(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1999. A good friend of mine introduced the practice to my wife and me. He showed us how to do the exercises and shared Zhuan Falun and other teachings of Master Li Hongzhi with us.

Not long after we began cultivation, my wife and I relocated to eastern Germany for work. We had to move away from my friend and continue cultivation on our own, though at a different pace due to our changed environment.

I was greatly inspired after encountering Dafa, and I used every free minute to read Zhuan Falun. As an agnostic, I used to doubt the existence of Jesus and God and was aggressive toward people who had spiritual beliefs. Of course, I changed after I started cultivating Dafa.

Before long, I developed some sickness symptoms and encountered a life-and-death test. I used to have very poor health and had to rest in bed for several straight days at least once a month. Now I understood the reason for illnesses and its association with karma. Therefore, I treated my present illness as the elimination of karma and wasn't moved when people warned me to seek medical care. I recovered in a few days.

My wife and I were shocked when we learned in late 1999 that a practitioner in mainland China had been persecuted to death for her faith. We couldn't make sense of the tragedy. Growing up in Austria and living in the countryside, we knew very little about the happenings in China, and we simply couldn't comprehend why such a good practice was being persecuted in China.

The environment for practitioners in Austria became better and better. We met several times a week in the Burgenland (a state bordering Hungary in the east) to study the Fa and do the exercises together. Naturally, our conversation turned to the persecution in China, and we discussed what we should do to help.

We decided to hold a truth-clarification event in Vienna. None of us had any experience organizing such events, and we just learned the ropes as we went. I recall feeling quite uneasy demonstrating the Dafa exercises and talking to people at a tourist site. However, after being involved in many information day events, I no longer felt nervous about clarifying the facts to tourists.

My mindset gradually changed as I worked to follow Dafa's requirement to take self-interest and desires lightly. While listening to Master's audio lecture in Guangzhou in 2000, I once thought to myself how many decades it'd take to get rid of my attachments to fame and gain. I became emotional looking back at my 19 years of cultivation. It was just like how Master mentioned that cultivating xinxing is like peeling an onion layer after layer.

I was still easily moved by the littlest things in my life and failed to address issues from a cultivator's perspective. Even today, I'm still inclined to consider things with human notions. I understand that the xinxing tests we must pass get harder and harder. Having cultivated for so many years, I am getting better at recognizing the cause and effect of an issue. In the past, I at most felt a bit regrettable if I failed a xinxing test. But now I'd feel my entire life would be affected.

I've come to see that cultivation is a serious matter. We must study the Fa diligently every day, which is the foundation of our cultivation. Without solid Fa-study, I cannot do the exercises well or have righteous thoughts. Fa-study has become an integral part of my life.

Being the father of two cultivating children also helps me realize the importance of daily Fa-study.

Validating the Fa with Music

I have participated in many projects over the years.

I started studying music in 1999 and have since received three different degrees in the field.

I formed a band together with a group of practitioners in 2003. Our ensemble performed in different kinds of shows, such as large- and small-scale Dafa performances in Vienna and all of Austria. We recorded the songs and tried to bring them to the public. We also cooperated with German practitioners, put on live performances with “Music for Human Rights,” and produced CDs. The cultivation environment was precious.

We did the exercises and studied the Fa together for a period of time. This helped us sharpen our minds–the reason for getting together and making music. Thus, we became more and more aware of our mission. We also saw more practitioners join our band.

Master said,

“As a person with genuine gong and energy, you do not need to give it off intentionally; you will leave energy on whatever you touch, and it will all be shining brightly.” (Zhuan Falun)

Every tone that is played leaves behind wisdom and the desire to cultivate. This intensifies the tone and results in something supernatural and no longer of pure humanness.

While studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, I was given several opportunities to present Dafa music. We composed a song named “You open my eyes” at a University work group. For that, we had to do some research to develop the lyrics. This allowed me to talk about the persecution. My Master's thesis contained information about Dafa, and I addressed the subject during my oral examination.

Clarifying the Truth in Media Projects

I am always interested in new computers and tone techniques and finding out how they work. This allows me to retain new things, at first as an amateur and then in a professional tone studio. A group of practitioners and I dubbed the sounds for short films produced by practitioners.

We were also responsible for the Austrian region of the Sound of Hope Radio Network. We made more than 100 free weekly broadcasts in many Austrian states. We also broadcast the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. I also participated as a speaker and moderator in NTDTV’s multi-language German News broadcasts.

These media outlets have played important roles in validating the Fa. Today, I'm a narrator for the German Epoch Times.

I've learned a lot over the past 19 years of cultivation. Every day is an opportunity to temper my heart, and I am grateful for Master's arrangements.