我在天国乐团的修炼体会
文：澳大利亚大法弟子
尊敬的师父好！
各位同修大家好！
我是墨尔本天国乐团的一名中号手，我认为，能成为天国乐团的一员，是一个大法弟子的荣耀。今天在这里与大家交流一下，这些年来我在天国乐团的修炼心得：
一、机遇
我是二零一四年十月来到墨尔本的。那年年末的一天，我和妻子同修来到一位同修家中做客，无意中看到同修家中的一件大型铜管乐器，于是就问了同修这是什么乐器，同修说这是大号，并告诉我们，他是墨尔本天国乐团的一员，大号是他的法器。
于是妻子同修就问这位同修：“我先生很喜欢音乐，能参加天国乐团吗？”同修说：“参加天国乐团需要有一定的乐理基础。”
同修的话，让我这个乐理知识欠缺的人当时感到心理受挫：就我目前的现状，進入乐团，可能希望不大。于是我和妻子同修很快就投身到一线讲真相的活动中去了。
第二年年初，一个偶然的机遇我進入墨尔本大纪元，与一位同修搭档为大纪元送报纸。几个月后，坐在送报卡车上，开着车的同修问我想不想加入天国乐团，当时我不加思索的说：“不想！虽然我年轻时玩过乐器，但不识五线谱，年龄又大，而且学乐器非常耗时间和精力。”
同修说，他是墨尔本天国乐团的小号手。他还说：“乐团除了对音乐基础的要求之外，还要看同修的修炼状态，我觉得你目前的情况还是有希望的，周日晚上到乐团训练场来试试吧。”
周日傍晚，我来到天国乐团的训练场地，震撼人心的音乐以及同修们的热情彻底感染了我。那天我选择了自己未来的吹奏乐器：中号。中号的音色显得悠扬舒缓，像是铜管乐器中的一名“绅士”、一名“淑女”。
二、進入乐团
刚开始拿到乐器的时候，练习的并不顺手。吹出来的声音时而发出呲呲的杂音，时而发出沙哑和粗暴的声音，根本不像“绅士”，更像一个“猛士”。乐团的指挥听到我的吹奏音后，笑着说：“像一头蛮牛！”
吹大号的同修是我的启蒙老师，他对我说，要想吹得好听，必须多练基本功。但单调枯燥的基本功练习让我渐渐失去了信心，“太枯燥！这要练到猴年马月才能上场啊！”于是我放下了手中的中音号，这一放就是一个多月。吹大号的同修知道我的近况后，就主动开车到我家来教我吹号，并鼓励我、开导我，让我重拾吹号的信心。
乐团的另一位同修知道后也鼓励我：要坚持，不能怕苦，这也是一种修炼，这也是一种提高。并介绍他自己在家练习时，有时一次练5、6个小时，有时嘴上都吹出泡了、吹出血了，还在练！几年后我知道这种练习方法并不可取。但当时他的话也非常激励我，同修这么能吃苦，我也能做到！
不久，师父为天国乐团发表经文：“法鼓法号显天威 去邪除恶唤回归 末世救人惊天地 法正乾坤放光辉”[1]
首次拜读师父这篇经文时，备受鼓舞，更加坚定了我進入天国乐团的决心。
在之后的日子里，我经常背诵师父的这篇经文，并开始進入刻苦练习的状态，在家中、在公园、在室外体育场都有我练习的身影，即便在车上，只要不是我开车，我也会拿着号嘴来進行练习，或者听天国乐团的曲子，以加强对曲目的记忆。
二零一六年四月，我完成了乐团规定的所有曲目，并通过简单的考核正式進入天国乐团。接下来的5.13大法活动中，当我穿上蓝色的天国乐团服装，吹响《法轮大法好》的曲目时，我热泪盈眶，激动不已。
三、考试显原形
二零一八年初，天国乐团老队员分成三个阶段進行曲目考试，每个阶段三首曲目，并且到年底必须完成全部九首曲目的考试，这个考核要求让我一下子紧张了起来！毕竟自己到底有多少斤两，自己还是有点数的。
