(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I realized from the perspective of the Fa that accomplishments depend on a high level xinxing. In order to promote the Shen Yun Performing Arts show well, we need to cultivate ourselves well first. I would like to share my experiences while promoting Shen Yun this year.
1. Cooperating with the Overall Plan
While participating in the promotion of Shen Yun, I often think about the Fa principle of cooperating well as one body. This year was the first time Shen Yun performed in our area. After we finalized the show time, the practitioners in our area have all been very cooperative. Although we had small arguments, most of us search within and understand that we all need to put ourselves in the other's shoes.
We had discussions on how to introduce Shen Yun. There were different opinions. Master has taught us clearly that we need to unconditionally carry out the decisions of the main coordinator. Therefore, I did not spend time thinking about how to do this in my way. I just followed the introduction script prepared by the local Dafa Association. We put more focus on making presentations to mainstream society. I realized that firmly believing in Master and the Fa will make a lot of things easily successful.
2. “Cultivation depends on one’s own Efforts, while the transformation of Gong is Done by One’s Master.” (Zhuan Falun)
Master said, “selling a ticket equates to saving a person.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”) Some practitioners who did presentations came to share their experience with us. They talked about how to effectively use PowerPoint presentation to introduce Shen Yun to more people in the community. We felt that was a great approach.
We formed a promotion team shortly thereafter. The practitioners with strong organization skills are responsible for contacting the communities. Practitioners with computer skills are responsible for setting up the equipment. The practitioners with good presentation skills are responsible for doing the actual presentation. Those who are good at communication are responsible for public relations. Those practitioners with good patience are responsible for consulting and ticket sales. We arranged time for group study, sharing, training, and rehearsal. Through practicing every single detail over and over again, we were hoping for the best results during the actual presentation.
I was assigned to do the actual presentation. The introduction script was about 10 minutes long. I remember when I first started preparing, I recited it over 100 times, but I still was not fluent with it. Once, I was reciting it until I felt nauseous. I heard a voice, “Take a break. You are pretty good already.” I immediately realized that it was the attachment to comfort, not me. There is no second chance for each presentation. I cannot destroy the sentient beings' longing to be saved due to my own perfunctory practice. I continued my effort and I was able to fluently present Shen Yun. Once, after I was done with the presentation at an insurance company, the manager there told us that we were the best sales representatives. “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Zhuan Falun) I deeply felt that as long as we do things wholeheartedly, Master will give us the best.
3. The Great Power of Working Together as One Body
After the promotion team was done with the preparation, we used the group study opportunity for rehearsal, hoping to get everybody's righteous thoughts to support the effort. Later, everybody used their own connections to get presentation opportunities. With everybody's help, we did about 50 presentations during one month. We were able to sell tickets right after the presentations and received good effects.
The practitioners who were not part of the promotion team also realized through the group sharing that as long as they use their righteous thoughts to support the team, it takes every practitioner's power for each ticket we sell. One practitioner told me that she was not able to participate in the presentations, but she supported us with her righteous thoughts, and she also increased the number of truth-clarification calls she made to mainland China. An elderly practitioner told me that she increased the time she spent on sending forth righteous thoughts every day to support our effort. Once, when we left from our group Fa study site and headed for a presentation, a practitioner came over and gave us a lunch box and said, “Put more power to it together.” I understand that one of the success factors of the presentations is the trust amongst fellow practitioners and the support and righteous thoughts we have for one another.
4. Letting Go of Human Notions
This year, in terms of the amount of high-price tickets, a few practitioners and I thought we should allocate more. After discussion, our suggestion was not adopted. During our promotion process, we found out that many of the mainstream people were not interested in the inexpensive tickets, which further validated my thought. Therefore, I often thought to myself that we did not make the right decision.
The coordinator organized a sharing and asked all of us to search within. I did not realize at the time that I had an issue. Later, after I studied the Fa, I suddenly realized that my self-validation attachment was very strong. I forgot what Dafa taught us, that even when the approach is not perfect, if we work as one-body, miracles will still happen. It became more and more clear to me that my doubtful thoughts about a decision that was already made will reduce the power as one-body. The everyday people are held back by our impure thoughts.
