(Minghui.org) The world came to a standstill because of the pandemic in March 2020. Recalling that time, I remember that I had shortcomings in my cultivation. Daily, I continued to do many things, including ordinary work, but I was not able to get up early in the morning to do the exercises, went to do the exercises outdoors with the group less and less, and wasn’t diligent about sending righteous thoughts.
This went on until the end of summer 2021, when we finally could begin activities to promote Shen Yun in Italy. We had to be involved in more cities than in 2020, and I had the opportunity to go to a city other than mine to participate as a co-responsible person.
Although I hesitated at first, after thinking about it more carefully, I realized that Master was again giving me a valuable opportunity to advance in cultivation, including letting go of my attachments and to fulfill my vows.
That summer I was informed that my mother had colon cancer that was associated with advanced liver metastasis. Doctors had little hope, and she had emergency surgery. It was a very busy summer, and the family was in constant emotional turmoil. I was only able to remain solid inside and untouched by the situation because of my daily cultivation. I could clearly see the difference between my family members and myself: They were very emotional about the situation.
My mother saw Shen Yun in 2020, and had always supported me, having experienced firsthand that Dafa is good. Last year she told me that she had been having the same dream for a long time. In the dream she felt that she could not return to a certain place, and she always felt that she was lost. One day she finally dreamed that she was able to return home and was happy. She passed away in April of this year. I am sure she will have a good future.
Looking back on those months, I am grateful to Master. It was a period of non-stop work, during which I was faced with trials and difficulties to overcome but also experienced encouragement and small miracles. On numerous occasions my fellow practitioners and I had encouraging experiences that made us feel that Master was always beside us.
I was able to let go of the attachments to fear of running out of money and being out of work. After a few months in which I was still devoting half of my time to ordinary work, I decided to do what felt right in my heart and follow Master totally. I contacted my company to tell them that I intended to quit my job. To my surprise, the company I was working for insisted that I not resign and granted me a very long leave of absence so that I could return to work when the activities I was engaged in were finished. Many of my colleagues at work wrote me encouraging messages, telling me that I had made the right choice and that I had been brave.
The process of promoting Shen Yun was a daily confrontation with my limitations. Every day there were steps to take, every day I had to put aside my attachments to comfort, disagreeing with others, fear, showing off, and so on. Each day was like filing away a small piece of my ego, which was preventing me from cooperating properly with the whole body. I often found that I looked externally instead of inside. Once I changed, the conflicts often disappeared.
Recalling that time, I believe that we were able to create a solid cultivation environment, form a unified body, and put personal concerns aside. I am very grateful to the group of practitioners with whom I was able to share this valuable process, and I admired their determination. I was also able to learn to let go of cultivation issues on many occasions. Even when differences of opinion or minor conflicts emerged, we were able to share with each other and leave no room for the old forces to interfere. We were almost always in great harmony.
I feel I need to improve. We are particles at Master’s side and help him in his Fa-rectification. It doesn’t matter what roles or different tasks are assigned to me—it’s as if they are all spokes of a wheel: Each one is important, and the union of the parts allows us to move forward. Everyone is needed, and everyone does different things, just as Master arranged. I could clearly see the selfishness of my thoughts and being attached to what I like to do most or prefer. But that is not for me to decide, and those thoughts were childish and not those of a cultivator.
I realized that being responsible to the Fa also means accepting the roles and tasks assigned to us, trying to cooperate well with other practitioners and together resolve any mistake or shortcoming without complaining. I believe Master sets the path for each of us, and there is no room for error.
The promotion this year was very challenging, but all the shows were sold-out, and each one was a great success. I had the opportunity to be able to follow the company throughout the tour, and I am grateful for this incredible experience. To be able to work elbow to elbow with all the practitioners and to witness the great reactions by those who saw the shows, I can only say that it was a valuable period of time.
I believe I can summarize the last years of my cultivation process according to this part of Master’s teaching:
“...“Nothing is truly unbearable or impossible.” And it really is so. It’s an outlook you only stand to benefit from. So the next time you are going through a real trial or tribulation, try to keep this in mind, and see if you can bear it. Or when faced with what seems impossible, and even if others say so, try to keep this in mind, and see if it might just be possible. I believe that if you can do that, you will always find that there is light at the end of the tunnel.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
On many occasions I was able to experience firsthand that if we have the will to improve, many things are possible for us and there are many opportunities. When I was able to take a first step, take action, and put aside my concepts, everything was possible, even when I thought something was impossible.
Often simply “trying to do it” has resulted in the unexpected—basically very positive results. I realized how Master trusts and believes in us much more than we believe in ourselves. At times when there seems to be no possible path or it seems to end in a dead end, taking a step or action can bring us out of the “impasse.”
There have been numerous significant experiences, and it would be impossible to describe them all, but I would like to share one in particular that took place during the Easter holidays, specifically on Easter Monday.
After talking among ourselves as a group, we decided to go distribute flyers outside the city, in the countryside where there were some villas. Easter is a popular holiday for city-dwellers, who often go out into the countryside and have a family barbecue.
At first we had decided that we were going to rest that day and not go out. But after discussing it in the group, we thought about the fact that we had to try to use that time, because it was a short time before the promotion ended, and there were still tickets to be sold. I put aside the thought of enjoying a day of comfort, which also had come up, and the next day we took the train to distribute Shen Yun fliers.
If it had been any other day, almost no one would have been there. But because many people spend the holiday in their second homes, the area was crowded. It was a special day, and the atmosphere was festive. So many people greeted us with smiles and were willing to listen to us. They accepted our Shen Yun materials and offered us water, soft drinks, bread, coffee, and even fruit from their trees. Everyone was in their gardens, and many invited us in and asked if we would like to eat with them.
Many villas were open, families gathered together intent on partying and being together, which made our work much easier. That day, I really sensed the warmth and closeness of Master and his compassion, as well as his protection. We also met interested people who had already received information about the show, people who were frequent theatergoers, and even a technician who worked for the theater.
As one year of activity comes to an end, another is ready to begin. We have the future before us.
I ask fellow practitioners to point out anything that is not in line with the Fa.
Thank you, Master and fellow practitioners.
(Submitted to the 2022 European Fa Conference)