Using Media to Save More People; Cultivating Well to Fulfill My Role

(Minghui.org) Greeting, revered Master! Greeting, fellow practitioners!

About a year ago, our local Chinese Epoch Times office was looking for an editor. A practitioner thought about me and called to ask if I would like to take on the role. I was already busy with other projects, so I rejected her immediately.

Later on, that same practitioner spoke to me about it several times. I then began to think about it carefully. I knew that Epoch Times needed help, but I didn't want to drop my existing projects, so I found it hard to make up my mind. Then I had a thought: if this is what is needed to help Master rectify the Fa, then I have to go ahead and work hard without hesitation.

Not long after I made my decision, I discovered some Udumbara flowers blossoming on our gate at home. I am very honored to be part of Master’s Fa-rectification process. It is my tremendous privilege and responsibility as a Fa-rectification period Dafa disciple.

Life-Saving Media

As a newspaper editor, I sit in front of the computer most of the time. During this process, I deeply experience that everything has its spirit. No matter if it's words or images, they are all alive.

Writing and editing articles with positive energy will have a good effect on readers. On the contrary, if the energy is not good, it will have the opposite effect.

Master said in “Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day:”

“Do you know what it means to 'have heard' or 'have seen' something? It’s not what people think, where after you’ve viewed something, it’s over with if you didn’t take it with you; or when you’ve heard something but didn’t pursue it further, it doesn't matter. That’s not the case. All things are material. When you have heard something, it has been infused into you, and it enters your body. When you have seen something, it has entered.”

In order to help readers be more receptive to our newspaper, each week I read a lot of articles on everyday people’s websites to find helpful news ideas. While looking at the chaos happening in this world, I understand more about the importance of our media.

Only Dafa disciples who know the Fa are able to assist Master to save people living in this messy world, and rectify people’s degenerated thoughts and fast-declining moral perspectives. After reading all sorts of articles, sometimes I was also interfered by them.

Once, after reading a social news story, both my mind and body felt very uncomfortable. I then realized there were bad things behind the article. I quickly sent forth righteous thoughts to clear them away, and was then able to calm down.

Editing articles containing Party culture is also not an easy job. Initially I did not know why I had a sore head and felt unsettled in my heart while editing some articles written by mainland Chinese practitioners. Later I realized it was because of the hidden Party culture within the words.

I shared with other practitioners, and we began to eliminate it, not letting evil things affect our saving people. Through this process, I also feel that we have a big responsibility, fighting with the evil to save people at this critical historical period.

Master said in “Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting:”

“The thinking that human beings have is in fact rather simple. Many people believe whatever the media says, and in the majority of cases it is the media that normally serves as a person’s source of information. As such, this informational mechanism is very useful to you in your efforts to save the people of this world and validate the Fa. And in fact, it really has had a remarkably positive impact in terms of clarifying the truth.”

After realizing how big the impact that media has on people, I continuously think how we can truly save sentient beings via the media, and how to encourage more people to read our paper.

Master said in “Fa Teaching Given at the NTDTV Meeting:”

“There is no set standard for what people like. When anything is done well, people like it. It comes down to quality.”

I have enlightened, that in wanting to save people, quality is the most important thing. Not only the quality of the paper, but also the quality of our heart is even more critical. While working by myself, cooperating with others, and going through xinxing tests with other practitioners, I tried my best to remind myself to put saving people as the priority, and tried hard to let go of self and cultivate better. Shen Yun’s high-quality performance has a very good effect on saving people, and I have been trying to figure out how to learn from them.

For example:

1. When editing articles I need to be wholehearted, careful with little details, check many times, always consider whether the readers would understand what we are trying to express, think about whether our writing angles are acceptable by others, check whether my heart is pure, and completely think about other people.

2. Complement others and look within myself without any conditions. Every week after our paper was printed, there usually were some mistakes. I sometimes blamed others for not being careful enough. After looked within, I discovered that my attachments of comfort and reliance also caused the error to occur. I told myself to stop complaining, and instead silently complement others.

3. Eliminate notions and cooperate with the body: Often when meeting advertising customers’ needs, our editorial team had to adjust or cancel content with short notice. Sometimes, opinions among different departments were considerably intense.

I recalled a sharing from a Shen Yun lead dancer. She said that even if she was able to dance perfectly on stage, if others did not play their roles properly, it is not going to work, as the audience is looking at our whole body effect, not just watching the lead dancer.

I then broke through my human notions, no longer distinguishing between you and me or validating myself, as all departments in fact are one body. It will work only with all of us, so we need to cooperate well and try to see more of one another’s strengths.

4. Follow Master's requirements: How do Shen Yun performers reach such a professional standard? I believe it is because they carefully follow what Master said. Master told us to study the Fa more, always look within, and the performers are doing that earnestly and steadfastly.

I realized that my problem is not following Master’s words as much as I should, so I was improving slowly. Recently I have decided to be more diligent: I wake up every morning to study one lecture with a group of practitioners before I begin my day.

