My Process of Purification While Doing Shen Yun Reporting

Greetings Master, greetings fellow practitioners.

I’m a practitioner from Spain, and today I would like to share with you my experience of reporting on Shen Yun Performing Arts during the 2026 tour. I was assigned by the local presenter to interview Shen Yun audience members for NTD, and I actually work for NTD full-time, so I initially assumed that it wouldn’t be a problem to get a few days off from my job to travel to the different cities where Shen Yun would perform in Spain. I even thought that the reporting should count as working hours, given that the interviews would be used by NTD. So I waited until almost the last minute to request the days off, with an attitude that was more like informing my manager that I would be taking some time off rather than genuinely asking for permission. Because it was for Shen Yun, right? And for NTD as well. So how could they say no?

I was quite shocked when the answer was no, that I couldn’t take that many days off. The reason was simple: there was a serious shortage of staff, and they simply didn’t have anyone who could cover for me for so many days. I immediately realized how wrong my mindset had been and that I should also cherish and be mindful of NTD, a project that also clarifies the truth and saves sentient beings. As Master said in Fa Teaching Given at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference: “… when someone who has done quite well suddenly leaves for some other project, it instantly creates a manpower shortage. With some students, the moment something isn’t agreeable to them they just disregard how [leaving] will affect others, they don’t consider how it will impact that task that was being done to validate the Fa, and they just do whatever they please. I have observed this in some students, and the gods are not exactly impressed, either. At the same time, though, it is true that other projects are in need of people. If you have the spare time to help them, well, many Dafa disciples are simultaneously shouldering multiple duties, so there shouldn’t be a problem in principle. But no matter how much we discuss this matter, it all boils down to a problem of coordination and cultivation.”

After understanding that I should do my best not to affect NTD during the Shen Yun tour, I checked my train tickets (which I had already booked) and realized that I could still work during most of the days I had requested off. There were only three days during the month-long tour when I truly couldn’t work. I realized that I had originally asked for so many days off simply because I didn’t want to rush—arriving in a city and having to start working immediately until it was time to go to the venue. But once I was on tour, I realized that it wasn’t a big deal. Whenever I shared accommodation with other practitioners, they would assign me a room with a desk so I could work more comfortably, without my having to ask. When I stayed in hotels, I was able to check in early at no extra cost. I feel that after I rectified my mindset, Master helped me throughout the entire tour so that I could fulfill both roles.

When the tour in Spain began and I saw the show for the first time, I noticed something unusual, although I didn’t pay much attention to it at first: while I was watching the performance, I wasn’t moved. Usually, I am moved to tears as soon as the curtain rises, but this time, nothing. Dance after dance, piece after piece, nothing. I realized that I was distracted and not truly paying attention to the performance, but I didn’t think much of it.

That was my state of mind during the first few performances, and then I began noticing a pattern: the audience members I interviewed were not making very profound comments about the show. They would say it was a beautiful performance, very colourful, with excellent dancers, but not much more. That was when I realized that something was wrong, and I immediately connected it to my state of mind. I understood that those superficial comments were a reflection of my cultivation state. If I couldn’t connect with the performance—if I myself wasn’t grasping its deeper meanings—how could I help audience members express themselves?

Of course, I am not saying that audience comments depend entirely on the reporter. Naturally, some people understand the performance on a deeper level and others do not; some are moved to tears and others are not; some are shy in front of the camera and some are very expressive. But I do believe that the cultivation state of the reporter can influence the audience members’ ability to express themselves. If we are in a good cultivation state, then our righteous field can eliminate negative elements that may be restricting them, allowing them to share deeper insights about Shen Yun. If, on the other hand, our field is not righteous, then instead of eliminating those negative elements, we may be reinforcing them and limiting people’s ability to express themselves.

And that is what I believe was happening: the fact that I wasn’t connecting with the performance, that I wasn’t aligned with it, was negatively affecting the interviewees. So I immediately began looking within and strengthening my cultivation state. I realized that I was not sending forth righteous thoughts with a focused mind. I also realized that I had many mundane thoughts throughout the day, so I began paying close attention to my thoughts and making sure to always maintain a practitioner’s mindset. Then, when I watched the performance again, I made a conscious effort to focus fully and keep my mind clear.

It worked. I began to be moved by the performance, and I was finally able to understand some of the stories more deeply. However, I also noticed that there was one aspect of the show that made me feel uncomfortable: the songs, or more specifically, the lyrics. They were so direct that part of me felt that people might not be able to accept them. But I realized that something within me was not right, and that was why I felt that way. So, I began looking within, trying to identify the root cause of those feelings.

Around that time, I learned about some special instructions for Shen Yun reporters that I had not heard before. Without going into too much detail, the instructions emphasized that reporters should not be afraid to ask certain questions. I felt that it was arranged by Master that I heard those instructions at that moment, as a clue to help me overcome this test. It helped me understand that my state of mind was related to fear. So I began looking within, searching for fear that was blocking me.

Soon afterward, I remember that the show was almost over and I was waiting near the camera, ready to begin interviewing audience members as they came out. I was sending forth righteous thoughts to clear my mind when it happened—something was unlocked. I was able to enlighten to what my fear was, and I saw it very clearly. Now, as Master says in Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital: “… during the cultivation process, as soon as a cultivator has successfully cultivated a part, with his realm being elevated and him passing some test, that part is immediately partitioned off in a manner unconstrained by time.”

That is exactly what happened. The moment I enlightened to what my attachment was, that part was separated from me, and I could no longer remember what my fear was! So I am afraid I cannot share with you exactly what attachment had been blocking me. But even though I could not recall the specifics, I had a general sense that it was a fear that I had been able to let go of. And when the performance ended and I began interviewing people, I immediately noticed the difference.

Suddenly, one after another, audience members were saying how “brave” the show was, how “brave” the performers were, and how everyone involved in the production was so “brave.” They admired that they were not afraid to tell the truth. Again, I felt that Master was encouraging me to eliminate my fears completely.

I remember one man I interviewed that day. He had understood the performance on a very deep level, and he specifically mentioned the lyrics of the songs. He said that Shen Yun was very brave to speak so openly about how the theory of evolution and atheism are harming people, and he expressed his admiration for that. He also said that he was religious, so he fully agreed with the lyrics, and that for those who are not religious, the song would certainly give them something to think about.

As I listened to him, I also thought that he himself was very brave. He was an ordinary person, yet he was not afraid to speak openly about his beliefs in front of a camera. How could I, as a Dafa disciple, not be as courageous as he was? What was I so afraid of?

The tour continued, and with each performance I could feel that my mind was becoming more and more purified and rectified. Another breakthrough came when a different company performed in Spain and brought with it a different song. This time, the moment I read the lyrics on the screen, I felt instantly connected to the message. I remember that the first line spoke about how the hope of salvation was spreading throughout the cosmos. And I could feel it. I could feel all sentient beings experiencing the hope of being saved. I could feel how each audience member was one of those sentient beings who had endured many trials and tribulations for the opportunity to be seated that day at a Shen Yun performance and be saved. And I could also feel that when the song addressed evolution and atheism, it did so with compassion, in order to awaken people. I was moved to tears.

I remember that the audience comments in that city were particularly profound. I am not saying that it was entirely because of me, but perhaps the fact that I was so deeply moved by the performance created a righteous field that helped people open up and share their true feelings. And I believe that such a righteous field can also restrain negative thoughts.

I recall one man who was giving positive comments, although they were not especially deep. When I asked him what effect he thought Shen Yun could have on society if more and more people saw the performance, I noticed that he hesitated and began to say that there were certain things he did not agree with. I kept my heart calm and began sending forth righteous thoughts, and I noticed that he changed. He said that even though he did not agree with certain messages in the performance, those messages would certainly make him think. He added that even people who do not fully agree with the ideas presented could still reflect on them and gain a new perspective.

So that was my journey of purification during the Shen Yun tour. Then, about a month after the tour in Spain ended, I experienced a physical tribulation that lasted several weeks. By looking within, my understanding was that it was part of the purification process. I came to realize that throughout the year leading up to this Shen Yun tour, I had gradually slackened off in my cultivation.

The previous year had been very calm. I had not experienced any physical tribulations, nor had I faced many significant xinxing tests. At first, I thought this was something good. I felt that Master was giving me a break after I had gone through some major tests a few years earlier. But through the tribulation I endured after the Shen Yun tour, I came to understand that this mindset was actually a trap that led me to lower my cultivation standard.

Little by little, I paid less and less attention to sending forth righteous thoughts. Gradually, I also became less diligent in practicing the exercises. I had always placed great importance on studying the Fa, but over time, I began studying less and less. In the back of my mind, there was always the thought, “It’s okay—you can relax a little.” By neglecting the essential aspects of cultivation, my mindset became increasingly mundane. The change was so gradual that I did not notice it at first. But by the time of this Shen Yun tour, my mind was filled with ordinary human thoughts, including envy, attachment to reputation, lust, and so on. In my understanding, that was the main reason why I had such difficulty connecting with the performance.

The physical tribulation was therefore a much-needed wake-up call. It gave me the opportunity to return to systematic Fa study, regular exercise practice, and diligent righteous thoughts. My mind was cleansed of many mundane thoughts, and through looking within, I was able to remove several long-standing attachments. I now understand more clearly how important it is to maintain a strong cultivation state throughout the entire year so that when Shen Yun arrives, we are up to the standard required to play a positive role in saving sentient beings.

The above is my personal understanding based on my cultivation experiences. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.

Thank you Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners!

(Speaker at the European Fa-Conference 2026 in Prague)