一個“音盲”是如何成為一名天國樂團的樂手
文：墨爾本大法弟子
尊敬的師父好！
各位同脩大家好！
天國樂團在每次的大法活動和各種遊行中，永遠是最吸引眾多觀眾的隊伍，其雄壯的音樂震撼著現場的每一個人。師父在2015年曾親自為〈天國樂團〉寫了一首詩，
“法鼓法號顯天威，去邪除惡喚回歸，末世救人驚天地，法正乾坤放光輝。”[1]
這是一個令很多大法弟子嚮往的團隊。
不過我從未想過自己要成為天國樂團的隊員，即便是已在天國樂團的家人同修數次邀請我參加樂團，我都是一口拒絕。因為我不僅對音樂一竅不通，而且是一個沒有節奏感和樂感的人，平時幾乎不聽、唱常人的音樂和歌曲。簡單地說，我就是一個“音盲”。特別是後來聽說，為了提升天國樂團的整體演奏水平，每個成員都要進行考試，規定的九首演奏曲目必須全部通過後才有資格參加活動。哇，這感覺是要把“濫竽充數”者趕出樂團。加入天國樂團，對我來說就像一個連小學還沒上的人，卻叫他去上大學，這簡直就是天方夜譚！
一、入門
二零一八年上半年的一天，坐在電腦前的家人同修對我說，他在新唐人網站上發現了一部紀錄片叫《傳奇時代》，要不要一起看看？當時我一聽這個名字，就覺得應該是一部相當不錯的影片，於是我們坐在電腦前觀看了這部紀錄片。
這是一部關於天國樂團的紀錄片，講述了天國樂團及其成員如何克服困難去各地演出。特別是有些同修年紀很大、音樂基礎很差，但通過刻苦訓練後，終於成為了天國樂團成員，並到世界各地演出，用這種獨特的方式去講真相救人。這部紀錄片對我觸動很大，當時我就想我只要刻苦努力，或許我也能行。
於是我膽膽突突地問家人同修：“你說我參加天國樂團，行不行？” 他一聽樂了，說：“肯定行。我們樂團之前的指揮曾說過，我們樂團不需要音樂家，只需要數學家。”“數學家？”我疑惑地看著他，這是我第一次聽到這種說法。家人同修說，指揮的意思就是你只要按照譜吹就可以了，譜上是一拍你就吹一拍，譜上是半拍就吹半拍，不需要你發揮，也不需要你創新。哇，這麼簡單！聽了這話，讓我這個理科生信心大增：原來就像做數學，那不就簡單多了。就這樣，我報名加入了天國樂團，成了天國樂團的一位預備隊員。
家人同修幫我選擇了中音號作為我未來的法器，他笑著對我說，“目前我們樂團沒有中音號手，好好努力，你要是練出來了，你就是我們樂團的第一中音號手。”幾天后，家人同修和我去了樂器店，花了兩千多元給我買了一個雅馬哈品牌的中音號，當時我有一點點心痛，畢竟我是初學者，還不知道能不能學得出來。
“是不是太貴了？你自己的樂器也沒有這麼好啊！”我患得患失的說，“要是我學不出來，這個中音號就給你用吧。”因為家人同修以前吹過中音號，現在吹悠峰號，但號的質量一般般。
他對我說，“差的樂器吹出來的音質也差。特別是初學者，好樂器才能吹出好聽的音樂，這會增強你吹奏的信心。不許打退堂鼓啊，這是你的法器，你得用它來證實大法，解體邪惡。”
當時，我除了興奮外，還有一種沒有退路的壓力感。腦海翻出的都是“背水一戰”，“自古華山一條道”等一些詞語。但有一個更強大的聲音衝進了我的腦海：“弟子正念足，師有回天力。” [2]
是啊，我是一個修煉人，我有師父，我是在做助師正法的事，師父一定會幫助我的，我一定會成功的！事後我悟到，修煉人沒有偶然的事情，從開始觀看《傳奇時代》這部紀錄片，一直到買中音號，應該都是師父的安排吧！或許我有這樣的使命吧！
二、苦練
當我拿著我的法器，費了九牛二虎之力吹奏出第一個音符時，我興奮不已，彷彿聽到了天籟之音，有一種大功告成的感覺。但這股興奮勁很快就煙消雲散了，因為我發現這個中音號一共只有三個按鍵，但不是只吹三個音，而是需要通過氣流速度、按鍵的組合，吹出幾十種不同的音。即便相同的音，也有連音，吐音之分，竟然這麼複雜！竟然這麼難！ ！
我有點想打退堂鼓。但轉念一想，我既然選擇了要加入天國樂團，想成為天國樂團一員去證實大法，救度眾生，那就得必須認真去練習才有這個可能，光有想法不行，還得必須下功夫刻苦去練。家人同修也一直鼓勵我：練號就是修煉，修煉就是要吃苦。於是我給自己制訂了一個訓練計劃，每天必須保證兩個小時練號，從基本功開始訓練，練音節、練爬音、練氣流……堅持、決不能鬆懈。
大概練了二個月後，我就開始參加團練，就從那個時候開始，我每週去參加團練，一直堅持到現在，直到今年三月（因中共病毒疫情）暫停。
