(Minghui.org) Around mid-2020, an elderly practitioner from my local Fa study group asked me to help with producing a set of English language fliers.
The practitioner is in her late 70s and her command of the English language is limited. Although she has lots of experience making Chinese truth clarification materials in our area, it was probably her first time handling English language fliers.
The content for the English fliers was already out there. I only had to explain the English content to her and polish a story.
She was connected with the layout person and the print shop, and I proofread the fliers. Things went smoothly for the most part, except that once in a while she liked to add an English sentence or forgot to delete some mistakes that I had found, and sent the fliers to the print shop without my proofreading.
I was surprised and annoyed that she had printed thousands of fliers with typos and minor mistakes. So I asked her to allow me to check them beforehand, but she either forgot or ignored my request, time after time.
I understood we should correct other practitioners’ mistakes quietly and dutifully, but she had control of the entire flier-making process, from the content selection to the final print version. I could only point out to her what the mistakes were and make suggestions.
As translators, we are trained to pay attention to details, everything from sentence construction to punctuation marks. Thus, I was irritated by the typos and the mistakes.
Although I made suggestions and offered my help to reduce her workload and avoid future mistakes, she told me it was a vow she had made and that it was her job. I was frustrated and felt helpless, so my tone of voice wasn’t always nice when I talked to her, and I looked down on her from time to time.
I noticed my bad thoughts and attachments to the “self,” so I sent forth righteous thoughts, and studied the Fa to get rid of them.
I thought of her when I read about Jiang Ziya in Zhuan Falun. I was reminded that Master Li has arranged our cultivation paths, so I felt more relieved and thought, “I should stop worrying about her handling the fliers.”
Some information on the fliers had to be updated every now and then as we worked together to fine-tune the content. In 2021, she asked if I wanted to check the final version before she sent it to the print shop. I said, “If you are not sure of it, then I’ll be happy to check it. But if you think you can manage it, then go ahead and do it.”
She didn’t have me take a final look and sent it to the print shop. I was irked when the fliers came out because an entire paragraph was missing. I told her that she had sent out the wrong version, and she started to make excuses to justify herself. I sensed a “thought” coming from another dimension, “You are making the same mistake again!”
I knew that “thought” didn’t come from my true self, yet I allowed those words to come out of my mouth. I felt bad afterward and apologized to her for being unkind.
I kept looking at her mistakes and ignored mine. Don’t I make mistakes when translating articles? Haven’t I made mistakes on my cultivation path? Why can’t I be more forgiving of her mistakes? I began to see her strengths, and that she has many good qualities. She devotes herself to helping practitioners in need, responds quickly to projects that lack manpower, and works tirelessly to clarify the truth.
She acknowledged that fliers should be free of errors, yet she didn’t seem to be ruffled by the mistakes. Yet, the mistakes bothered me. I knew that to gain peace I had to be more tolerant and forgiving, and have a bigger heart and compassion for others. And the only way to do that is to study the Fa, look inward, and let go of bad thoughts and attachments.
Master said, “When you manage to break an attachment, you advance in your practice and your stillness deepens.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
We All Have Different Understandings
Earlier this year she asked our Fa study group to send forth righteous thoughts for Shen Yun at the global set time. Another practitioner and I said it should be done after the global set time, and we had a heated but short argument about it.
Last month she wanted us to send forth righteous thoughts to rid the interference at a truth-clarification site at the global set time, and I said we could do it after the global set time. She screamed at me and said I was completely wrong. Because of the previous experience, I wasn’t upset and didn’t argue with her.
I wanted to make sure that I was sending forth righteous thoughts the proper way, so I checked with other practitioners to see what was their understanding of it. After reading the Minghui editorial and Master’s articles on sending forth righteous thoughts, I didn’t think I was wrong. Yet at the same time, I could see her point of view, and understand her thinking.
I’ve learned that practitioners come from different realms and have different understandings of the Fa. This time I seem to have gained a deeper understanding of Master’s Fa:
“In cultivation not everyone is in the same realm, they have different understandings of things, and of course their thoughts are different.” (Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference)
Working with this practitioner for the last two years had helped me get rid of another layer of attachments and human notions. I feel more compassion for her now, and appreciate the things she’s done for our local group.
Problems arise because we have attachments, and looking inward and studying the Fa helps us elevate. I sincerely thank Master and the practitioner for the opportunity to improve myself.
This is my current understanding, please point out anything not based on the Fa.
(Presented at the 2022 Minghui Teams Experience Sharing Conference)
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