(Minghui.org) I've been promoting and installing NTDTV satellite TV for three years. In the process I've encountered a number of issues and conflicts. By looking inward and cultivating myself, I was able to set my selfishness aside and do a better job of installing and promoting NTDTV.
Eliminating Bitterness and Resentment and Considering Others
I once installed a satellite dish for a fellow practitioner. On the third day after the installation, she called me and asked me to reinstall the dish in a different place. She said that the current location was too obvious, the dish stuck off of the balcony too far, and that on the entire facade of the building nothing stuck out that far. She explained that her husband was coming back in a few days and that he had not accepted the truth about Falun Gong and did not support her practicing it. She wanted the dish to be installed in a hidden spot. She told me that she kept thinking about this and could not calm down.
I told her that I was busy and could not come right away, but I would come back several days later. She still insisted that I come as soon as possible. I told her I would try.
Although I did not say anything I did have some negative thoughts. When I went to install her satellite dish we talked about the location. The signal was blocked on both sides of her balcony, but in the current location the signal was better. She also agreed. However she regretted this after I installed it. She was obviously afraid but still looked for an excuse to cover her attachment.
In my mind I complained about the practitioner and was very upset. I thought, “We have to travel dozens of kilometers to her home and the installation work is tiring. When installing the dishes we are always covered with dust and sweat. Why can’t she think of others? She shouldn’t take someone else's hard work for granted. She should cultivate herself and let go of her attachment!”
As soon as I had this thought, I became alert, “Why did I feel disturbed? Was it because my personal interests were hurt? Was it because I could not let go of my attachments? I needed to look inside for the reason and cultivate myself.” I realized that my feeling of bitterness was from my thought that the installation was hard work, was free of charge and that the practitioner did not take my hard work seriously.
As a matter of fact when I dug deeper, I realized that I had these thoughts because of my selfish mentality. I only thought about my own hard work but failed to think of others. Why didn’t I have any consideration for her and her family? I hadn't considered her situation, or her concern and did not consider how her husband would treat her. I needed to truly think about her and her family.
After I installed the satellite dish I left her home with a feeling that I had finished another task. However, the reason for installing NTDTV satellite dishes was to help awaken people. Had I forgotten this? Because I did not have consideration for others I not only caused the practitioner and her family more concern, but it might also have had an adverse effect. The way I handled it wasn't right. I should help the practitioner to explain the truth to her family with a calm mind so that they could listen to the broadcasts.
When I thought of this, the resentment and bitterness in my mind suddenly disappeared, and my only thought was how to help this practitioner and her family.
In the past, when I told the truth to others I often had concerns. I was worried that they would not accept what I said and feared that they would report me. I overcame this concern. I felt that telling others about Falun Gong was like having a friendly conversation and there was no such thing as not accepting my truth telling or reporting me.
I came to realize that when I talked to people about the persecution I often tried to impose my viewpoint on them and argued when they disagreed with me. I only thought about how to make others accept my words rather than how to sincerely think of them and awaken them. When I talked about Falun Gong and the persecution with this kind of ordinary mentality how could I reach them!
Looking Inward and Resolving Difficulties by Working with Others
A coordinator once shared his thoughts with me. He said that I was only installing the dish in fellow practitioners’ homes, but that wasn't right. He explained that some practitioners were attached to the NTDTV programs and this attachment was interfering with them doing the three things. He felt my installing the satellite dishes wasn't achieving the desired effect of awakening people, but instead was interfering with our assisting Master in the Fa-rectification.
I thought that he did not understand the situation. I explained that I also installed the dishes for non-practitioner families and that many practitioners’ family members, after watching NTDTV programs, had significant changes. Some started having a good understanding of Dafa and some even started practicing.
The coordinator said that it wasn't the typical situation and NTDTV satellite dishes weren't yet being used on a large scale. He thought that we should only spend time installing the dishes for non-practitioners. He felt that installing the dishes for fellow practitioners only resulted in practitioners watching NTDTV programs, which would not achieve the effect of awakening people and it took up our resources. He even told me that a couple of days before, two practitioners’ families asked to have the dishes installed but he didn't do it.