I have experienced that if I have a respectful heart while doing Fa study, the meaning of the Fa will then display itself. Through this process, I finally broke through a longtime attachment of mine. Only by truly understanding the Fa are we able to upgrade our xinxing, and, in turn, able to break through tribulations.

Clarifying the Truth in Local Communities

Master said in “Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference:”

“Promoting the Epoch Times and NTDTV itself serves as clarifying the truth, and those you encounter while promoting the media are precisely people to clarify the truth to.”

Other than editorial work, I often have been invited to attend different events and functions. As a media professional, I am able to meet and contact mainstream people quite easily and not only promote our media, but also pave the way for potential Shen Yun ticket sales.

Since saving people is our priority, as an editor or reporter, conducting interviews and socializing with everyday people are great opportunities for me to clarify the truth to them.

As long as we are thinking about saving sentient beings, Master will give us wisdom. I once visited a new local Taiwanese government official and his team members with some colleagues from New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV).

We told them why we started our media, how Falun Gong practitioners oppose the persecution, how Falun Gong benefits society, and how good and evil result in rewards and retributions.

After listening to us, this government official spoke to us from the bottom of his heart: he said he has great admiration for the things that Falun Gong practitioners are doing, and he thinks we are standing on the correct side of history. One of his team members was very interested in the exercises, and she asked many questions. Before we left, she told us that she can feel the kindness of Dafa disciples, and thought we are different from everyday people.

Practitioners in our local media teams study the Fa, share, and produce news together each week. Our public relations manager emails out news links produced by both the Epoch Times and NTDTV to the local community each week, at the same time adding in a few important China and International news stories.

By doing this, we can maintain relationships with the community, as well as clarify the truth to them imperceptibly. After making effort for a while, many local groups now recognize and like our media. They are also willing to work with us by printing our logo on their event banners and materials, which helps to promote our media.

Readers' Feedback

With the great effort of everyone on our media team, we have received positive feedback and article submissions from readers over the months. One time, a Mainland Chinese lady told me that her friends were never willing to read the Epoch Times paper before, but recently they have read it and discovered that the paper is great. They’ve compared it with other local Chinese papers and concluded that only the Epoch Times has the most content variety and is most positive.

Our editors' email inbox also received many article submissions from our readers, with a majority from mainland Chinese readers. They are not only willing to submit articles to support the Epoch Times, but in their emails they also encouraged us to keep up the good work.

Many people who have predestined relationships with Dafa are often arranged to come to our office. Once, there was a mainland Chinese man who had just arrived in Brisbane, and wanted to find a job at the Epoch Times. A practitioner in the office clarified the truth to him and helped him quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

That man said excitedly that he used to have misunderstandings about Falun Gong, but within a few days in Australia, he met two sincere and kind Falun Gong practitioners who helped him totally change his views about Dafa. A few days later, he wrote and submitted an article about his process of coming to understand Falun Gong.

Xinxing Tests at Work Are Like Mirrors

Working in media, we often come across xinxing tests, especially when we are under pressure. I also deeply experienced that nothing is a coincidence for cultivators. Everything that I’ve seen and heard must be meant for me to upgrade myself.

For example, I often saw practitioners working carelessly and not putting in enough effort. For quite a while I felt helpless and blamed practitioners in my heart. One day, Master used my daughter’s mouth to give me a hint. I realized that I cannot always look at others, always requiring others to improve and not improving myself.

I asked myself: with Fa study, doing the exercises, and sending forth righteous thoughts, have you done everything properly yet? My answer was “no.” Thus, I realized that if I always stay in this not-so-righteous position, I will affect others in the body.

I decided to cultivate myself better, which resulted in my thinking becoming clearer. My work was therefore smoother, and at the same time, other practitioners also began to improve their work.

I often heard some practitioners complaining and blaming other people. Initially I was very worried, and I kept thinking about how to resolve the issues among practitioners. Later I realized I was still looking outward, and I actually behaved in the same way, often blaming others in my heart. When I was angry, I also didn't cultivate my speech and complained to others.

I thought carefully about why I felt discontentment and found my attachment of selfishness. The reason I was not happy is because I considered only my own feelings, situation, and thoughts and never put myself into other people’s shoes to think about them.

I have also realized that negative thoughts toward other practitioners are all substances in other dimensions, and that they can create gaps and interference among us. Later on, when negative thoughts came up, I tried to eliminate them immediately. Once I had cleared away the bad substances, I again looked at practitioners and found everyone so excellent–all Dafa disciples helping Master to rectify the Fa.

Time has gone by faster and faster. Only by continuing to improve myself am I able to catch up with the Fa-rectification process and truly save sentient beings.

Finally, I would like to share a few words of Master from “What is a Dafa Disciple:”

“When you seek to save the world’s people, you try to get them to awaken so that you can save them. Well, you too need to get clear, to wake up. It’s a problem if you forget about your cultivation because of doing too many things. You are cultivators. I’m not talking about your past, what you once were, or what you display on the surface. I am talking about your core and the meaning of your life, the responsibility you shoulder, and your historic mission. Only thus are you truly a Dafa disciple.”

Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.

Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!

(Presented at the 2014 Australia Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)