Embracing Cultivation Opportunities and Elevating as a Member of the Tian Guo Marching Band

(Minghui.org) I joined the Tian Guo Marching Band in 2016. I would like to tell you about my cultivation journey while participating in the band.

When I first joined the band, I didn’t expect to be assigned to the cymbals section. When I thought of playing music, all that came to mind were the musical instruments that could produce beautiful tones. When the conductor asked me to play the cymbals, my first thought was to follow the arrangement—so I was very happy to be part of the cymbals section. With other practitioners’ help, I quickly learned: one part was to practice the basic skills on snare drum, and the other was to memorize the music. At first, I was fine while practicing with the section and the band, but when I got home, I didn’t know how to play in some places in the music. So during rehearsal I recorded the others playing the cymbals along with the music. This way at home I was able to follow along to learn and practice. I was very motivated to get better quickly, and I practiced and memorized music every day for one to two hours.

Some days I went to practice playing and marching with a practitioner in the snare drum section. I also kept listening to the Tian Guo Marching Band recordings, and practicing and memorizing my parts when I was on the way to promote Shen Yun in Fresno. Practitioners have many things to do, but I always tried my best to find time to practice the music. The hard work paid off. After more than two months, I had practiced for more than 100 hours. I mastered the basic skills and memorized ten pieces of music. After passing the test, I was able to participate in parades.

The first parade I joined, I was both excited and nervous. Because the cymbals were loud, it would be very obvious if I played a wrong note and it would impact the entire band. I focused on following the drum major, and not making any mistakes. That was my initial stage in playing in the band.

Master’s Hints Enable Me to Further Improve My Skills

In one parade, the practitioner who usually marched next to me could not participate, so the sound from theothers was a little farther away from me than usual. During the parade I suddenly heard a musical sound that was very beautiful and pleasant. The rhythm was consistent with the rest of the band, yet it was also as if it was independent. It was crisp, pure, and natural. I wondered where the beautiful sound came from. I looked around and listened carefully, and suddenly I realized that it was the sound of my own cymbals. I was very excited and moved. I didn’t expect the simple instrument could make such a beautiful sound. I knew that Master was hinting at me that when I played well, the sound of cymbals could also be beautiful and pure.

After the parade, I realized the meaning of the music we play expresses our thoughts and conveys the message to the audience that Falun Dafa is good. I started to progress beyond only mechanically playing and focus more on improving my skills and understanding the conductor’s interpretation of each piece. While practicing the cymbals, I began to pay more attention to the sound I produced, the different gestures used, the direction of my hands when separating the cymbals, the size of the movement, the strength used when striking, and so on. I noticed the different sounds that I could produce and the different effects to go along with my understanding of each piece of music. At the same time, I also knew that we must master the fundamentals of percussion, which was to be precise on the rhythm. So I insisted on practicing according to the method that our music teacher showed us, and I practiced diligently on snares while following the metronome, sometimes at home, and sometimes in the park. I didn’t think about reaching a certain goal; instead, I just felt that it was crucial to master the fundamentals to be a qualified musician.

When playing with the entire band, it’s not easy to tell how well each person plays. Once, we had a small group performance, and I was the only one playing the cymbals. After a rehearsal the conductor told me, “I didn’t expect you to make such rapid progress.” I knew that my technical improvement came from the continuous and consistent practice every day, as well as my improvement in cultivation, and how much I valued the band. I hoped that my cultivation and musical skills would be worthy of the words “Falun Dafa” on the glittering banner we carried during parades.

Misunderstanding is Resolved

In the band, there are also tribulations and opportunities to improve one’s cultivation. I realize that when there is a problem, it’s a chance to improve and I should not give up the opportunity by hanging onto my attachments.