现在回想起我当时進乐团的水准，仅仅能把所有的游行曲目磕磕碰碰吹下来，充其量也就初级水准，有些曲目吹得不好，也并不着急，毕竟旁边有这么多同修，吹得不行的地方，相互帮衬一下就可以了。其实这是典型的滥竽充数的心态，但当时我并没有认识到。
但现在不行了！修炼是严肃的，是不能滥竽充数的。怎么办？想到要考核，我的内心深处有一丝丝的恐惧，担心自己无法通过考试，无法上场游行，这是多么丢面子的事。当时我甚至都出现了离开乐团的想法。
于是我再次重新审视了自己進乐团的初心：我为什么要進天国乐团，我是来助师正法、救度众生的。能加入天国乐团救人，这样的机会来之不易，失去了，可能就永远失去，那肯定会遗憾终身。
师父说：“可是我告诉你，你为了得这个法，可相当不容易，也许你前半生吃的苦都是为了得这个法，这是你知道的；还有你不知道的，也许在你前几世甚至于更长的时间，都在为得这个法在吃苦、受罪。还有的人为得这个法遭受过更大的痛苦，这是你不知道的。”[2] 师父还说：“所以我告诉大家，不要因为得之于易而失之于易。”[3]
有师在、有法在，没有过不去的坎。当时我为自己暗暗加油鼓劲：我一定能够考试过关。
现今再次回顾当年考试，我当时吹奏水准之差难以言表。九首曲目只有三首曲目一次性过关，其余六首或多或少都有各种毛病，考试时，我们的指挥也是考官一一给我指出了错误，但我一时半会还改不过来，因为很多坏习惯已经养成，需要重新练习后，才能改过来。
当然，我的最大问题是后半拍！就是那首让我考了又考，整个曲目几乎有三分之一是后半拍的大法曲目《送宝》。天国乐团考核规定，后半拍不能错，整个曲目后半拍只要错一个，就不能过。
我在考了五、六次后终于如履薄冰般的考过了《送宝》，当时的兴奋和激动难以言表。但这种不扎实的过关，让我在不久后训练时重蹈覆辙，我一次又一次将后半拍吹到了正拍上。而我们的指挥，耳朵特别灵，我只要一吹错，她立即就会发现。那段时间，指挥都在为我着急：你不是考试通过了吗？怎么又恢复老样子了。指挥的话让我羞愧无比。
为了练好《送宝》，我终于请了一位专业老师来指导我练习，老师水准很高，教了我许多种练习后半拍的方法，但可能我的接受能力太差吧，练了一段时间后，后半拍的问题進展不大，这让我对吹好《送宝》几乎丧失信心。
无奈之下，我开始求师父帮助，我告诉师父，弟子一心想吹奏好，助师正法，救度众生，求师父帮弟子开智开慧，早日突破难关。
不久后，墨尔本天国乐团与部分来自悉尼天国乐团的同修一起参加农展会游行，在休息间与同修交流考《送宝》的难度时，一位悉尼同修一语道破，他说，考《送宝》其实就是考节奏，节奏不稳，《送宝》考不过去，节奏稳定，《送宝》非常容易。
这正是，“九言劝醒迷途仕，一语惊醒梦中人”，师父借用同修的嘴，一下子点醒了我。回去后，我开始進行针对性的节奏训练，经过一个多月的强化苦练，当我再一次将自己吹奏《送宝》的录音发给指挥。指挥给的点评是：节奏完美！
之后的乐团训练，指挥让我和正拍乐手合练《送宝》，我一点不受正拍的干扰，完美地将《送宝》吹奏完成，得到现场同修们的阵阵掌声。我终于将《送宝》练成了！
四、乐团就是修炼
这几个月的考试经历让我感触最深的就是乐团不是常人中的娱乐，也不是大法弟子的自娱自乐，而是严肃的修炼。因为我们每一次的游行演出都是正邪大战的较量，我们每一次的练习就像是从里到外身心的洗礼，这都是在师父的呵护和加持下才能做到的。也就像师父说的：“修在自己，功在师父。” [3] 作为乐团的一员需要在这个特殊的环境中不断的修正自己，去掉执着。
