(Minghui.org) It has been 9 years since the Tian Guo Marching Band (Divine Land Marching Band) of Taiwan was established, in 2006. The total number of band members has reached 400 and continues to grow. To advance together in cultivation, and improve their musical performance, more than 300 members of the band got together in mid-Taiwan on December 12-13, 2015 for group Fa study, experience sharing, and to rehearse.
The following are some of the stories and cultivation experiences of the band members, shared at the conference.
Ms. Huang joined the band in 2006, and started serving as the band coordinator in May of this year. The first thing she had to face was resolving a conflict in the band, in which she might have to demote one of the division leaders. She was in a dilemma at first, pondering how to talk to the division leader without discouraging her. After intensive Fa study, she realized that compassion was the key, and anyone could change in a positive direction.
She took the initiative to talk to the division leader, and kindly pointed out where she could improve. The division leader accepted her words gladly and was very willing to make changes. The conflict was resolved within a couple of months. Through this incident, the band members improved their heart nature as one body.
On another occasion, Ms. Huang found that some band members had bypassed the coordinator's duty to take charge of a certain matter. This upset her. However, she looked inward and found that her jealousy and attachment to fame were the reasons why she was upset. She calmed down to study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts. Her unhappiness then disappeared. Since then, Ms. Huang reminds herself to eliminate her negative thoughts with righteous thoughts. She found that her heart became bigger and she became more open-minded.
Ms. Yang, the French horn division leader, started cultivating in 2004. She joined the band in its early years. She said, “A division leader needs to master teaching skills and also coordinate the division. I used to complain that my division members were passive. But I gradually learned how to put others before myself and how to be inclusive. I'm not as impatient as before. After making improvement in my Forbearance, I found myself communicating with division members better, and my work became easier.”
Ms. Wang has been cultivating in Dafa for more than 10 years, and is a senior member in the flute division. She used to get upset when she noticed her fellow band members making mistakes. She would put all her attention on other people's mistakes throughout parades. But soon she found that her negative thoughts actually played an interfering role in the band.
Ms. Wang reminded herself that she needed to concentrate on her own performance and use righteous thoughts to help fellow band members. She said, “When I fully concentrated on playing music with the pure mind of offering salvation to sentient beings, I felt my divine nature emerge. I could feel the resonance between us, and the energy in another dimension. It was a manifestation of the boundless power of the Buddha Law.”
Mr. Xie plays tuba in the band. He had the wish to join the band years ago, after he saw one of their performances. Even though he had an injury from a car accident and didn't know music theory, his hard work and dedication paid off. He spent a lot of time practicing on his own. He found that when he practiced compassion in his daily life and improved his heart nature, his music sounded better.
Mr. Xie recalled, “One time, our tuba division couldn't play well as a group, despite our long rehearsal. Eventually we put our instruments down, and exchanged opinions about where we had fallen short. After we made improvement as one body, everyone's musical tone became more accurate. We were awed by this experience.”
Ms. Yang had been playing trumpet in the band for five years. Like Mr. Xie, she had been touched by the music, and wanted to join the band. She continued to practice hard, and urged herself to stay diligent in her cultivation. She said, “It's important to improve our musical skills, because it's our mission to spread the beauty of Falun Dafa through our music. But it is even more important to look inward. When I improved my heart nature, it became easy for me to reach a higher pitch. With encouragement from my fellow band members, I recently started clarifying the facts of Falun Dafa to Chinese tourists.”
The band members were deeply moved by the sharing at the conference. They treasure the cultivation path they've walked together, complete with its ups and downs. They are determined to fulfill their mission and work together to advance diligently in their cultivation.