(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, Fellow Practitioners!
In “Dafa Spiritual Practice Is Serious,” Master Li Hongzhi said,
“Although the spiritual discipline that Dafa disciples engage in is quite loose in form, the standard for them, as individuals committed to spiritual development, is strict, and solemn, and their historic missions are serious and weighty.”
I now realize that Master Li’s compassion has pushed us forward in cultivation and reminded us of our vows to fulfill our historic mission and help save people. I would like to share some of my cultivation experiences with the Melbourne Tian Guo Marching Band.
Practicing Dafa
Atheism instilled in me the idea that religions and qigong were superstitions. In early 1994, I put aside a copy of Falun Gong. I thought that the book just taught people to be good, and I had always been a good person with high moral standards and an excellent academic record.
A local coordinator invited me to attend Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) classes that Master Li was giving in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, July 15-18, 1994. That was first time I had the good fortune to meet Master. He was kind, upright, and affable while patiently answering questions the practitioners raised. The guesthouse staff remarked, “Your master is different from others. You sent him a large breakfast, and he ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and did not waste anything. He kept his room really clean and folded his bedding neatly. We didn’t need to clean or tidy up anything.”
I later attended two more series of lectures. The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance were inspiring, and I felt that the world would be more wonderful if everyone could cultivate! Falun Dafa was exactly what I had been looking for, and so I began my cultivation journey.
Joining the Tian Guo Marching Band
Four Tian Guo Marching Bands in the Asia-Pacific Region were invited for the first time to celebrate the 82nd birthday of King Bhumibol of Thailand on December 5, 2009. That was the first time I had witnessed such a magnificent performance. More than 200 band members, mainly from Taiwan, made for a powerful and impressive presence. Their drumming resounded and stirred those in attendance. It was a powerful performance, and I was so deeply moved that I burst into tears.
No matter where they were, until the parade ended, the members of the band remained absolutely quiet, their instruments neatly arranged in rows on the floor. This level of self-discipline impressed me greatly.
I moved to Sydney, Australia, in early 2011. One day as I was watching the Sydney Tian Guo Marching Band perform in Hyde Park, a practitioner said to me that the band was short-handed and that I could join. She offered me her snare drum and introduced me to the band coordinator during the break. That was how, as I'd hoped, I became a member of the band.
Cultivating Xinxing and Improving My Skills
I’d played the snare drum in my elementary school marching band. The beats were simple and unchanging, and I thought I could participate in performances after only a few rehearsals. But the Tian Guo Marching Band played Falun Dafa pieces, and each piece had a different score. I could neither read music nor understand rhythm. I practiced along with videos of four Dafa pieces that a band member gave me. I also listened to the band rehearse every week, but I learned the basics only superficially.
I could not play notes accurately or stay on the beat. I was often criticized for my poor skills and sometimes became a scapegoat when the drum team did not stay in sync, despite the fact that I did not practice during rehearsals. Instead of looking inward, I complained about being treated unfairly. I resented the fact that they did not teach me patiently and just wanted me to catch up quickly. With this negative mindset, I just could not play my drum properly.
Our drum team arranged weekly rehearsals and group lessons to improve our coordination. But we spent most of the time practicing fundamentals and etudes, with little time left for Dafa pieces. I felt that the fundamentals could be practiced at home and that practicing Dafa pieces more would help improve the coordination of our sound. After failing to convince the team leaders to dedicate time equally to practice both, I lost my enthusiasm and stopped going to drum lessons for almost a year.
It later became a requirement that each band member had to pass a test on eight Dafa songs before they could participate in parades and performances. While I did well when others played with me, I was not confident about playing solo with a metronome. One of the songs on the test was “Falun Dafa Is Good.” It took me three times to pass it even though I did fine when I practiced at home. I either played out of sync or forgot the score. I was extremely upset.
Some practitioners suggested I switch to another instrument, and others advised me to quit. I thought that being able to join the drum team in the Tian Guo Marching Band could not have been accidental. If I gave up, I would not be able to fulfill my vow. Plus, the Sydney Tian Guo Marching Band was still short on members. So I stayed.