通过这次考试，我发现了自己初進乐团的安逸心、不求上進的心，到恐惧考试不过关时所隐藏的怕心、面子心，以及考试过关时的欢喜心等等执着心，师父说：“我讲了，心性多高，功多高。” [3] 当我逐渐去掉这些执着心之后，我终于顺利的通过了这次考核，同时我发现我在吹奏的稳定性、节奏的把握、音准的控制等方面都有了长足的進步。
同时我还感悟到，天国乐团为什么要進行考试，那是因为正法進程的整体向前推進，对修炼人的要求也在提高，对项目的要求也在提高。天国乐团作为一个证实法、救人的项目，不提高天国乐团的整体演奏水准就不能起到救人的作用。
当我自己真正想要提高，想要精進时，机会就会出现，奇迹就会发生。就像师父所说的：“弟子正念足 师有回天力”[4] 。
五、再提高
也就在考试的那一年，妻子同修观看了新唐人制作的电视系列片《传奇时代》中的之后，她被震撼了，于是要求参加天国乐团。令我没有想到的是，这件事情的发展使我的吹奏水准再次得到提高。
为了方便教学，妻子也选择了中号，由曾经教过我的同修和我一起教她。起初我对妻子同修短时间内通过九首曲目的考试，信心并不是很大。关键原因就是她五音不全，是唱歌跑调、跳舞踩脚的那种水准。以至于她后来仅用一年多的时间就通过了全部九首曲目的考试，这让我惊的合不拢嘴，这真是一个奇迹，是师父给她加持的结果！
妻子同修是一个做事非常认真的人，她对基础训练一丝不茍，认真唱谱、练长音、练节奏，每天练习一至二个小时，坚持不懈。而且在教学中妻子同修不断的有新的问题让我解答，因为许多问题我也不懂，以至于我不得不去求助指挥和吹大号的同修，他们总是给予我们热心的指点。
妻子同修每学一首曲子都要让我示范吹给她听，练习过程中经常要我只吹其中的几个小节，她说她这些小节不会。我可以做到一口气把整个曲目吹下来，可是突然让我从中间开始吹，我都找不到调。无奈我只好在教她之前，自己赶紧好好练习。
就这样我几乎每天和妻子同修一起从基本功开始练习，然后再把每一首大法曲目重新進行认真练习，基本练习所花的时间超过了当时我初学吹号的时间，俩人真正做到了比学比修，共同精進。
去年疫情爆发后，天国乐团的训练不得不暂停。但是我们乐团的同修先后成立了大中号练习组、铜管乐器练习组，在条件许可的情况下，在指挥和一名西人同修帮助指点下，抓紧时间练习。近期我们采用了视频的方法，将全团人员聚集在一起，進行训练。
因为我们知道，师父说：“大法徒兑现自己使命与否的最后时刻不远了，何去何从，好自为之吧！”[5] 时不待我，我们必须用最好的修炼状态，最好的演奏水准，助师正法，救度众生。
修炼无止境，精進永不停。在未来的修炼道路上，我将时时用法的标准衡量自己，修去所有的人心与执着，努力做好三件事，无愧于正法时期大法弟子的称号。
以上是个人心得体会，层次有限，不当之处，请同修慈悲指正！
谢谢师尊！
谢谢同修！
注：
[1] 李洪志师父著作：《天国乐团》
[2] 李洪志师父著作：《各地讲法一》〈北京国际交流会讲法〉
[3] 李洪志师父著作：《转法轮》
[4] 李洪志师父著作：《洪吟二》〈师徒恩〉
[5] 李洪志师父著作：《猛喝》
（二零二一年澳大利亚网上法会）
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My Cultivation in the Tian Guo Marching Band
By a Falun Dafa Chinese practitioner in Australia
Greetings Master!