當我第一次參加團練，與大家一起練習暖嘴的曲目，我根本沒有節奏感，忽快忽慢，緊張得我一身汗。我自己在家練是根據節拍器練，覺得還行。但團練時，根本就沒有節拍器，一下子又不知道怎麼去跟著指揮去吹了？後來我開始向外去找原因，認為是指揮打拍的手勢太模糊造成的。於是我私下去跟指揮交流，希望她打拍的手勢更清晰點，以便我看清她的手勢。誰知指揮對我說，你自己心中要有拍，要有節奏才行。我聽了，當時就傻了，自己要有節奏，我啥時才能練出節奏感？
正當自己處於很沮喪的時候，我想到自己當初加入天國樂團時，不就準備要吃苦的，這才剛開始怎麼就害怕了，要克服怕困難的心，不能退縮，相信自己一定能行，要向內使勁，得用心去練習。因為加入任何一個項目都存在著對意志力的考驗，看你能不能堅持下去？看你是知難而上，還是知難而下？
師父開示：“你說你必須堅定不移，這樣的心，到那時你真能堅定不移，你自然能做好，因為你的心性已經提高上去了。” [3]
為了練習節奏，我開始學唱譜，同時我們的聲部長也在教我們一些初學者練習唱譜，通過一段時間的練習，我的節奏感有了很大的提升。
三、考試
中音號學了半年後，我開始參加天國樂團上場規定的九首曲目考試。但凡參加過天國樂團考試的同脩大多會覺得這是一個倍受煎熬的過程。首先考試是不能看譜，不能看節拍器，不能有錯，需要一氣呵成。作為一名新手，我毫不例外也得去經受這種煎熬。從先易後難的順序，一首一首的考。
剛開始的幾首曲目用現在的眼光看是非常簡單的，但當時我每次考試時都很緊張，水平只能發揮平時的七、八成，每首曲目都要考四到五次才能通過，特別是有一首考了七次才通過。試想一下，我們團練一周一次，也就是一周只能考一次，每週都參與考試，七次意味著將近二個月考一首曲目。
我們的考官就是我們的指揮，每一次我考試失敗後，她都會細心地給我指點和鼓勵，甚至親自吹給我聽，這使我的演奏技巧、以及對曲目的理解都大大地得到了提高。在這期間，樂團的很多同修在技術上也給了我很大的幫助，他們指出了我的很多不足之處，讓我受益匪淺。在此，我感謝我們天國樂團每一位給我幫助過的同修，無論是精神上的，還是技術上的，謝謝你們！
屢戰屢敗，屢敗屢戰！這是我前期考試的真實寫照，我成了考試專業戶。面對一次又一次的失敗，有時家人同修都對我失去了信心，叫我先放一放，去練下一首。我反過來安慰他，沒關係，我一定能通過。因為我是一個修煉人，師父告訴我們修煉是嚴肅的，所以做任何事都帶有修煉的因素在裡面，天國樂團是一個證實法的項目，通過演奏出的音樂來救度眾生，解體邪惡。我要成為天國樂團的一員能那麼容易嗎？能沒有考驗嗎？ ！
師父在法中開示“師父領進門，修行在個人，全看你自己如何去修。能不能修，全看你自己能不能忍受，能不能付出，能不能吃苦。如能橫下一條心，什麼困難也擋不住，我說那就沒問題。” [3]
師父的法理讓我明白，練號也是自己修煉心性的一部分，我要像金剛一樣堅如磐石，橫下一條心，堅持練下去，一定會成功有望。
隨著心性的提高，我的演奏技巧也在迅速提高，我最後二首曲目考試，一次過關！二零一九年十二月十五日對我來說是一個很值得高興的日子，經過一年半不懈的努力，我終於通過了全部九首曲目的考試，成為天國樂團的正式隊員。
當然，通過考試這不是結束，而是作為天國樂團樂手生涯的開始，要想真正駕馭每一首曲目、掌控每一個音符，我還需要付出更多的汗水。
在加入天國樂團之前，我對考試是有一些想法的，認為考試會把很多想參與此項目的人堵在門外，因為我當時覺得能堅持參與這個項目，每週能堅持參加團練，這些同修已經很了不起了。但當我經歷了這九首曲目的考試後，覺得整個過程雖然很痛苦也很煎熬，但確實讓我在各方面提高了很多，無論是在演奏技巧上，還是在心性上，都有很大的收穫。家人同修也常說，在他自己考試和幫助我考試的過程中，他也糾正了自己很多在吹奏方面的壞習慣，他還說，考試讓他從一個“濫竽充數”者，變成了一個真正的演奏員。所以我現在也改變了原先的想法。
隨著正法進程的整體向前推進，對修煉人的要求也在提高，對項目的要求也在提高。天國樂團作為一個證實法、救人的項目，不提高天國樂團的整體演奏水平就不能起到救人的作用。
