(Minghui.org) I was born into a poor farming family and didn’t go very far in school. Having always been a slow learner compared to my peers, I never had much confidence in my ability to acquire new skills. Yet, when I saw how desperately we needed someone to repair and maintain printers for our truth-clarification materials production sites, I thought I should give it a try.
The Power of a Mind Free of Pursuit
As soon as I had this thought Master made arrangements and set things in motion for me to become an expert. A practitioner from a different area visited me and brought with him a big package—an HP 551 Smart Tank Inkjet printer. I had never seen this model before; it seemed gigantic and daunting. I had no clue what to do.
The practitioner was practically begging, “We don’t know anyone who can fix this machine. Please help us!” I was similarly desperate, “But I don’t know how!” He ignored my pleas, “I don’t care. It’s your responsibility now. We’ve exhausted all our options!” He left before I could protest any further.
Over the next few days, I visited every printer repair shop in the city, but nobody had experience working with this new model. Not knowing what to do, I took it back home.
I cleaned the dining room table and set the printer on it. I stared at it in silence and slowly calmed down. Gradually, my mind became clear of all thoughts and intentions. As I started cleaning the printer, I felt as if Master connected my consciousness with the printer. I read the error message on the control panel again, and it came to me—I knew exactly what the problem was and how to fix it!
I placed an order for a part and picked it up a couple of days later. With the instructions given by the seller, I replaced the part and the machine was back in working order.
This experience was a huge boost to my confidence. Since then, each time I ran into problems troubleshooting a printer, I tried to return to the state of non pursuit and just focused on cleaning the machine. Master’s help usually came when my mind was clear, and I was able to quickly solve the problem. Each time I successfully fixed a printer, I told Master in my heart, “Thank you, Master!”
It’s just as Master said:
“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
When practitioners drop off printers for me to fix, they always want to know, “Can you fix it? When can you get it fixed?” I dread such questions as I don’t know what to tell them. If I had a goal in mind, then that’s pursuit, which is an attachment and could bring interference. I could spend hours and hours on a printer only to find I was spinning my wheels.
Some printers came to me just to test my xinxing. I could agonize over a printer for months without being able to solve the problem. When I find myself at a dead end, I usually take a step back, “Don’t worry about it anymore. Just let it go!” When I am able to truly stop thinking about it and achieve a state of non-pursuit, an idea often suddenly comes to me when sending righteous thoughts or doing the Dafa exercises.
Being Kind to Printers as They too are Sentient Beings
Each printer is a being—whether we’re using it or repairing it, we need to be kind and compassionate.
I remember an old HP OfficeJet Pro X551dw printer that had a lot issues over the years and was repaired many times. It was barely operational when it was dropped off at my place. The practitioner told me that it was okay if I couldn’t fix it, as it should have been taken to the dump long ago. But I cherished this printer for its contribution thus far and wanted it to continue to assist us with the Fa-rectification. After I spent some time and replaced a few parts, it was working well again. I then decided to place it temporarily with an elderly female practitioner.
This practitioner was thankful to get the printer and enjoyed using it. I didn’t know how long it would last given its history, so my original plan was to let her use it until I could replace it with a newer one. However, years passed, and the practitioner never contacted me for even routine maintenance on this printer. I ran into her one day and was curious, “How’s the printer working? Would you like me to swap it out with a newer model?” She replied, “I really appreciate your offer, but no thanks. I wouldn’t trade my printer for anything. It’s a workhorse, and we work so well together!”
She told me that when there was a problem with the printer, she first checked to see if she herself had any notions or attachments. If she did, she’d apologize to the printer and try to do better, and usually the machine would work again. One time, the control panel screen froze. So the practitioner talked to the printer and asked if she had done something wrong. She asked the printer to forgive her if she did, and promised to do better. The screen then flashed and the printer worked again! I was touched by her sharing. Really, we should always look inward and rectify ourselves before fixing printers.
A practitioner once brought his printer for repair. From the time we unloaded the machine to while he waited at my home, I noticed he kicked the printer several times. His disrespect for the machine explained why a lot of the printers he used over the years could not be salvaged.
Another practitioner also had frequent issues with his printer. After talking to him, I found that he never took ownership of the printer. He believed that if it ever had any issues, other practitioners would either fix it or replace it for him. He seemed to think he didn’t need to take any responsibility for it, nor did he take proper care of his printer.