Greetings fellow practitioners!
I’m a baritone player in the Melbourne Tian Guo Marching Band. I think, it is an honour for a Dafa disciple to be a member of the Tian Guo Marching Band. Today, I would like to share with you my experience in the band throughout the years.
1. Opportunity
I came to Melbourne in October 2014. One day at the end of that year, my wife and I visited a fellow practitioner’s home as a guest, and we saw a large brass instrument. We asked him what kind of instrument it was. He said it was a tuba and told us that he is a member of the Melbourne Tian Guo Marching Band, and that the tuba is his weapon.
So, my wife said to the practitioner, “My husband likes music very much, can he join the band?” The practitioner replied, “You need to have a certain foundation in music theory.”
The words of this practitioner made me feel very frustrated at the time. I didn’t have knowledge of music theory, so at that time I had little hope of joining the band. So my wife and I quickly immersed ourselves in other activities to clarify the truth.
At the beginning of the second year, by chance, I joined the Epoch Times in Melbourne and partnered with another practitioner to deliver the newspaper. A few months later, when I was sitting in the delivery truck, the practitioner who was driving the truck asked me if I wanted to join the Tian Guo Marching Band. At that time, I said without thinking: “No! Although I had played instruments when I was young, I cannot read the music, and I was old, and it will take a lot of time and energy to learn an instrument.”
This practitioner told me he was a trumpet player in the band. He said:“ In addition to music foundation requirements, you also have to look at your cultivation status. There’s still a chance you can join the band. Come to the rehearsal on Sunday night to try it out.”
On Sunday evening, I went to the band rehearsal and was thoroughly inspired by the music and the enthusiasm of the practitioners. That night, I chose my future instrument: the baritone. The sound of the baritone was soothing and relaxing, like a “gentleman”, or a “fair maiden”, among brass instruments
2. Joining the Band
When I first got my instrument, I didn’t practice smoothly. The sound that came out was sometimes a grungy noise, and sometimes a hoarse rough sound. It was not like a “gentleman” at all, but more like a “warrior.” The band’s conductor laughed when he heard the sound and said: it sounds like a bull!
The practitioner who plays the tuba was my first teacher, and he told me that in order to play well, I had to do more practice of the basic skills. But the monotonous and boring practice of basic skills made me gradually lose confidence, “It’s too boring! I’ll never be able to perform in public!” So I put my baritone down for more than a month. When the tuba player found out about my situation, he drove to my home to teach me how to play the instrument. He encouraged me, guided me, and helped me regain my confidence in playing the instrument.
Another practitioner in the band also encouraged me to persevere after acknowledging my situation, and telling me not to be afraid of hardship, because this is also part of cultivation and another way of improving. He told me that when he practised at home, he sometimes practised for 5 or 6 hours at a time, and sometimes his mouth was blistered and bleeding, but he kept going! A few years later I learned that this method of practice was not recommended. But his words at that time were very encouraging to me. If other practitioners can endure such hardships, I can do it too!
Soon after, Master published an article called “Tian Guo Marching Band”
Master said,
“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”
The first time I read this article, my heart was racing, as if it was blowing a horn for me to enter the band.
In the days that followed, I often recited this article from Master and began to practice hard. I practised at home, in the park, in the outdoor stadium, and even in the car. If I wasn’t driving, I would practice with my mouthpiece, or listen to the band music to strengthen my memory of the songs.
In April 2016, I’d learned all the songs required and passed a simple test to become an official member of the Tiao Guo Marching Band. The moment when I put on the blue uniform and played the song “Falun Dafa is Good” at the World Falun Dafa event on May 13, I was excited and moved to tears.
3. Examination revealed the true level of skill
At the start of 2018, all members of the Tian Guo Marching Band were divided into three stages to take an examination, with three music pieces in each stage, and everyone must complete all 9 songs for the exam by the end of the year. Only those who passed the exam would be able to take part in future events. This test made me nervous! After all, I knew what my skill level was like.