師父開示：“特別是在正法期間，所有宇宙中的正負生命都想在這次正法中能夠被救度，包括最高的層層無量巨大的神，特別是它那些個世界的眾生，因此它們都在世間、三界之內插了一腳，它們能失去這萬劫不遇的救命機會嗎？你得救我，都說你得救我、你得救我，但是表現形式可不像世間的論理認識那樣的，求人時要很禮貌的、很謙卑的才行：你救我、我得先感激你啊、我給你提供方便，可不是這個。在它們來看，你要能救了我，你得能到了我這層次才行，你得有這個威德，你才能救了我。你沒那個威德、你沒達到我那麼高，怎麼救我？那麼它就讓你摔跟頭、吃苦、去你的執著，然後把你的威德建立起來，你修煉到了哪個層次了，你才能救了它，都這麼幹。” [4]
至今家人同修還認為像我這樣一個五音不全的人，能通過全部考試，成為天國樂團一員，就像創造了一個奇蹟。但我不完全認同這種說法。
師父開示：“煉功人他的一生是經過改變的，手像、面像、生辰八字，和身體所帶的信息的東西已經不一樣了，是經過改變的。”“因為那一生是改變的，是修煉的一生。” [3]
因為當我發出要加入天國樂團這一念的時候，那麼即使我碰到再大的困難和乾擾，只要我堅定正念，師父一定會幫我度過難關的。因為，“修在自己，功在師父。” [3]
如果說創造一個奇蹟，也是師父在創造，我只是有做的這顆心而已。
我成為天國樂團正式隊員後，第一次參加了今年的國慶遊行，之後在今年一月三十一日前往悉尼參加了《慶賀三億五千萬中華兒女退出中共》活動的天國樂團演出。受中共病毒疫情的影響，天國樂團對外演出不得不暫停。雖然迄今我只參加了二次演出，但我還是感到很高興。
四、講真相
去年下半年，我在當地社區補習英語，班上的同學們來自世界各地。由於語言交流不通暢，大家上完課後都各自回家，在這樣的環境中，似乎很難找到講真相的機會。但弟子有這顆想講真相的心，師父就會給我安排機會。
二零一九年九月二十九日週日，澳洲天國樂團受邀參加墨爾本年度大型農展會演出。第二天週一上英文課時，英語老師按照慣例讓學生們寫下關於上週末發生的事。當時，我用英語簡單地描述了天國樂團在墨爾本年度大型農展會的表演，整場演出受到前來觀看的遊客和組委會的好評，我的家人同修也參加了表演，還介紹自己也是一名天國樂團的預備隊員，組辦單位明年可能還會邀請我們的樂團去表演。
英語老師看了我寫的內容，課後很高興地告訴我，說她昨天也去墨爾本農展會了，看到了天國樂團的表演，非常好。接下來，英語老師佈置了一個作業，讓每個學生寫一個關於自己休閒活動介紹的內容。其實作為一個修煉人，我們的休閒活動很少，我這次就寫自己的休閒活動是吹中音號及參加天國樂團。英語老師覺得我寫的很好，讓我在整個班級介紹我寫的休閒活動。我當時悟到，我可以利用這個機會向全班講真相。
於是，我就重新寫了自己的發言稿，寫好後讓我的女婿給我檢查一下英語的用詞和語法，看是否表達清楚了。女婿看了講稿後對我說，媽，挺好，你正好利用這個機會給你的同學講真相。因為要脫稿演講，我在家裡就把講稿背了出來。
演講的那天，我用了“天國樂團傳遞正能量”作為標題，我先介紹了自己練習的樂器情況，再介紹了天國樂團遍布全世界，在澳洲悉尼和墨爾本都有天國樂團，天國樂團主要為當地社區服務，每年參加了很多活動，例如每年的國慶遊行、復活節的班迪戈遊行，還有今年的墨爾本年度大型農展會等等演出；天國樂團演奏的音樂會給人們帶來正能量，聽了我們的音樂，有益於人們的身心健康，會給整個社會帶來光明的未來。同時我還介紹了天國樂團的成員都是修煉法輪功的，法輪功又叫法輪大法，它有四套站功和一套打坐，以真、善、忍作為日常生活行為準則。但是天國樂團不能在中國演出，因為法輪功在中國是不允許煉的，我本人在中國就因堅持修煉法輪功遭受到迫害，被中國政府抓到監獄，但是我現在也很幸運，來到澳洲這個信仰自由的民主國家。目前在中國仍然有很多很多像我這樣因堅持修煉法輪功被中國政府關在監獄。當時，我講到這裡時，我自己都哭了……全班同學和老師都給予我熱烈的掌聲。
下課後，我也將我事先準備好的英文法輪大法好的小單張發給同學們和老師，並告訴他們小單張上有相關的網站，你們可以上網了解到更多有關法輪功的相關內容，同學們和老師都欣然接收。
以上是我參與天國樂團後發生在自己身邊的一些小事，由於層次有限，不妥之處，請同修慈悲指正。
謝謝師尊！
謝謝同修。
注：
[1] 李洪志師父著作：《洪吟四》
[2] 李洪志師父著作：《洪吟二》
[3] 李洪志師父著作：《轉法輪》
[4] 李洪志師父著作：《各地講法十一》〈大法弟子必須學法〉
English translation of the sharing:
My cultivation journey from being “tone deaf” to becoming a member of the Tian Guo Marching Band
By a Melbourne practitioner
Greetings Master!
Greetings fellow practitioners!
The Tian Guo Marching Band is always the most eye-catching section in Dafa practitioners’ events and parades, its majestic melodies amaze every single member of the audience. In 2015 Master wrote a poem for the Tian Guo Marching Band,
“Drums and horns of Fa display divine might
Purging all manner of evil,
beckoning souls back to heaven
Heaven n’ earth are in awe
as the Band saves lives at the end of time
Its glorious light shines
in the cosmic Fa-rectification”
This is a group that many Dafa disciples long for.
I never thought that I would become a member of the Tian Guo Marching Band, my husband who was already a member of the band had invited me to join several times, but I refused. Not only did I know nothing about music, I also have no sense of rhythm, and I hardly listen to or sing ordinary people’s music and songs. To put it simply, I am “tone deaf”. I heard from my husband that in order to improve the band’s level of musical performance, members of the band must successfully pass an examination of each piece to be eligible to participate in performances. Wow, this feels like driving out the people who are there just to make up the numbers. Joining the band for me was just like telling someone to go to college when they haven’t even been to elementary school, it was simply a fantasy!
- Getting started
One day in the first half of 2018, my husband sitting in front of the computer told me that he discovered a documentary on the NTD website called “Legends Unfolding”, and asked if I wanted to watch it together with him. When I heard the name, I felt that it would be a great video, so we sat in front of the computer and watched the documentary.
