(Minghui.org) The Fa-rectification is progressing by leaps and bounds, and Master has given us this precious additional time. With my highest respect, I wish to share my cultivation experiences over the past year.
1. Started Learning when Facing Difficulties
I'm an elderly practitioner and hadn't had much experience installing computer operating systems. When I was barely able to cope with installing Windows XP, I then had to upgrade to Windows 7. The practitioner who usually helped me with technical issues in the installation process suddenly was interfered with by his family, and he could no longer help with the system upgrade. Since I didn't have a strong technical background, this complicated everything.
At that time, many fellow practitioners wanted to buy computers and have operating systems installed. Because I didn't have adequate technical skills and practitioners urgently needed the proper operating systems, I was nearly overwhelmed.
One day I had tried everything, but I still couldn't install a driver on a practitioner’s computer. I was physically and mentally exhausted. Not knowing what else to do, I went home. After I got home I suddenly felt dizzy. I couldn't raise my head and couldn't open my eyes, and I kept vomiting. Fellow practitioners helped by sending righteous thoughts, and my symptoms stopped.
This experience touched me greatly. The practitioner responsible for installing operating systems could not help because of family interference. Another practitioner responsible for printer maintenance was involved in a traffic accident and later vomited blood and fainted. With fellow practitioners’ help, he was out of danger but remained physically weak. He needed to look inside to see why this happened, but no doubt, the evil was trying to interfere. To reject the persecution, I realized we had to teach more practitioners these technical skills.
Being anxious and worrying cannot resolve problems. We must be proactive and learn the necessary skills.
At the end of 2013, I took the initiative to break through the difficulties. I started reading the Windows 7 system tutorial so that I could install it. I also introduced the tutorial to other practitioners. I encouraged them to overcome their fear of the difficulties and to be prepared to use Windows 7. We shared our thoughts and found some practitioners with technical backgrounds who wanted to learn this skill. With everyone's help, local practitioners organized several discussions on learning Windows 7.
While we were learning how to operate the Windows 7 system, I ran into the practitioner who had taught me how to use computers. At first I knew nothing about computers. He taught me how to use one and how to visit the Minghui website. His ups and downs in learning the technology and his persistence have encouraged me for years.
The first group of practitioners who learned the technology improved their computer skills. This strengthened the technical capabilities of the whole group.
2. Teaching Others
In April 2014, we started installing operating systems in great numbers. However, the process of upgrading the system did not go smoothly. It exhausted me, drained fellow practitioners’ energy, and interfered with other projects to save people. Through group Fa study and discussing the situation, we adjusted ourselves. Everyone started encouraging each other to learn to install operating systems to make it easier for them to use and to maintain the computers later on. More fellow practitioners learned it—the oldest was 72 and the youngest was 57.
The process of teaching fellow practitioners was also a process of cultivating ourselves, discarding our attachments, and cooperating with one another. It was also a test to see whether we were being responsible to the Fa and to each other.
Most of these practitioners didn't know anything about operating systems. They only knew how to visit websites, and download and print documents. We ran into all kinds of situations
Some practitioners, when following the steps in the tutorial, went from the 1st line of instructions to the 3rd or 4th line. To learn each step, it is necessary to practice it over and over again. Just as we'd finish teaching one step, before they started doing it themselves, they had already forgotten what to do.
There were more people in some groups than others. Some people learned faster than others. The quick learners had already progressed to the next step, but the slower ones still lagged far behind. Some practitioners with computer backgrounds didn't follow the steps I taught them--they followed their own way to learn, which disrupted my way of teaching.
I was extremely frustrated and my tolerance was tested to the limit. I started blaming and accusing fellow practitioners, and those I blamed felt even more discouraged. Many times I thought about giving up, but I kept strengthening my righteous thoughts.
