(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
On the occasion of the 22nd China Fahui on Minghui.org, I’d like to write down some of my understandings from studying the Fa teachings and cultivating my xinxing while helping other practitioners with computer technical support. I wish to report to Master and share my experiences with you. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate. Thank you!
Studying the Teachings
After I repeatedly read Master’s teachings, I realized that for a cultivator, studying the Fa well is the most fundamental guarantee for improving one’s cultivation and doing everything well. Only by studying the Fa well can one do things better and more efficiently.
I keep Master’s teachings firmly in mind and pay attention to studying the Fa. I usually read the Fa for 2 to 3.5 hours each day. Whenever I feel that reading isn’t effective, I switch to memorizing the Fa. I’m currently memorizing Zhuan Falun, and sometimes I also memorize Essentials for Further Advancement, Hong Yin, and Master’s other teachings. While memorizing the Fa, I can focus with a calm and attentive mind. I don’t pursue quantity. I only count it as “finished” when I can repeat at least two or three times (including recitation and reciting while checking sentence-by-sentence). During memorization, I feel that even the punctuation marks in Master’s Fa have inner meanings, so I require myself not to get them wrong.
I don’t slack off in doing the exercises. I usually complete all five sets of exercises every day. Diligently studying the Fa and doing the exercises has laid a solid foundation for my cultivation and for doing computer technical support well.
Falun DafaGives MeWisdom
About 27 or 28 years ago, I did well at work and served as a mid-level manager. Having achieved some career success, I began to wonder about the purpose of life and I often felt confused.
My mind was sluggish. Learning and remembering new things was very difficult. After I read for even half an hour, my eyes felt irritated and start tearing up. However, after I began practicing Falun Dafa, all these symptoms disappeared, and learning new things became easy. Especially in the last seven or eight years, when I studied computer technology, I found that I could pick up many things quickly. Many concepts seemed easy and I could learn quicker and better than when I was young. In some areas I developed my own independent understanding. I knew in my heart that it was Master and Dafa who opened my wisdom and bestowed these abilities on me.
So I often remind myself that all of this is given by Master and Dafa. I must not think I’m special just because I helped practitioners solve problems. I am simply using the wisdom given by Master and Dafa to help practitioners solve technical issues, and doing what Master wants me to do and what I should do.
CultivatingMyselfWhileOfferingTechnicalSupport
I understand that we study the Fa to cultivate ourselves, not others. So now I only measure and require of myself to live according to the Fa’s principles—I don’t use the Fa to judge others. Through Fa study I also realized that no matter what happens, be it feeling uncomfortable or upset, or wanting to argue with someone—I know something is wrong on my side—some notion or attachment of mine has been touched upon, and I must use this to improve myself and let go of that attachment.
When answering questions in the technical forum, sometimes others question my answers. Some of those doubts arise because of my limited knowledge or assumptions that led to incorrect answers. I accept such criticism, correct myself, and sincerely apologize. But some doubts come from the other party’s limited understanding. At first, I always felt the urge to argue and defend myself.
Now I no longer rush to express my viewpoint. Instead, I calm myself first, and I avoid being driven by that stirred-up attachment. When my mind settles, I calmly explain my reasoning and why things should be done a certain way. In most cases, the other practitioner recognizes the issue and apologizes. Some may make excuses or become silent afterward. I can now take it lightly.
A practitioner pointed out a problem in one of my answers, and also said that another of my answers was not comprehensive because I didn’t list all possible scenarios. After reviewing it, I found that the first answer indeed resulted from my assumptions and lack of verification, so what he said was incorrect. But the second answer fell right within the area I am good at. Although brief, it was targeted and helpful for solving the problem. The practitioner may not have been familiar with the topic and felt that only a long reply could solve it.
I didn’t argue and thanked the practitioner. The first issue reminded me not to answer based purely on assumption, which easily leads to deviations or errors. This motivated me to be cautious when responding in the future. I gradually developed a more objective and rigorous attitude. Regarding the second issue, although my answer was correct, it prompted me to reflect on whether my past answers had similar shortcomings. I found that indeed, some had been overly brief and not thorough enough. I began to consider questions from multiple angles and write more complete responses. This significantly improved the quality of my contributions. I am truly grateful to that practitioner.
When I see other practitioners’ answers that are incomplete or off-topic, I simply reply with my own understanding and solution, instead of pointing out their mistakes, so as not to pressure them. Everyone may overlook things or misunderstand at times, and mistakes are sometimes inevitable. When discussing issues, I just sincerely offer my understanding for reference, without caring too much about whether what I said is accepted. When conflicts arise, I avoid blaming others or using harsh words.
Master said,
“Don’t argue when people argue with youCultivation is looking within for the cause”(“Don’t Argue” in Hong Yin III)
So when others speak harshly to me, I remember Master’s words. I no longer argue, but instead look within for my own issues.
Although this sounds easy, when truly confronted with problems, even with a solid foundation from diligent Fa study, sometimes I still can’t let it go, and the unpleasant things are constantly replayed in my mind. When this happens I’d repeatedly recite Master’s words,
“As you know, when a person reaches the Arhat level, in his heart he is not concerned about anything. He does not care at all in his heart for any ordinary human matter, and he will always be smiling and in good spirits. No matter how much loss he suffers, he will still be smiling and in good spirits without any concern. If you can really do this, you have already reached the entry-level Fruition Status of Arhatship.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
As I recite, I gradually feel lighter and more at ease—I no longer cling to these things. If even Arhats can be like this, then as Dafa practitioners who aim for higher levels, shouldn’t we let go of these things? Although most tribulations are caused by practitioners themselves, when they committed those mistakes they were, after all, in a state of everyday people.