This was a documentary about the Tian Guo Marching Band, telling how the band and band members overcame difficulties whilst performing. Also, there were some very old practitioners, who had poor musical foundations but finally became Tian Guo Band Members after hard work and practice, and performed all over the world to clarify the truth and save people in this unique way. The documentary really touched me. At that time, I thought, “as long as I worked hard, maybe I could do it.”
So I nervously asked my husband, do you think I can join the band? My husband was delighted and said: “of course. The band’s former conductor once said, our band doesn’t need musicians, we only need mathematicians”. “Mathematicians?” I asked my husband, as this was my first time hearing such a statement. My husband said, “the conductor meant that you just need to play according to the music, if there is one beat, you play one beat, if there is half a beat, then you play half a beat, there is no need for you to improvise or innovate.” Wow, it’s that simple! Hearing my husband’s words made me, a science student, and I became more confident. Turns out it’s much simpler, it’s just like doing maths. Just like that, I signed up to join the Tian Guo Marching Band and became a substitute band member.
My husband assisted me in choosing the baritone as my future Fa instrument. He smiled and said to me “Currently there are no baritone players in the band, work hard, if you can make it, you will be the band’s first baritone”. A few days later, my husband and I went to the musical instrument store and purchased a Yamaha baritone for over $2000. It hurt a little at the time, after all, I was a beginner and wasn’t sure if I could learn it successfully.
“Is it too expensive? Even your own instrument isn’t this good!” I said with worry, “if I am unsuccessful, then you can use this baritone”. My husband used to play the baritone, now he plays the Euphonium, but the quality of his instrument is average.
My husband said to me with a smile, “The sound made by a poor quality instrument is also poor. Especially for a beginner, only a good instrument can play good music, this will increase your confidence in playing. You’re not allowed to have second thoughts, this is your Fa instrument, you have to use it to validate the Fa and eliminate evil”.
At the time, other than excitement, I also felt pressure because I knew there was no backing out. Phrases such as “the last stand” and “there is only one path” appeared in my mind. But an even stronger voice popped into my head, “When disciples have ample righteous thoughts, Master has the power to turn back the tide” (Hong Yin, Volume II). Yes, I am a practitioner, I have Master, I am doing something to validate the Fa, Master will definitely help me, I will definitely succeed!
Afterward, I realised that there is nothing coincidental for cultivators. From watching the documentary to buying the baritone, this should all be Master’s arrangement! Maybe I have such a mission!
- Hard Practice
As I held my Fa instrument and played my first note, I was so excited, it was as if I heard a heavenly sound. I felt a sense of great accomplishment. But my excitement quickly disappeared when I found out that the baritone has only three keys, but plays dozens of different notes through airflow speed and different combinations of keys. Even the same note, can be played in many ways such as slurs and staccatos, I thought it was so hard and complicated!!
I kind of wanted to back out. But then I thought about it: since I chose to join the band, to become a member to validate the Fa and save sentient beings, then I have to practice earnestly to make it possible. Just having the thought is not enough, I have to work hard and practice. My husband was always encouraging me—practicing my instrument is cultivating, cultivation is enduring hardships. So I made myself a practice schedule, every day I will practice for 2 hours, starting from the basics, scales, arpeggios, airflow……perseverance, absolutely no slacking off.
After practicing for about two months, I started participating in band practice. From that time on, I joined my husband in band practice every week, and have continued till the present, until March this year (due to the CCP virus).
When I participated in band practice for the first time, I had no sense of rhythm at all during the warm-up, I was sweating because I was so nervous. At home, I practiced with a metronome and thought I was okay. But at band practice, there was no metronome. Suddenly I didn’t know how to follow the conductor and play! Later, I began to look for reasons externally, thinking it was because the conductor’s hand signals were too vague. So I went to talk to the conductor privately, hoping she could make her hand gestures more clear, so I could see better. Unexpectedly, the conductor said to me, you need to have the beat in your own mind, there has to be a rhythm. I was shocked upon hearing this, I need to have rhythm, when can I develop a sense of rhythm?
As I felt disheartened. I remembered when I initially joined the band, I was prepared to endure hardships. I thought that this was only the beginning, so why was I already afraid? I had to overcome my fear of difficulties and believe I can do it, make effort internally, and practice hard. Because when joining any project there exists a test of willpower to see if you can stick to it, to test if you can face difficulties front on? or back away? “With this determination, if you can indeed be firmly resolute at that point, you will naturally do well because your xinxing will have already improved.” (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Six)
In order to develop my rhythm, I started to learn how to sing to the music, I sang for a while. At the same time, my group leader also asked some of the beginners to practice singing the music. Through a period of doing this, my sense of rhythm improved greatly.
