(Minghui.org) In recent lectures, Master has specifically addressed the requirements for being a coordinator. As a coordinator myself, I need to pay much more attention to these points and understand these responsibilities.
First, being a coordinator requires a steadfast heart, determination to give up personal time, and a solid desire to help other practitioners unconditionally.
Second, one must understand the Fa clearly. The more we understand the Fa- rectification, the more we can walk a righteous path, identify the overall direction, and maintain a good environment for improving in cultivation as a group.
Third, one must be more patient and compassionate towards other practitioners and resolve all conflicts with righteous thoughts.
Fourth, one must set a much higher standard for one’s work, duties, and coordination skills.
Master says:
“It’s not that just because you’re the coordinator of a center and work for Dafa you can reach Consummation without having to improve your xinxing. Even a student can realize that he’s improving his xinxing in any disagreement—why can’t the coordinator of a center? In order for you to improve, your heart has to be provoked when problems arise; otherwise it won’t do. Working for Dafa is also a good opportunity for you to improve your xinxing!
Why do I specifically write this article for you? Because every act and every statement of yours directly affects students. If you are doing well in your cultivation, you will do well in spreading the Fa in your local area and students will do better in their cultivation. If this isn’t the case, you will harm the Fa. As you are Dafa’s elite at the level of everyday people, I can’t just let you work without reaching Consummation.” (“A Person in Charge is also a Cultivator” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
Dafa requires us to conduct ourselves with high standards, and there are even higher standards for coordinators. As a coordinator for both the media and Vancouver, I must do better.
Cultivation Means Saving Sentient Beings, Not Simply Doing Things
The media imposes a big workload and lacks manpower; there are tight deadlines, huge responsibilities, and high standards. Often we are so caught up in our work that we neglect cultivation and truth-clarification.
When dealing with clients, I used to think that, since Chinese businesses are heavily poisoned by the Chinese Communist Party and would not immediately support our media, we should first approach Western businesses. Since Westerners are not affected by the CCP, I thought that we did not need to clarify the truth directly, and that our business transactions were much more comfortable. We were able to do business without clarifying the truth.
At first, the partnerships seem to be going smoothly. After a while, however, various situations always arose that caused me to worry about losing the client. Master has said (paraphrased) that those who come to this earth come for the Fa and come to be saved.
Other practitioners have also brought up this topic during experience sharing. For the sake of closing a deal and signing a contract, we have become comfortable with thinking like an everyday person by lessening our truth-clarification efforts, diminishing the value of our media outlets, and giving ourselves an excuse to avoid potential trouble.
Once I realized that business goals should be focused on opportunities to clarify the truth and save sentient beings, rather than on the success of signed contracts, the business deals happened naturally.
After I established steadfast and righteous thoughts, I would proactively find every opportunity to clarify the truth to my clients.
We would chat during production shoots. At first, we would talk about the obvious influx of Chinese immigrants into Vancouver, discuss the effects Chinese buyers have on real estate, and then move on to China’s current affairs and the global implications.
Finally, we would bring up things in China that the client might not know about, including human rights issues.
Clients are interested in how this affects their daily life and their families. We would reveal the wretchedness of China’s human rights situation and expose the Communist Party’s greatest sin—the killing of Falun Gong practitioners for their organs.
We would explain that the world now supports Falun Gong and condemns forced organ harvesting, and that our media, unlike other Chinese media, brings the truth to the world. Clients would show their support.
When sharing with other practitioners, we agreed that clarifying the truth to Westerners is different than doing so to the Chinese. In most cases, we would find the right time and place to clarify the truth. In fact, we found that, if our hearts are actually set on saving sentient beings, Master arranges for predestined people to come and learn the truth.
As a coordinator, I have the responsibility to manage various things. I can easily do them as an ordinary administrator, scrutinizing and judging others. How can the principles of everyday people be applied to resolve issues that arise from cultivation practice? They cannot.
For instance, during weekly group Fa study, everyone is reserved and reluctant to share their cultivation experiences. After announcements and updates, everyone goes home. We knew that this was not a good. After giving it some thought, we figured out why practitioners did not wish to share.
First, there was not much to share because everyone was too focused on what they needed to do and the tasks they needed to complete, rather than concentrating on cultivation. Even if they had shared, it would only be about their work.
Secondly, even if they did have cultivation experiences to share, they would want to “save face,” afraid that other practitioners would criticize their poor understanding of the Fa. When I was faced with such instances in the past, I tended to maintain an ordinary person’s administrative and managerial mindset to resolve the problem and would talk to the individuals and point out their wrongdoings.
Sometimes I would even be biased with the belief that new practitioners' understandings were limited, that they liked to complain, or that they carried too many negative thoughts. It was always them, them, them…I pinned the problem on others.
From the perspective of everyday people, all these problems are the problems of others. Master said, (paraphrased) “When you walk on the path of a god, the only change is that your mindset will be different than that of an everyday person.” This is the difference between everyday people and practitioners. When faced with troubles, practitioners look within, while everyday people do not.
As a coordinator, these principles are easy to understand but hard to live by. When I looked within, I asked myself whether I created a good environment for everyone to talk openly and truly share their cultivation experience. Was I compassionate enough? Did I have a stern attitude? Did I point fingers and blame others? Have I only asked others to look inside but not myself? Did I apply human sentimentality or treat practitioners in an everyday people’s managerial way?
As soon as I was able to discard my attachments and truly look inside, the energy field around me changed tremendously. Gradually, practitioners approached me and genuinely shared with me. I also shared my experiences with them, including the coordination processes.
Bit by bit, the invisible barriers broke down, and I saw that practitioners had predestined relationships with each other. Actually, the barriers have always been my own tribulations and my lack of cultivation.
It was my human notions that got in the way. It was not the fault of other practitioners. As soon as I ascended in cultivation, my entire energy field changed.
I now understand that this is about our continuous cultivation, not just coordination. A practitioner once said that we practitioners have more conflicts than everyday people.
In fact, it does not matter what environment we are in. We are cultivating ourselves and improving our xinxing.
Master said:
“In the process of doing things, what’s looked at is your hearts, not your success itself. In the process of doing things you can save people! Your process of doing things is also a process of you elevating in cultivation, which, at the same time, plays the role of saving sentient beings! It is not that only if you succeed in doing that thing can you play the role of saving sentient beings.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
Abandon Human Notions, Don’t Demand Compliance, and Improve Cooperation
I have always thought that, because I am a coordinator, I naturally have many tasks and responsibilities, such as setting goals. I thought that others had to do what I say to work on projects. This was how things were done. In reality, this is not the case.
When we initially began filming and production, we needed many practitioners to take on roles as actors and actresses. I made hundreds of phone calls a day, from casting to finalizing shoot details. I actually depleted the batteries of two cell phones.
When I first took on this role, I was very inexperienced, and so were other practitioners. Some practitioners did not want to participate in the project. Some did not understand what we were doing, some were afraid, and some did not want to go on camera.
This was not as simple as I had imagined. From time to time, I sensed that practitioners did not want to participate, yet they might have felt that they could not refuse. I could not accept their excuses. I could not comprehend why any practitioner would not understand and support such a great truth-clarifying project.
I always pointed my finger at others. When I spoke with other practitioners, I blamed and criticized them. I demanded and pressured them to cooperate. I spent so much time and effort on persuading others but still could not complete the tasks.
On a day prior to a shoot, I still had not confirmed some actors’ and actresses’ roles. That night, I cried and knelt before Master's portrait and asked Master and gods to help. Because I had not cultivated well, I could not fulfill my responsibilities.
The shoot could not be delayed. I calmed down and studied the Fa. My restless heart became tranquil, and Dafa gave me wisdom. I realized that I was only concerned about fulfilling my duty.
I failed to share my cultivation practice with other practitioners and the reasons behind this project. I also did not consider other practitioners from their perspectives and the tribulations they were facing, nor did I want to help them.
I only wanted them to do as I wanted. I soon realized that every practitioner’s cultivation status is different, and his or her mindset is different. I had to patiently explain rather than aggressively demand.
Once I understood this, I called practitioners and apologized to them. Once I let go of the idea that they must participate, one by one they began returning my phone calls. Even those who had not replied confirmed their participation.
From then on, I clearly realized that it doesn't matter who we come into contact with, be they practitioners or everyday people; we are constantly tested and given opportunities to raise our xinxing.
The only way to do things right is to have righteous thoughts and to have our starting point be truth-clarification. This is not just for the sake of doing things but for our own cultivation and to save sentient beings.
I recall that I have encountered many conflicts with many practitioners during my years of cultivation. We have disagreed in our understanding of the Fa. Some did not participate in our project. I scrutinized others, did not consider things from their perspectives, and used cunning for personal gain. We did many, many things that should not have happened in cultivation.
Master said:
“...although your motives are to clarify the truth and do Dafa projects, which are good things, but if your starting point is not right, can this be allowed? This is not walking the path right from the outset.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
Once I discovered my attachments, I was determined to eliminate them and walk a righteous path. There were times that other practitioners looked at me strangely. When that happened, I would look outward and point fingers.
When I looked within, I realized that I had many attachments indeed. Once I discarded my attachments and walked on a righteous path, other practitioners no longer seemed to look at me that way. In fact, practitioners are a mirror of myself. Instead of trying to cultivate them, I had to cultivate myself.
In Vancouver’s cultivation environment, we have experienced ups and downs with conflicts that never seemed to end. We will continue to have these tribulations. They either come from our own karma or the old forces who want to destroy our group cultivation.
I learned that we must face this as a group by cooperating with each other and improving our xinxing together. As a coordinator, I require things of myself before I expect the same of others.
I will let go of attachments and human notions, truly improve my xinxing, be compassionate toward other practitioners, and overcome tribulations with righteous thoughts.
Facing Conflicts with Righteous Thoughts, Resolving Problems with Compassion
Coordinators must often resolve disagreements and noncooperation. There was a time when I did not see eye to eye with another practitioner. I lost my temper with her. When I think back now, I cannot even remember what we argued about. I can only recall that I was really angry, that it was his fault, and that he was vexing.
I got so angry once that I shook and couldn't calm down. Spiteful words filled my head. Then I took a step back. Whoever was to blame, it was still my fault. I should not have lost my temper in the first place.
Master said:
“As a cultivatorOne always looks for one’s own faults’Tis the Way to get rid of attachments most effectivelyThere’s no way to skip ordeals, big or small[During a conflict, if you can remember:]“He’s right,And I’m wrong,”What’s to dispute?”(“Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong” from Hong Yin III)
Even though I understand these Fa teachings, I am tested when I have to abandon my attachments and temper my mind. Even when I send righteous thoughts, human notions come forth: how can he be so unreasonable, him… him... him… It was still about him.
As each bad thought rushes out, I would remove them one by one, constantly eliminating them. Gradually I calmed down. The other practitioner must have been deeply affected by my temper, so I sent him a text message late that night and apologized, hoping that the incident wouldn't affect his righteous thoughts.
I thought I had let everything go, but when I reported the incident to the people in charge, my attachments poured out again. I wanted justice from the people in charge.
The other coordinator listened patiently to my story and compassionately shared his personal experience with me. He said he was misunderstood, and still, after many years, some practitioners held it against him in their hearts.
He told me that Master had enlightened him through another practitioner. The practitioner told him, “No matter what the conflict is, no matter who is right or wrong, isn’t it an opportunity to let go of our attachments? Be grateful. Where are you going to find such a good opportunity to improve your xinxing?”
This was very true. Master once again enlightened me through the words from this practitioner.
Master says in Zhuan Falun,
“Particularly for a practitioner, in the course of cultivation you are given some tribulations at each different level. They all come from your own karma and are your own tribulations, which are placed at different levels for you to improve yourself. As long as you improve your xinxing, you will be able to overcome them.” (Zhuan Falun)
As soon as I began to think this way, I felt lighthearted. I have never felt this sensation before, from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. Throughout my entire body, I felt I had shed a shell and arrived at a higher level. The other coordinator left me with these words: as a coordinator, one must have righteous thoughts to address conflicts and be compassionate to resolve problems.
The black substances in my body were gone, and my attitude towards the other practitioner had also changed. Tensions eased in our relationship, and we cooperated better with each other.
I hope to share these experiences especially with other coordinators.
Master said:
“Let me tell you, if you do not cooperate well with someone, as a person in charge or project coordinator, you have leaks in your cultivation, which you need to patch. If you cannot patch them up, you’ll have leakage and it will be a problem on your way toward Consummation.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
I realized, as we often say, that looking within is the best and most precious way to cultivate. We must jump out of our ordinary human notions, improve our xinxing, and ascend in Dafa cultivation.
The field around us will change accordingly, and our work will have a breakthrough. Cooperation among practitioners is not only about the other person’s willingness, but also about how we can best support each other to do a better job in truth-clarification.
Dafa gives us the foundation we need to truly cultivate. I hope we can continue to do a better job in our coordination work.
I thank Master for his compassion and thank practitioners for their righteous thoughts and encouragement to help me overcome this tribulation.
Eliminating Party Culture and Cultivating a Compassionate Heart
Sometimes, when we discuss certain issues, we tend to be influenced by our initial impressions of a particular person. We are clouded by human notions. This can create barriers among us. Instead, we should rely on our understanding of the Fa and righteous thoughts in the way we treat other practitioners.
One practitioner working in media had issues in her cultivation. My human notions stirred. I didn’t like her arrogance and ignorance. She accused me of being biased against her. Even worse, she said I exhibited very strong Party culture.
Each and every thing she said was targeted at my strong feelings. Other practitioners took her side and called me each day to remind me of the accusations without knowing what had really happened. I felt wronged.
I asked project coordinators above me to handle the situation. To my surprise, they told me to handle it myself.
The practitioner said she regretted her accusations, some practitioners made soothing comments, and others were hesitant to get involved. I didn’t know what to do. It was obvious that the practitioner was at fault, so why were all the arrows pointed towards me?
I calmed down, studied the Fa, sent righteous thoughts, and looked within. Then I realized that this unexpected conflict had revealed many of my attachments, which I had to eliminate.
Upon further reflection, I realized all my thoughts and actions reflected Communist Party culture—thinking only of myself and not of others, lashing out when I was offended, and being jealous when others accused me of abusing my power.
I shut out other practitioners. I lacked compassion when others expressed regret for their actions. I was cunning when I wanted to avoid problems.
Master said:
“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.”(“Realms” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
To face this, I had to abandon my attachments, discard my human notions, and look within. This was so difficult. How could I overcome her bias against me and genuinely share with this practitioner? How could I break down the barriers between us and honestly talk to her?
I slowly learned how to be considerate of others. Cultivation is serious. I considered how the old forces were ruining her. I considered how much suffering Master endures to save one sentient being. Once I was able to see all this, think about her needs, and let go of my human notions, righteous thoughts emerged.
Once my attitude changed, she also changed drastically. When we had a sharing, the barriers and hard feelings between us gently dissolved. She was able to truly express her feelings, and I could see that she had the determination and courage to do right this time.
I was genuinely happy for her. I really saw the change in her. We both shared our experiences according to the standard of the Fa. It seemed as though she has overcome her tribulation, but in reality, it was I who learned a great deal.
Thank you, Master, for your guidance. Thank you, fellow practitioners, for pointing out my flaws so that this practitioner and I could overcome tribulations together.
Hurrying Up to Save Sentient Beings
Master’s requirements for the media is to be diligent, to cultivate, and to save sentient beings. When I returned from the New York Fa Conference, I felt the pressing urge to save sentient beings. The end is fast approaching, and Master is anxious.
In the media group meeting, some senior media practitioners who were part of FGMTV (Fang Guang Ming Television) attended. They jokingly said that they have worked in media so long that they now have white hair.
They were asked why they are still committed to the project. They said they have not yet fulfilled their original wish to leverage our media for saving sentient beings. No matter how tired they are or how difficult it is, they cannot and would not leave.
This was my wish at the beginning. Although we lack manpower and the media is a huge responsibility, I have never been more determined.
When I watched the promotion video for the Epoch Times in Hong Kong, I recalled Master’s teaching:
“You are the hope for humankind. You must do well. You must take on your responsibility. You must go save sentient beings, so that you can consummate yourselves and this undertaking will not be in vain!” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
Master’s wish and the hope of all sentient beings rest on our shoulders. My previously depressed mood has disappeared, my doubts are gone, my entire body feels recharged. We are approaching the end. Master is here to encourage us and remind us of our responsibility to clarify the truth and save sentient beings.
Master said:
“It is indeed difficult for those who haven’t truly done cultivation to come through this. Now you can see why I’ve often told you to read the book more, right?! The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
As we approach the end, we must be more diligent in our cultivation. Although time is tight, we must do the three things well. Above is my cultivation experience.
Thank you, esteemed Master, for your compassion! Thank you, practitioners, for your encouragement in cultivation.
(Presented at the 2016 Canada Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)