Eliminating Resentment
While fixing and maintaining printers, I was presented with many xinxing tests and opportunities to improve myself. A practitioner once asked me to teach him how to fix printers. I taught him everything I knew and shared my experience without reservation. Yet he turned around and told others that I didn’t teach him anything useful. I felt deeply saddened and wronged. My attachment to reputation also surfaced, as I felt that I lost face among other practitioners. I was bitter toward him, “Even as an ordinary person, you should be grateful to someone who’s helped you!”
I held myself back and didn’t get into it with him. After I calmed down, I looked inward and realized where I fell short. While teaching this practitioner, my tone of voice was not always kind. I was not compassionate as a cultivator should be. I was strict and often imposed my ideas on him.
Even though my reasoning was valid, I was too attached to my understandings and ways of doing things. My behavior did not align with the Fa and prevented the practitioner from learning anything from me. I needed to let go of my notions and negative emotions and rectify myself to align with the Fa. Having realized all this, I resumed teaching the practitioner as if nothing happened.
Handling Money in a Righteous Manner
I once went to a practitioner’s home to help him fix his printer. This practitioner lived far away, and there was no public transportation. I had to take a cab to his place, go back home to get some parts, then return to his place before going home after it was all done. The practitioner felt bad and insisted on paying for my fares. I told him, “Thank you, but I can’t take the money. I believe it’s best that we leave money out of this, regardless of the amount. From my experience, we’re likely to encounter interference when money is involved. I try my best to handle everything in a righteous and dignified way.”
Master said:
“The next person’s things are your things, and your things are his things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2002 Conference in Washington, D.C.,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume II)
I have always treated other practitioners’ printers as my own. If I failed to fix a printer, I felt that I had let the practitioner down, wasted his time, and held him back from saving the sentient beings he was predestined to save. I never worry about who should be covering how much of the cost, because as far as I’m concerned, we are one body; it’s everyone’s responsibility!
There is a saying among ordinary people, “If you take money from someone, you’d better help eliminate some of his misfortunes.” If I took money from a practitioner, even for my own transportation, I would be responsible to solve his problem. But what if I couldn’t fix his printer that day? I would have to go back the next day and incur more expense. Should the practitioner keep paying for my fares until his printer is fixed? On the other hand, I would be taking money from him before fulfilling my end of the deal.
Things could snowball and get complicated pretty quickly, giving the old forces grounds to interfere. We would likely face more unnecessary challenges getting the printer fixed or, who knows, maybe never get it fixed at all. The problem then becomes real—if I couldn’t fix the printer, then shouldn’t I return the money? In the end, I would have failed to achieve my goal and wasted time and resources. This is exactly why I try my best to avoid involving money, and walk a righteous path.
Eliminating Notions with Righteous Thoughts
While working on printers, things don’t usually go well when I have distracting thoughts that stem from human notions or attachments. Each challenge I face repairing a printer directly reflects a xinxing problem of mine. When I calm my mind and look inward to examine myself, I can usually find my own attachments at play.
When I keep my mind clear and my heart pure, however, Master will help me solve the problem—it’s not something that can be achieved by skills alone. Because Falun Dafa is a righteous cultivation way, interference can come from other dimensions and cause problems with the tools that we use in this human world. Before I begin to work on a printer, I first send forth righteous thoughts, which always brings better results. When practitioners operating or repairing the printers slack off in their cultivation, or when our righteous thoughts waver, problems are likely to follow.
I once traveled quite far to help a practitioner fix his printer. A number of practitioners gathered to watch me work, hoping to learn from me. After exchanging greetings, I started to work. However, distracting thoughts flooded my mind, “I have to fix the printer tonight, otherwise I won’t be able to get home at a decent time. I might even be late for work tomorrow. Oh boy. There are so many practitioners here today. It will be so embarrassing if I can’t fix it!”
I tried hard to suppress these thoughts, but they kept finding their way back. At one point, I knew I couldn’t continue like this, so I stopped what I was doing. Without a calm mind, I not only wouldn’t be able to fix the printer, I might even introduce more problems into the mix.
Any unrighteous thought could lead to incorrect steps performed on the printer because our hands are controlled by our minds and intentions. If we make a mistake that further complicates the problem or even breaks the printer, it’s not caused by our hands but by our incorrect thoughts—thoughts that were neither righteous nor aligned with the Fa.
