(Clearwisdom.net)
When I was a student, given my financial situation, I could only selectively attend one or two Falun Dafa experience sharing conferences each year. But, I made sure to attend the Washington DC Falun Dafa experience sharing conference every year. I started on a job this year and my financial situation has improved, but I have few holidays left. I cherish every precious chance to share experiences, but I actually feel rather disappointed about this year's conference. The turmoil in the conference room was the worst that I had experienced and the acoustics were also the worst. People who sat in the middle and back of the conference room could barely hear the speeches.
At the very beginning, Teacher came and spoke for 30 minutes. After Teacher left the conference room, nearly all the volunteer security personnel immediately left and the conference hall open to anyone. Many practitioners thought they had achieved the goal of attending the conference (listening to Teacher's speech). Therefore, they attended to "private matters," which included eating, chatting with "old friends," project team meetings, etc. The dining room on the top right side of the conference room was always full of practitioners who were talking and eating.
The hosts asked for silence several times, and for these practitioners to please be more considerate of others, but nothing much changed. In the afternoon, the practitioners sitting in the back of the conference room could not hear the practitioners' speeches, because small meetings were held in the open space at the rear of the conference room. The conference site was noisy and chaotic. Rambunctious children also started to join the main conference hall and even raced around outside the hall in the public areas, deserting their special conference room. The hosts also had to make an announcement about this situation, but little changed.
Later, the fire alarm inside the conference room was set off by mistake, and it lasted for quite a while. The experience sharing ground to a halt. Most practitioners began to send forth righteous thoughts to clear away the interference, but some practitioners left the conference room. Nearly half an hour later, when the problem was finally fixed, the conference room finally was restored to order and quietness.
I think we should all understand clearly that we are responsible for the disorder in what was originally the most dignified and holy of conferences. I was also not righteous at all times. When I was unable to hear the speeches clearly, I began to read new materials instead.
I found also a problem with the activities before the conference. For example, the "Great Wall of Courage" was found to have an actual number of participants much smaller than the numbers announced to the media. Probably there were some detailed operational issues, and the original intention was good. However, we need to look at the actual result of doing things. It was not accidental. Nothing happens by chance. Practitioners can only meet the cultivator's standard when they conduct themselves according to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" at all times and in all places. Before and after the DC activities, did we ignore basic cultivation factors and allowed the attachment of doing things and pursuit of greatness and success to dominate our words and deeds?
Also, after the assembly and parade, a large amount of truth-clarification materials were not taken care of properly, so that many were damaged in the rain afterwards. It was not only a waste of money!
When I read that Teacher mentioned, "it is close to return to your real place" (draft translation, from Hongyin II), I felt extraordinarily calm, with no joy or reaction. I asked myself, have I done all I should do? Have I done all well? I hope everyone altogether can walk every step well on the path of cultivation and Fa-rectification, no matter if it is the first step or the last step, no matter if it is the most difficult one or the easiest one, just walk steadfastly, so we won't disappoint all the sentient beings, and so we stay within the bounds of Teacher's guidance.
Once again, I kindly ask everyone to cherish our Falun Dafa experience sharing conferences. Not all practitioners are as fortunate as the practitioners in North America, who can often attend a conference without having to travel far, and listen to Teacher lecturing the Fa in person. Think about the practitioners from abroad who flew across oceans to attend the conference. Their time and financial contributions are far higher than that of the North American practitioners. In some locations, the practitioners have to plan the event as one body, as not all the practitioners who would like to come can be accommodated. Wouldn't they treasure every minute and second of a Fa conference? Let us also think of those practitioners who would like to attend, but are unable due to financial or other hardships. Think of the new practitioners who attended the conference for the first time, and the managers and staff of the conference site, what kind of impression did we leave them?
Note: If you have not used your metro tickets, and if there is still a considerable balance on your Metro pass, please consider mailing it to Washington DC practitioners so the elderly folks who have been going to the Chinese Embassy year after year can ask a little less from their children, or afford a decent lunch.