After I identified this area of improvement, I decided to start over with a positive attitude. I told myself that high-priced and low-priced tickets are all good seats. Saving sentient beings is what is most important. After I changed my viewpoint, when I went out to promote Shen Yun again, the ticket price was no longer an issue. I remember that when a bank manager was hesitating because there were no more high-priced tickets available, I told her, “Shen Yun's program is fabulous every year. I hope you don't miss it.” She ended up buying 16 of the lower-priced tickets.
Once, I went to promote Shen Yun at a rotary club. They ordered a dozen tickets right then and asked me to deliver the tickets to them the following week. The president reminded me to bring more tickets when I return because some of the members did not attend that week. So I called the ticketing center immediately and asked them to save the remaining 12 tickets at the same price for that show. However, when I received the tickets, I saw that the tickets were all the leftover corner seats, with two seats together, three seats together, one individual seat, and six seats along the hallway. My human notion surfaced immediately, thinking, “I might not be able to sell these ticket easily...”
When I delivered the tickets the following week, the president announced for everyone to connect with me directly. A married couple first bought the two seats. A manager bought the three seats. Then a cafeteria manager said it was his day-off that day: so he happily bought the individual ticket. At last, a nicely dressed lady came over and said, “I know the tickets are going fast. Can you please see if you could get me six tickets along the hallway? My family likes hallway seats.” I said, “This is so wonderful. These six tickets are as if just prepared for you.” It turned out that these 12 tickets sold out. Master made me realize through this experience that it has all been arranged for who to sit where. It was my human notions that thought these tickets wouldn't be sold easily. We do not even need to think about it. We just need to carry out the task.
5. We Need to Study the Fa Regardless of How Busy We Are
During the promotion period, time was very tight due to different activities, work, and family life. However, I clearly understood that ensuring the quality of Fa-study is very critical. Master taught us the reasons why gong is not increased, one of them is “without knowing the Fa of high levels.”(Zhuan Falun) We are being pushed forward very fast in cultivation. The part that has been cultivated well is being separated immediately. Maintaining a good state of Fa-study as well as paying attention to xinxing cultivation will ensure that we continue to improve. While participating in promotion, I found it easier to identify my own shortcomings and attachments. However, I know that I need to ensure the quality of Fa-study in order to take full advantage of the opportunities Master arranged for me to eliminate my attachments. I have been able to study two lectures every day. I found that, for the things that I was very attached to during the day, I was able to smile at them after I studied the Fa at night.
During that period of time, I felt significant financial pressure at home because my husband lost his job. It was as if the old forces attempted to distract me with my own life issues to miss the opportunity to save sentient beings. The schedule was always very tight every day. Several times, when it was about time to go out for the presentation, I could not keep from shedding a few tears of despair. I alerted myself, if I cannot pass the test well, I would be going out to save sentient beings with an impure heart. Therefore, I started reciting the Fa to keep myself clear-headed. With the Fa, all troubles and difficulties will go away. I know Master has been protecting me along the way. All I need to do is firmly believe in Master and the Fa.
Every time I do a presentation, I clearly understand that I am the messenger of the gods. Master's Fashen is right beside us. I only have a strong will to save sentient beings. Once, while presenting, I clearly saw Master's Fashen sitting in a circle around the conference room, making hand signs. The cells in my entire body were shocked.
6. Letting Go of Sentimentality in True Cultivation
With the mutual effort of all practitioners, the ticket sales in our area has been going well. For a while, I kept receiving calls from practitioners in other areas to invite me to share my experience with them. At first, I felt pressure and wanted to avoid the obligation to share my experiences with them. I knew that was not right. So I searched within, “Why do I feel pressured?”
While studying the Fa, I read about Master's example of somebody becoming an Arhat. Both excitement and fear made his cultivation end in vain. An Arhat should be free of attachments, with a heart that cannot be affected. I suddenly realized that my mood is also a reflection of my human notions. I was afraid that others would affect my improvement in my cultivation. This selfish thought won over the thought of helping fellow practitioners to improve together. After I identified this selfish thought, I became clear-minded again. I truly wanted to help and support other practitioners.
These are only my personal thoughts. At last, I would like to say that I only did very little. Master has done so much for me. I am so grateful to Master! I would like to thank the fellow practitioners who have been cooperating as one body!