- Examination
After half a year of learning the baritone, I began taking the exams. Passing the exams is a requirement to participate in the performances.
Most of the practitioners who have taken the band’s exams feel that it is a tough process. First of all, you are not allowed to look at the music during the test, you cannot look at the metronome, you can’t make mistakes, and you have to complete the song in one go. As a beginner, I had to endure this tough process as well. Taking tests the songs one by one, from easiest to the most difficult.
Looking back now, the first few songs seem very easy, but at that time, I was so nervous during every exam. I could only perform 70-80% of my usual level, and had to take the test four to five times in order to pass. In particular there was one song that took me seven times to pass. To think about it, we had band practice once a week, meaning we could only take the test once a week. I took the test every week, taking the same test seven times means it took me almost 2 months to pass one song.
Our examiner is our conductor. Each time I failed to pass, she would kindly give me guidance and encouragement, and even played it to me herself—this helped my performance technique and my understanding of the music improved quickly. During this time, I received a lot of technical help from many other practitioners in the band, they pointed out many areas I needed to improve on, and I benefited a lot from this. Here, I thank every single practitioner in the band who has helped me, whether it be mentally or technically, thank you!
‘Defeated battle after battle, battling again after every defeat!’ This is an accurate portrayal of my initial examinations.
I became a ‘professional exam taker’. In the face of repeated failures, my husband even lost faith sometimes and told me to leave it aside and practice the next song. I consoled him in return, and thought “it’s okay, I can definitely pass.” Because I am a practitioner, Master said cultivation is serious, everything a cultivator does has elements of cultivation in it. The Tian Guo Marching Band is a project that validates the Fa through playing music that eliminates evil and saves sentient beings. Is it that easy for me to become a Tian Guo Band member? How could there be no tests?!
Master said in the Fa “The master takes you through the entrance, and cultivation is up to you, yourself. It all depends upon how you, yourself cultivate. Whether you can cultivate all depends upon whether you can endure, sacrifice, and suffer. If you can commit your mind, no difficulties can stop you. I would say that there’s no problem.” (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Four)
Masters Fa helped me understand that practicing my instrument is also a part of cultivating xinxing. I need to be strong like a Vajra, set my mind to it, keep practicing, and I will succeed.
With the improvement of my xinxing, my performance skills also improved rapidly. I passed my last two songs in one go. The date was December 15, 2019, it was a very happy day for me! After a year and a half of unceasing effort, I finally passed the exams for all nine songs and became an official member of the Tian Guo Marching Band.
Of course, passing the exams isn’t the end, but just the beginning of the journey of a Tian Guo Band member. To truly master each piece of music, and each note, I need to put in more effort.
Before joining the band, I had certain opinions about the exams. I thought that the exams would act as a barrier for many people who wanted to join, because at that time I thought the practitioners who joined the band and continued to participate in band practice every week were already amazing. But after going through the examination process of the nine songs, I felt that the whole process was painful and tormenting, but it did in fact help me improve in many aspects, whether it be in performance skills or xinxing.
My husband would often say that during his own examination process he corrected many of his bad playing habits, and the exams changed him from someone who was just there to fill the numbers into a true performer. Now I also have changed my original opinion.
With the overall progression of the Fa rectification process, the requirements for cultivators and projects are also increasing. The Tian Guo Marching Band is a project that validates the Fa and saves sentient beings. It cannot save people unless the band’s overall music performance skills is improved.
Master said “This especially holds true in the Fa-rectification period, where all of the cosmos’s beings, both positive and negative, want to be saved. And that includes even the unimaginably massive gods at the highest of planes, as well as, notably, the sentient beings of their worlds. It is because of this that they have managed to have a presence in the human world, and in the Three Realms. Could they forgo this once-in-eons opportunity to be saved? “You have to save me”—they all utter this, imploring to be saved. But the way this comes across is not what one would expect by using the kind of reasoning and comprehension found in the human world, such as how you must be courteous and humble when asking for help—“As you are here to save me, I must first express my gratitude toward you, and I will do my part to make it easier”—it’s nothing like that. As they see it, “If you are to save me, you have to reach my level first, and you must have this measure of mighty virtue before you can save me. Without such mighty virtue, without having reached my stature, how could you save me?” So they would have you trip and fall, suffer, and eliminate your attachments, after which, with your mighty virtue having been established, you will have cultivated to that level and be able to save them. That’s how they want to have it.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa” in Teaching the Fa at the Conference XI)
To this day, my husband still thinks it’s a miracle that someone like me who knew nothing about music could pass all the exams to become a member of the band. But I don’t fully agree with this statement.
