Apologies to My Printer!

[PureInsight.org] I started practicing Falun Gong in October 1997. Three months before that, I spent more than US$1,100 to purchase a Pentium I computer and a HP 400 printer. I paid about US$170 for the printer. All along, my printer worked normally, the words printed were very clear and distinct in all pages. The printer is very compact and occupies very little space on the table. I like the rhythmic sound it produces when it is printing although the printing speed is somewhat slow. Nevertheless, it is quite useful. When I first bought the printer, I learned from a Taiwanese friend the method of re-filling the ink cartridge myself instead of purchasing a brand one when the ink runs out. The ink cartridge had already been refilled about ten times. Eventually, it could not be used again and only then did I buy a new ink cartridge. Of course, from the point of view of many of my friends, because it was so old, my printer had become obsolete, such an antique that it should have been sent to a museum ages ago.

I have used this printer to print many documents, articles, even a whole book. I have printed a copy of Falun Gong (Revised Edition) for a fellow practitioner and she presented that book to a friend. Later, I moved away and ended up living in the same apartment complex as the fellow practitioner's friend. He and I started talking, and I learned that he had the Dafa book that I had printed for the fellow practitioner using my printer. What a coincidence! I have used this printer for eight years. As a Chinese proverb says, even a piece of stone would have been ground into dust in that time.

One time, in order to promote Falun Gong, I needed to print a two-page letter. After printing one copy on my printer, I was going to make photocopies, but the fellow practitioner who had promised to make photocopies for me was unable to do it for some reason. I should have had it photocopied in a store in town, but I thought to myself, "It would be too expensive to go to the store and get the letter photocopied. I will just use my printer to do it. If it wears out, I will just go and buy another one." So I allowed the little printer to become overloaded and it barely managed to complete the job of printing more than 400 pages. After that, the printer became faulty. If it didn't have one problem, it would have another problem. The paper feed would jam, the print head would not function, it would perform incorrect functions and sometimes it could not be reset. The list went on and on. A fellow practitioner repaired it for me and I could use it for a period of time. But then it started having problems again. Originally I was going to purchase a new printer, but what would I do with the new ink cartridge and a new bottle of ink I had bought for this little printer?

I discussed the matter casually with a fellow practitioner over the phone, "I have wrecked this printer. I will buy a new one!" Then something occurred to me. If the printer were really a life-form, would it not be very cross? Would it not be angry at me for overloading it intentionally? If a farmer could carry a hundred pound load, and now you expect him to carry two hundred pounds, would he not be injured by the excess weight? You only want to make it work but do not take good care of it. How can the machine not be overloaded? You want to cultivate, you hope to reach consummation, but then you are trying to do so on the basis of being selfish and not caring if others live or die! You are building your happiness on the basis of the suffering of others. When you behave this way, aren't you just an ordinary person? Can anyone cultivate in this manner? Is your heart being compassionate?

Teacher said, "In addition to human beings and animals, plants are also lives. Any matter's life can manifest in other dimensions." (From "The Issue of Killing" in Lecture Seven of Zhuan Falun)

Teacher said, "Everything has intelligence. Modern science already recognizes that plants have not only life, but also intelligence, thoughts, feelings, and even super-sensory functions. When your Third Eye reaches the level of Law Eyesight, you will discover that the world is a totally different place. When you go outside, rocks, walls, and even trees will talk to you. All objects have life. No sooner does an object form than a life enters it. It is people living on Earth who categorize substances as organic and inorganic. People living in temples get upset when they break a bowl, for the moment it is destroyed, its living entity is released. It hasn't finished its life journey, so it will have nowhere to go. It will therefore have extreme hatred towards the person who ended its life. The angrier it gets, the more karma the person will accrue. Some "qigong masters" even go hunting. Where did their benevolence and compassion go? The Buddha and Dao Schools don't do things that violate heaven's principles. When one does these things, it is an act of killing." (From "Cultivation of Xinxing" in Chapter III of Falun Gong, 2003 Version.)

Even a broken bowl would "hate" that "person who killed it", and I suspect this printer is no exception. The common proverb says: "Humans are afraid of getting their hearts broken. Trees are afraid of getting their bark stripped off!" Be it a printer, a computer, a camera, a pen, and even a car, a recorder, mobile phone, a portable audio player, or an e-book, they are each a life-form. We can make use of them, but we must also cherish them. Since they have contributed to the Fa-rectification process, and we if we achieve consummation, do they not deserve to be sentient beings in our world? Or perhaps they may become various kinds of Fa implements? Why do you want to intentionally destroy them? My past thoughts toward the printer were very narrow-minded, very selfish, and didn't exhibit even a trace of the immense compassion and forbearance that Dafa practitioners are supposed to possess. I had immensely hurt the "heart" of the printer. Therefore, I told it sincerely, "Greatly respected printer, I am sorry. I was in the wrong! You have contributed so much to the work for Dafa. As the time left for the Fa-rectification is very limited, let us do the work well together and consummate together!"

The printer finally comprehended my words. Listen, those rhythmic tones! Watch that clear and distinct printing! Dafa has untied the knot between us! The printer is working normally!

When one does Fa-rectification work, the dark minions and rotten evil of the old forces often try to cause interference. I have had to replace two monitors, three keyboards, three mice, and upgraded my computer three times and even replaced the CD drive and a fan. Only this HP400 printer and the loudspeaker have never been changed. In ancient China, "veteran officials who have served three emperors" were highly respected. In my world, the printer and the loud speakers are my "veteran officials who have served three emperors."

Teacher said: "However strong the righteous thoughts are, that's how great the power is." (From "Also in a Few Words" in Essentials for Further Advancement II.) Everything has been created for the Fa and everything is meant to be used for the Fa, everything is complete for the Fa. But if your thoughts are not righteous, then would your so-called "righteous thoughts" have such great power? Hence, Teacher also said: "[…] what you do then, with a pure heart, will be the best and most sacred." (From "Further Understanding" in Essentials for Further Advancement.) As my original self did not have the celestial eye open, I was always looking at things as an ordinary person. When have I ever considered the printer, the computer, the camera, the pen and so on to be life-forms?

Our compassion must not only be restricted towards humans but must be directed at all sentient beings. This "all" includes animals, plants, materials, matter and all the equipment and implements around us.

When a person upgrades his xinxing, reaches a higher realm, and elevates his level, his heart will certainly be more magnanimous, and his paradise will be more immense. He could therefore accommodate more sentient beings. Don't you agree?

Let me repeat: "Greatly respected printer, I am really sorry!"

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/11/30/34770.html