These printers we work to produce truth-clarification materials that save people. They are beings contributing to the Fa-rectification. Ordinary people’s technical skills alone cannot fix them because elements and interference from other dimensions are often at play. It’s a battle between good and evil. As soon as our human notions and distracting thoughts pop up, our righteous thoughts are weakened, and we unknowingly invite the old forces to exploit our loopholes.
I explained my thoughts to the practitioners watching me, and we decided to sit down and send righteous thoughts to eliminate the interference. In the end, the printer was successfully repaired, and I made it home before dawn.
Overcoming Tribulations
As I acquired technical skills and experience repairing and maintaining printers, I also went through trials and tribulations. The process of overcoming these tribulations was a process of cultivating myself. One such tribulation was figuring out a solution to the problem of clogged nozzles—it took me almost an entire year, in which I tried countless times and failed. It was such a xinxing trial that the agony of frustration and defeat I experienced was unbearable. I was at my wits’ end and ready to give up.
Clogged nozzles is a common problem for inkjet printers, which were widely used by the production sites. As soon as this problem occurs, the printer essentially becomes useless. The popular make-do solution among practitioners only worked temporarily—without correcting the problem at its root cause; the nozzles were bound to be clogged again. I really wanted to find a way to make a permanent fix!
There was no one that could show me the ropes. I learned a lot of things from the seller and manufacturer tech support. Printer retailers make money from repairing and servicing the printers, and don’t easily give up their secrets.
After failing countless times, I started to doubt whether repair work was the right path for me. I then reminded myself that I was a Dafa practitioner—I have Master and the Fa, and no difficulties can intimidate me. The notion of defeat is an attachment and the biggest roadblock that keeps me from moving forward.
With Master’s help and encouragement, I pushed forward. When I finally figured it out by installing the printhead under water, words could not describe the gratitude I felt. I pressed my palms together in front of my chest and thanked Master from the bottom of my heart, “Thank you, Master!” Tears welled up as I knew Master was right there beside me.
I also ran into awkward situations while supporting production sites. I traveled to another city to help a practitioner with his printer. A group of practitioners had gathered at his home. As soon as I entered, one of them came up to me with a big smile, “Oh, aren’t you So-and-so? It’s been a long time!”
Because of the ongoing persecution in China, we usually don’t reveal our names or personal information when traveling to support practitioners. I wondered how this practitioner knew my real name? I then took a closer look and recognized him from when we were detained together many years prior.
Supporting Materials Production Sites With Righteous Intentions
Each time I visit a materials production site, fixing the printer is never my only goal. I always go with the intention of bringing the operator up to speed, and hopefully they can learn to operate independently.
I share my knowledge, skills, and experience without reservation and try to inspire the operators to learn routine maintenance themselves. Depending on their abilities, I direct them to additional resources to learn more about their particular model and how to troubleshoot it when issues arise. I walk them through how I approach the problem at hand and where I look for information when I’m stuck. I also help them find the best place to place orders for paper and ink online.
With a shifted mentality and some basic knowledge, the operators usually become more comfortable taking care of and fixing their own printers. This saves them time and gives them a lot of freedom from not having to depend on other practitioners. Each production site that’s running independently, in my opinion, is the safest practice and leaves little room for the old forces to interfere.
A few years back, a practitioner from another city contacted me and asked for my help. After the printer was fixed, he said, “Thank you so much! Can you help me purchase ink and paper as well?” I found out that the only technician practitioner in his area, who’d been recently arrested, used to take care of purchasing for the entire region. Everyone relied on a single practitioner for repair, maintenance, and purchases. This raised a red flag, and I wondered whether the situation could have had something to do with the arrested technician.
Besides providing technical support, he took on purchasing, which was unnecessary and dangerous—exactly what a technician practitioner should avoid. Technical skills are not a prerequisite for purchasing supplies. Most production site operators can easily learn to do this on their own. There was no justifiable reason for the entire region to rely on one practitioner. In addition, smaller purchases made by many different buyers are less likely to attract attention. The more a production site can operate independently, the safer it is for all parties involved.
I shared my thoughts with this practitioner and advised that he look into buying paper and ink himself. I encouraged him to become more independent and offered to help train a suitable candidate in printer repair and maintenance.
The above is my experience as a printer technician and what I’ve learned in the process. Thanks to Master and thanks to practitioners!
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