Austria: Everything has already been arranged

Dear Master,
Dear fellow practitioners,

When I first read Zhuan Falun, I immediately understood that I had to give up my former profession and did so within two weeks. I quit my job as a Shiatsu practitioner and knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. I trusted that a new career path had been arranged for me. Soon the owner of an architectural firm hired me. That was 2015.

I worked closely with him to develop a working plan. He was very religious. When I brought Shen Yun flyers to the company shortly afterwards, I learned that two colleagues had already seen the show and were enthusiastic. I showed the flyer to my boss and he said that he would be happy to watch it with his daughter. Done. That was easy I thought.

A few weeks later I asked him if he already had tickets and he said that his children had not considered it at all and spoke rather dismissively. This was unexpected and my explanations for him to watch the show came to nothing.

A colleague, however, bought a ticket for himself and his wife. A few weeks later he was headhunted by a company into a board position and is still there today.

The following year I gave my boss a flyer again, showed the video and recommended the 2016 show. He smiled and took the flyer, but did not go to the show.

The following year Shen Yun was at the Burgtheater. I thought, "This must be the right location for him now, he is from the upper class, that's why he did not go to the show before. That is right."

His answer was shocking to me: "Katja, I know you want to do me good, but I just don't understand, it doesn't resonate with me". I understood the first part of the sentence as a message that his main consciousness knew exactly what it was about and the second part of the sentence that he was confused.

Slowly I began to have doubts about what I was doing ... but I felt encouraged to keep at it because I myself could only come to Shen Yun because a practitioner had been recommending the show to me for 3 years and mercifully and determinedly kept at it and did not give up on me ... This experience strengthened me to keep at it with my boss as well.

The following year Shen Yun was in Salzburg. A worthy location and my boss has a weekend house there. I told him about the greatness of the show and referred to my conversations with him about God and the divine in man. Smiling but wordless, he took the flyer ... He didn't go. 

But something else happened in the meantime: Before Christmas, each one of us at work would take part in  a so-called “Secret Santa” gift exchange with a colleague. This was the chance! And colleagues were assigned to each other by drawing lots.

I drew the name of a colleague and thought about what to buy him. When I was at the entrance to a shop, a very clear thought came to me: He gets a Shen Yun ticket! Why hadn't I thought of that right away ...? I was so focused on my boss.

The colleague was very happy, and I privately gave his wife another ticket and found out several years later that the two of them bought two more tickets for their children and went as a foursome. Today, the colleague is on his way to a professional future where a high management position awaits him.

Another year came, I tried in a new way, I mentioned Shen Yun shows to the boss in an unagitated and casual way: "Shen Yun ... in Graz ... you know, once in a lifetime, you have to go ... you would surely like it". My boss didn't buy any tickets. I didn't know what else I could do and started to let it go.

A colleague bought tickets for himself and his wife and soon after became the manager of our company. I met him during the interval at the show and asked him with a smile how he liked it. His words froze me: "You like that kind of thing?" His voice was condescending, and I had the feeling he was feeling sorry for me. For the next few years, I avoided asking him about Shen Yun, but the scene wouldn't let me go. When Shen Yun came back to Graz in 2022, I took heart and recommended Shen Yun to his family, as they lived there. To my astonishment he said, "Oh yes, that's a good idea. That was such a beautiful performance!" I was blindsided and realized that what he had told me in the interval was not him, but it was a test for me. I had passed it.

The show in 2021 didn't happen because of COVID-19 and the boss had to sell his company. During discussions with the new owner, I learned that my boss suggested not keeping me in the company.My heart hurt. I had never experienced such humiliation before. The new owner, on the other hand, affirmed he wanted me to be in the team and even wanted to expand my expertise. 

Two weeks later, we found out the sale had fallen through and my boss was back. It had been difficult working with him for months. I decided to talk with him and told him I knew he was going to sack me. He was very uncomfortable, and we then went for two walks and I listened to what was on his mind. It still hurt my heart. I started to think about how I could leave the company.

When Shen Yun promotion started in 2023, I invited him to Shen Yun for the seventh time. I let it go and sincerely wished that he could see Shen Yun sometime in the future. I asked our merciful Master for a good solution and let it go completely.

Sometime later, a colleague called me and asked me to help the Christmas team as they were not getting on with the organization. Reluctantly I agreed as I had been in the team for several years but felt I had done enough. We met for lunch, and they discussed the program they were planning. It was boring and without inspiration: escape game room, business lunch or going to drink champagne etc. I listened for half an hour and then told them honestly, I didn't find it very exciting and it would be a bit lacking in "fairy dust and Christmas glitter". Almost simultaneously, the four of them looked at me and said: that's why you're here! That's why we invited you! In a flash, I realized what to do and said: "Well, let's add Shen Yun tickets" and showed the trailer ... Then everything happened very quickly: My colleague asked how to write about Shen Yun. Having Googled and copied the link into the Christmas list ... Shen Yun was officially on the gift list.

I was terribly excited for the next few weeks until the Christmas party. Would anyone take a ticket, or would they rather go for champagne? I had to consciously remind myself several times a day that everything had been arranged and that this was what was going to be. Time passed and we were finally at the party. There was eating and celebrating and most were already a little drunk by the time it came to the gift-giving round. I tried to get rid of my thought that the alcohol confuses the senses, and the old forces will interfere. I managed to suppress the thoughts and wish all the beings in the room the best for their future.

Everyone got a gift bag with 4 items in it and each item was a choice of one possible gift. For Shen Yun, it was a big fabric lotus flower. I watched as my boss unwrapped and took out the flower and looked straight at me and nodded with a huge smile. He could immediately identify the flower, as I had been telling him about it for six years. 

Now 3 colleagues and I presented each gift to be chosen. I played a two-minute trailer that I had thankfully received from a practitioner a few hours earlier. I was nervous. I said that the trailer spoke for itself and I couldn't describe it better and played the trailer. I held up the computer in front of me and hid behind it to do FZN as thousands and thousands of thoughts were going through my head and my colleagues were gossiping and laughing and making comments. Afterwards my boss stood up and said: "A good friend has been telling me for years that I have to go there and I know that she has always meant well. Katja, I sincerely promise you, this time I will go." He put the lotus flower in his hair and said that everyone who wants to go is welcome. Of the 19 people in the company, 11 went to Shen Yun this February.

I knew that after we were in Salzburg, my task in the company was fulfilled. In February I left the company and started my own business. I still work for the company, but I am no longer employed there. I have the confidence that something new is waiting and that I will now use everything I was allowed to learn in the company for the last eight years in a new way.

I have realized what it means that Master’s Fashen look after us and Master is always with us. I get to let go of my postnatally acquired ego and false self every day. In the moments when the false self is not there, and only my very own being, everything it needs is there. Everything is arranged.

I thank our merciful Master.
I thank my valued fellow practitioners.

 

(Submitted to the European Fa-conference 2023 in Paris)