Latvia: Xinxing cultivation opportunities within the Shen Yun project

This year, when I found out that Shen Yun needed help in Poland, I developed a great wish to help in my heart. This was confirmed by the fact that I had the opportunity to take days off from work at that time. But those doubts and fears had not disappeared anywhere. I wrote to the coordinators again that I wanted to help and go to Poland, but I didn't know if I would be useful. Again, the coordinators did not notice my letter.

I talked to a practitioner who also doesn't know English, but despite that has been helping practitioners in other countries. He shared his experience and told me how he traveled alone to another country and almost got lost, but Teacher always sent someone to help him reach his destination. He told about a case where he was assigned a duty together with another practitioner. They could not understand each other because he did not know the language, but despite that, they managed to cooperate together. The experience of this practitioner convinced me, and my doubts disappeared.

When the Latvian coordinators compiled a list of practitioners who wanted to go to Poland to help with Shen Yun, I was not included. One practitioner I had talked to and who had shared his experience noticed this and told the coordinators that they had forgotten to include me on the list. In the end I was added to the list - Teacher gave me an opportunity.

Xinxing cultivation opportunities

I felt honored because I believe it is a great blessing to help with the Shen Yun project, as it is the same as being next to Master. The first city we went to to help with was Torun. Due to the spread of Covid-19, there were restrictions in Poland for that time. Therefore, the Polish practitioners requested practitioners who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to come, as they needed vaccinated assistants in the concert hall's internal security. I had been vaccinated and therefore the Polish coordinators, despite the fact that I do not know English, had put me in an internal guard. So I prepared for it and brought a suit with a couple of blouses.

Plans were changed when we arrived in Torun. I was told that I would not be in internal security, but in external security, guarding the buses outside. At the same time, our male practitioners were sent to work inside for the first few days. It was chilly outside, and since I was prepared for internal security, I had not brought suitable clothes. I put on everything I could and then it was warm for me. But despite this, dissatisfaction appeared in me: "How is it that I prepared for internal security, but I was placed outside, and at the same time, men who are stronger and more durable were directed to help inside."

Later, I looked within and saw that this dissatisfaction was caused by my selfishness, vanity and envy. Since this was my first time guarding buses, I also felt dissatisfied with the fact that the coordinators did not explain to me in detail what to pay attention to when guarding them. At my workplace, similar duties are sometimes imposed, but before starting work, I am instructed in advance about it, and only when I am familiar with it do I go to work.

This time, the dissatisfaction stemmed from my need for comfort and the desire to control any situation. I have always tried to plan my life, and it has always been important for me to think about everything in advance. These wrong thoughts, of course, were formed from human ideas and thinking while living in a family or working in a job. I saw in myself an unremoved desire to show off. Before going, I looked very hard  for blouses for a costume so that I could look good. When I was told that I would not be in internal security, I was upset.

Only later did I realize how busy the Polish coordinators were, how many things and how much responsibility they had to bear, and still had to deal with dissatisfied practitioners like me. Perhaps I could have caused them a disturbance with my negative thoughts and arrogance.

Teacher planned everything and I was paired with a Polish practitioner who tried very hard to help me. She offered me warm clothes, told me what to pay attention to when guarding the buses, and also cheered me up in difficult moments.

On the second day, when I had to go on duty to guard the buses, I got up in the morning feeling tired, and that day, while guarding the buses, I had a breaking point. I had wrong thoughts and looking at the buses I thought: "What's the point of guarding them, they are just metal boxes and the territory is also monitored by video cameras. Nothing can happen!” I had a thought that I would give up this duty tomorrow. My partner sensed that I was not well, encouraged and inspired me again, and I realized that I had to get rid of my negative thoughts.

Inspired by her, I walked and watched the buses and suddenly they appeared to me as two big white angels with outstretched wings, one female - carrying the female dancers – and the other male, carrying the male dancers. The angels were very noble, and the Divine Beings - Shen Yun, were seated on their wings. The angels carried them to their respective places.

From that moment on, I began to look at my duty differently and realized how important it is to fulfil it properly. Therefore, sometimes when I came to my shift to guard the buses, I felt sad when I saw that some practitioners had fallen asleep in their cars while guarding the buses. I understood that ordinary people's security cannot protect buses, no matter how many video cameras are installed, only practitioners can do it.

By walking around the buses and guarding them, we practitioners create an energy field - a protective barrier around them, which prevents evil from reaching them. I understood that it is the same as Master says in Zhuan Falun, Lecture 3: “When we practice gong, a field will appear around us. What field is it? Some people call it a qi field, a magnetic field, or an electric field.”

Master also says: “It can rectify this abnormal state. When an evil-minded person is thinking of something bad, this person might change his mind due to the powerful effect of your field; he might then no longer want to commit the wrongdoing.”