Master said, “The entire life of a practitioner has been rearranged. One’s palm reading, face reading, birth data, and all messages in one’s body are already different and have been changed … because a life like that has been changed and is one for cultivation.” (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Six, Your Mind Must Be Righteous). Because when I had the thought of joining the band, no matter how difficult and great the interferences I encounter, as long as I maintain righteous thoughts, Master will help me through difficulties.
Again the words “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One in Zhuan Falun).
If creating a miracle, it is Master creating it, I just have the heart to do it.
After becoming an official member of the Tian Guo Marching Band, I participated in the Australia Day parade this year for the first time, and then went to Sydney on January 31 to participate in the band performance to celebrate 350 million Chinese people withdrawing from the CCP. Although I’ve only participated in two performances so far, I am still very happy.
- Clarifying the Truth
In the second half of last year, I was learning English in my local community, and my classmates came from all around the world. Due to the language barrier, everyone just went home after class. In such an environment, it seemed difficult to find an opportunity to clarify the truth. But because I had the heart to clarify the truth, Master arranged an opportunity for me.
On Sunday the 29th of September 2019, The Australian Tian Guo Marching Band was invited to perform at the Melbourne Show. The next day in class, the English teacher asked everyone to write down what happened during the weekend. At the time, I briefly described in English the band’s performance at the Melbourne Show, how the whole performance was commended by visitors and the organising committee, how my husband also participated in the performance, and introduced myself as a substitute member of the band, and that the organiser may invite our band the perform again the next year.
After reading what I had written, the English teacher excitedly told me after class that she also went to the Melbourne Show that day and saw the band play, and said it was great. Next, the English teacher set an assignment for each student to write an introduction on their leisure activities. As a cultivator, we rarely have leisure activities, so I wrote about playing the baritone and participating in the Tian Guo Band. My English teacher thought what I wrote was great and asked me to introduce my leisure activity to the whole class. I realised at the time that I could take this opportunity to clarify the truth to the class.
So, I rewrote my speech and asked my son-in-law to check my English vocabulary and grammar to see if it made sense. After reading my script, he said, “mum, it’s good, you can use this opportunity to clarify the truth to your classmates.” Because I had to make a speech, I memorised the script at home.
On the day of the speech, I used “The Tian Guo Marching Band delivers positive energy” as a title. I firstly introduced which instrument I practiced then introduced how the Tian Guo Band performs all over the world. In Australia, there is a Tian Guo Band in Sydney and Melbourne, and mainly it performs locally and participates in many events each year such as the Australia Day parade, the Easter parade in Bendigo and this years Melbourne Show.
I added that the band’s performance brings positive energy to people, listening to our music is beneficial to people’s mental and physical health, and brings positivity to society.
I also said that members of the band all practice Falun Gong. That it has four standing exercises and one sitting meditation, and practitioners follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in their daily lives.
I also clarified that Tian Guo Band won’t be able to perform in China because Falun Gong is banned from being practiced in China. I told them that I myself was persecuted, arrested by the government and jailed in China because I persisted in practicing Falun Gong. But I was also very lucky that I was able to come to Australia, a democratic country where there is freedom of faith. Currently, there are still many people in China who have been jailed by the government because they are like me and persist in practicing Falun Gong.
When I spoke about this, I even cried … The whole class and the teacher gave me warm applause.
After class, I handed out the small English “Falun Dafa is Good” leaflets I had prepared in advance to my classmates and teacher, and told them there were related websites on the leaflet which they can visit to learn more about Falun Gong. Everyone happily accepted.
Above are the bits and pieces that I have experienced since joining the Tian Guo Marching Band. Due to my limited level, please kindly point out any improprieties.
Thank you Master！
Thank you fellow practitioners.