I went back to the drum lessons and practiced harder, but the results were still not good. I failed the second test on the first try. I did not look inward for my own problems and blamed my failure on the lack of time we got to practice the Dafa songs in class. Another practitioner advised that I could not expect everyone to accommodate me. Her words woke me up, and I suddenly realized that I was being selfish. They did not have to waste their time practicing with me, because they already knew the Dafa songs well.
The band first focused on intensive training on major pieces just for performances. The members were then required to build on the fundamentals to improve technically, and I had consistently neglected fundamental training and focused solely on test results. I failed to see this process as a means to improving my skills. I fell far behind everyone else and just wanted to play catch-up. I wanted Master to teach me, even if just an enlightenment in a dream.
Our drum lessons then changed to one-on-one classes. I met with a good teacher, who had taught our original drumming instructor. This teacher was experienced and responsible. He first built up my confidence and patiently practiced the basics with me at the start of each class. He taught me the sheet music and Dafa songs so that I could play each note very well. I made rapid progress and passed the tests.
From this experience, I learned that I must emphasize mastering the fundamentals to improve my technique. If I don’t, my drumbeats will be stiff. After that, whenever I practiced at home, I always started with the fundamentals. When rehearsals were suspended during the pandemic, I was able to finish the assignments diligently.
I am grateful for the selflessness of the band conductor, team leaders, and fellow practitioners. They reviewed our assignments and offered suggestions for improvement. My technique improved significantly that year, and so did my xinxing. The higher one’s xinxing, the higher one’s gong. There is no shortcut.
Master said,
“It’s performing arts after all, so the higher the caliber, the more people are going to be receptive to it and the greater the changes that are going to occur in people. They thus have to be perfect performances.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2007 New York Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World. Volume VIII)
Although the Tian Guo Marching Band is an amateur band, it holds itself to high standards and seeks to continue to improve on a technical level. The more perfect the performance, the more attractive it will be and the more effective at saving people.
Clarifying the Truth With Music
Over the past 15 years with the Tian Guo Marching Band, I have participated in parades and performances every year to clarify the truth and express opposition to the persecution. The parades in Hong Kong, the Winter Festival in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Toowoomba in Queensland, and in Christchurch in New Zealand were particularly unforgettable.
In Hong Kong, we were under karmic pressure due to immense evil interference. We were yelled at and slandered by members of the Hong Kong Youth Care Association. They also blasted loudspeakers to disrupt our performance, but we played with peaceful mindsets. The powerful sound of our drums and horns that resonated throughout the area would clear the evil influence and awaken people’s consciences. It was scorching hot in July, and playing nonstop for over three hours was very arduous. Although we were tired, it was well worth the effort.
The atmosphere in Australia and New Zealand, by contrast, was relaxed and joyful. Our performances demonstrated the beauty of Dafa and the demeanor of practitioners. In some cities, the parades attracted over 100,000 spectators.
As our procession passed by the reviewing stands, the commentators would introduce Falun Dafa and the Tian Guo Marching Band to the crowds of people, who cheered, applauded, and took photos. Some even clapped and danced to our music. Our majestic drumming and beautiful traditional costumes evoked their long-forgotten memories. I was incredibly gratified.
I've realized that our parades can give tens of thousands of people an opportunity to know about Falun Gong and the persecution. Clarifying the truth with our music is very powerful and effective. My participation in these parades made me better understand the role of the marching band in saving those who are predestined. I would regret it if I could not take part in these performances.
Conclusion
I am fortunate and honored to be a member of the Tian Guo Marching Band. I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow practitioners for their help. Without them, I might have given up on the band halfway along my journey.
From my experiences, I cannot imagine how much suffering Master has endured for me on my cultivation path, but I know that he has always protected me. To repay Master’s kindness, I will cherish this opportunity even more, work harder, and cultivate myself more diligently.
(Selected submission for the Cultivation Experience-Sharing Conference Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Tian Guo Marching Band)
