Finding My Shortcomings in Writing Music

I have been a practitioner for two and a half years now and have benefited greatly from Dafa. I compose music at the level of ordinary society. People say I have a very good voice which brings them calmness and peace.

When trying to compose music that will help me advance my career in this respect, I often run into problems. I have repeatedly failed to look inward and blamed outside circumstances. As many of my lyrics contain things about Dafa, Fa-rectification and the evil persecution, I always assumed the problems were due to outside forces.

I recently offered a friend of mine a chance to listen to some of my music. The first song I played I had written entirely for the purpose of clarifying the truth. I wrote it very quickly and easily and was quite happy with it. The second and subsequent songs I wrote, I wrote with the purpose of establishing a career in music and gaining attention and fame, and eventually wealth. Despite my wanting to use these for good, I failed to spot the attachments.

Upon hearing the first song, my friend scolded me for not letting more people hear it and suggested I make more effort to bring this to a wider audience.

Upon hearing the subsequent songs, although he enjoyed them and thought them good, he bemoaned the lack of some of the conventional things in modern music such a conventional chorus. I went to great lengths to defend this decision, saying it was intentional, as I wanted to change the form of modern song writing because I found it limited.

In truth, I have been writing for my own ego and have not been compassionate to the needs of the listener. I have placed my own vain desire to achieve first.

This morning, realising that if I had to go to such lengths to defend a principle, it must in some way be crooked, I looked inside and examined my friend's words. I felt that in the two instances he spoke, it was as if Master was giving me a subtle hint. I realised that as a listener, he listens to music that pleases the ear and calms the soul. As a musician, I must remember that without the ear, music cannot be heard and without the soul, it cannot be felt. If I write too much for myself, it will neither be heard nor felt.

I thank Master for this hint and will try to make better attempts in clarifying the truth in this area.

Please point out anything that is inappropriate.