Starting Spiritual Practice
If I do not understand school preference rules, can I simply copy others?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
If you encounter rules you do not understand when listing school preferences, ask for clarification before deciding how to fill them in. Do not follow others simply because that is what they do, while not even understanding why the choices are arranged that way.
When I filled in my preferences in junior high school, I did not understand this and copied the approach of listing prestigious schools first. Looking back, perhaps I could have attended another high school if I had first asked clearly, but I did not properly understand the available opportunity. This was an experience from my generation. The reminder I truly want to give is that when a choice affects you, ask about what you do not understand rather than continuing with unresolved confusion.
Later, I also wondered why I had dared to ask questions in elementary school but no longer did so in junior high. I was often scolded and hit then, and gradually felt that saying less meant fewer mistakes. I feared being scolded again if I asked. This is why I keep reminding students now: if you do not understand, ask. Understand first, then think. Do not guess at what you failed to grasp and treat that as understanding.