(Clearwisdom.net) The 4th New York Divine Land Marching Band Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference was held on Sunday, November 14, 2010 in Patterson, New Jersey. Thirteen practitioners shared their cultivation experiences in the band. A small-scale concert was held after the conference.
The first Divine Land Marching Band was founded in November 2005 in New York, U.S.A. Two and a half months later, on January 28, 2006, the band made its first appearance at the grand Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing, Queens, New York, unfolding a new chapter for Dafa practitioners to validate the Fa in the form of a marching band.
Following the establishment of the band in New York, practitioners around the world successively founded their own Divine Land Marching Bands. On five continents, and in countries such as the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and European countries, the bands have performed the song "Falun Dafa is good" in all kinds of community activities, bringing Falun Dafa's good messages to the people of different nationalities.
Over the past five years, practitioners have experienced bitterness and sweetness. When sharing their experiences, some practitioners talked about how they let go of their attachment to saving face through their band's rehearsals, and how they broadened their minds when doing coordination work. Some practitioners told of their experience of revered Master's protection, encouragement and compassionate and arduous salvation. Some Western practitioners who have received years of professional training in music talked about their endless gratitude after being rectified through performing in the Divine Land Marching Band. A practitioner shared his experience of how he strengthened his righteous thoughts during a life-and-death test, and eventually broke through it with revered Master's protection.
Many band members also work on other Fa-validation projects. They face many challenges to balance between how to arrange their tight schedules in their projects and participate in weekly rehearsals of the band. A practitioner said that he was busy with another project, and he felt he was a quick learner, so even if he only practiced once a week, he still could play well. Therefore, he often missed group rehearsals with all kinds of excuses. As time went on, he failed in a playing exam. Not until then did he discover his embouchure and breathing were incorrect, and the tone he produced was not pleasant to the ear. It was hard for him to fulfill his mission of eliminating the evil and saving sentient beings. So he took a course to learn playing skills, and shared with other practitioners in his team his notes and understandings.
Another practitioner experienced a big xinxing test when she joined the band. It was a big challenge for her, and she was at a loss for what to do. She then applied and joined the Divine Land Marching Band. The first month of practice caused her mouth to be bruised, her fingers to be sore and painful. She would have a headache if she played her instrument; if she stopped practicing, her mind would be filled with bad thoughts. She was unwell all over and was unable to eat. However, she kept practicing, and gradually, music notes replaced those bad thoughts, and she no longer had headaches. She felt that every cell in her body was purified and strengthened by Dafa's energy. Whenever she recalls the process of breaking through this test, her heart is full of gratitude for Master's arduous salvation.
Some practitioners talked about how they felt magnificent and honored when they performed and participated in parades. A practitioner said that his non-practitioner wife witnessed the audience's gratitude and appreciation during the Divine Land Marching Band's performances in parades. She also had contact with several band members who had done quite well. As a result, her objection to his participation in the band's activities became supportive. Some practitioners shared that they recited Lunyu and studied Hong Yin prior to every band rehearsal, and they benefited from every sharing. Some practitioners talked about their experiences of looking within when conflicts occurred and their improvement in the process.
The host of the Fa conference concluded by saying that in order to do better in saving sentient beings, particularly when encountering difficulties, it is hoped that we can keep revered Master's teachings in mind, and remember the sentient beings' expectations and our Dafa practitioners' responsibilities.