PureInsight | June 9, 2011
[PureInsight.org] As Dafa disciples, we all know the importance of assisting Master with the Fa-rectification. During this process, supporting or participating in promoting Shen Yun performances is an important task. This is because, as we know, Master is directly involved in it and the result of saving sentient beings has been very good. In some areas, however, gaps exist in practitioners' understandings on how to promote Shen Yun performances. When such gaps are taken advantage of by various interfering elements, the ticket sales, as well as the overall effect of saving people, is negatively affected. Then, how can we view and resolve these issues?
In “Be More Diligent,” Master said, “There’s also the matter of Shen Yun ticket sales. I have said that we are now to focus on higher-end society, and only by making ourselves part of the cultural mainstream can we unlock society at large, have a greater impact, have more people attend, and have more sentient beings come to be saved.” We know that there are several billion people in the world, while the number of Falun Dafa practitioners is only about one hundred million—Dafa disciples outside China who are able to participate in promoting Shen Yun performances are even fewer. With so many people waiting to hear the truth and be saved, it is critical for mainstream society to be made aware of Shen Yun and recognize its high value. Only then can this message spread to more people quickly, creating a significant impact on society.
As Dafa disciples become less attached to fame and material interest during cultivation, they may pay less attention to certain aspects of society. Especially for Dafa disciples from Mainland China with a limited understanding on how western society operates, they may have some fears in this regard. This did not impose a serious issue in the past when we distributed truth-clarification flyers on the street, held anti-torture exhibitions, or even met with government officials to clarify the facts. In contrast, the challenge now is how to broaden our minds and approach mainstream society in an open and above board manner. Not knowing where to start, we may have fears. When we fail to look inward, this may lead us to criticize each other, counteracting our joint efforts to save sentient beings.
In Hong Yin - Volume II, “Just a Play”, Master wrote, “Everything through the ages, came about for the Fa.” In order to be saved today during the Fa-rectification, human beings have walked a long journey throughout history. Therefore, there are many resources that we can utilize to promote Shen Yun performances and save people. We all know that a Shen Yun performance is of the highest standard, from the content to the format, from the backdrop to the live orchestra. Being of such a high artistic standard, it should be easily accepted and enjoyed by the entire society. In general, the fine arts are highly appreciated in mainstream western society. For example, some classical ballets or operas exceed nations and languages, lasting a very long time. When looking closely, one will find that artistic trends and values are led by part of the middle class within a certain social level, as well as the upper class. Many of these people, ranging in occupation from doctors to lawyers, journalists, to managers, may not be billionaires, but do have adequate time and resources to pursue an interest in the arts. In addition, their economic status and ideology are closer to the core part of society—the middle class. All these factors lead them to play an influential role in establishing popular opinion and trends in society.
In light of these understandings, we can begin looking for ways to interact with such people openly and above board, so as to introduce Shen Yun to them. Many Dafa disciples have been well educated and work in various professions at different levels. Regardless of their social background, knowledge level, or language, there should be no major difficulty for them in interacting with mainstream society. Many regions that held Shen Yun in the past also have some good experiences. In fact, since Master is directly involved in Shen Yun, all elements of society have made corresponding adjustments in order to align with this arrangement. On the surface, it appears that Dafa disciples are taking initiatives in this dimension, while in reality, the path has already been paved and Dafa disciples just need to walk it. In addition, righteous divine beings in other dimensions are also assisting on this matter. That being said, if we are hesitant and fearful, having worries about this or that, we will block our path. Even sending forth righteous thoughts would then have a limited effect since the impeding elements come from Dafa disciples ourselves.
In other words, we should no longer limit ourselves to the truth-clarification formats undertaken in the past, such as distributing flyers on the street or anti-torture exhibitions. Instead, we should open our mind and focus on the main body of society, think about how to assist Master to introduce people to Shen Yun, as well as the wonderfulness of Dafa. Only then can we stop merely paying attention to the projects themselves, but instead achieve the goal of saving sentient beings on a broader scale. Needless to say, good cooperation among practitioners is critical for this to succeed. Whether directly participating in Shen Yun promotions or not, all practitioners should eliminate any negative thoughts and support each other with righteous thoughts—after all, we are not validating our own ideas or human notions. We can each think of how to let go of self, and how to help fellow practitioners as a whole to succeed. Only in this way can we effectively disintegrate various interfering factors and do well in our mission of saving sentient beings. Dafa disciples have cultivated for many years. How to work together and accomplish these things well is required of us by the momentum of Fa-rectification; it is also necessary to effectively save sentient beings, as well as for the future cosmos.
Meanwhile, when introducing Shen Yun to people, we cannot talk on too high a level. Master has previously told us not to talk on too high a level when clarifying the truth, since doing that would cause negative consequences. It is the same thing with Shen Yun promotion. That is, we have to conform to the acceptance level of everyday people. Only then can our solid efforts lead to a desirable outcome, with minimal interference or losses.
As long as we promote Shen Yun performances to mainstream society with rationality and in an open and above board manner, we will be able to accomplish these things well. Master is looking after us and righteous divine beings are also ready to help us, but it is up to us to walk every step.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2011/6/2/74940.html
