Thanking Master for the Opportunity to get Involved with Shen Yun

Respected Master, fellow practitioners.

Like many other practitioners, in the last few years, I had the opportunity to get involved with Shen Yun, giving me the chance to assisting Master during the Fa rectification to save sentient beings. Throughout the years of doing Shen Yun, there were areas I did not do well, whilst having more righteous thoughts in other aspects, thanks to Master’s strengthening. Today I would like to share with you all my experiences.

Promoting Shen Yun in the financial city

Frankfurt is an important financial city in Europe. There are numerous big banks, insurance companies, and it is full of skyscraper buildings. How can we bring Shen Yun to the people who work in finance? We decided to do Shen Yun promotion during lunch hours in high-end restaurants.

I went with another practitioner with one thought: this bank needs to allow us to promote Shen Yun at their restaurant, which has a capacity of 1,200 people. In order to meet the catering manager, I went straight to his office. He was not very happy, accusing me of not making an appointment. I apologised to him. I was just thinking of being compassionate and letting people come to watch Shen Yun. I asked very kindly if he could give me his business card so I could make an appointment with him via email. He gave me his card, I thanked him, said goodbye politely then left.

Afterwards, I emailed him straight away and he also replied quickly, welcoming me to go there again, so I went. Immediately after I entered the room, he gave me a friendly welcome and introduced me to his boss. He told me that he is only in charge of the restaurant in this particular branch, whereas his boss manages the restaurant in their branch in Frankfurt, which could accommodate over 2,000 people. Both of them were really friendly, we were talking while having coffee. His boss found Shen Yun really good and was very happy with our plan. At the end, not only did he allow us to introduce Shen Yun at the restaurant in their Frankfurt branch, he even asked me how much he should pay us!

Just two years ago, we were stopped at the doorstep of another building belonging to the same bank. I came to understand that it was a small test given by Master, examining if I could remain compassionate while being accused. Thank you Master for strengthening me.

We had been contacting a restaurant in the biggest bank in Frankfurt for a month with no progress at all. Once another practitioner and I went past the building, and I thought that time and tide wait for no man, so I just went straight in. The receptionist kindly told us that the restaurant manager was not around, the standard answer we were given through the phone.

As we came out, one tall man walked past us. I just could not help but hold my head up asking: are you the restaurant manager? He looked at me in surprise and nodded. He does not know me, nor do I know him, neither did he wear a name badge. So I said to him: we have been looking for you. He smiled and gave us a few minutes to talk, afterwards we fixed the promotion date for Shen Yun in the restaurant and said goodbye to each other.

During our promotion at the restaurant, the bank authorities were uncomfortable with some rumours so they pressured the restaurant manager, but he resisted the pressure and supported us throughout. The message about Shen Yun was finally spread there.

The environment of one large commercial bank in Frankfurt is very quiet and tastefully laid out. We also did Shen Yun promotion there. I introduced Shen Yun to one Taiwanese lady. Although she did not buy the ticket immediately, we have been in contact since. A few months later, all seven of her family members bought the most expensive tickets.

We later learnt that, because of her, a European Central Bank staff member who often goes to that bank for business also bought tickets for a family of three after understanding Shen Yun.

A driver introduced one of his acquaintances to us, the restaurant manager of a large insurance company. So we went to visit him and he really supported us to promote Shen Yun at his company. Later, when we were doing promotion at the KARSTADT, a lady came to thank us for bring Shen Yun to her workplace. She told me that all the colleagues in her department bought tickets at the restaurant promotion. She said she felt so blessed and was looking forward to the upcoming Shen Yun performance. I think this was a blessing and encouragement from our Master.

We also contacted the trade unions of more than ten big banks in Frankfurt, and they agreed to publish Shen Yun information on their internal websites. Some officials also initiated the idea to put up Shen Yun posters in the bank building.

When we were doing the promotion in a posh household goods store, we met a departmental head of a major bank. He told us that Shen Yun information could be seen everywhere in his banks. During our promotion of Shen Yun in the restaurant of another commercial bank, a vice president of the technology department told us that he saw Shen Yun on the bank's internal website, and bought top price tickets. Because Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture, he was really looking forward to the performance with great joy and anticipation.

Promotion of Shen Yun in the mainstream and the upper class

In order to better promote Shen Yun to the mainstream, we participated in two high-class galas. By cooperating with the organizers, we were able to set up Shen Yun booths at the venue. We had five female practitioners dressed up in beautiful traditional Chinese costumes, welcoming guests at the entrance, introducing Shen Yun to the guests during their breaks, and giving every guest a beautiful Shen Yun information pack.

We also told the VIPs that they could participate in our raffles by leaving us their business cards; the prize was a pair of Shen Yun tickets. When we went to collect the business cards at each table using a glass, we seized the opportunity to introduce Shen Yun. The guests were all very interested and listened attentively. At the end we collected over one hundred business cards.

The next day, we began to write to each of the guests, informing them of the raffle results and encouraging them to buy tickets to see Shen Yun at the same time. Within an hour after we sent out the letters, one club director replied saying he bought a ticket online. More tickets were booked afterwards. Through the media of a high-end gala, the message of Shen Yun was finally spread throughout the mainstream and the upper class by word of mouth, something we could only hope for before. This also laid the foundation for the future to further open up the promotion of Shen Yun.

Giving talks at the Rotary Clubs

Master asked us to bring Shen Yun to the mainstream. We thought that members of the Rotary Club are usually bank directors, owners of companies, lawyers, doctors, theatre bosses, etc. They are the people of the mainstream. So to introduce Shen Yun to them means introducing Shen Yun to the mainstream.

I did not hesitate to send emails nor make telephone contact. I also went to visit the person in charge of the Rotary Club. Within three months, we got a dozen presentation opportunities, which had very good impact. Many people bought Shen Yun tickets on the spot.

I came to understand a few key points. Firstly, e-mails and telephone contacts and physical visits need to be combined. Secondly, we must overcome the selfishness and not have the attachment of fear, just have the heart to save people. Thirdly, we should not have the attachment of self-importance nor become complacent when succeed, because cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s Master. Everything was done by Master.

Xinxing tests in all Shen Yun work

In order to do Shen Yun work well, we must co-ordinate well as a whole body. I found that I often habitually become the Lone Ranger, neglecting the importance of communication and overall co-ordination, leading to fellow practitioners’ misunderstanding and dissatisfaction with me.

Once at a small group meeting, several coordinators and fellow practitioners all criticised me. I started to have resentment. The more they misunderstood me, the more resentment I had. Once one fellow practitioner even accused me of keeping the money of Shen Yun tickets sold to myself. I was so upset and could not calm down for half a day.

Afterwards I found one of my big attachments: when being treated unfairly, I can not maintain my Xinxing, nor treat myself as a Dafa disciple. I become angry and have resentment. I cannot calm myself down and thoroughly look inward.

Thank you Master for letting me do Shen Yun, for arranging an environment and opportunities for me to find my big attachment. I hope that I will live up to Master’s wish, to let go of one attachment after another and cultivate well.

Thank you Master, thank you everyone.