(Minghui.org)
Greetings compassionate Master!
Greetings fellow practitioners!
This is my first experience sharing. While promoting Shen Yun in 2012, I have greatly improved in my cultivation, becoming more solid. Please kindly point out any shortcomings.
It was the New Year holiday in 1997 and I was in junior high school. My family wanted to watch Master's Fa lectures but I was not interested, however they insisted. It was then that I obtained the Fa and started cultivation. Being an only child, I had been pampered during my childhood. Instead of appreciating all the attention and love I had showered on me, I became selfish and did not want to bear any hardships. It was also a big bother for me to get up early in the morning to exercise in the park, but my parents insisted, even in the frigid temperatures of winter. I liked my time with fellow practitioners as we exercised in the park, and looking back, I now feel this was Master's encouragement to get me up early and go to exercise.
When the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, I found myself slacking off, neglecting Fa study and exercise. My grades dropped during my high school years, and I also failed several practice college entrance exams. However, my parents were calm through it all, and did not pressure me about my poor performance.
When it was time for the real college entrance exams, I did amazingly well and entered a respected college. Four years of college quickly passed and it was soon time for me to look for work. Again my family was calm and let things happen naturally. As a result, I became the only student hired as a teacher after graduation.
Even though life seemed good, I lacked a purpose without the Fa. Master did not give up on me though. I moved to Canada in 2006 and quickly made contact with the local practitioners. I began to exercise again and participate in Fa study. With their help, I started cultivation anew. I saw Shen Yun in Boston in 2007, and with that, felt my cultivation had made a huge leap forward. I had tears throughout the show. I remembered my vows and promised Master that I would cultivate well and return to my true home.
I moved to Toronto in October 2010, and by 2011 I was helping the practitioners there to promote Shen Yun. Since I had fallen behind in my cultivation, I struggled to sell tickets. Even though I was young, my body felt heavy and tired. The days seem to drag on and on. A coordinator noticed my cultivation state and told me to take a break from selling tickets for a while. I was upset and thought that this was unfair.
I studied the Fa and enlightened to the fact that my problem was related to not having a strong desire to save people, and I also had an attachment to comfort. If because of these attachments I gave up the best chance to help Master to rectify the Fa, that would be my greatest loss. I adjusted my thinking and phoned the coordinator to ask permission to sell tickets again. During this process, I was beginning to feel the compassion and selflessness of my fellow practitioners. I was deeply moved.
Identifying my human attachments
I was surprised when the coordinator asked me to sell tickets again for Shen Yun the next summer. I felt better about our interactions and noticed that she was more patient and kind towards other practitioners. It was as if nothing negative had ever happened between us and we now complemented each other well.
When we were promoting Shen Yun at a festival one hot summer day, a younger practitioner had difficulty dealing with the heat and took some time off to sit in the shade to cool down. I was okay with the heat, but I too wanted to spend some time rest and cool off.
Another practitioner, wearing a shirt and tie, was dripping with sweat under the hot sun. However, he was cheerfully introducing Shen Yun to many people. When I asked him if he was hot, he replied that at first he felt the heat, but then told himself that he was not hot, and quickly cooled down. I was sure that I too could endure.
Master said:
“When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible.” (Zhuan Falun)
It was so hot near our ticket booth, as we were next to people with a hot stove selling food, and not many people stopped to talk with us. Those that did came and left quickly. The whole day passed and we did not sell a single ticket. When I returned home a fellow practitioner said I had sunburn. They believed that I was improving in my cultivation because I stuck with my task to try to sell tickets regardless of the conditions and was no longer overly concerned about my appearance or my attachment to comfort. When I heard this, I thought that it was encouragement from Master. Ever since then, when I went out to sell tickets for Shen Yun, I don't feel like the time drags on. No matter what the environment, I do not let anything interfere with me and I stay focused on selling tickets.
Rectifying my every word, thought and deed
Even though I had overcome the test of physical endurance, I still lacked in my ability to sell tickets. I sincerely wanted to introduce Shen Yun and to save people. So where was my problem?
The coordinated tried to help by saying: “If you have looked inward and can't find any problem, then perhaps you should look at your appearance. Try something a bit more formal” I knew she was trying to be helpful, but I did not appreciate her comment, and thought she was being a little fussy.