When I think back now on my skill level when I first joined the band, I was only just able to play all the pieces completely, which was at best a beginner’s level. I was not anxious to play some of the pieces badly, because after all, there were so many other band members around, we could all help each other out. In fact, this is typical of the fill-in without qualification, but at that time I did not realize that.
But not anymore! Cultivation is serious and we cannot take any shortcuts. What could I do? When I thought about the exam, I was so afraid that I would not be able to pass, would not be able to take part in events anymore, and that I would lose face and I was even thinking of quitting the band.
So I started looking again at my original intention in joining the band: Why did I want to join the Tian Guo Marching Band? I am here to help Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings. The opportunity to join the band to save people is not easy to come by, so if I lose it, I may lose it forever, and I will definitely regret it for the rest of my life.
Master said,
“But I’ll tell you, it has been really hard for you to obtain this Fa. Perhaps the hardships you endured in the first part of your life have been for the sake of obtaining this Fa. That’s the part you know about. There are still things you don’t know about; perhaps you have been suffering and undergoing hardships in your previous lives or for an even longer period of time in order to obtain this Fa. There are also people who have experienced even more intense suffering for the sake of obtaining the Fa, and this is what you don’t know about.” (Teaching the Fa at the International Experience-Sharing Conference in Beijing” from Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. I)
Master said,
“Therefore, I am telling you not to lose it easily just because you have obtained it easily.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
With the presence of the teacher and the Fa, no obstacle cannot be overcome. At that time, I was encouraging myself: I will pass the exam!
When I look back at the exam period now, it is hard to describe how badly I played at that time. I passed only three out of the nine pieces in one go, and when I played the other six I had all kinds of mistakes. During the exam, the conductor who was also the examiner pointed out my mistakes one by one, but I couldn’t change them immediately because I’d developed so many bad habits in my playing and I needed to practice more to change them.
Of course, my biggest problem was the ‘second half-tone’! The Dafa music piece called “Deliver the Treasure”, is almost one-third these kinds of notes. The Tian Guo Marching Band exams stipulate that you cannot make a mistake on those kinds of notes, and if you make one mistake, you will not pass this song.
When I finally passed the exam on this song, after taking the test 5 or 6 times, I was as excited as if I had won the grand prize. However, this lack of solid skill made me show my true form again in rehearsals soon after, as I kept playing the back half-tone onto the front beat. Our conductor, who had a very good ear, would immediately notice when I made a mistake. During that time, the conductor was worried about me: Didn’t you pass the exam? Why are you back to your old self? The conductor’s words made me feel ashamed.
In order to get good at this song, I finally invited a professional teacher to guide me through practice. The teacher was very skilful and taught me many ways to practice it, but I wasn’t able to pick it up very well — after practising for a while, I hadn’t made much progress, which made me almost lose my confidence in playing this song.
In desperation, I started asking Master for help. I told Master that I wanted to play this song well so that I can help Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings, so I asked Master to open up my wisdom so I could break through the difficulties as soon as possible.
Shortly afterwards, the Melbourne Tian Guo Marching Band took part in the Melbourne Show with some practitioners from the Sydney Tian Guo Marching Band. During a break, I exchanged views with fellow practitioners on the difficulty of the song “Delivery the Treasure”. A practitioner from Sydney summed it up by saying that this song is a test of rhythm: if your rhythm is unstable, you can’t pass this song. If your rhythm is stable, this song is very easy.
This is exactly what I mean by “nine words to persuade the lost, one word to awaken the dreamer”, Master used the mouth of another practitioner to wake me up. When I got home, I started doing targeted rhythm training, and after a month of intensive training, I once again sent the recording of myself playing this song to the conductor. The conductor’s response was perfect rhythm!