Just as Master said, “So whether it is good things or bad things you run into, so long as you cultivate in Dafa, they are all positive, to be sure.” (Teachings at the 2005 Conference in San Francisco)

A band member sent a message to our group and blamed me for something. I was very confused when I saw it, and wondered why she said something that wasn’t true. I knew I was wronged, and I wanted to explain. But I remembered Master’s poem,

“Don’t Argue

Don’t argue when people argue with youCultivation is looking within for the causeWanting to explain just feeds the attachmentBreadth of mind, unattached, brings true insight” (Hong Yin III)

So I just thought, “I won’t try to explain it. She is angry at the moment and all of us should just calm down.” So I just made a simple and polite reply and didn’t think much about it.

We were promoting Shen Yun, so the next morning I helped deliver flyers door-to-door. That practitioner’s message and the accusing tone surfaced in my mind again, and this time it really bothered me. I felt that I was blamed for something that caused me to have a bad reputation. I wanted to skip the group rehearsal the following week as a silent protest to the fact I was wronged. When I had this thought, I was even shocked myself that I would think about things in these ordinary human ways. Wasn’t I being selfish and narrow-minded? When practitioners encounter a problem, we must look for the issue within ourselves and use the Fa taught by Master to measure our xinxing and decide what to do. Isn’t her accusing me exposing my attachment to ego, and not wanting to be criticized by others? The fact that I wanted to respond by not going to the rehearsal showed that I had not let go of it at all and that I still had a strong competitive mentality.

Master said, 

“Therefore, from now on when you come across a conflict you should not consider it a coincidence. This is because when a conflict occurs, it will take place unexpectedly. But that is not a coincidence—it is for improving your xinxing.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

I realized that this was an opportunity to expose and eliminate my hidden attachments to fame and reputation, as well as my competitive mentality.

I clearly knew that I must reject and let go of the tumultuous thoughts that I was having, and I must solidly cultivate myself. I should not be moved by anything I encountered and I should adjust my state of mind. I should go to band rehearsal and cooperate with the other practitioners as always. When I was able to correct my thoughts one by one, my mind became calm and open again.

“Looking inward” is a magic tool that Master has given us. If we can remember that we are Falun Dafa cultivators when encountering conflicts, then we will definitely be able to get through the tribulation. When that practitioner learned more about the situation, she sent a message to clarify the misunderstanding. Just like that, it was as if nothing happened, but my xinxing improved and my gong increased in the process.

In cultivation, we have to pass big and small tests. Sometimes when there is a conflict, we may struggle internally because it is truly hard to let go of our attachments. There were times that I regretted not being able to uphold my xinxing, and there were also times I was happy when I was able to remain calm. 

I felt that when I was reading the Fa a lot and well, I had less human notions and I could see the issues with a more rational mind. It would then be easier to recognize my attachments and cooperate well with fellow practitioners. I realized that as long as I looked inside and did not complain, I was able to truly eliminate the attachment and improve. 

Participate in Parades to Save People

Before the pandemic, the Tian Guo Marching Band participated in many parades, some were as far away as Canada. Each time I participated in the parade, it was a beautiful experience and what I gained can never be measured.

When we participated in the community parades, we dressed in white and blue Han and Tang Dynasty costumes and played our practitioners’ original and unique music. We were showing the world the traditional Chinese culture and conveying the principles and beauty of Falun Dafa to the world. 

During the parades, I also truly felt people’s love for the Tian Guo Marching Band. I often saw people greeting our band, applauding us, or giving us thumbs-up. Sometimes when I played and saw the enthusiastically cheering crowd, tears came to my eyes. I was so grateful to Master for giving me such glory that could not be expressed in words. I hoped that the music of “Falun Dafa is Good,” full of energy, would become part of the people’s lives, and never dissipate as they have a chance to enter the future.

I hope that through practice, I will be able to further improve my techniques, better cooperate with the whole band, and be able to play the majestic rhythm along with the beautiful melody, which will be transformed into great energy that can save people.

These are my experiences, based on my personal understanding. If there is anything inappropriate, please kindly point it out. Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!

(Presented at the United States West-coast Tian Guo Marching Band Fa Conference)