Shen Yun Promotion Project: Improving My Cultivation State

(Minghui.org) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner who lives in Taiwan. We were looking forward for Shen Yun coming to Taiwan again this year. Due to the pandemic, it has already been two years since we last promoted Shen Yun.

Recalling my past experience when promoting Shen Yun, I’d like to share my experience when cooperating with fellow practitioners. I as well want to talk about improving my cultivation state during the promotion of Shen Yun, hoping it serves as a mutual encouragement.

First Participation in the Spokesperson Certification for Promoting Shen Yun

It has been almost 10 years since I first participated in promoting Shen Yun. I remember when looking at the setting up of the local promotion team, I felt that everything was in an orderly manner. Therefore, I introduced myself to the project coordinator and joined the promotion team.

One day, I accompanied the coordinator to Taipei to participate in the spokesperson certification for promoting Shen Yun. A spokesperson must pass the certification test before he/she can go on stage to promote Shen Yun. Anyone must first take training and classes before he/she can take the certification test. The promotion of Shen Yun is formalized by learning a standardized introduction and putting on a uniform dress.

My ordinary job often requires me to speak on stage, therefore delivering a speech on stage is not a difficult thing for me. At that time, the coordinator asked me if I wanted to give the test a try. Although I did not prepare myself, and this was my first time participating in the certification test, I thought that this was nothing to worry about. Therefore, I immediately changed into the coordinator’s standard uniform and registered to take part in the spokesperson certification test.

As expected, one should show respect for Shen Yun, and have a deep understanding of the inner meaning of Shen Yun. However, just being eloquent is far from enough. In the end, of course, I failed the test. I remembered that one judge, a fellow practitioner, said [not the original words], “Shen Yun is doing a very great thing. It is not something that you just introduce. I hope that practitioners must take note. If you have not prepared yourself, please do not participate in the certification test. This shows respect for Shen Yun and the judge.” These words made a great impact on me. Yes, I should not take lightly the promotion of Shen Yun. This is being disrespectful to the Fa and Master. I said to Master, “I am wrong. I should take the test with a serious attitude.”

After returning from the test, I began to seriously prepare myself and participated in larger, as well as smaller-sized training. Sometimes, after work, I even rushed to the outskirts to observe the practice sessions of other practitioners. I finally passed my first Shen Yun promotion spokesperson certification test. The moment when I passed the test, I was moved to tears. Thank you Master for giving me the chance to improve my cultivation state.

Improving Cultivation

Before the start of the second year’s spokesperson certification test, I also did not dare to relax. I memorized the materials that the practitioners had prepared, and on the day of the test, I felt very confident. Even after the test, I felt that I performed quite well as I was natural and fluent. Therefore, I felt that I would definitely pass the test.

However, I did not pass the spokesperson certification test! The judge’s comment was that the microphone did not have any sound and the judges in the audience seats did not hear my introduction. Therefore, I could not pass the test.

When I heard that, I suddenly felt indignant. The microphone did not have sound should be the problem of the practitioner who was in charge of the facilities, why was I blamed for it?

After returning home, my husband – a non-practitioner – asked about the test result. Upon telling him, he could not understand it and said, “The environment of the public speaking should be taken note by the organizer. How can it be the speaker’s responsibility? I think you’d better not participate in the promotion project anymore.” Seeing my husband rejecting my participation so strongly, I started to look within. Is my strong attachment reflected in my husband’s behavior?

Master said, “You have to truly temper yourself through real, lived experience if you are to grow and progress.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)

After looking within, I understood that the speaker controls the stage. The audience will be influenced by the content and mood of the speaker, therefore, the speaker must keep note of the audience’s reactions at all times. Only then can the speaker react the best and on time. If the speaker did not even realize that the microphone had no sound, this means that I only took note of myself but did not care about others. How can this be useful to the promotion of Shen Yun? Isn’t this selfish behavior? Isn’t this a fundamental attachment that needs to be gotten rid of?

