(Clearwisdom.net) I have been regularly attending meetings of practitioners from different countries, for sharing about the progress of Shen Yun shows. In my own country, Israel, we did not manage to bring Shen Yun to perform. I had heard that some places were still in a tough situation regarding ticket sales, so a wish came into my heart to find ways to help. I strengthened my righteous thoughts, and did my best to send forth more powerful righteous thoughts more frequently. One time after such a meeting, a thought came to me. Maybe I should go to London to assist. I didn't think too much about it. I just started to find out what was needed, contacted the local coordinators, and worked to clear my schedule for two weeks. It all went very smoothly. In hindsight, I think my heart was pure and dedicated enough, making it easy for Master to help with whatever was needed.
In preparing for the trip, I looked to see if there were any people I knew who were living in London. I was surprised to see that I knew quite a few people there, even some whom I hadn't seen for over ten years. I began contacting them even before I left, to tell them that I was coming, and that I would be happy to meet with them. I also mentioning the wonderful show – Shen Yun – that was coming to town. Most of the reactions were very good, and they wanted to meet and felt enthusiastic about the show. I was actually positively surprised by their reactions, which in turn showed me my own omission of not amply believing in the ability of the Fa and the Truth to open people's hearts. It seemed like I had adopted an overly pessimistic point of view in recent years without noticing.
Cooperation and Results
I arrived in London a little more than a week before the first show. UK practitioners were well organized and working hard, each team working with a team leader, and all of them working with the head coordinator.
Once I arrived, I went to meet with local practitioners and get assigned to do various tasks. We were handing out fliers, going to meet businesses and suggest that they recommend the show to their employees, and other activities. I started working with a local practitioner I'd never met before. Throughout the long day, we got to know each other, and learned to complement each other seamlessly. It was a good experience to see how a good heart and willingness to cooperate can make for effective teamwork within a very short time. When the day started, I feared it would be a very long one, but once I started working, time flew by, and even those people we met who could not help us still encouraged us and wanted to learn about Shen Yun. The weather was also very nice for this time of year, with hardly any rain.
Ticket sales were still not the best, but local practitioners told me teamwork was much better than in previous years. I did notice that almost all the time practitioners worked with each other quite well, but sometimes under the surface we were still displeased with each other. Me included.
I thought about what Master says in Lecture 3 of Zhuan Falun:
“When she cured a patient’s illness, the patient might not appreciate it. When she treated the patient, she might have removed a lot of bad things from this patient’s body. Although she healed this patient to such an extent, there might not have been any obvious changes at that time. The patient, however, would not be happy in his mind. Instead of expressing gratitude, he might accuse her of cheating.”
I cannot judge only based on surface appearances, as perhaps there has been significant progress, but still the standard had not been reached. Like a person improving his exam grade from 40 to 70. It is almost 100% improvement, but still far from the goal. Of course, reaching the goal is the task, so improvement is no reason for complacency. But also, partial improvement should not be tossed out as meaningless.
One thing I realized ever more deeply is that cooperating well with each other is what Master wants for us, and when we do it well, whatever we do, the effect is magnified a lot by the contribution of all positive factors in the cosmos.
A day before opening night, most promotional activities had concluded, though throughout the days of performances some promotional channels would still be working full-speed. We were also hoping that word-of-mouth would bring more people after each successful performance.
I noticed two more things:
Excess thoughts. This process happened a few times. Each time I was asked to do something new that I had no experience in, or conversely that I thought I could do extremely well, many thoughts came up. I either imagined what could go wrong and how to deal with it, or I fantasized how I would do everything perfectly. As the actual execution time for the task approached, these thoughts gradually disappeared. And when it came time to do it, I just took it step by step, proving that all the excess thoughts were actually not needed, and the results were usually better than the ones anticipated in my thoughts.
I also noticed how much selfishness gets in the way. Maybe not so much in choosing where to have lunch, but on the crucial things – in clarifying the truth. Every time I had difficulty clarifying the truth, to rally my willpower, not to be afraid – I saw selfishness there making it hard for me. I no longer want it, not at all.
Realization and Righteous Faith
From the day of opening night until after the last show, the sky was blue and clear, and the weather warm and nice. Everyday people wondered how this could be at this time of year. For practitioners, we knew. I was honored to be able to see the Shen Yun performance six consecutive nights. I saw how people changed after seeing the show, their wholehearted reactions – both strangers and those who came to see it with me. Also, every time I watched the show, there was one piece that appealed to me most – a different one each time. I later observed that each one pointed to something in my cultivation.
