(Minghui.org)
Hello, respected Master!
Hello, fellow practitioners!
This year, Belgium hosted Shen Yun for the sixth time. During the previous years, I felt very tired during Shen Yun promotion and after the show. I also felt great mental pressure year after year. Afterwards, I tried to look inward, but didn't seem to find the true answer. This year, I put in more time and effort than ever before. It's also the first time that I learned to look inward in a timely manner when encountering problems, and to correct myself as soon as possible. As a result, I enlightened to the Fa during the whole process. My heart is often filled with joy. Although I have been cultivating in Dafa for 14 years, I feel that only now have I truly learned how to cultivate. I would like to share my experience with everyone.
1. Clearly Understanding Our Historical Mission, Saving More Sentient Beings
In the first half of last year, I decided to close my profitable business that I had run for over 10 years in order to do Dafa-related work full time. Close to the time when the company was to be shut down, I often suffered pain in my heart. I rarely had physical pains before, except mental heartache on the occasions when I had difficulty getting rid of my attachments during tribulations. But this time it was real physical pain. I didn't have any regret or hesitation about closing down my company. What was causing my pain? The pain continued for weeks.
It was early December when we started our local Shen Yun promotion. In the early stages, we usually gave out flyers at nice theatres after their show was over. I asked myself to treat every task related to Shen Yun promotion seriously. Every time I went to the theatre, I studied the Fa first, and sent righteous thought on the way to the theatre. One time, I started to feel pain in my heart again on the way to the theatre. I forced myself to think about the Fa I had just studied.
Suddenly Master's teaching in “What is a Dafa Disciple” appeared in my mind:
“You are Dafa disciples, and countless beings above, beings simply limitless in number, envy you. If today I were to offer any high-level god, no matter his greatness, the chance to come and be a Dafa disciple, he would leap at the opportunity in a split second—the instant my words reached him he would come. He would be simply elated, for everyone who is aware knows that this way he could not only save himself, but also the countless sentient beings of his world.”
Elated! Elated! I repeated this word again and again. My heartache disappeared instantly. Although I have read this part of the Fa many times, at that moment I had a deep understanding of these words. Yes! I am a Dafa disciple who is envied by countless beings in the universe! Is there anything that I can't let go of? Since then the pain has never returned.
I thought I took self-interest very lightly. In reality, though, only when a certain issue really touched me could I truly see if I could let it go. At the end of last year, the landlord of my business building suddenly offered to reduce my rent and give me better conditions in the hope that I would renew my lease. Faced with this final test, I smiled and declined his offer.
When I drove my car, I always played Shen Yun music. The lyrics repeated: “The creator is here long time ago, the truth spread by Dafa disciples can unravel the puzzle.” The glory of being a Dafa disciple breaks through layers upon layers of the space in the universe and instantly touches my inner-most heart. I am so fortunate to be with the creator in the same world and to assist the Master in Fa-rectification! I burst into tears. I was moved beyond words and cried for a long time. As a Dafa disciple, we are the promoters of the truth. Everything we do is to tell people that they have waited for Dafa life after life!
The day after closing my company, our fellow practitioners and I began to sell Shen Yun tickets at shopping centers. There were not many people in the shopping center in the morning. I thought that besides the people who came to our stall, we should also talk to the few hundred shop owners and assistants in the shopping center, let them know the truth and leave them with our compassion.
We started to visit each shop one by one, introducing Shen Yun to them. The feedback was very good. Almost every shop agreed to display our flyers. Some also wanted to visit our stall to learn more and to buy tickets. After less than two hours of walking, I was soaked with sweat. I felt I was surrounded by a tremendous and compassionate energy field. Master always only looks at our heart and gives us the best!
In the afternoon, a middle-aged gentleman with his child came to our stall. I showed him the Shen Yun flyer and talked to him about the show. He gave me his business card. He is a sociologist and psychologist. He told me some aspects of his understanding about the universe. I then started to introduce Shen Yun to him again. At that time, he opened the Shen Yun flyer and told me while pointing to the two words “Shen Yun” and the picture: “Shen Yun means people should all go and see it, and find their true selves from it.” With my eyes wide open, I saw that he was so sure when speaking these words. I said to him, “It seems you really know the language of the heaven. Then you should not miss this opportunity!” He promised to go home and talk to his wife to arrange a babysitter so they could see the show.