I felt quite uncomfortable in my mind when I heard this. I thought, “I've been working hard on this project. My work received good feedback and I feel I've achieved something. What do you mean? Do you want me to stop installing? By putting off the people who want the dishes installed, you are undermining my work!”
When I realized that I felt uncomfortable, and I knew that I had a problem and needed to look inward. I needed to look at this issue with righteous thoughts. I came to understand that my uncomfortable feelings were because I felt my accomplishments were not being acknowledged, and I had an attachment to validating myself. Installing NTDTV dishes for my own feeling of validating myself is incorrect. The reason I'm installing NTDTV dishes is to help awaken people.
When I calmed down, I thought it over again. The issue the practitioner pointed out did exist. Many of my installations were for practitioners’ families. Some practitioners were attached to watching NTDTV programs and some Fa study groups even watched a certain commentary every evening before they started reading the Fa. How much time did this take up every day when that time should be used to study the Fa. Wasn't that interfering with practitioners’ cultivation?
So what should I do? To stop the installation was not right. After all, it was a project that played a role in helping people enlighten to the Fa. Any problem that surfaced during a project was pointing out where I needed to cultivate myself and improve. I had to face the problem and resolve it with righteous thoughts.
Thinking about the issue of some fellow practitioners being attached to watching NTDTV programs, I thought that when I install the dishes for them, I should share my thoughts with them. I should remind them not to get attached to watching the TV programs themselves, and remind them that they should introduce the NTDTV programs to non-practitioners, including their friends and family members. If they could do this, the NTDTV programs would be able to reach more people. Would this resolve the issue? I felt I knew what to do.
I shared this thought with the coordinator. He told me that he did not mean to make me stop the project and that he was looking for some way to improve the promotion. He told me that after he looked inside he found he tended to impose his thoughts on others and tended to argue with others whenever he encountered problems. This tendency of his had resulted in the delay or failure of some projects
Through this experience I achieved a further understanding. I knew before that I should cooperate with practitioners, but I was not clear on how to do it. I came to understand that, when I encountered a practitioner’s possible problems, I should not simply try to stop the practitioner or argue with him about who was right. I should find a possible solution and share it with the practitioner to help him to improve and to correct our cultivation gaps.
Letting Go of Selfishness and Helping NTDTV to Flourish
Some time ago, I contacted a fellow practitioner who had reserved a satellite dish installation appointment. However the practitioner told me that he didn't want the installation anymore and said there was a new way to receive the signal using an Internet receiving box. I had a sense of loss when I heard this. This new device can receive hundreds of TV broadcast channels and it's much easier to install. I thought that probably everyone would begin using this Internet receiving box and I would become "unemployed!"
I immediately realized that I was attached to the dish installation. I was able to install many types of satellite dishes and able to handle different receivers. I could resolve all kinds of installation problems. However, once everyone stopped using satellite TV dishes my skills would be useless. I understood that I was still attached to validating myself and I also understood that as a practitioner I should discard this attachment.
The reason we install NTDTV satellite dishes is to help people understand Falun Gong and the persecution. Any method that can help people awaken is a good method. Installing Internet receiving boxes for NTDTV broadcasts requires few technical skills and it's easy to learn and use. Furthermore, one can easily buy the box in the market place and it can be promoted easily. If more practitioners get involved, more people can be reached. When I thought about this, my sense of loss disappeared.
There are now many ways to watch NTDTV programs. Mobile phones, computers, Internet receiving boxes and so on, together with satellite dishes, have formed complementary advantages to help NTDTV receiving to flourish everywhere. Helping to reach more Chinese people in order to help them understand the truth and awaken is what a Dafa practitioner should do!
Through the past several years of promoting and installing NTDTV satellite dishes, I came to understand that the dish installation is beyond simply a technical installation work. The installer should also know NTDTV programs in order to introduce the broadcast to people. This is a process of helping people understand the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution, and also a process of self-cultivation and improvement.
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Category: Improving Oneself
