(Minghui.org) I am a Swedish practitioner. I would like to share my cultivation experience and my involvement in both Shen Yun and the Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance) International Exhibition.
Beginning to Practice
Around Easter in 1995, Master Li came to Gothenburg, Sweden, and lectured for several days. I went and found it an extraordinary experience. Master was great, and he answered all our questions with compassion and patience.
This is what I had been waiting for. While in my 20s, I was very interested in finding out what life was all about. After I got married and had children, I spent most of my time taking care of my family. As my children grew older, however, I became more and more eager to explore the spiritual world. I also had a dream that one day I would become an enlightened being. But I did not talk about that, because I was afraid people might laugh at me. In my mind, though, there was always a clear picture, that is, I used to live in a dimension where heaven and earth were in harmony.
When my daughter was pregnant with her first baby, she attended a training on children’s health and met a Falun Dafa practitioner. The practitioner told her that Master Li was scheduled to visit Gothenburg around Easter in 1995. When my daughter called, asking if I was interested in attending the lectures, I said, “Of course.”
Before that, I had a very strong feeling that someone was telling me, “If there is a master looking for you, you need to follow him.” A week before Master’s arrival in Gothenburg, however, I threw out my back and had difficulty moving around. I consulted with my daughter about what to do and she replied, “You just need to come.”
So I borrowed my mother’s car, which had very low clearance and allowed the driver to recline the seat more than a typical sedan. That was how I drove 15 miles—in a half-lying position—to Gothenburg. It was Easter Week, 1995, and it was a special, memorable week. Later on, I realized this period of time was miraculous and precious.
I was the only Falun Dafa practitioner in my region at the time. But my daughter often took me to experience-sharing conferences around the world and reminded me to be diligent. That is why I really thank her for encouraging me to be diligent.
Several years later, more practitioners moved close to me. I thanked Master for all those opportunities to meet other practitioners. Together we established a group practice site and held activities to tell people about Dafa, including at local cultural events. This helped me to be more mature in cultivation.
Helping with Shen Yun
When Shen Yun came to Sweden for the first time in 2008, practitioners needed to help. I joined the efforts and it was an honor beyond words. I also understood it was my mission. The Shen Yun artists were outstanding—they were reviving traditional Chinese culture miraculously.
I like to work quietly, but I am also very quick and flexible. When helping with Shen Yun, unexpected things or new assignments came up from time to time. Although I had a rough idea of what I was supposed to do, I needed to act quickly to handle new situations and challenges. Working backstage, we learned to let go of ourselves, including not interfering with the artists, not being talkative, and being ready all the time. Most importantly, we needed to provide a quiet place for the Shen Yun artists, so that they could focus on the important things that they are supposed to do.
We usually didn’t have any break until the show was over at the end of the day. By then, however, there was hardly any food left for us.
I also helped with checking costumes during the tour. In the past, we had to arrive at the theater early in the morning to iron costumes. They came in bags after the previous performance. In recent years, they are kept in closets with wheels. They are much easy to transport and some clothes do not need ironing anymore. But we still need to check all the costumes. If some of them are damaged or dirty, we need to mend or clean them in time.
Another Swedish practitioner and I were responsible for laundering the performers’ personal clothes. We usually separated the men’s clothes from the women’s. Additionally, we separated the lead dancers’ or solo singers’ clothes from the rest of the performers’ and the orchestra performers’ from the others’. The laundry was done well in Sweden, and we received many compliments.
How well and quickly we did the laundry largely depended on the facility in each theater. Some theaters had washers that we could borrow, while others had no washers or very small laundry rooms. One example was in Denmark this past March. We had to use the laundry room in the hotel, but things worked out well.
Our clothing team worked well. We have become familiar with the workflow and everyone puts his or her heart into it. We also cooperated well for things to go smoothly. We knew what we were doing was very important.
It was the same with security. Guarding a door might seem trivial, but we took it seriously and did it well. After all, this was related to the safety of the Shen Yun artists and whether the performances went well.
Many years ago during a show, I was guarding an orchestra pit. Upon hearing the orchestra play the melodies, I suddenly saw the dancers performing in front of my eyes—even though from my angle I could only hear the music.
This miraculous experience enabled me to understand how powerful a Shen Yun performance is in a new way. When sitting in the theater and enjoying the performance in the past, I would see the wonder of Shen Yun first through my eyes. Now, I could absorb the amazing performance through music into my body.
The Shen Yun dancers, singers, and musicians would usually find a place in the theater before each performance to practice or rehearse. In a short time, everyone would quickly get into character and cooperate perfectly, like magic. I always admired these amazing programs. Every time Shen Yun came to Sweden, those days were the most magnificent days in my life.
During Shen Yun promotion, I also fortunately became a member of the hotline team. I had some excellent conversations with people who bought tickets. Helping them see Shen Yun was a great honor for me.
Art Exhibition
In recent years, I’ve participated in the Art of Zhen Shan Ren International Exhibition. These artworks are stunning, and each one tells a story. During the exhibitions, I have seen visitors of all ages, and they were all fascinated by the artworks. Some children, in particular, were reluctant to leave—they wanted to stay longer to enjoy the artworks.
Over 10 exhibition guides formed a cultural association with weekly meetings. Besides studying the Falun Dafa teachings, we also made plans such as expanding the art exhibition to more cities.
We held seven exhibitions in the past 12 months. The most recent one was at a book fair in Gothenburg. We were assigned a prime location. Over 650 publishers and more than 82,000 visitors attended the fair.
Falun Dafa helped me understand the universe, as well as the interaction between heaven, earth, and mankind. In contrast, my pursuit of life’s purpose in the past was rather limited and insignificant. My mind has become calmer and this peace starts from my inner self outward—different from what I had thought earlier.
Looking within and constantly improving myself is a miraculous tool for cultivation practice. I am very thankful to have finally found a way home. While there have been many tests I have not handled well, they are getting fewer and far between. I am truly grateful to Master.
Thank you, Master!Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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