At the next rehearsal, the conductor asked me to play this song with the other instruments that were playing the regular beats, and I played perfectly without any interference from them. At the end, the practitioner gave me a round of applause. I had finally learned the song!
4. Playing in the band is cultivation
What struck me most during these months of examinations is that the Tian Guo Marching Band is not just entertainment for ordinary people, nor is it a self-entertainment for Dafa disciples. It is serious cultivation. Every time we perform in the parade, there’s a battle between good and evil, and every time we practice, it’s like a clarifying of mind and body inside out, which can only be done under Master’s care and blessing.
Master said,
“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
As a member of the band, I need to constantly correct myself in this environment and get rid of my attachments.
Through this examination, I discovered that I had the attachment of peace and I was unwilling to improve when I first joined the band. I had the attachment of fear when I was afraid of failing the exam. I had the attachment of frustration and helplessness when I failed the exam, as well as the attachment of zealotry when I passed the exam, and so on.
Master said,
“I have stated that one’s gong level is as high as one’s xinxing level.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
After I eventually eliminated these attachments, I finally passed the exam and found that I had made great progress in the stability of my playing, grasp of rhythm, control of peach and so on.
At the same time, I realized that the reason the band does the examination is that as Fa rectification moves forward, the requirements for practitioners also have to increase, as well as the requirements for the Tian Guo Marching Band, as a group that can rectify the Fa and save sentient beings. Without improving the overall standard of performance, it cannot serve its purpose of saving lives.
When I realized and understood these principles and when I truly want to improve and upgrade myself, I know opportunities will appear and miracles will happen.
Master said,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide”
(“The Master-Disciple Bond”, Hong Yin Volume II)
5. Further Improvement
In the same year of the examination, my wife watched the NTDTV program “Legends Unfolding – Tian Guo Marching Band” and was so impressed that she asked to join the Band. What I didn’t expect was that this would lead to more improvement in my own playing skills.
To help with teaching, my wife also chose the baritone. I taught her along with the tuba player who had taught me before. At first, I was not very confident that my wife would pass the exam of nine music pieces in a short time. The key reason was that she was at a level of pentatonic, out of tune while singing and stepping on feet while dancing. When she later passed all nine songs in just over a year, I was so surprised, my mouth dropped open. It was a miracle, a blessing from Master!
My wife is a very serious person, she is very serious about her basic training, singing the music, practising long notes, practising rhythms, practising one to two hours a day, and is very persistent. My wife always has new questions for me to answer during the lesson, often making me, a dabbler, feel confused because I don’t understand many questions myself, so I have to go to the conductor and fellow tuba player for help, and they always give us helpful guidance.
My wife always asked me to play each song as a demo to show her how to play and she often asked me to play only a few bars in the middle, which she said she can’t play. I can play the whole piece in one go, but suddenly I can’t get the tune when I’m asked to start from the middle. I had no choice but to practice on my own before teaching her.
In this way, I practised with my wife almost every day from the basics, and then practised all of the Dafa songs carefully again. Just practising the basics took more time than I would spend in a day practising when I first learned how to play the instrument. Both of us really were learning and cultivating together and refining ourselves together.
After the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, we had to suspend the Tian Guo Marching Band rehearsals. However, the band members set up a tuba-baritone practice group and a brass instrument practice group, and with the help and guidance of the conductor and a Western practitioner, we have been practising as much as we can whenever possible. Recently, we had a video meeting to bring the whole band together for rehearsal.
Master said,
“The final hour by which a Dafa disciple must have fulfilled his mission is imminent. Think about where you want to end up, and do what is in your best interest!” (A Strong and Urgent Warning)
So, we know there is not much time. We must do our best at practice and our best in our performances to help our Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings.
There is no end to our cultivation, and we will never stop improving. In the future, I will always measure myself using the Fa and eliminate all human attachments. I will strive to do the three things well so that I can live up to the name of Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples.
This is my personal experience, and I would like to ask my fellow practitioners to kindly correct any inappropriate points.
Thank you, Master!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2021 Australia Online Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference)