Letting Go of the Attachment to Consummation

(Minghui.org) The following is a cultivation story from China: Ke Xuan, a Taoist cultivator, cultivated in a temple on a mountain. Every day, he went to the bottom of the mountain to help visitors with their luggage. The paths in this mountain were treacherous and it was hard work for him to help these people. Day after day, year after year, 20 years passed in the blink of an eye.

One day he thought: “I have cultivated for 20 years. Isn't it time for me to consummate?” Thereafter, he encountered an old man, who was carrying his luggage with much difficulty. He approached him, took his luggage and put it on his shoulders.

The old man walked with him and asked: “What's your name?” He replied: “My name is Ke Xuan.” After a few steps, the old man asked again: “What's your name?” “My name is Ke Xuan.”

After a few more steps, the same question came up again and he replied, “My name is Ke Xuan.” The old man again asked the same question. Ke Xuan had walked for quite some time and the luggage felt heavier and heavier by each step. He was panting and sweating a lot.

At this point, the old man still asked: “What's your name?”

Ke Xuan was very exhausted already and he yelled at the old man: “Ke Xuan! Ke Xuan! Ke Xuan! Didn't you hear it? My name is Ke Xuan!”

The old man saw that Ke Xuan had lost his temper and said: “Oh, your name is Ke Xuan. I have difficulty hearing, but now I hear it.”

Then Ke Xuan felt that the luggage had become light on his shoulders. He turned around and the old man and the luggage had disappeared.

Afterwards, a piece of paper flew down from the sky. Ke Xuan picked it up and saw a poem on the paper, which stated: “Ke Xuan is so pitiful. He wanted to reach consummation. No matter how hard he works, he will not be a deity without eliminating this attachment.”

Ke Xuan realized that he had not passed the test from a divine being and regretted it very much.

Another nine years passed. Ke Xuan thought about consummation again: “My realm is different now. I think I'm mature. I wonder when it is the time for my consummation?”

Later, he saw an old woman with a walking crane. He helped her with her luggage and led the way. The old woman asked: “What's your name?” He replied, “My name is Ke Xuan.” She asked again: “What's your name?” He again replied, “My name is Ke Xuan.”

Ke Xuan was alert this time and thought: “Is she a divine being too? I have to perform well this time.”

However, after asking for his name a few times, the old woman didn't say anything any more. Ke Xuan walked and walked and when he didn't hear the woman any more, he turned around and she had disappeared.

The luggage then turned into a piece of paper with another poem on it: “Ke Xuan's consummation is in question, because he calculates his giving. Even if he suffers all the pain in the world, he cannot reach consummation without removing this attachment.”

Ke Xuan enlightened after he reflected on his cultivation path.

He no longer thought of consummation anymore. In addition to meditating and reading his books, he helped visitors with their luggage daily. He treated it as his own business and didn't calculate any returns. He felt that he was simply doing what he should do. His nature was to be considerate of others.

Another two years passed and Ke Xuan passed away. Ke Xuan's disciples and the disciples of Ke Xuan's disciples were still there helping people every day. However, people often said: “Among all the cultivators on this mountain, only Ke Xuan was a true deity.”

Ke Xuan's story reminds me of my own understanding of consummation. I have read a lot of descriptions of time in Master's lectures. I often thought that it was a reminder to save more sentient beings and to not lag behind in reaching the standards for consummation.

I have enlightened to yet another layer of meaning, which is: do not be attached to time and consummation.

From the year 2011 to the present time, Master has mentioned many times in his lectures that there is not much time left in Fa-rectification.

In “Fa Teaching at the 2013 Greater New York Fa Conference (Questions and Answers),” Master said: “There really isn’t much time left. It could end at any time, and the next phase could begin at any time.”

My understanding is that Master wants us to let go of the attachment to time and consummation. If we often think “When is the end? This year? Next Year? Which month?”, are we not just like Ke Xuan?