Master said:
“Do you realize that as long as you’re a cultivator, in any environment or under any circumstances, I will use any troubles or unpleasant things you come across—even if they involve work for Dafa, or no matter how good or sacred you think they are—to eliminate your attachments and expose your demon-nature so that it can be eliminated, for your improvement is what’s most important.” (“Further Understanding” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I felt uncomfortable, but realized that perhaps it was because of an attachment I had. I looked inward and noticed that I liked to hear compliments, not criticism. I knew that when someone touched on an attachment of mine, it made me feel uncomfortable.
Shen Yun is the No. 1 show in the world, and while selling tickets, we are the first contact customers have to learn about this wonderful show. They can learn the grace and wonder of Shen Yun through us. If I did not pay attention to my appearance, in reality I did not truly pay close attention to the importance of selling tickets.
I came to appreciate the advice from the coordinator. The next time I went out to sell tickets, I got up early, exercised, studied the Fa and then carefully chose my outfit. When I arrived at the ticket booth, the coordinator told me that I looked great in the clothes I had chosen. We began to sell tickets and were busy all day. The tickets seemed to sell fast. I talked to one person who expressed the desire to buy tickets, but thought that she should get approval from her mother first. However, she later purchased tickets even though she was not able to get in touch with her mother. I was happy and felt that my success was because of my solid cultivation.
Abandoning my human attachments
I soon developed an attachment to selling tickets. I felt good when I sold many, but when I did not sell a lot I felt awful. When I shared my thoughts with a fellow practitioner, her response surprised me. She said that she never thought of it as selling tickets, and just wanted to spread the wonder of Shen Yun and save people.
This greatly inspired me! I realized that I should not be affected whether tickets were purchased or not, as I was looking for verification that I was doing well in my cultivation. I now know that as long as I try my best, Master will bring those with a predestined relationship to us. So we need to keep a pure heart.
Master said:
“But, the standard for cultivation during the Fa-rectification is strict, and so is the standard that post-renewal divine beings are to meet, for these are the standards and requirements of the new cosmos. Beings that have not been rectified by the Fa will, on the other hand, use the principles of the old cosmos to go about things, and use those to evaluate Dafa disciples. They will only feel okay with it when you meet the standards that they acknowledge; only then will they let you progress upwards free of interference; and only then will they think that you are qualified to save them.” (20th Anniversary Fa Teaching)
I diligently studied Fa and was no longer attached to ticket sales. I do my best, cooperate with fellow practitioners and together we form a righteous field to save people.
When fellow practitioners need assistance, I would help them. When others are promoting, I would send forth righteous thoughts nearby. I helped the process in whatever way was needed most. I was also happy for those who sold tickets because it was the same as if I had sold them. We are one body. With such an energy field, ticket sales were good. Before, some customers did not buy and said they would come back, but few did. After eliminating my attachment to selling tickets, many customers who said they would return, did indeed come back and purchase tickets later.
The power of righteous thoughts
During the process of selling ticket, I became more convinced that the success of it was due to a combination of righteous thoughts and group cooperation. None of it was an individual's own accomplishment.
After we finished an outdoor event one day where we sold tickets, we decided to travel to another city to sell tickets that evening. I was cold and hungry, but we just drove on. We met with two other practitioners who had just finished another event and were going to go with us for that evening's event. Everyone seemed tired and it started to snow. We hesitated and thought about whether we should continue our journey, and wondered if we would get there too late anyway.
We all had a pure heart and carried on, sending forth righteous thoughts on the way. When we arrived, we found that the activity had not yet begun, and had five minutes to spare. We immediately prepared our stall and sold tickets effortlessly. We realized the importance of righteous thoughts.
It is sometimes necessary to adopt a different selling style for different customers, but sending forth righteous thoughts suits everyone. Only under the state of righteous thoughts and compassion can you save a person. I deeply appreciated that when I was preparing to take the exam for promoting Shen Yun. The examination is a process for us to learn more about Chinese divinely imparted culture. I understood and appreciated more about Shen Yun. It gave me the confidence to introduce to people the beauty and wonder of Shen Yun. On the surface it is the improvement of ordinary people's techniques, but in reality it is the expression of one's compassion.
During the process of promoting Shen Yun, I deeply felt how fortunate I am to help Master in rectifying the Fa and gratitude fills my heart. Thank you Master for arranging for me to be in such a cultivation environment. Thank you fellow practitioners for your selfless help and encouragement. I still have a long way to go, with many attachments to eliminate.
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