(Minghui.org) Greetings, compassionate and venerable Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I’d like to tell you about some of my experiences while promoting Shen Yun in 2022.
Reading the Fa with Utter Seriousness Is the Basis of Everything
In order to ensure that we have sufficient time to the study the Fa and truly focus, several practitioners and I get up early every day and read Zhuan Falun (the principal teachings of Falun Dafa) from 4:00 – 5:50 a.m. After sending righteous thoughts from 5:55 – 6:10 a.m., we memorize the Fa from 6:20 – 7:30 a.m. While reading or memorizing the Fa, we do not rush, nor are we attached to how much we memorize. We pay attention to eliminating the attachment of impatience. We read each word carefully and slowly so that each word of the Fa appears before our eyes. When other practitioners are reading, we silently read along with them. When someone mispronounces words, we look inside to see if we have the same problem.
When we memorize the Fa, we take turns to recite one sentence repeatedly until we get it into our hearts, and then we continue. We empty our minds and think of nothing else. Because we study the Fa in the early morning, we are able to avoid any interference, such as having to answer urgent phone calls or emails, and we do not think about issues involving the promotion of Shen Yun. We just follow Master’s request: to concentrate our mind and focus on cultivation; to find our own shortcomings. We remind each other that in the process of studying the Fa we are assimilating to the Fa and improving our cultivation.
At one point, I recited this passage from Lecture Eight of Zhuan Falun:
“We want all of the body’s energy channels to be opened up right from the outset. Eighty to ninety percent of you will find that your bodies have now become light and illness-free. But in this class we do more than just boost your body to the point of being completely purified; we also plant many things in your body so that you can develop higher energy during the course of the classes. What I am doing amounts to lifting you up and putting you far ahead. Your very character is changing as I give my teachings during these sessions. Many of you will feel like a new person after the classes are over. I guarantee that your view of the world will have expanded and you will know what it takes to be a good person; you will no longer be confused about life. I’m confident of this. What this means is that your character will be keeping pace [with the physical changes that occur]. (The Eighth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Reciting this Fa passage over and over again, I felt a tremendous amount of Buddha light and energy emanated from the words, and Master’s Fashen (Law Body) opened up all of the hundreds of energy channels for the other practitioners and me. The fields between us suddenly opened and we could communicate. Our bodies in each dimension were completely purified and reached a state of lightness and health, without illness or disease. Different layers of our bodies were enveloped in the compassionate Fa light, and Master planted a lot of good things in us.
I looked inside and found that when I promoted Shen Yun, I was self-centred and picked things to do that I thought were important because I was attached to my own abilities. I realized that I should stop picking and choosing in such a “confused” manner, and stop artificially setting up my own cultivation path.
When I recited the phrase, “I’m confident of this,” the affirmative tone of Master’s words filled me with determined faith in Dafa and I felt my character/xinxing was being elevated. I decided to change, and do whatever I was assigned. I was willing from the bottom of my heart to cooperate with fellow practitioners as one body to participate in the 2022 Shen Yun promotion.
Challenges and Opportunities Co-exist
On the surface, many uncertainties we faced during the COVID pandemic made promoting Shen Yun difficult. I understood that the difficulties and uncertainties that manifest actually reflected the need for us practitioners to improve our xinxing and our understanding of the Fa. If we can improve our xinxing and understanding in a timely manner, these challenges will not and should not have an impact on our ability to promote Shen Yun.
Another practitioner asked me to follow up on a phone call, and I reminded myself to cooperate fully and unconditionally. When I called the number, an Asian lady answered and said that she had wanted to see Shen Yun for many years, but was never able to.
She was excited and happy that I reached out to her. After learning that she wanted to buy eight $130 tickets to take her family to a show in Mississauga, I checked the available tickets in the Ticketing Box system. She wanted the family to sit together because there were adults and children, and they were only all able to attend the Saturday afternoon 2 p.m. show. When I checked the system, I found that there were not eight open $130 tickets available. By 11 p.m., she was still texting about it. In order to meet her needs, another practitioner contacted the theatre and they said they would transfer eight $150 tickets (that were together) from the theatre. I asked the customer if she would be willing to upgrade her ticket price from $130 to $150. She said she felt that we were working very hard for her, so she readily agreed to upgrade to $150, and thanked us repeatedly.
When we were about to proceed with the credit card payment, the lady suddenly said, “We’ve only communicated by phone and texts, but we have never met in person. Why should I trust you with my credit card information?” Hearing her tone of voice changing from thankful to questioning in just a few seconds, I did not feel upset and reminded myself to remain unmoved and keep smiling.
I replied, “I don’t mind your questioning me. I can put myself in your shoes, and I can understand where you are coming from. Actually, you don’t have to worry at all, because you are paying with a credit card, and if you find out later that the bill doesn’t match the actual purchase, you can absolutely ask the bank to refuse payment! That way you can be sure to pay only what you are supposed to pay.” She replied that it made sense to her, so she immediately provided her credit card information.
As I processed her order on the computer, I said, “I have been volunteering for Shen Yun promotion for more than a decade, and the key I rely on is honesty, trust, and consideration for Shen Yun’s audience. Some patrons who have purchased group tickets are satisfied with our service and feel that we are so reliable that they keep coming back to see Shen Yun with a new group every year.” When she heard this, the lady said that after buying these eight tickets, she would also tell more of her friends and colleagues to come see Shen Yun.
While the pandemic has brought challenges, it has presented opportunities as well. Another practitioner gave me the phone number of a private school, and I again fully cooperated to follow up. After contacting the school, I found out that they received a grant during the pandemic and the principal was planning to use the money to see Shen Yun. After communicating with the principal several times, they purchased 36 tickets for the Wednesday 2 p.m. show. Because it was mostly students, the school needed to have their parents sign a consent form. Some parents were from China, and this set off an uproar. In the words of the principal, the school’s phone was ringing off the hook non-stop, and from her strained tone I knew the principal was under a lot of pressure.
I felt that no matter how much time I spent, or what words I used to introduce the beauty and values of Shen Yun, it was better to have the principal come and see Shen Yun first. After seeing the show, the principal said that Shen Yun was so beautiful that she couldn’t praise it enough. The principal decided to write an email to the parents, to the effect that, as principal, she had seen Shen Yun and could responsibly tell everyone that seeing Shen Yun was the best art experience for the students. After she sent out this email, all the concern and noise came to an immediate end. The principal told me that the school received all the parental consent forms.
I realized that selling tickets to see Shen Yun was only one step in saving people. We need to keep sending righteous thoughts and communicate with them about the theatre’s rules regarding the pandemic, including the fact that the venue still required masks. We should not relax right after they bought tickets. We should keep sending righteous thoughts until they have seen the show, with no interference.
I explained to the principal that Shen Yun is a complete artistic “feast” and that we must not miss any of the individual performances on the program. The principal therefore took the transportation and staffing arrangements for the trip very seriously. On the day of the performance, students and faculty arrived early at the theater. By the end of the show, they were all smiling. The principal said that when she returned to school, she asked the students to rate the show. (Of course, we know that no one is entitled to rate Shen Yun’s performances.) She wanted to get feedback from the students, so she asked them to rate the show on a scale of 1 to 10. As a result, the majority of them gave the show a perfect 10, some gave it an 11. Some others felt that a “perfect” score was not enough to express their love, so they gave it an “infinity” score. The principal replied to us, “Congratulations on the success of the Shen Yun performance! Shen Yun’s beautiful performance left a deep impression on the students’ minds.” After the show, some students told her that they would ask their parents to take them to see Shen Yun again.
Cultivating Kindness
A university staff member was interested in bringing some people to see Shen Yun, saying she had seen a similar performance in mainland China. It was obvious that we needed to further clarify the truth to her, including explaining Shen Yun’s mission and good values, and why Shen Yun was currently touring five continents but could not be performed in mainland China. I also said that some mainland officials and educated individuals were flying to Taiwan and other regions to see Shen Yun because they knew that Shen Yun is reviving China’s 5,000-year-old civilization. After several emails, phone calls and text messages, she went ahead and ordered 20 tickets.
I said, “You’re not just bringing your group to see a show; you’re giving them an unforgettable, beautiful, and inspiring lifetime experience. They will really appreciate it when their understanding side knows what you’ve done for them. You’re doing a great thing for the community.” She was encouraged. Soon, she ordered 20 more tickets. In the beginning, when I sent righteous thoughts, I always focused on how to sell tickets. By the time she bought 40, I realized that perhaps in history she had made a vow that when Dafa spread around the world, and when Shen Yun came to save people, she would bring her predestined sentient beings to see Shen Yun so they could be saved by Master.
After I realized this, the next time I sent righteous thoughts I did not focus on how to sell tickets, but to help her fulfill the vow she made in prehistory. It might be because I had a very kind thought for her, she soon ordered 5 more tickets. Her order kept increasing to 47, 49, 51, and then 2 more on the show day, for a total of 53 tickets. She sent me a text message saying, “It looks like a lot more people are requesting tickets, as if they wake up at the last minute.”
Following the Course of Nature
I understand that “... let things unfold naturally” (The Second Talk, Zhuan Falun) is not only the ability to let go of one’s personal gains and losses, but also the ability to let go of the notions and experiences formed in doing things in the human world. It is a beautiful state of cultivation. “...let things unfold naturally” is not doing nothing; instead, it is doing one’s best but with no pursuit – following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance in one’s individual cultivation. It is just like “...following along with the mechanisms that are in place” (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun) while doing the exercises – following the mechanism set by the cosmic changes in Master’s Fa-rectification.
On the day of Shen Yun’s opening performance in Toronto, my phone was set on mute. Just as I was about to enter the theatre, I saw an incoming call with an area code from New Brunswick. The province is thirteen and a half hours away from Toronto by car and more than two hours away by plane, and I don’t know anyone there. Nine times out of ten, it’s a commercial sales call. I was thinking of refusing to answer it. But on second thought, I asked myself not to be led by any human notion but instead just follow the course of nature. Why not just answer it?
It turned out to be a parent of a gymnastics club in that province. Their children were coming to Toronto to compete in the Canada East Annual Gymnastics Championships on Thursday and Friday, and they were thinking about what to do on Saturday. I said, “The timing is so perfect. Why don’t you just follow the course of nature and watch Shen Yun on Saturday night!” After I explained the values and beauty of Shen Yun, the parent was so impressed that she purchased 11 tickets for her group. Could this have happened because I set aside my human notions and followed Master’s arrangement?
During the competition, members of this gymnastics club won four gold medals and one silver medal. The gymnasts and their coaches were very happy and admired Shen Yun and called the performances, “Divine beauty.” They said that they didn’t realize until after watching Shen Yun that many movements in gymnastics actually originated from traditional Chinese classical dance, and that they learned a lot from Shen Yun.
The Mighty Power of Dafa Manifests When We Cooperate
Before Shen Yun came to Toronto this year, we applied for a city permit to have Shen Yun banners displayed on the highway bridges. We were told that the city staff had concerns about the tagline “China Before Communism” because they thought it was political.
Master taught us,
“Wherever there is a problem, that’s where you need to go resolve things and where you need to go clarify the facts.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume III)
We first clarified the truth to this staff member. After she understood, she said that the decision was not hers, and we had to speak to her manager. So we wrote another email to the manager. I was very moved by our coordinator’s great care and deliberation in composing the content of the email. We completed our email at night, thinking that although it was already past work hours, since time was pressing, we shouldn’t delay in sending it out.
Before we sent righteous thoughts, we reminded each other that the email was important to the manager and he should read it carefully. The next day the coordinator and I sent forth righteous thoughts together. I called the manager twice, but he did not answer. The coordinator said he felt that the manager was in a decision position at this time, and that his understanding side must be very eager to learn the truth.
The coordinator said that he informed the other practitioners to help by sending righteous thoughts for this matter. I felt that we practitioners were one body with no gaps. We cooperated with each other as one body, and many fellow practitioners were sending forth righteous thoughts with pure minds and helping Master to save sentient beings. This also prompted me to look inside, as nothing happens incidentally. Was I being tested because my own human notions and previous fear that some people may not understand this tagline were not removed? When I sent righteous thoughts again, I was very careful to cleanse myself of any lingering worries and notions.
Master said,
“The old forces don’t dare to oppose our clarifying the truth or saving sentient beings. What’s key is to not let them take advantage of the gaps in your state of mind when you do things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2002 Conference in Boston, U.S.A.” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume II)
I reminded myself to set my state of mind right in clarifying the truth.
At 3:00 p.m., while I was doing something else, suddenly my phone automatically started the music for righteous thoughts. I was supposed to turn it on manually. I realized that it was our compassionate Master reminding me to send righteous thoughts again. I quickly put down what I was doing, sat down, and sent righteous thoughts. I called the manager right after and he answered immediately. We had a three-way call with the coordinator, and we answered the manager’s questions and removed his concerns. After we clarified the truth in depth, the large Shen Yun 2022 bridge banners with the tagline “China Before Communism,” in big golden letters were hung on the highway bridges. They displayed the mighty power of Dafa to dissolve the evil, and achieve the effect of saving sentient beings.
The above is my personal understanding. If anything I’ve said is not in line with the Fa, please compassionately point it out.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
Heshi!
(Presented at the 2022 Canada Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)
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