The technical forum may appear to be a place simply for technical exchange and assistance, but in fact, it offers many opportunities to improve one’s xinxing. When practitioners post difficult, complex questions, whether I do my best to help within my ability or shy away; when solving problems for others, whether I feel grateful for the opportunity to help or I become complacent; when others surpass me in certain aspects, whether I feel happy for them or become jealous; when others provide better answers, whether I learn from it or feel disappointed; all these situations constantly test me.
I’ve gradually come to understand and improve in many aspects. I want to thank every practitioner in the technical forum who has helped me improve in both skills and xinxing! I also appreciate having such a platform where we can help each other and improve together.
Providing technical support to others initially seemed like something only computer professionals or those with specific skills could do. As someone with no formal background in computer science, little technical expertise (only basic knowledge), and no understanding of English, how could I possibly offer computer support? This was unimaginable. About eight or nine years ago, while browsing a technical forum, I accidentally answered a basic question about operating systems and actually helped someone solve their problem. That moment was a revelation, as I realized that I too could provide technical support and help others. This boosted my confidence, and from then on, I began learning computer skills and providing technical support, in addition to my local responsibilities.
GettingStarted
For those new to learning computer skills, it can feel daunting and difficult. However, once you get started, it’s easier than one would imagine. Here are a few of my insights:
What you see is what you get. Most computer system interfaces are intuitive. What you see on the screen is usually what it is. Many parts of the system are clickable and can be explored without fear of causing harm. As long as you avoid deleting important system files or changing critical settings, there’s no need to worry about damaging the operating system. With time, you’ll become familiar with the system and many of its applications and settings.
Make good use of the internet. The internet and technical forums are full of knowledge and resources related to computers. Many tutorials are well-structured and easy to follow. With detailed step-by-step guides, even beginners can follow along and learn.
Use auxiliary tools. When encountering problems, search engines like Google are invaluable for finding solutions. If you’re not familiar with English, you can use Google Translate. If you find English text in an image, use optical character recognition tools to convert it into text for translation. Screenshots with annotations, arrows, and labels are also useful for making your explanations clear and visually understandable.
Focus on what matters. It’s impossible to learn everything at once, so focus on what interests you or what you need. Develop expertise in areas you’re interested in or that are useful to you. This way, you can help others more effectively and efficiently.
Answer questions attentively, focusing on areas of expertise. For problems that can be verified, I first test them on my own computer and confirm the results before I reply. I add screenshots when necessary. In answering questions, I strive to make my steps detailed, logical, and easy to understand so that even practitioners with weak technical foundations can solve the problems by following them.
Learn while helping. If a question falls outside my immediate knowledge, I search for information online. Often, the search results can be overwhelming or too complex. In such cases, I filter, organize, and simplify the information based on my own experience, then share it in a way that’s easy to understand. This process not only helps other practitioners, but also deepens my own technical knowledge.
Predict issues instead of immediately asking back. Some questions are very general or unclear. When this happens, I read their description carefully, combine it with my own experience and knowledge, and try to predict the specific issue they may be facing. I reply based on that prediction. If I truly cannot determine the exact issue and can’t be certain, I propose multiple possibilities and provide solutions for each. Although this approach can be time-consuming, it often produces unexpectedly good results.
Look at the problem from different angles. When encountering an issue that seems difficult to solve, changing perspectives helps. Instead of thinking strictly within the framework of the specific problem described, I step outside of it and answer from a different angle. This often brings unexpected results.
Create pictorial tutorials. Pictorial tutorials are easy to understand, visually intuitive, and easy to follow. Even practitioners with limited computer skills can use them. When I have gained some technical expertise in a particular area, I create a pictorial tutorial to help others. Producing such a tutorial involves many steps: planning, collecting and organizing relevant knowledge, conceptualizing the presentation, taking screenshots, producing the content, repeatedly correcting errors, publishing it, and modifying it based on feedback. Although the process is demanding and time-consuming (one of them took nearly 50 hours), knowing they will help others makes it feel worthwhile.
Be cautious in answering and respect others’ contributions. When responding to questions, avoid pursuing the number of posts, and avoid simply repeating others’ answers. My mindset is simply to help fellow practitioners resolve their problems. When my answers rely on knowledge shared by other practitioners in the forum, I cite their links or quote their explanations instead of presenting their work as my own.
Correct errors. Although I pay close attention to quality, due to limited knowledge or perspective, mistakes or irregularities sometimes occur. Whenever I discover this, I add a note in the post acknowledging the error or lack of precision so future readers are not confused.
In the process of cultivation, I’m sometimes able to pass difficult tests, while other times I slack off in Fa study and doing the exercises. I fail to handle things well and I make mistakes. At times, my attachments that are not easily noticeable are exposed. Although I still encounter challenges and xinxing tests in my local Fa-validation work and in interactions with my family or society, I remember Master’s teaching: “When there is a problem, look inward to find the cause.” (“To the Shandong Falun Dafa Assistance Center”, Essentials for Further Advancement). With Dafa’s guidance and the foundation built through consistent Fa study, I will walk the path of cultivation well and not let down Master’s compassionate salvation!
I am deeply grateful to Master for giving me the predestined opportunity to cultivate Dafa in this lifetime! Thank you, Master!
(Selected submission for the 22nd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org)