Letting go of human attachments to deliver live broadcasting with righteous thoughts

On the 31st July, right before the Olympics, Sound of Hope’s 20-hour broadcast to China went live as planned. When the host’s voice came on air, I could not help but shed tears. Those were happy tears for those sentient beings in mainland China who could hear SOH, the voice of salvation, before the Olympics. Those were also joyful tears for the whole SOH team who conquered live broadcasting and improved in cultivation. Looking back on the past month of coordination amongst European SOH practitioners, everyone went through a process of improvement in cultivation. As a part of the team, I myself also felt a breakthrough. At the same time SOH as a medium also became more professional.

After the Wenchuan earthquake on 12th May our media faced a new challenge, namely, for a radio station how to take advantage of the speed of radio to report breaking news to the mainland as it happens. Our current operational model did not allow timely reporting. After the New York Fa Conference, the editing committee members decided after discussions to try to broadcast with live hosts rather than scheduled recorded programmes. When news breaks, it can be cut in at any time. Six regions, including Europe, Canada, US West, US East, Taiwan and Australia, would relay to complete the project and achieve 20 hours of live broadcasting. The plan would dry-run on the 30th June Beijing time and go live on the 31st July. When the plan was first announced, everyone felt that at the current level of manpower it would be extremely difficult to execute.

I felt it was a daring plan and difficult to execute, but worth trying. On the way home I kept thinking about how to face this challenge. The current manpower was almost at full absorption. In Europe people were scattered about. There was no broadcasting office anywhere, which was a massive technical issue. I myself knew nothing about technology. Other regions could start operations after setting up a broadcasting office and training some presenters. In Europe we would have to set up 7 offices in order to meet the basic requirement of live broadcasting. I felt a huge headache! Additionally, the large news department faced a complete transformation in order to produce more news to feed the live broadcasts. The original operational model needed to be adjusted to accommodate live broadcasting. Our manpower also needed to be in sync. It was a big move, which needed a great deal of time to communicate and coordinate so as to test out a feasible operational model. For one week after I got home, I did not start to call anyone. Everyday I was thinking what to do. At the time I really wanted to turn back to the beginning. In my heart I knew I could not go back but I wanted very much anyway. The pressure on my shoulders was incredible. At this point, I got more pressure from work as well. My boss insisted on promoting me. My work hours got extended. Shortly afterwards, the Eutelsat incident took place. SOH’s 48-hour satellite broadcast to China was dropped. Immediately I felt the urgency to put on shortwave live broadcasts. By interrupting satellite signals ahead of the Olympics, the CCP wanted to silence free media. It wasn’t until then that I realised the significance of live broadcasting. I also believed that it is the future of SOH, and a huge leap forward if managed well. My initial basis for consideration was entirely wrong. My consideration was centred on myself - my pressure was tremendous, my difficulty was bigger than others, I suffered a great deal, etc. I forgot the need of saving sentient beings. The sacrifice we make for saving sentient beings is unconditional yet at the same time we establish our mighty virtue. Also, this was not a project of my own, it belonged to all participating SOH fellow practitioners. It was also their opportunities to establish mighty virtue. When everyone can let go of one’s ego and coordinate as one body, the righteous thoughts of the one body can conquer all obstacles.

Aided by my own powerful righteous thoughts, I felt at ease when coordinating. One by one I shared with hosts the reason why we needed to go live at this point in time. Soon I found presenters as well as technical support. After one training session we helped one another to overcome technical barriers. On the 30th June, trial broadcasts started. The first leg in Europe went a lot better than expected. In the days that followed, however, it was all silent. Operations were a big mess. Nobody knew what to do. The coordination amongst editors in chief, editors and presenters needed to be tempered. When we shared later, each looked inward on problems or issues to find areas for improvement next time. In the second week, each presenter could go on air. During the third and fourth weeks, small issues kept creeping up on all fronts. We treated them as good things, as an accumulation of experience for future. Within such a one body, we encouraged one another and got over the hump. On the 31st July 20 hours of live broadcasting came on air.

Looking back on this cultivation experience, the coordination of the European team and righteous thoughts of Dafa disciples turned the impossible into possible. Those practitioners who had never been hosts before matured within a month under the righteous thoughts of the one body. It was incredible that they could all go on air presentably. Each week they progressed rapidly. In face of obstacles, no one flinched or doubted the plan but rather encouraged each other, believing in the plan. During the process of coordination, I felt a very strong field of righteous thoughts. The one body improvement also encouraged and motivated me to increase my capacity. I learnt to look at things positively. Unconsciously I had been encouraging everyone. My belief in delivering live broadcasts ahead of the Olympics had never been shaken.

Live broadcasting was a massive improvement for SOH. For each of participating practitioner it was a process of improvement during cultivation. Everyone could face the challenge by letting go of human attachments, thus enabling overall coordination. Such a substantial transformation fell into place in the process of our one-body improvement. As a result, live broadcasting was done.

Live broadcasting places stringent requirements on the presenters. Not only do they have to master the entire time slot, they also need to have a strong sense of responsibility. They must start broadcasting on time without a single minute of delay. Initially I encouraged 14 practitioners who had done well in broadcasting to participate. In the end those who could shoulder the responsibility of transmitting information on the front line were those whose righteous thoughts were strong and those eager to take part, including some daily news editors, some new participants, and some who rejoined. The live broadcasting mobilized everyone. I also enlightened, skills are necessary but the deciding factor remains whether one sets one’s mind on taking part.

Live broadcasting became a reality. Looking back, what seemed nearly impossible now is too trivial to mention. Why? It was the righteous thoughts of one body. When coordinating, one’s righteous thoughts have to be strong. At the same time, the righteous thoughts of one body are particularly critical. Under righteous thoughts, all can cooperate very well to overcome obstacles. Hence nothing is impossible. During the process of coordinating live broadcasting, I was encouraged by these words from Master’s Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference, “Master affirms what Dafa disciples have done. As long as you are doing things out of a wish to validate the Fa and save sentient beings, I will affirm all that you do. And when you go do those things, there will be my Law Bodies or gods there to amplify it and make what you do yet more magnificent and extraordinary, and they will assist you.”