(Minghui.org) I'm a member of a translation team for the Minghui website. I realized that if every one of us successfully completes their tasks in a timely manner, the time spent on the project will be more productive, and will, in turn, produce better results.
I consider myself to be a primary link of a chain, and shouldered a portion of the team's responsibilities. This motivates me to work hard and persevere in completing my assigned tasks on time.
I was recently asked to translate nine pages of legal text. I didn’t find the content interesting, and I found it difficult to understand. I usually don't care which articles are assigned to me, but I had various negative thoughts this time.
Because I found the document difficult to understand, my speed of translation was very slow. I also couldn't calm down. I believed that it was too time-consuming, and that my time could be better spent on something else.
I questioned, “Who will read it?” I even tried suggesting to the coordinator that it would be sufficient to only translate the foreword on the first page, and then have the remaining content noted “Complete English legal texts can be found here,” and add a hyperlink.
After suggesting this approach, I realized that I had the pursuit of comfort and ease. Because I was pursuing comfort I was looking for excuses not to translate the entire article.
When I was told that a practitioner who was familiar with legal terms would be editing my translated article, a negative thought immediately came to mind, “There's no need to be so thorough in my translation, as someone more qualified than me will be checking it.”
I immediately remembered that Master said we should do our jobs well. So, I knew I shouldn't push my responsibilities on to others. My thoughts were not in accordance with the Fa, and I realized that I should cooperate unconditionally.
I became determined to continue the translation work without any more complaints. When I made up my mind not to seek comfort and ease, I calmed down and continued the work.
Master said:
“Carry it out unconditionally. Understand what I said? In many instances, when people are debating things at length, all it should take is that coordinator stating his stance on it, and then that’s what you do. Furthermore, with many things, he should be able to just go straight ahead, without having to consult you, and assign tasks for you to do. And why is that? Previously, on many occasions when you argued back and forth I didn’t express my views on this, for I consciously wanted to allow you to temper your own thinking and succeed at making your own paths. But now, ample time has been given, and what you should have, you now have. So it’s time to do away with that state.” (“Be More Diligent”)
This helped me to see clearly Master's requirements in cooperating “unconditionally.” It doesn't mean that we have to obey orders blindly; instead it's to remove our selfishness.
I had so much difficulty overcoming selfishness. Regardless of the excuses I used, it was ultimately rooted in my pursuit of comfort and ease.
I used to wonder why I was able to persist in translating articles every day, but did not have the same perseverance in doing the exercises on a daily basis. Why was I able to be diligent in one, but not the other?
If I'm able to persevere in doing translation work, I should be able to do the same in practicing the exercises. It is my sense of responsibility towards practitioners on the Minghui team that helped me to overcome the desire to pursue comfort again and again.
Practitioners in the city where I live started doing group exercises three to four times a week, to meet the needs of those who want to learn the exercises. We practice the first four sets of exercises in the park. This was my opportunity to become more diligent in doing the exercises, and so I participated. With practitioners' help I was finally able to persevere in doing the exercises.
Category: Improving Oneself
