(Clearwisdom.net) As a member of the European Divine Land Marching Band, I participated in the Cultural Festival Parade held in Frankfurt, Germany on June 23, 2007 with more than a hundred other members of the band.
Prior to the event, I had heard from other practitioners that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had spent a huge amount of money and manpower in organizing many groups to join the parade in an effort to interfere with the Falun Gong group. The participating practitioners shared their understandings of the situation and came to the consensus that every previous attempt by the foolish CCP aimed at suppressing or damaging the Falun Gong group's participation in any event has ended in vain. This time, such a plan would not only fail in its' intention, but would provide a wonderful opportunity for the Chinese performers, organized by the CCP, to learn the facts about Falun Gong and be saved.
On June 22, I drove to Frankfurt with a fellow practitioner. When we were close to the city, I noticed that the entire sky was covered with thick dark clouds except for one area that was blue and clear. I said to the practitioner, "Look, Frankfurt must be underneath the blue sky. I suppose many practitioners have arrived and their strong righteous thoughts and energy field have started clearing the evil elements in all the dimensions of the city!" When we were in front of the forest of skyscrapers in Germany's financial center, the clear blue sky was right above the city.
On June 23, it was quite cloudy at daybreak, and it even drizzled. It felt as if the evil forces had tried with all their might to use the threatening weather to shake Falun Gong practitioners' righteous thoughts, and to interfere with our chance of assisting Teacher to save more sentient beings. However, Falun Gong practitioners walking toward godhood will never be affected by such trivial matters. We not only frequently sent forth righteous thoughts to clear away the evil elements and the evil Communist specter in other dimensions, but also became clearer about the shock and awe we brought against the evil factors by the Divine Land Marching Band's participation in the Great Cultural Parade. Upon seeing other band members' firm expressions and their conscientious attitudes while preparing, I constantly reminded myself, "As a particle of the Great Law and a member of the European Divine Land Marching Band, I must pay attention to every single thread of my thoughts at all times. I cannot let my attachments and notions provide any loopholes for the evil to affect the power of validating Dafa and saving sentient beings at this event. If I don't do well it will affect the entire band, as well as burden other practitioners." I tried my very best to examine myself and strengthen my righteous thoughts based on my foundation in cultivation practice and my understanding of the Great Law of the Universe.
At 10:00 a.m., all practitioners arrived at the starting point of the parade. Every practitioner in the Divine Land Marching Band, on the waist drum team, on the float and on the celestial maiden team was carefully preparing for the parade. Although it was still drizzling, the band's rehearsal music attracted many tourists who stopped to watch. When our rehearsal march passed a cruise ship in the River Main, the captain and his crew members ran up to the deck and yelled, "Good job! Keep up the good work!" Even the swans in the river were attracted by the divine music and swam alongside. The performers organized by the CCP looked in our direction as well, and the big drum that they were making a lot of noise with gradually quieted down.
At noon, the parade was about to begin. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered and rumbled above the starting point of the parade as if they were going to end the parade before it even started. The drizzle became rain, and the rain became a heavy downpour. Some parade groups sought refuge in their floats, and the groups hired by the CCP scattered and ran away. Among them, a red dragon team was dispersed by the heavy rain. Only members of the Falun Gong group stood unyieldingly with no one wavering or thinking of quitting. The group was made up of more than 100 people, from teenagers to 60-year-olds, who had melded into the universal principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They all stood up next to each other, holding their hearts together. Their energy field fired up to the sky and awed all the dimensions as if golden flowers were blossoming in the storm.
I watched the practitioners ahead of me become drenched in an instant, but the words "Falun Dafa is Good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" imprinted on the backs of their shirts were shining forth warmth and strength. A practitioner told me afterwards, that while standing with all the practitioners, she was moved to tears by their steadfastness and compassion, and her tears became mixed with the rain.
The storm was unabated, but the Diving Land Marching Band's drums and trumpets resounded stronger and stronger. Some musical instruments got water in them, but the practitioners emptied the water and continued. Then a miracle happened. In conditions that everyday people would find impossible to perform in, the music performed by the Divine Land Marching Band was not affected, but instead became more powerful and more touching. It seemed to head straight towards the sky. The spectators on the two sides were overwhelmed by the spectacular performance, and they cheered and clapped their hands. Two pedestrians ran over to hold an umbrella up for one practitioner. Later, the practitioner said with tears in her eyes, "My mind was quite empty. I only had a chance to say 'Thank you' to them between two pieces of music."
As soon as the storm stopped, a chilly wind started to blow. As I raised my arms to perform with my instrument, the wind blew against my drenched clothes and a chill enveloped my body. The discomfort is indeed hard to describe. A bad thought suddenly came up, "I want to give up." But at that moment, the leader ordered everyone to perform without stopping. When I saw the practitioners ahead of me all performing promptly, I thought of the brutal persecution that our fellow practitioners in China are suffering both physically and mentally. I suddenly realized the thought of quitting was not mine, but was actually interference from my attachment to ease and comfort. At the same time, I came to understand why we should persistently perform even at that moment. I was able to eliminate the bad notion with righteous thoughts.
The divine music shocked heaven and earth. The Diving Land Marching Band marched in firm step in an orderly and magnificent formation. Gradually the rain subsided, the wind stopped and the clouds dispersed.
When our band arrived at the halfway point on the parade route, the sun came out and shed its brightness and warmth to the earth. When we passed the first lookout, the Master of Ceremonies announced loudly, "The Falun Gong group is remarkable. They have not stopped playing since 10 o'clock. It is indeed a miracle!" The parade lasted three hours before we ended at the judging area. The Diving Land Marching Band had endured through storm and wind and brought sunshine. It moved every judge and spectator. Our clothes were drenched by the rain and dried by the wind, but we performed "Drums and Trumpets Shake the World in Ten Directions" for the judges and spectators in the freshest style. It was a splendid performance. When I heard the Master of Ceremonies exclaim emotionally, "Falun Gong is wonderful!" I could no longer hold back my tears.