Therefore, I cleared my thoughts and took the certification test again. This time, I passed the test. Thus, for the past few years, I continued to progress on the path of the role of a spokesperson for the promotion of Shen Yun.

Later, the standard version was no longer used, nor a unified content specification was made. The spokesperson could create his/her own speech content. This posed a higher requirement for the spokesperson, especially when it came to preparing the content and the PowerPoint presentation. All this required that one spend additional time and energy.

Initially, I visited bookshops to find books that could help me understand traditional Chinese dance and traditional Chinese culture. However, I did not achieve a good understanding. Therefore, I checked out the Shen Yun program booklets that are being published every year, the Shen Yun official website, fellow practitioners’ cultivation exchange, and studied Master’s lectures.

I tried to figure out the attitude and mood that Shen Yun wants to transmit to the audience. My personal understanding gradually deepened, and my thoughts became clearer and clearer. Actually, Shen Yun is also transmitting the content of the Fa-rectification through word of mouth. It is filled with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. This is transmitted by the Chinese traditional culture. This project is so sacred that I am really grateful to Master for giving me this chance and empathy to participate in it.

Looking Within When Cooperating with Other Practitioners

During the initial phase, the promotion of Shen Yun often required us to join some meal gatherings such as weddings, year-end parties, society annual meetings, etc. However, these kinds of events are usually very noisy, so I always felt that the result would not be good. As such, I really was not fond of such an approach.

One day, I participated in a society dinner. While the ordinary performances were going on stage, the coordinating practitioner requested us to approach every table to ask the guests if they would like to buy tickets for the Shen Yun performance. Because the performance on stage was so loud, the guests could not hear us clearly. Therefore, the coordinating practitioner wrote the question on a piece of paper to ask the guests instead. However, I opposed the suggestion. I felt that we could just set up a booth at the entrance. Yet, the coordinator ignored my suggestion and asked the practitioners to continue asking the guests table by table.

Thinking about it from the coordinator's viewpoint, I looked within. Is it that I’m afraid of hardship, losing face, and being rejected by others? Why can the other practitioners let go of these attachments while I am still holding on to my opinion? How can this be a display of the one body of the practitioners? Realizing these attachments, I immediately let go of these obstructing thoughts and also started to ask the guests table by table. Just as I had let go of these attachments, a guest waved from afar and asked me to come over. He simply asked about the performance timings and immediately paid for 10 tickets without my having to make an effort to introduce Shen Yun. I knew that everything had already been arranged well by Master. As long as we let go of our attachments and cultivate ourselves, the path in front will open widely and be free of obstructions.

There was another time when we were at a meal gathering by the Lions Club, I was the public relations personnel and the disturbance was quite great. The disturbance affected the spokesperson for Shen Yun and the Shen Yun introduction was not successfully carried out. I could feel that the practitioner on stage did not know what to do. However, I did not send forth righteous thoughts to get rid of the disturbance immediately. I just noted that the practitioner did not introduce in detail certain segments. After the promotion session ended, the practitioner felt very guilty that she did not do well and I realized that she did not blame the other practitioners who also participated in the event for not sending forth strong righteous thoughts which affected her performance. I looked within and was full of remorse. I apologized to that practitioner for not doing well myself.

Maybe because we were able to look within and did not have any complaints about one another. Then, a director from another district’s branch invited us to another branch’s gathering in Taipei, asking us to give an introduction about Shen Yun. With that, with the help of Taipei practitioners, we completed another Shen Yun promotion session. Once again, I told myself that as long as I let go of my attachments, everything has already been taken care of by Master.

Through studying the Fa, I understood that Master is watching our every single thought. The Gods in the Heavens are also watching. The sentient beings in our surrounding environment will also be influenced by our thoughts. Therefore, as long as we remain steadfast in our righteous thoughts, and get rid of our attachments through cultivation, we will be able to have a breakthrough amid any difficult situation.