(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings to Master! Greetings to fellow practitioners!
My name is Jingru Shang and I am 15 years old. My experience sharing will include two topics.
1. Cultivating in the Tian Guo Marching Band
I was very happy when I first heard of the news that a Tian Guo Marching Band would be set up in the San Francisco Bay area. I knew that I was extremely fortunate to become a member of the Tian Guo Marching Band. At the time when the band just started, there was practice every day from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. It was especially hard for me to attend practice every day because as a high school student I have a lot of homework. Especially at that time, it was close to the time for the California standardized testing. But I still attended practice every day for one month. I started doing my homework as soon as I returned home from school. I did my homework without even taking a break. Then at 7:30 p.m. I left for practice and returned home at 12:00 a.m. Although sometimes I felt very sleepy when I got home from the band practice, I still studied the Fa every day for one hour because I know that Fa study is extremely important for Dafa disciples, and Master repeatedly told us that no matter how busy we are, we must study the Fa. I get up at 6:00 a.m. every day and get ready for school. Master said that we should be good people wherever we are, so although I didn't get much sleep and had little time for my homework, I still got very excellent grades. I knew that Master had brought harmony to everything.
In the band, I selected an instrument that is pretty hard to learn-the piccolo. Because I am young and learn things fast, the teacher, Ms. Chen Ning Fang (who is the flute and piccolo teacher) required that I learn from her immediately. I had to take two days off from homework, as she only stayed in the area for two days. After I notified my mom of this situation, we both started to send forth righteous thoughts together, and it turned out that during those two days, I had very little homework, which had never happened before. After school, my mom immediately took me to learn the piccolo. I knew that Master had helped me once again.
When I was learning, my teacher Ms. Chen Ning Fang told me that her requirements for me were very high, because she didn't teach me just so I would acquire some skills, but because I had to teach everyone else in the piccolo group. Since she stayed for only two days, it was impossible for her to teach everyone. Those two days were very hard and frustrating for me. Even though I am still a child and my fingers are quite flexible, it was still hard for me to quickly master the skills of playing the piccolo. Sometimes I got so frustrated that I almost burst into tears. Afterwards I realized that as a Dafa practitioner, I must overcome these difficulties no matter what. Finally, in two and a half days, I managed to play two songs, "Falun Dafa Hao" and "America the Beautiful." Although sometimes I feel as if it is impossible for me to achieve something, I found that as long as I persist and always regard myself as a Dafa practitioner, I would succeed. Just like Master taught us, "When it's difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it's impossible to do, you can do it." (Zhuan Falun)
2. Clarifying the Truth in the Fa-Rectification Period
I started cultivating in Dafa when I was very young. My mom always tells me that all my talents are a gift from Dafa, and I also knew that Master had given me these special abilities so that I could better clarify the truth and save sentient beings. Before I went to high school, I participated in all truth clarification and Fa-spreading activities, but now, I am already in my second year of high school, and sometimes it is really hard for me to participate in Fa-Rectification events because I have too much homework. Sometimes, I have some human thoughts and think that it is unfair because I do not have as much time for my homework as other average kids. Afterwards, I realize that these thoughts are terribly wrong. I then remind myself that Dafa practitioners are the most fortunate and that I should feel extremely joyous because I can be a Fa-Rectification period Dafa disciple. I know that this is my cultivation environment arranged by Master. I should cherish it and walk well on my road of cultivation.
Although I sometimes hope to have more time to do my homework and review my lessons, I know that my responsibility is to save sentient beings. Therefore, whenever I have opportunities to do so, I shouldn't push them away because it is my historic mission. Although I have many tribulations, I must break through all of them. Whenever I place Dafa and clarifying the truth as my first priority and let go of the attachment of doing homework, I notice that when I went to clarify the truth, I could not only finish my homework but also get really good grades.
My parents always encourage me to participate in truth clarification events. I spend most of my weekends participating in parades, rallies, band playing, and passing out truth clarification materials.
Once when we little Dafa practitioners performed dancing and singing called "Autumn Rain" at the Union Square to inform people about the persecution of little Dafa practitioners in mainland China and thereby rescue them, a journalist from the San Francisco University of Arts asked me what "Autumn Rain" meant. I then told her about the persecution of Falun Gong in China and how many little disciples and children of Dafa disciples suffered in China. I also told her about the CCP's organ harvesting of live Falun Gong practitioners in China, and especially that some of the corneas were removed from children. She was very shocked, and said that she knew that there was a corpse show from China in the San Francisco Bay area, but she didn't know that a lot of the corpses could be from Dafa practitioners. She also said that she would report about this in her school's publication.
Sometimes I go to the city council meetings to speak about the persecution of Dafa practitioners in China, and sometimes I meet with the councilors to clarify the truth. Because I am young, they pay special attention when I speak about this issue, and most of the time the results are very good.
After the school term began, my English teacher asked us to write an essay on any topic. I had been thinking of writing an essay to disclose the evil Communist Party's crimes of organ harvesting from Dafa practitioners in China. However, because the topic is too broad and the length of the essay couldn't be more than two pages, I couldn't make up my mind. Afterwards I went to my parents and asked for advice, and they immediately encouraged me to write about it. I also realized that saving sentient beings was the most important thing. Since I had difficulties explaining it to her in person, I decided to write the essay first and then submit it to my teacher. Doing it this way, even if she didn't let me write about this topic, she would still know the truth. After my teacher read my essay, she not only allowed me to write on this topic but also gave me a really good score on it.
I learned that as long as I have strong righteous thoughts, and place Dafa and saving sentient beings as my first priority, there are no difficulties which I can't overcome. I will use Master's poem "Master-Disciple Grace" to end my experience-sharing article.
Master-Disciple Grace
Violent evil has raged four years
With a steady helm, bearings are not lost
Fa disciples experience evil's trials
Heavy pressure does not change their will
Master and disciples have no use for sentiment
Buddha's grace transforms heaven and earth
Disciples' righteous thoughts are strong
Master has the power to turn the tide(Hong Yin, Volume II)
