Yesterday, I went on a mini-quest with my long time friend Yong Hee to fix a flickering LCD monitor. 😉
A quick trip to SIM LIM Tower got us the components.
Total component costs: S$6.50 (inclusive of spares)
If we do not repair it, it may just be sent to the dump. This will put an end to all the resources, manpower and energy put in to manufacturing the monitor. By replacing the 6 capacitors, the monitor’s useful lifespan has been extended by say another 2 – 4 years. With the spare caps, we estimate that it will continue to be useful until the CFL die out. ^_^ (y)
To Repair or To Get a New One
At the end of the repair, Yong Hee shared his thoughts, wondering whether it was the best use of my time to go get the capacitors and do the repair (soldering and all). It is usually quite acceptable to see monks sweep the floor or in some tradition serve in the kitchen for the community or even be involved in construction of monasteries.
Is it ok to be fixing monitors?
If one does it mindfully, and reflect on impermanence and the dependent arising nature of all things, perhaps, then it can be a mindfulness and reflective practice. If not, then it is not a monkly thing to do, it is just a repair job.
A monitor that cost a few hundred dollars can be crippled by a few capacitors that only cost a few dollars. In the capacitors, there is no monitor to be found, yet without these capacitors, the monitor does not function. This is the dependent arising nature of all things.
Granted, monks do not and should not spend an inordinate amount of time on this as well, ‘cos it is easy to forget the final goal of enlightenment and become stuck with the repair!
Beyond repairing things, remember to ‘repair’ relationships, repair our heart and our mind.
So what did you repair today?
PS: I’ve cropped the photo so that Yong Hee remains a mystery. hahaha 😉
Reference
1. Samsung 225BW LCD monitor repair
Capacitors replaced:
1. 2 x 880uF 25V (5)
2. 3 x 330uF 25V (5)
3. 1 x 47uF 50V (3)
We got spares, 5 + 5 of the first two types of caps and 3 of the #3.