(Minghui.org)
Greetings, great, merciful Master!
Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I had the good fortune of being part of the Asia Pacific Divine Land Marching Band on October 4 last year, joining more than 140 practitioners from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Australia, in a performance at the birthplace of Buddhism – India. The Divine Land Marching Band was invited by the World Spiritual University to perform at the “International Conference and Cultural Festival” held in Mount Abu, which is an annual celebration of spiritualism in India.
This trip left a deep impression on me. I became aware of some of my gaps and attachments, and I gained a deeper understanding of some Fa principles.
I left Sydney on October 2 and arrived in Mount Abu the next day, after a 20-hour trip. As we were required to attend the opening ceremony early on the October 4, the coordinator announced that we would rehearse in the main conference center that evening. Exhausted from several parades in Hong Kong and the long trip, very few Australian practitioners attended the rehearsal. The evening rehearsal was mainly on familiarizing ourselves with the conference center’s environment, the songs, important notices, everyone’s positions and procession entry and exit points. Every detail was carefully addressed. I didn’t think much of it at the time, apart from worrying about how the practitioners who could not attend the rehearsal would fare the next day. At the same time there was a hint of indignation. We rehearsed from 9pm until midnight.
The next day, we were performing at the theme park in the main conference center. When lining up, some Australian practitioners had no place to stand as they did not attend the evening rehearsal, and so they took someone else’s spot. The displaced practitioners did not understand what had happened and said, “This is my place, you’re in the wrong spot.” The practitioner next to them would very kindly intervene, “It’s okay, let’s just listen to the coordinators.” I was very touched at the time. The tranquility, friendliness, tolerance, compassion and righteous thoughts transformed us into a whole, and touched my heart. At the same time it reflected the insufficiency in my own cultivation, making me ashamed of the indignation and worries from the night before.
Master said in Essentials for Further Advancement (Realms),
“A wicked person is born of jealousy. Out of selfishness and anger he complains about unfairness towards himself. A benevolent person always has a heart of compassion. With no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy. An enlightened person has no attachments at all. He quietly observes the people of the world deluded by illusions.”
My worries arose from my mistrust of fellow practitioners, and was a manifestation of my lack of righteous thoughts; my indignation was malevolence directed at fellow practitioners caused by jealousy, subconsciously thinking this was unfair. I thought, “Why should I be here rehearsing to the band's commands, while you guys are sleeping?” This showed my cultivation state during the rehearsal.
I was even more impressed during the following performances. Almost everyone had memorized their songs, whether they were in their teens or in their seventies. Every note was pure, energetic and on-pitch, and had the effect of truly saving sentient beings. On the other hand, I had some songs that I had yet to memorize, and there were other songs I didn't know at all. I'd just carefully follow everyone. I knew our purpose was to rescue people, so I couldn't afford to make any mistakes. I was incredibly ashamed, and I felt like such a fraud. I wanted to dig a hole to hide in. Feeling I did not live up to the expectations of Master and sentient beings, my eyes teared up.
At the opening ceremony in the main convention center, the Divine Land Marching Band’s neat formations and melodious tunes won rounds of applause from the audience. I know that melodious music has opened those ancient memories of the sentient beings. Behind the applause, there was the hope sentient beings held for Dafa and the joy of being saved. I was proud to be a part of the Divine Land Marching Band!
After sharing in the evening and returning to our accommodations, the events of the day played like a movie in my mind as I lay in bed. I asked myself, “Who am I? What was I in India for? What was my ancient vow? Can I finish my mission so irresponsibly? I must look within to see what caused today’s situation.” The following is what I found:
After many years in the band, I was convinced that just playing Dafa songs in parades would be enough. Apart from Dafa songs, I had very little knowledge of basic music theory, and I’ve never been formally taught. I did not have a clear understanding of rhythm, pitch or tone. On the surface this was a result of not making the time for basic practice, but what it reflected was my lack of seriousness. I always found excuses for myself, I was very busy, I had a lot of projects and didn't have time to practice. This was not being responsible to my cultivation. I didn’t want to invest my time for results. The road of cultivation requires one foot after another firmly on the ground, so we can leave our footprints behind for history.
I recall watching a video played at the New York Fa Conference of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2007 troupe. The tears and sweat of the young practitioners doing their basic dance training appeared once more before my eyes, that earth-moving determination and the resolution to save sentient beings moved me to tears. I was sad and ashamed for my shortcomings, I had set my goal in the band band merely as being able to perform. Ordinary humans could, for the sake of their jobs or medals or money, give it their all; and I have the task of saving sentient beings, so how could I do it so halfheartedly? Thinking of this, I shed sad tears.
I would often have a thought pop up: “I don’t have a musical cell in my body, if it weren’t for cultivation and saving sentient beings, I would not be putting myself through something like joining a band.” I took this negative thought as myself, unable to differentiate between the real me and the fake me, I was led along by it, controlled by it, and unable to break through.
Master said in Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference,
“If you took a look in the extreme microcosm at the material formed by what your mind is attached to, [you'd see that] they are mountains, huge mountains, made of hard, granite-like rock, and once they are formed there's simply no way for a human being to move them.” … “When your righteous thoughts are firm and when you can repel those things, I remove them for you bit by bit; however much you can do, that's how much I remove for you and diminish for you. (Applause) But since you're a cultivator, you have to truly hold yourself to the requirements for a cultivator. Even though sometimes you still can't quite get there yet, you've got to at least have those righteous thoughts, and you've got to cultivate yourselves.”
The old forces have arranged our every thought in order to fulfill their ambitions. I did not clear these stray thoughts in time. I fell into the arrangements of the old forces. I loitered for too long at the same level, and did not keep up with what Fa Rectification required of what I should do for the band.
Thank you great, merciful Master for giving me a chance to go to India, to let me see the problems that exist on my path of cultivation, and the obstructing human notions that stop me from moving forward. I'm determined to walk firmly on my cultivation path no matter how difficult it is in the band, because I know I am a Dafa disciple of the Fa Rectification period. I have the greatest of all Masters. As long as I study the Fa more, study the Fa better, continuously examine myself and cultivate inwards, act according to Master's Fa and maintain righteous thoughts, everything will change. With this beautiful wish, I then sank into a sweet dream…
Four days of the International Conference and Cultural Festival finished spectacularly. The organizing company presented a trophy and a Khata (placed over the shoulders like a scarf) to thank every band member. In India, to present a Khata is a way of honoring the gods, inviting the spirit of the Divine Land Marching Band to remain in India.
Finally I’ll share a passage from “Master’s Congratulatory Statement to the New York Fa Conference,”
“What history has bestowed upon Dafa disciples are all the most magnificent things. At present, all that you are doing is the most sacred, all that you are doing is for the sentient beings, and all that you are doing is creating the future.
“In history's past, you brought to humankind the splendor it should have; in history's present, Dafa has bestowed upon you the mission of saving all sentient beings; in history's future, everything of yours that is pure and righteous will be what ensures that the colossal firmament has formation and stasis, but not destruction. Walk your paths well. The beings who are saved are to be your sentient beings. All that you do establishes all that you will consummate.”
The above is based on my cultivation level. If it deviates from the Fa, please kindly point it out.
Thank you Master!Thank you fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2014 Australia Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference)