made sacrifices, but in fact, we are the ones who have gained. The only things we've lost are the filthiest things.

When I understood the deeper meaning of "no pursuit," I felt that the breadth of my mind was infinitely expanding. I felt that the pursuits of fame, fortune, supernormal abilities, elevation of levels, rewards, among other notions, are so ridiculous. I know that the evil will not spare its efforts in magnifying my attachments and try to make me acknowledge the notion of pursuit when I'm not aware of it. Yet, with a strong main consciousness, I will distinguish these attachments and eliminate them with righteous thoughts.

I will no longer regard studying the Fa, clarifying the truth and sending forth righteous thoughts as some kind of assignment, and instead I will regard them as sacred missions. I will try my best to do well in everything that a Fa rectification disciple should do. However, this effort is not spent in hopes of gaining something, it's directly facing the evil's interference and attempts of destruction, trying hard to give up all notions of pursuit and to reach Consummation with virtuous enlightenment and righteous Fa. This is the natural manifestation of the benevolent state of a great enlightened being and the intuitive reaction of my main consciousness. From here, I am also able to better experience the great free state of "Do but pursue not-----Often stay in the Dao" ("In the Dao," Hong Yin) as well as Master's boundless benevolence.

Posting date: 8/23/2002
Original article date: 8/22/2002
Category: Practitioners' Insights
Translated on 8/17/2002
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/8/15/34857.html

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