I also had the opportunity to help with the Shen Yun project in the city of Lublin, where I guarded the buses at night. In Lublin, they were placed outside the city. The nights were very cold, so my partner and I agreed that we would take turns on duty - one resting in the car, the other on duty outside in shifts throughout the night.

The guarded area was very dark. Near the building in the yard in which the buses were parked, there was a lamp that lit up only when there was movement. When it was time to change, I got out of the car and first walked around the whole area. Every time I noticed a shadow of a big dog from the corner of the building, baring its teeth and barking loudly.

I wasn't afraid, but I addressed it by telling him: "You do a very good job, you help me guard the buses, it's a blessed job. Thank you, but for the time being you can be free, everything is fine, if I need your help I will call you."

Master says in Zhuan Falun, Lecture 3: “In the eyes of everyday people, animals are powerful and can easily manipulate people. Actually, I say that they are not powerful and are nothing before a true cultivator. Even though it may have cultivated for nearly a thousand years, a little finger will be more than enough to crush it.”

Each time I said that, the dog disappeared. Interestingly, when my partner - a practitioner - was on duty, the dog never came for his shift. Perhaps the old forces had sent this dog to disturb and frighten me. But since I had strong righteous thoughts, the dog sided with the good forces and was unable to interfere with me.

I really want Shen Yun to come to my country, and for that to happen, our practitioners need to be prepared. It is very good that Master gives us the opportunity to help with Shen Yun in other countries. By performing various works, we understand and deepen how many human resources are needed, what activities have to be done, where and what should be provided, and also at these moments we have a great opportunity to make connections with practitioners from other countries and strengthen our overall one body and coordination, which will help us in the future organize Shen Yun in our country.

Looking back, I understand that nothing is a coincidence. Master had everything planned for me, even when I was inside the theater and guarding a door, Master sent sentient beings whom I needed to save. Next to the door I was guarding was a toilet. A young woman cleaned the toilets. She addressed me in Russian. She said that she was from Ukraine, and that she and two other mothers and children fled from the danger of war in Ukraine to Poland. The theater provided them with work.

I told them that I was from Latvia and had come to Poland to help with Shen Yun. She wanted to know more about Shen Yun and I told her. She said that she cleaned the big hall of this theater with her friends, where concerts and performances are held, and in those moments they dreamed of just sitting in the comfortable chairs of the hall and enjoying a beautiful performance.

I told her: “Dreams come true, do you want to see Shen Yun? She said: "Yes." I said: "I will give you a ticket to this performance!" She was very excited and said: "But I have one wish, I want my friends from Ukraine to watch this show with me!"

Of course, she had no idea how much concert tickets cost. I also understood that her friends would not be able to buy tickets for themselves, because they have arrived in another country with children and only a few belongings in their hands and have lost their livelihoods. Therefore, they currently need funds to reorganize their lives, as well as to provide everything for their families.

I thought it would be too expensive for me to buy three tickets, but then I remembered that I had previously offered tickets to my relatives from Poland to see Shen Yun. My relatives did not respond to me, and I didn't spend the money. I thought, maybe these women from Ukraine have a karmic relationship with me and after watching Shen Yun they will be living beings in my world. And in that case are they not my relatives? I agreed and bought tickets for all three women.

This woman from Ukraine told me that various troubles started after I called her that evening to pick up Shen Yun tickets.

At that time another organization started calling her and asked her to go somewhere else, also when traveling by tram to the theater there were problems with the service. All these disturbances did not knock her off balance - she had a very strong desire to see Shen Yun. After watching the concert, she called me the next day and was very grateful. She said she had never seen anything so grand and that her and friends loved the show. She told me "Now, when I work on the premises of the theater and happen to see Shen Yun artists, I look up to them with great respect!"

Test of faith

Returning from Torun, I had to go to work. At work, we had a mandatory requirement to take a Covid test before your work shift. A week after returning from Poland, I tested positive for Covid. My first thought was to hide the result from my boss. But I realized that I was a practitioner and I shouldn't lie, so I told the boss. I had to go into quarantine and send more tests to the laboratory. I was a little distracted and confused.

I felt uplifted as soon as I came back from Toruń, because I had the opportunity to see Shen Yun and it was indescribable. During the concert, I felt as if I was lifted up into the sky. I also felt how Teacher cleansed my body throughout the concert. I thought I had improved.

I had dual feelings - on the one hand, a human thought crept in, how could this happen to me, maybe I'm a bad practitioner. On the other hand, another human thought crept in - maybe it's not that bad, I'll get sick and get a certificate of sickness and I won't have to be vaccinated anymore.

Now I understand that these two human thoughts were put forth by the old forces to trick me into a trap and to accept their plans. I felt that I had suffered enough karma helping with Shen Yun in Poland, working long hours outside, suffering from cold and fatigue, so it seemed impossible for me to be subjected to such an ordeal. I lost my vigilance.

