(Clearwisdom.net) On January 19, 2008, the third show of "Divine Performing Arts on Tour" in Toronto, Canada ended amid the cheers and applause of the audience. After the show, many audience members lingered at the Sony Center for a long time and didn't want to leave. One of them was Joanna from Taiwan.
 Joanna: "It is not enough to use 'splendid and peerless' to describe the show. Every performance was superb." |
Joanna was a media and government worker for many years. She has always been very interested in Chinese culture, and also knows a lot about Buddhism. When this reporter interviewed Joanna, her facial expressions showed that she was deeply moved. She slowly revealed that she was touched to the very source of her life. The following are her feelings and insights about the performance.
It's not enough to describe the show by Divine Performing Arts with words like "splendid and peerless"
"This is the first time I've seen the show by Divine Performing Arts. It is not enough to use 'splendid and peerless' to describe the show. Every performance was superb. This show uses pure stage performances to express the lives, thoughts, emotions, and historical facts of human beings. Art performances based on real lives are really touching and moving. While watching the show, I could not hold back my tears.
"I learned traditional Chinese dance in my younger days. I liked all the dances in the show. In the dances, the female dancers were so soft and elegant and the male dancers so strong and powerful. The vigorous 'Herding on the Mongolia Plains' and powerful 'Drummers of the Tang Court' were wonderful! In fact, all parts of the program are great and superb."
Joanna continued, "I feel that it's just excellent and creative the way Divine Performing Arts brought Chinese culture and ordinary Chinese things, as well as objects used at festivals in ancient times, onto the stage. Then they combined them with exquisite lighting and the large hi-tech backdrops to make it all come to life for the audience. It's very hard to express many scenes, such as Gods from heaven, angels, and clouds. Ordinary people can't picture these truths. However, Divine Performing Arts showed them using 3-dimensional motion pictures on the backdrop. This is really surprising and admirable."
Divine Performing Arts educates the society with benevolence, beauty, and truthfulness
Joanna felt that the music performed throughout the evening was very moving. "The singers not only had great skills, but also interpreted so well the deep meanings of the songs. The songs not only expressed the path that Falun Gong practitioners would like to walk while facing persecution, misunderstandings and viciousness from other people, but also taught people how to behave well and have better lives in the future. The singers' interpretations were wonderful and they will definitely inspire people's thoughts."
She continued, "Confucius said: 'Set on what is right, base yourself on virtue, lean upon benevolence and take your recreation in the six arts [i.e. Music, the rites, archery, carriage driving, classic books and arithmetic].' Performances such as this are among the arts and can be classified into the category of enrichment. I think the Chinese Communist Party has almost completely destroyed Chinese traditional culture. However, today's show displays the very essential part of our traditional oriental culture. The Divine Performing Arts' global tour shows make Chinese traditional culture endure and spread. Divine Performing Arts silently influences people and profoundly touches people's hearts through the format of an artistic performance. This kind of benevolent, beautiful and true education has a more powerful influence on society than any show of force or shouting. I want to thank Falun Gong practitioners' efforts in making the Chinese culture continue. I was moved by their sense of vocation, their spirit and actions."
Divine Performing Arts shows set the human spirit free
Joanna believes that Divine Performing Arts performances are passing good and beautiful messages to their audiences. "Evil messages are like a plague; however, good messages will have good effects on the human mind. To those who violently persecute you, you do not fight back with violence but return with 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.' I think this is a very good way. Without great tolerance and a benevolent heart, one cannot act like this. How touching it is! I shed tears realizing this.
Before, I had only seen some news on TV about the persecution of Falun Gong. I do not know much about Falun Gong. However, I agree with their principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance,' which may be my predestined relationship that the Buddha School teaches about. In modern society, people are at a loss. When society loses direction and lacks ideals, the healthy messages and the principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance' passed on by this show provide us with a good direction to take. Actually, people should follow this direction early, and apply 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance' throughout our lives. People can get along with each other and not kill one another. I think that 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance' are actually the ideals and spiritual truths of a very high level. They are concepts and spiritual nutrition for modern people. In this day and age, we especially need these concepts."
Joanna then said, "I very much admire the fact that Falun Gong practitioners can still have such firm beliefs under such a suppression. It is really a very high spiritual realm. When I saw the scene where the girl was beaten to death in order to protect her fellows and the gods came down to take her to Heaven, I was so moved and could not help crying. I know, to those who really have faith, the persecution in the human world and their suffering in body and mind cannot prevent them from seeking the truth. They have a higher level of ideals.
I think Falun Gong points out a correct direction for humanity, and practitioners follow this direction themselves. This is truly benevolent!"