In the following two days, we met quite a few people who, after a brief introduction, immediately decided to buy the most expensive tickets. I truly felt sentient beings’ urgent desire to be saved. Only when we have a pure heart, a heart of saving people, will they be able to catch the ship and not be left behind. After feeling a sense of urgency that people are waiting to be saved, I seized every minute to study the Fa every day. When I returned home every day, after a short rest I immediately thought about the day's experiences and went online to learn more about Shen Yun. The most important thing is to study the Fa daily as long as you can and think about problems using strong righteous thoughts.
Master said:
“That’s because Fa-rectification is unceasingly forging ahead, step by step, and when it arrives at one cosmic plane it is time for that level of people; when it reaches a certain heavenly kingdom above, or a certain layer of cosmic body, it is time for that group of people to come see [the show], and next time around [when Shen Yun performs], that seat will belong to someone else.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa”)
Master also said :
“Each life, each person, is not simple. Behind them is a massive group of beings in the cosmos that they represent. When one person gains salvation, that represents all of the beings behind him gaining salvation in the future. [I say this] because the vast majority of the people on this earth, of today’s people, are heavenly kings who descended to earth, who incarnated here as human beings.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
I repeatedly studied these Fa principles and pondered them. I know what it means to people, no matter who they are, if they can go to the theatre and see Shen Yun. I congratulated every person who bought a ticket, telling them they were truly fortunate! I congratulated them from the bottom of my heart. When they bought tickets from us, people normally bought the first class ones. They also repeatedly thanked us for introducing Shen Yun to them. There was a couple who held our hands and thanked us again and again. After seeing the show, this couple found me and held my hands excitedly, trembling. They asked for next year's Shen Yun schedule and said that wherever Shen Yun performs, they will be sure to go see it.
I normally stayed at the shopping center all day every day and went to the theatre to give out flyers in the evening. Every day, the joy of people who bought tickets appeared in front of me. I didn't feel tired after a week. I was always surrounded by a powerful energy field. This energy field widened continuously. People coming to our stall said that even before they approached our stall, they were attracted by a very strong energy field.
During Shen Yun promotion in the shopping centers, we supported each other with righteous thoughts. We also cooperated well using the skills of the team to sell the tickets. We chose the best place for our stall and the stall was also beautifully decorated. This year, four shows over three days were a major success, with 100% of the tickets sold.
2. Positioning Myself Well, Eliminating the Attachment of Fear, Promoting Shen Yun in Rotary Clubs
We invited a very experienced Shen Yun promoter, who is a member of the Rotary Club in Taiwan, to help us promote Shen Yun in Belgian Rotary Clubs. Practitioners who contacted the local Rotary Clubs did the initial groundwork and hoped that I could accompany this Taiwanese practitioner to visit the Rotary Clubs. I readily accepted. During this Taiwanese practitioner's three-day stay, we made appointments with five Rotary Clubs.
For the first visit, due to lack of experience, I thought we only needed to deliver some materials and then leave. But the president of the club immediately told us that we could stay for lunch and then have 10 minutes to introduce Shen Yun after the meal. I hadn’t prepared a talk at all. These people only speak French. Facing these big business leaders, I was a little nervous. During the lunch, I remembered that Master said we Dafa disciples are on the path to Godhood. Master also said many times that each Dafa disciple has great abilities. Realizing who I really am, I felt very calm at that moment. I stood up confidently and did the presentation. Before I even finished the talk, there were people who raised their hands and asked where they could buy tickets.
I deeply felt the meaning of Master's words:
“You really don’t need to think too much about it— rather, go about it with confidence and dignity. You’re a Dafa disciple. Don’t you realize that you are saving people?” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa”)
The most interesting visit happened the next day. They had rescheduled several times before finally fixing the date during the Taiwanese practitioner’s visit. Moreover it was a joint event with a few Rotary clubs. Over 160 people attended the gathering at a suburban golf club. It was snowing that day. When I got out of my car, I said without thinking: “The return of the King!” Every day, every hour and every moment, I could feel Master's ingenious arrangements, and that every heavenly king from various worlds who descended to earth was eagerly waiting to be saved. I used to be nervous on such occasions. However during those few days, I became very calm. Master had been strengthening me all the time.
There was another very moving incident. After we finished a presentation at a Rotary Club, a gentleman over 80 years old immediately came to my table and asked me if I had tickets available. As I could see he was very old, I immediately promised to contact our salesperson after going home, and send the ticket to him. In the afternoon on the way to another Rotary Club, I received a phone call from this elderly gentleman, asking me when and in what way he could be sure of getting two tickets. The next evening, I delivered the tickets to his factory and saw a photo on the wall that was taken when the King of Belgium visited this man's factory when the gentleman was young.
At that time, all our first class tickets were sold out. I could only manage two second class tickets. When I delivered the tickets to him and told him the position of the seats, he asked me if I could find him two tickets with the best seating. He said he was willing to pay 5 or 10 times the ticket price to get these two tickets. I said that I would definitely give him the tickets if I could find them. He said again that he was willing to pay whatever the price. When I heard these words, I realized that people have waited hundreds of thousands of years just for this moment! I tried again to call the practitioner who was in charge of ticket sales. I put the phone on speaker so that the elderly gentleman could also hear the conversation. There were no tickets available. That practitioner very honestly told the gentleman that the tickets he had were the best ones available. When the elderly gentleman saw our efforts to help him, he was very moved. He told me that after hearing the presentation yesterday, he realized that there is a group of overseas Chinese who are striving to promote and preserve their country's traditional culture. He was deeply moved.
I experienced so much while selling Shen Yun tickets. Every day I could feel that Master cherishes sentient beings so much and I could feel Master's great compassion for all lives. As long as we have righteous thoughts to save people and purify our own thinking, everything becomes so simple. Master has told us long ago that everything has been arranged; we only need to carry it out with righteous thoughts.
3. Looking Inward, Eliminating the Gaps, Cooperating Well As a Whole Body
Although we are doing sacred things in saving people, as cultivators there are always elements of cultivation that need to be improved. During the course of promoting Shen Yun, I encountered several xinxing tests. One evening I went to a theatre to give out flyers. That theatre was the best in the city. There were three exits. The local coordinator in our area decided that only two practitioners needed to be allocated to a theatre. However every time I went to the theatre to give out flyers, I felt very sad that there was no practitioner at the third exit. I mentioned the situation a few times by email. During group Fa-study, I also shared my experience, but received no response. I was a bit angry. That day it happened that the coordinator was paired with me. But two other practitioners also came. When the coordinator saw that there were three practitioners there already, his face showed a look of displeasure. After finishing handing out leaflets, he angrily asked me why so many practitioners were there. Seeing such a response from him, I felt a bit uneasy. Although I hadn't arranged for these practitioners to come, I still didn't feel that I needed to explain myself. I reminded myself not to fight back. I smiled and didn't answer back. But I was uncomfortable in my heart.
On the drive home, my heart beat violently. After arriving home, a practitioner called me to discuss more practitioners being scheduled to give out flyers the next day. This time I couldn't help but say: “The coordinator said it's enough to have two people. We can’t arrange two and a half people, can we?” The practitioner replied that we must share our opinion with the coordinator. I said in an angry voice that we had shared a few times, so I would not speak out about it again. As soon as I said that, I wondered how I could be that angry. Why did it happen? On the surface I was in favor of letting more people know about Shen Yun. So why did I become so angry?
I was to go to the shopping center to sell tickets the next day, and I realized that couldn't go there with this attitude. I calmed down and looked inward. Master said:
“When you encounter unpleasant things, it is precisely time to cultivate yourself, to cultivate your mind.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa”)
Master also said:
“When you meet with a conflict, it doesn’t matter whether you are in the right. You should be asking yourself, “What on my part isn’t right in this situation? Might it really be that there is something wrong on my part?” You should all be thinking this way, with your first thought being to scrutinize yourself to try to find the problem. Whoever is not like this is not in fact a true cultivator of Dafa.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
I looked inward to try to find my own problems according to Master's Fa principles. What are the attachments I needed to let go? Finally I realized that it was my mentality of not liking being told off by other people. That was a strong competitive mentality. There was also the mentality of showing off that I'd enlightened to things better than others. I felt relaxed after finding these attachments. I needed to eliminate this direct gap with fellow practitioners and cooperate well with everyone. Upon seeing something that was not done well, I should just try to remedy it quietly. There were a few other times that my attachments were touched upon and my heart was moved. So I used a lot of time to study the Fa and correct myself.
This year with the cooperation of everyone as a whole body, we, for the first time, achieved 100% ticket sales. Seeing the sold-out theater, I felt that nothing was lost.
After the cultivation process during this special period, I feel that my heart is as calm as still water. Assisting Master in the Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings is the most glorious thing for any life in the universe.
Please kindly point out if there is anything improper in my sharing.
Thank you, Master!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2013 European Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference in Copenhagen)