I still had a chance to change everything. Sending righteous thoughts and looking within. But I took everything passively, thus agreeing with the old forces. And when the result came from the laboratory, it also turned out to be positive.

This dented my faith, because I understood from Master's words that practitioners do not get sick, but are repaying their karma. Also from Masters words, I understood that the Covid 19 virus is aimed at a relevant group of people. Master said in “Stay Rational”: “But a pandemic like the current “CCP Virus” (Wuhan Pneumonia) has come with a purpose and with a target. It has come to eliminate the followers of the evil Party and those who go along with the evil CCP.”

Also Master said: “Genuine Dafa disciples all carry energy and are themselves beings who eliminate karma and eradicate germs.”

Later I understood that if you act and think like an ordinary person, then everything will happen to you like an ordinary person. in a sense, with my unrelinquished human notions and attachments, I had brought upon myself this wrong state. 

Now I understand that in any situation a practitioner must remain clear headed and be ready for new challenges. The old forces are ready to test us, even in those moments when we feel we have elevated. In those cases, they can use the state of zealotry and unremoved human feelings like joy and satisfaction.

And of course they use our attachments to drag us into their web. A practitioner only needs to lose a righteous thought for a moment and in the next you already feel how the old forces start to manipulate you. And the deeper you are drawn into their web, the harder it is to untangle them and get out.

Around the same time as me, other practitioners in my region tested positive for Covid-19. Their reaction to this ordeal was similar to mine. All these practitioners had a mandatory requirement at work to be vaccinated. These practitioners had also developed wrong human notions and reluctance to vaccinate. Therefore, the old forces took advantage of their loopholes, creating an illusion of illness. They took the ordeal passively and agreed to the plans of the old forces.

Master says in the Jingwen Wake up: “I’m not telling you whether you should get vaccinated or not, nor am I telling you how the contagion will affect you. Don’t go to the other extreme; all of that is human attachment. What I want to tell you is you are assessing yourself with the mindset of an everyday person instead of looking at issues from the perspective of a cultivator; this is an omission in your cultivation.”

The problem in our group was that we guarded our human notions and did not fully believe in Master. And at that time, instead of studying the Fa and strengthening our righteous thoughts, we became engrossed in reading various scientific, medical, and other similar articles about vaccines and the CCP virus.

Of course, there were factors that contributed to the inability of practitioners in our group to cultivate diligently. When the Covid restrictions started in our country, there was no opportunity to study the Fa together and explain the truth to people face to face.

Although I studied the Fa with other practitioners in my country every week, I did not make much effort to inspire practitioners in my local group to join and study the Fa together online. Also, when we resumed our local Fa study in a group, I noticed that we liked to spend a lot of time discussing politics and things going on in the world. Since I had this attachment myself, I didn't particularly try to discourage practitioners from having these conversations.

Later, when again we were allowed to organize truth-clarifying events in our region, we lazily, without much enthusiasm, resumed doing it. I made the excuse that the war had started in Ukraine and the public's attention was focused on this issue and people would not understand us if we talked about China. We were also a little rusty and since we had not explained the truth to people face to face for a long time, it was very difficult to speak at first. It felt like learning to clarify the truth all over again.

This tribulation of illness karma, which the old forces arranged for me and other practitioners in the group, and how we took it and went through it, reflected the overall cultivation state of our group. Although the sickness karma was mild for me and other practitioners in the group, I took it as a warning that if the next time we don't ascend, it could end worse or even very badly.

Although I didn't pass this test, after some time Master gave me another opportunity to go to another city in Poland to help with Shen Yun. I took this chance.

I will be retiring next year and will have more time and opportunities to help. I want to continue helping Shen Yun, and I also want Shen Yun to come to my country Latvia and neighboring countries Lithuania and Estonia.

I will try my best to help with this project. Of course, until then, I have to do my homework - work hard to improve, and also learn new skills, like learning English at least at a conversational level. With my experience, I want to inspire other practitioners who want to help Shen Yun but have self-doubts or some other issues that prevent them from doing so.

Let's fulfill our vows made to Master, and while there is still a chance, let's help Master save sentient beings! I want to finish my experience with words from Master’s Jingwen “Wake Up”: “Although we haven’t had a Fa conference for a long time, actually what I want to say is all so that you can walk your path of cultivation righteously and be able to fulfill the vows you made before history. You’ve already made it through tens of thousands of trials and tribulations—don’t get tripped up at the last moment. Even though some individuals do foolish things every once in a while, the title of Dafa disciple is something even the Gods admire.” 

Thank you Master, for giving me the opportunity to help with Shen Yun!

My understanding is limited, so if you see any gaps, please point them out.

Heshi.

 

(Selected to the European Fa-conference 2022 in Warsaw)