PureInsight | August 25, 2019
[PureInsight.org] I am not an ‘arts’ person. I have never been interested in singing or dancing. However, I make an effort to watch Shen Yun’s performance every year. I try my best to feel the melody of the songs and Shen Yun’s art form. I try my best to understand the meaning behind Shen Yun’s world-class dances. Gradually, I have found that I can understand the ‘arts’ a little. Shen Yun is a world-class performance, which is reviving the genuine, divinely inspired 5000 year long, traditional Chinese culture. By watching Shen Yun, audiences can improve their moral character. I would like to share my understanding after watching this years’ performance.
When the curtain was raised, Master’s voice resounded: “Follow Me down to the mortal realm, and there begin to renew the cosmos!” Countless divinities answer the call, incarnating on Earth to establish a glorious culture with upright morality in China. Another act display’s Elite Ming warriors guarding their homeland. In another, one of China’s greatest Emperors, who cultivated his morality and made his country prosperous, was invited to the moon palace by the Goddess Chang’e. Another act showcased a story from traditional Chinese literature called ‘Journey to the West’ - where a Buddhist monk with three body guards (one of whom was the famous Monkey King) travelled to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures. They encountered a lot of evil beings and were tested extensively and eventually succeeded in their mission. Another act was set in a Buddhist temple, where divinities reveal themselves and even robbers decide to start cultivation.
Other than those traditional Chinese stories, Shen Yun also has ethnic dances. Each ethnic dance has its own unique characteristics, which showcases the traditional, divinely-inspired ancient Chinese culture and displays ancient Chinese people’s respect and appreciation of the Divine. There are a number of different dancing acts. One portrays a group of young scholars who have goals of contributing to their countries, pondering the meaning of their lives. In another act, a young artist builds an amazing Daoist sculpture with his heart. The daughter of a high-ranking General fell in love with him. Because of their faith in the Divine, Gods help them. In another traditional Chinese tale, known in English as The Butterfly Lovers, Yingtai Zhu, who was from a rich family fell in love with a poor, but very capable scholar with good moral character, whose name is Shanbo Liang. Their story inspires a lot of people. Shen Yun dancers are all world-class. Shen Yun programs are so well-made that I was deeply moved and immensely impressed.
However, I also feel sad. Shen Yun presents China’s 5000 years of history. I felt I experienced some of the 5000 years again by watching Shen Yun. In the long course of history, what have we been waiting for? We have been waiting to be saved by Master. I felt the confusion in people’s hearts about their origins, but at the same time I felt their hope of salvation too. Soldiers died terrible deaths in battle fields, but they were waiting for the Fa. Good Emperors ruled China well and expanded China’s territory. They were waiting for the Fa. Buddhist and Taoist monks suffered hardships. They were waiting for the Fa. Civilians respected divinities and did good deeds. They were waiting for the Fa. Each nation passed down its own divine culture. They were also waiting for the Fa. Scholars studied diligently and cultivated themselves. They were waiting for the Fa. We descended to the human world from the Heavens and have reincarnated over and over again for thousands of years. We have experienced good things. We have also experienced bad things. Maybe because of some prophecies, or some help from the Divine, everyone knows that the Fa can save people on the final day. We have been waiting for it for a long time. We didn’t know if and when we could encounter the Fa. Waiting for a long time is tough. Reincarnation is tough. Facing an unknown future is even tougher.
Today, we have finally obtained Dafa! We have been waiting for thousands of years just for this moment. Therefore, we need to cultivate ourselves well. We should not let down the sentient beings in our own heavenly realm who have pinned their hopes on us to save them. We should help Master to rectify the Fa, and tell the truth of Dafa to all people we have interactions with. We need to tell them that we have been waiting for Dafa for a long time, and that they were once divine beings who came down to the Earth to help establish the 5000 year culture, bear hardships, and wait for Dafa to save them and their people, and tell them in a way that they can understand and accept.
Chinese version: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/250356
