(Minghui.org) An almost 70-year-old senior practitioner approached me in May 2022, saying that she wanted to purchase a computer to access the Minghui website, and learn how to type. She had never used a computer before, however, which made this a significant challenge for both of us.
I bought her a computer not long after that, installed the necessary software, and set up the system. I started by teaching her how to connect the power cord, turn on the computer, use the keyboard, type, and connect to the Internet. Sitting next to her, I guided her step-by-step, and asked her to take notes so she could duplicate each step.
A week later, I asked her if she could turn on the computer. She said she could not. I went to her home to watch what she did. I discovered that she was struggling with the power-on password I had set up, which consisted of 20 random letters in mixed-case. She had difficulty finding certain letters on the keyboard.
Since I lived far from her, frequent visits weren’t feasible. To help her, I created a text file with the password, letting her practice typing it to match my example exactly. I encouraged her to continue practicing until she could type each letter accurately. Knowing that everything was new to her, I tried to teach her with patience, confident that with repeated practice she would succeed.
However, two months later, she still couldn’t type the password correctly because she often mixed up the upper and lowercase letters. Frustration built in me. How could she still be making mistakes after two months? As I reflected on my feelings, I realized that I wasn’t approaching this with kindness. As a Dafa practitioner, patience is essential.
When she finally typed the password correctly and was ready to connect to the Internet, she was unsure how to proceed. I suggested that she read her notes, but she said she had already done so. Looking at her notes, I saw that she had written phrases like “lower right corner of the screen” and “Wi-Fi icon,” yet she didn’t know what they referred to. It became clear that she didn’t understand what she had written in her notes.
This puzzled me. She is an educated person, so why didn’t she understand her own notes? Unable to hold back, I pointed to the screen's lower right corner and, frustratedly, said, “Here! The fan-shaped icon with a small star is the wireless network icon! Don’t just read the words; you need to understand what they mean and look at the icon!”
The moment I said that, I realized that my tone was harsh. Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my attitude and patiently showed her again. She looked at me helplessly, and I encouraged her to keep practicing.
A few days later, she visited my home, saying that she couldn’t connect to the Internet because the Wi-Fi icon showed a red cross. Perplexed, I went to her home to check. Sure enough, the Wi-Fi icon had a red “X” on it. After troubleshooting, I brought the computer back home and reinstalled the system, yet the problem persisted. Finally, through a technical forum, I learned there was a switch on the side of the computer to toggle the wireless network on and off. Once I turned it on, the red X disappeared.
I returned the fixed computer to her, but I didn’t explain how I’d resolved the issue. However, she was arrested illegally in late August 2022, and we lost contact.
In early 2024, the computer’s operating system needed an update. Remembering the fellow practitioner, I wanted to assist her, but realized that I had lost her address. I met with her again in mid-April. She asked me to buy her another computer, since after her arrest, she gave away her previous one due to her fear of a police raid.
Despite having financial difficulties, she often donated to the materials production centers. I happened to have a used computer I didn’t need, so I offered it to her. I explained that apart from a few non-functional USB ports, it worked well enough to access the Minghui website. Although she accepted it, she insisted on paying for it. I didn’t argue with her.
To simplify the password process, I set a power-on password according to her requirements. I typed the password in all lowercase letters and indicated the ones that needed to be in uppercase with a dot on top, and replaced special characters with a number, also marking them with a dot on top. When encountering the dot, she would press the shift key and the respective letter or number, to type the character required. This time, she quickly located each letter in the password.
Another issue arose, however. She mistakenly held down the letter key before the Shift key, causing a long string of the same letter to appear. I patiently explained what was happening.
She returned the following day, insisting on paying for the computer. Despite my reluctance, I accepted her money, telling her that I would donate it to the materials production center.
She returned on the third day, saying she couldn’t afford to pay her rent. The previous computer I bought for her was broken because it couldn’t connect to the Internet, and the video I downloaded for another practitioner couldn’t be played on her TV. They suspected I was a spy working for the communist regime. I understood from her words that she wanted me to return the money she had given me the day before.
Although I felt frustrated, I stayed silent, letting her speak for nearly an hour. Finally, she pointed at my face and asked in a serious tone if I understood her intentions. While I said yes calmly on the surface, my heart was full of frustration, “What kind of person are you? You insisted on paying me, and now you want the money back.”
I restrained my anger, recognizing that this was an opportunity to improve my xinxing. I returned the money. After counting it, she pocketed it, and I continued helping her practice typing the password, inputting Chinese characters, connecting to the Internet, and browsing.
After reflecting on the experience, I searched for my attachments. Did I view her actions as creating trouble for me? Did I react like an ordinary person? I realized that I had been impatient, judgmental, and quick to blame. While I was complaining in my heart about her attachment to money, I realized that I had a similar attachment, and Master Li was using her actions to help me see my shortcomings.
Furthermore, I was indecisive, overly self-protective, and trying to avoid conflict. When she offered to pay me, I should have clearly refused. When I set up the password for her, I only focused on security by creating a complex password, overlooking the difficulty it posed for a senior learner. She often looked at me helplessly and appeared to be losing interest in learning, yet I didn’t think of ways to simplify the process for her.
I began sending righteous thoughts to eliminate the elements behind my attachments in other dimensions, and I gradually calmed down. I appreciate this cultivation opportunity, and I’m determined to do better in the future.
Please kindly point out any areas that need improvement.
Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
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