(Minghui.org)
Greetings, Master!Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I would like to take the opportunity of the Canada Fa Conference to share some of my cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners about the process of hosting large group Fa studies and experience sharing sessions in Vancouver.
1. Righteous Thoughts Lead to Taking Initiative and Responsibility
Before I became a host, I had a lot of complaints about the atmosphere at the group Fa study and sharing sessions.
For example, it was common to see practitioners who were not punctual. They came late and left early, and the sharing atmosphere seemed dull and uninspired.
I thought about the problems that existed as a whole, and I wondered what I could do to change myself. This helpless state of mind stayed with me for a long time. My own situation was that I would come when I wanted to participate in the Fa study and sharing, and I would leave if I thought I had nothing to gain after listening to the sharing. It was as if I was just a guest and did not belong to the group. It seemed that if I left the environment, I wouldn’t even think of it and would not be bothered at all.
My cultivation state didn’t change until the end of 2015, when it was again a critical time of year for promoting Shen Yun in Vancouver. Ticket sales were in a dire situation. Even at such a critical moment, the atmosphere during sharing had not changed. More people than usual were attending, but it was still quiet.
I finally realized that if our overall state of cultivation did not improve, it would be difficult for our ticket sales to improve. The sharing atmosphere in our large group, to some extent, was a reflection of our overall cultivation state.
It came to the point where I could no longer tolerate my cultivation state. To describe it as intolerable meant that I had been indulging my negative state for a long time. I knew clearly that this environment was important, so why did I feel so powerless to change it? Knowing clearly that there was interference from the old forces behind it, why couldn’t I use righteous thoughts to break through this state?
So I took the initiative to approach the coordinator of the local Falun Dafa Association and share my views. Perhaps the coordinator sensed my willingness, and asked me if I would host the large group Fa study and sharing. I said simply, “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
After taking over this responsibility, I knew that at this point in the ticket sales, time was very tight. There was no time for me to get used to this new role. The weekly sharing opportunities for Shen Yun promotion couldn’t be wasted.
I definitely had some concerns in my heart. I looked inward, and I found that I was not sure if I could do a good job as a host.
In the past, when I listened to the experience sharing, I would say a few words if I wanted to speak. When I didn’t want to listen to the sharing, I would find an excuse for myself and would leave. Now as a host, my performance and cultivation state were going to be observed by my fellow practitioners. And as a host, I needed to find ways to encourage more practitioners to share. I found the attachments of self-protection, fear of being criticized and the fear of facing difficulties.
I thought that I should try my best to be a good host. If I was unable to do a good job, it would be completely fine to be replaced. I just wanted to do my part to improve the group sharing atmosphere. Those attachments couldn’t stop my willingness to do well! I told myself to let go of everything and get ready!
I started to prepare for my first time hosting. The sharing topic was very clear at the time – Shen Yun ticket sales. I talked with the coordinators from various cities and projects and asked them to recommend practitioners who might provide a good sharing. At the same time, I also intensified my Fa study and sent righteous thoughts to adjust my cultivation state.
A few days later, after the large group Fa study, I appeared in front of fellow practitioners for the first time as a host.
In addition to expressing my willingness to work with fellow practitioners to improve the atmosphere during our experience sharing, I also made some rules clear to everyone, such as: Fa study mainly uses Zhuan Falun, we should bring printed books and try not to use e-books, we should start Fa study right on time, and don’t bring new practitioners to the large group without the approval of the city coordinators and the host. I also explained how to handle other issues, such as outdoor parking, leaving early, etc.
After that, the practitioners who were recommended to share by the city coordinators shared their experiences. The whole sharing atmosphere was very smooth. At the end of the session, everyone was happy about the sharing and the changes. Many fellow practitioners came up to me afterward and gave me a lot of sincere encouragement.
Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa) said,
“I was only talking about the origin of human thoughts. There is something I have observed during the Fa-rectification: in dimensions where the Fa-rectification has yet to arrive, sometimes when a Dafa disciple’s thoughts are quite righteous, there is a righteous god or righteous elements present, serving to reinforce his righteous thoughts.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
The first hosting went well. I knew it was a result of righteous thoughts. It was Master’s blessing that made my first time hosting go so smoothly.
2. Breaking Through the Sharing Barrier with the Understanding of the Fa
During the next two weeks of sharing sessions, I followed the same pattern as the very first time. I asked my fellow practitioners to prepare for the sharing sessions in advance.
But then I suddenly wondered if I could keep doing this. Once I ran out of fellow practitioners who could participate in the sharing sessions, what should I do in the future? Moreover, the prearrangement might give the wrong impression to practitioners who wanted to participate in the sharing but hesitated so they would not disturb the arrangements. Such an environment could not be considered an environment where people could open their hearts and share freely.
Looking inward, I found that on the surface I was doing this to make the sharing session smoother and more rewarding. But there was fear hidden behind this; I was afraid of facing quietness, which would be an embarrassment for me. I was afraid that the embarrassment would make me lose face. In fact, it was the attachment of vanity.
Facing these barriers during the process of hosting, I thought about how I should break through these obstacles according to the Fa.
Problems in the sharing environment are not formed overnight, but are the reflections of problems that have accumulated over a long period of time. I shouldn’t expect that sharing a few times would make a big difference. More practitioners need to change their mindsets and truly improve. Yet at the current stage, every small improvement is progress.
The mentality of only wanting to listen to other people’s sharing and not wanting to contribute, when I thought about myself, is a form of selfishness that only wants to gain, and does not want to put in effort.
Master said,
“No matter what you do, you aren’t thinking that you’re doing something for Dafa, about how you should do things for Dafa, or "how can I do things well for this Fa." Instead, you are placing yourselves in Dafa. Like a particle of Dafa, [you feel that] no matter what it is, you should just do it.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America,” Guiding the Voyage)
Master’s teachings showed me that I hadn’t seen myself as a particle of Dafa before I became a host, particularly in the environment of the large group Fa study. For the subsequent large group sharings, I no longer asked fellow practitioners to prepare in advance. The topic of the sharing was still focused on Shen Yun promotion. Perhaps everyone was already used to the way I had conducted the first few sessions, so no one was prepared to do any sharing.
I brought up the topics of sharing and everyone was quiet. I knew that I had to face and break through this situation, so I was calm inside. When no one was willing to share, I talked about my own understandings. At the same time, I also quoted Master’s teachings to inspire people to initiate sharing.
Gradually, fellow practitioners began to speak and talk about their experiences. This, in turn, led to the exchange of ideas among practitioners. Because there was no pre-arrangement, everyone’s speeches were made on the spot. Although there were some brief moments of silence, the whole sharing turned out very well.
In the several subsequent large group sharing sessions, many practitioners took the initiative to share their experiences. Many felt that our overall state of cultivation was improving. A few weeks later, Shen Yun Performing Arts performed in Vancouver. That year, we made great progress with Shen Yun tickets sales.
3. Cultivating to Better Fulfill the Responsibilities of a Host
From late 2015 to the present, I gained some understanding of the responsibilities and connotations of a being host in a cultivation community.
One is to understand the responsibilities of a good host and to cherish the dedication of all fellow practitioners.
Master said,
“I can tell you that watching the videos, group study, group practice, and conferences like the one we’re holding today are the only forms of Dafa cultivation that I have left you.” (Teachings at the Conference in the Western U.S.)
Many fellow practitioners are fulfilling what Master wants in different ways;some fellow practitioners have been providing a very convenient Fa-study and sharing environment for everyone; some had to overcome many difficulties to participate in the group study and sharing; some took the initiative to share their cultivation experiences; some quietly undertook the maintenance of the venue, including cleaning, audio, lighting and other equipment. These are the different ways that practitioners use to harmonize our collective cultivation environment. Hosting is only one part of it. Practitioners will have different experiences every week. What the host needs to do is to guide everyone to share, so that everyone can gain something.
The content of the sharing should be considered on the level of overall cooperation. And we need to protect our sharing environment as well. Before the sharing, I often communicate with the coordinator of our local Falun Dafa Association, the city coordinators, and the heads of the projects to see what topics we currently need to share about. When choosing topics to discuss, it's necessary to distinguish primary and secondary topics. For example, since the launch of Shen Yun every year, all the sharing has been about how to promote Shen Yun well. If the topic deviates, I will pull it back in time.
Regarding protecting the sharing environment, after the pandemic was over, we had to decide whether to keep the form of online sharing in tandem with the face-to-face sharing. After discussing this with the coordinator of the local Falun Dafa Association, we decided not to keep the online sharing format and to fully return to the face-to-face Fa study and sharing format. The improvement of the environment is not easy to come by. If we don’t pay attention and don’t cherish it, the environment for studying the Fa and sharing could decline quickly.
Additionally, as a host, I also need to continue to review and improve my hosting skills. During the sharing session, I focus more on guiding people to share on the Fa. With specific cases, how we enlighten to the Fa is important. During the sharing process, when different situations arise, I will respond in different ways. At the same time, as the host, I will listen carefully to fellow practitioners’ sharing. Sometimes a sentence or even a word from a fellow practitioner’s sharing can inspire me deeply, and sometimes I will also share my experiences. Some of the experiences will be compiled into text and submitted to the Dafa disciples’ experience sharing website.
At the same time, the host needs to have a humble and tolerant attitude. I often remind myself to be humble and not show off. Whenever I hear praise from fellow practitioners, I immediately become alert and remind myself, “Have you done all the three things well that Master has asked Dafa disciples to do? You are far from what Master asked you to do. What is there to show off about?” By doing this, the attachment of showing off cannot emerge; I catch it and destroy it. Regarding tolerance, for a while, I was unhappy with practitioners who left after studying the Fa. I felt that they did not support the group sharing. But after thinking it over, I understood that everyone’s situation is different, and they might have their own arrangements. Maybe the practitioners have other things to do, or maybe the large group sharing is not good enough to attract them. I had a similar mentality before, so I can understand. With an inclusive and understanding mentality, I can deal with different situations more peacefully and rationally.
The most important thing of all is to keep up with personal cultivation. If I don’t study the Fa well, it will be difficult to grasp the rhythm of the sharing process. I know that studying the Fa well is the most fundamental guarantee for me to be a good host. When I study the Fa, I don’t seek quantity, but I must be attentive. If I start to slip in my attention, I need to study that part of the Fa again.
4. The Improvement of the Fa Sharing Environment Can Lead to the Improvement of the Overall State of Cultivation
In the past few years of large group Fa study and sharing sessions, whether it was face-to-face or online during the pandemic, the topics of sharing cover all aspects of cultivation. We have shared understandings about Master’s new lectures, special sharings on Shen Yun, the U.S. election, the global pandemic, changes in the cosmic climate, cooperation in truth-clarification projects and how fellow practitioners can cultivate to get rid of different attachments. Practitioners have truly felt that when we all pay attention to this environment, our overall cultivation state will improve.
The weekly group sharing can also be regarded as an informal small Fa conference. But we should not let it become a formality. The sharing among practitioners from different perspectives and at different levels, little by little, day by day, will gradually improve our cultivation environment and drive our overall ascension.
I am honored to be the host of the large group Fa study and sharing. I am also grateful to Master for his compassionate care, and to fellow practitioners for their support, which has allowed me to refine things and grow in the process.
I hope that more practitioners can take it as their duty to improve the environment for large group Fa study and sharing, so that we can continue to elevate our overall cultivation and better fulfill our prehistoric vows to help Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings.
This is my personal experience. If anything is inappropriate, fellow practitioners please kindly correct me.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2022 Canada Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)
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