(Clearwisdom.net) Clarifying the truth through the Internet is one of the projects that practitioners in Taoyuan Area, Taiwan participate in. Many practitioners did not even know how to use a mouse when they first started. But since the persecution of Falun Dafa began in 1999, some practitioners learned basic computer operations and took the initiative to teach others and maintain the computers. After a few years, they helped more practitioners obtain the skills needed to clarify the truth by using computers.
But lately we have noticed that the number of people who have withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party has grown at the same pace for the past two years, and we are now questioning our status. After sharing our understandings with each other, we felt that our positioning was not right, and we found several problems that we had as a whole body.
1. During the past few years, many practitioners have taken part in clarifying the truth by using the Internet. More people are needed to help in training and computer maintenance. But most practitioners keep thinking that they are not capable, so they do not take the initiative to undertake these tasks.
2. Technical practitioners are kept busy maintaining the computers and training new people, so they have no time to learn more advanced skills, e.g how to break the Internet blockade.
3. Many practitioners can still only perform basic operations even after a few years. They cannot undertake involved operations or updates without depending on other people's help.
4. The number of practitioners with professional computer skills is reasonably large, but the practitioners participating in research and development are very few.
We found that we were still being considerate of the practitioners who were elderly and had not used a computer before. They were slow in learning and could only undertake a small amount of work. We also thought that fellow practitioners were walking their own path of cultivation and we should not try to make them do what they were reluctant to do. So we let them do what they could do. But facing the fact that the number of people that have withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party has not increased rapidly, we must also question: Do we accept all these arrangements that appear we "have to" accept?
Master said, "However much you sacrifice is the amount you will gain"(Lecture 9 from Zhuan Falun) I recalled that my computer knowledge was limited when I first began clarifying the truth. Although at that time, no one was teaching me, I did not think about whether I could do it or not. I merely had the intent to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa to more Chinese people and I started using the Internet to achieve this goal. In order to clarify the truth well, I learned by myself to make truth-clarifying materials when there were no materials. I taught myself to get on the Internet, find people and send them emails, look for comment books and post articles, etc. Later I gained more knowledge about computers while teaching fellow practitioners and helping them to solve problems. It seemed strange to me that for many software tools that I had never touched before, I could always learn how to use them in a short time.
When I tried to fix fellow practitioners' computers, it seemed that I just knew where the problems were. After helping solve these problems, I have learned more methods of clarifying the truth. Gradually, I could also assist in doing more relatively complex testing work. Later when I shared my experiences with practitioners in other areas, I found that technicians in some areas were elderly practitioners. Although they might not necessarily think quickly, they were nonetheless able to help solve computer related problems and they effectively helped many fellow practitioners to clarify the truth well.
Master said,
"...your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. So from now on, whatever you do or whatever you say, you must consider others--or even future generations--along with Dafa's eternal stability."("Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature," from Essentials for Further Advancement)
My understanding from this is that possessing technical skills or not is not a problem, and neither does old age present an obstacle. The key is whether we only want to learn enough to meet our needs, or do we want to help more people meet their needs. If we only look at our own needs then our capability will only be sufficient for our needs and we will not eliminate our stubborn nature of selfishness. Master asks us to "...attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism."("Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature," from Essentials for Further Advancement) If our starting-point is just doing our own things well, then how can we save more people?
Master said:
"All of you are already aware of the principle of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition. If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist. This is not to be self-imposed, but is achieved by truly and calmly letting go of it." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)," from Essentials for Further Advancement II )
I realized that if in our hearts, we only think of how to make things good for other people, then we will not focus on protecting ourselves. Without even a thought of protecting oneself, then could fear still exist? If we have only the thought of saving numerous beings, do we still need to worry that we have insufficient wisdom to do it well?
Clarifying the truth and saving numerous beings is Dafa practitioners' mission during the period of Fa rectification. If we are willing to undertake this kind of responsibility "that has never happened before and will probably never happen again," then wouldn't it be better that while participating in clarifying the truth, we let go of our thinking about whether or not we can do it?
Master said: "When it's difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it's impossible to do, you can do it." To clarify the truth using the computer, one indeed needs to learn basic skills. If more and more practitioners who have already learned these skills could stop thinking about whether they are capable or not, and instead take on the task of teaching practitioners in neighboring areas, then the burden on technicians would be reduced. If more practitioners were willing to undertake the tasks that were originally taken care of by technicians, then some practitioners who possess better technical skills would be able to learn more demanding tasks. If every one of us undertakes more responsibilities with ample righteous thoughts, then we can change our current situation and save more beings!
January 21, 2008
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