There were three things that increasingly showed up during this period of time:
Validating myself versus validating the Fa. Even before coming to London, I prepared mentally. I was willing to work hard from dawn to dusk, every day. I would do whatever was needed, no matter what I was asked to do. Still, there were things I was more qualified to do, or had better skills in. In the beginning, I just went anywhere to do any task. But when the main coordinator told me that to effectively use manpower, he wanted to use my strong points to the fullest, I started discovering an attachment. Since those things that I do well are also what I humanly want to do, this was validating myself, showing off. It seemed like initially I tried to intentionally avoid them so as not to confront my attachment. Yet this is not our cultivation way. I had said I would do whatever I was asked to do, so I went ahead and did what he asked. But I still continuously faced my selfish side wanting to show off, or was afraid of losing face.
Leading and following, but not yet harmonizing: Once I started doing the different tasks, I had ideas for improvement, as well as criticism and new ideas for things to do. In the beginning, I thought they were all very good and brought them up. But then I realized that with only a few days remaining before the show, it might be best to simply work with the current direction, so I stopped saying anything. I then saw that had I mentioned some of my observations, problems could have been avoided. I was not sure what to do, as both ways seemed not good enough.
The challenges of balancing and prioritizing: I wanted to meet all my personal acquaintances in London, and invite them to the Shen Yun performance. But there were also the activities organized by local practitioners. At first, I just went to participate in the general activities. But then I felt that time was passing very quickly and if I didn't start meeting my friends and relatives, there would be no time left. So I decided to make them my first priority, and set up meetings with them, and only afterwards would I participate in the general work. That didn't work either, as it became very hard to even reach some of them by phone. I felt lost – I was not reaching the people I thought I had a direct responsibility for, but I was also not doing enough with the general work.
These three dilemmas caused tension and strain for me, and I was at a loss. Of course, most of the time I was quite cheerful, but on this point I felt stuck. Why was it so hard to do the “right thing?” I was really trying to plan well, balance things, not go to extremes, and dedicate myself. A realization then came to me. If I could trust Teacher more, things would work out. I could go to general activities and meet my acquaintances concurrently, and the puzzle pieces would fit together. Indeed, that is what started happening, and most of the people I had not been able to reach or meet started calling me back, with one of them even meeting me on a last-minute notice on the final day of my stay.
When I truly cared just about the success of the project and validating the Fa, it was not that a solution appeared for the above dilemmas--it was that the dilemma itself no longer existed, as I had transcended the plane where it was allowed to exist. I naturally did what I was good at, and this was also exactly what was needed. I observed that when I dynamically went along with the general direction, while quietly complementing any gaps, or kindly suggesting my understandings, then the results were best. I was not the sole leader, but also not a passive feet-dragging peon – I did my best to actively contribute my part and harmonize with the overall plan.
Working Wholeheartedly
Every night we handed out fliers. It was always at quite a late hour. No matter what I was doing during the day, this activity was always waiting there, before I could go back to my residence. Through most of my stay, I would start having disguised thoughts of comfort towards the evening. “I have done a lot today,” or, “If I go to sleep early, I will be able to come into town earlier tomorrow.” So when the time to hand out fliers came, I went to do it while complaining to myself. Of course, two minutes into doing the task, all such thoughts disappeared, and a big smile naturally appeared on my face. Later, going home, I would scold myself, “Why were you complaining again? You already know that it is no problem.”
During one of the final days of this late-night activity, when it was time to head out, I had no complaints or thoughts, I just walked quickly and started handing out fliers at the designated spot. What a difference – I felt very powerful righteous thoughts. Instead of hoping that people would take the fliers, I just knew each one would – and each one did. Some even came back to thank me. I realized that this small difference in one thought – wholeheartedly doing it-- made a huge impact.
I also realized later that feeling this powerful field was of course good, but when a divine being decides to do something, he just goes ahead and does it to completion. Rationally understanding the Fa is overcoming the ordinary human motivations for doing or avoiding things. Though one doesn't look intentionally for difficulties, if there are hardships, he doesn't waver in the least, with a diamond-like will and a heart dedicated to saving beings.
The UK practitioners did a good job with many things, and were open about the things that didn't go well. They discussed what went wrong and how to improve, while not letting this damage the environment of cooperation and mutual support. Not everything formed an ideal picture, but one really felt a sense of getting together for this great opportunity to save so many beings. They were forging the one-body, and establishing their mighty virtue. Master gave me the chance to be part of that wonderful endeavor.
Thank you Master,
Thank you fellow Dafa disciples.
Please kindly point out anything that is not on the Fa.
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Category: Journeys of Cultivation