Master said:
“Many Dafa disciples speak about ‘helping Master rectify the Fa,’ or ‘whatever Master wants, that’s what we will do.’ And it is said with conviction. But as soon as Master actually has you go and do something that doesn’t agree with your thinking, or when things are a bit challenging, you completely lose track of that righteous thought about helping Master. With resentment mixed into your thinking, the thoughts that you emit get in the way.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference”)
One day in May, I was returning home after visiting several fellow practitioners. Suddenly it started to rain and the wind howled, and the temperature plummeted. Because I hadn't studied the Fa and wasn't cultivating well during that time, my legs were in constant pain and I felt extremely unwell. As I walked, buffeted by the rain and wind, I thought deeply about what was happening, and I found a lot of my attachments. Afterward, my legs got a lot better. For a long time, I had only been able to do the sitting meditation for just over 20 minutes. From then on I could do it for nearly an hour.
Several months passed. Through our efforts, with our tolerance and mutual understanding, and with Master’s benevolent strengthening, we made it through the most difficult time. Fellow practitioners achieved different levels of understanding and knowledge of the operating system, and they basically stopped relying on others to resolve their computer issues.
Some practitioners started helping others learn how to use the new system. Some started trying to install systems for other practitioners, and some started learning newer technologies. All this reduced the workload on our technical support practitioners.
Recently a practitioner sent me a letter and told me that he had already taught other practitioners how to use the Minghui mailbox. Other practitioners wrote me and asked to learn about newer technologies. Several other practitioners wrote and told me that several of them had worked together and installed computers for other practitioners. I was really excited. I sincerely thanked Master for creating the opportunity for me to cultivate and to improve myself, and I thanked fellow practitioners for their tolerance and efforts.
The purpose of teaching others the technology is not just to make everyone capable of installing operating systems. Instead, everyone will understand the technology and stop thinking that technical issues can only be resolved by tech support practitioners. If everyone makes an effort to understand the new technologies and to teach others what one knows, the evil’s attempt to persecute all of us by harming the technical support practitioners will fail.
3. Looking Inside for Reasons
When I first began showing practitioners the operating system, I paid attention to those educated young practitioners who had some technology background. After a period of time I noticed that these practitioners tended to be impulsive, and some simply gave up. Disappointed, I thought the situation over and realized that any ordinary notion is a barrier. In a Fa-rectification project, whether one can do it or not depends upon one’s cultivation status. It doesn't matter what one’s superficial ordinary people’s abilities are.
When one practitioner began to learn, he was eager and overly confident. Before he even understood the system, he began installing them for other practitioners. However, he quickly changed, and every time he came he was able to find his cultivation gaps and correct himself. He became steadier, more responsible, and more modest. From his change, I also found my own attachments of doing things for the sake of doing things, and my impatience and conceit.
Some of the quiet practitioners didn't have much education. However, when I criticized them or when they encountered difficulties, they kept smiling and continued learning till they got it. When I compared my tolerance, understanding, and persistence to theirs, I was very ashamed. I taught them the technology, and they taught me about tolerance. Whether one was only doing things or was truly cultivating was plain for all to see. The gap was in how diligently one had been cultivating.
Master said,
"At first, many people had short-term thinking. They thought that they would just need to put in a great deal of effort for a short while and it would be over. They’ve now realized that things are not happening that way. A Dafa disciple must do everything steadily, put his heart into it, not be attached to time, and not think too much. You have to give your very best in whatever you are supposed to do, and it will go well. Under the pressure of the persecution, many people were always hoping that the persecution would end sooner, and so they put in a great deal of effort for a while. But that’s not how things are going." ( "Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day" )
In the beginning, my mentality of doing things was very strong, and I was anxious for success. I always thought about how many computers to install, when the other practitioners could achieve what degree of success, and when our local area could achieve what level of change. I gradually came to understand that Master controls the progress of the whole process and that fellow practitioners’ states are the result of their own cultivation. I, as one of the practitioners, could only look inside when we didn't do well and correct myself. Any mentality of pursuing results is not correct. Through studying the Fa and cultivating myself, I discarded my impatience little by little and gradually improved.
I sincerely thank Master for giving me these opportunities to cultivate myself. I believe that under the guidance of the Fa, my "I" will become smaller and smaller.
Thank you, Revered Master!
Heshi!
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