(Minghui.org)
Greetings Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I began to practice Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) in Vancouver in the spring of 2016. I became interested in practicing Falun Dafa first by watching parades. Whenever I saw the Falun Gong group in a parade, with its large and orderly formation, magnificent presence, and uplifting spirit, I felt deeply moved. However, at the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown one year, I did not see Falun Gong and felt an inexplicable sense of loss. Looking at the other groups, the dragon and lion dances appeared slow and loose, completely lacking the charm they ought to embody. I could not help recalling the uplifting righteousness displayed by the Falun Gong procession. I felt Falun Gong truly embodied the spiritual essence of Chinese culture.
It was this strong contrast that sparked my interest in Falun Dafa. I began to inquire and learn more on my own, and eventually stepped into Dafa cultivation.
I then introduced Zhuan Falun to my daughter. But at the time, she did not take it too seriously. She had the book for two months and still had not finished reading it. Then it was May 13, and she went to watch the World Falun Dafa Day rally and parade. When she returned home, she told me that, as soon as the Tian Guo Marching Band began to play, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
From that day on, she has been a Dafa cultivator. She joined the Tian Guo Marching Band, playing the trumpet. I truly experienced what Master said, “Those who really have a predestined relationship and can enlighten will come one after another, entering the Dao and obtaining the Fa.” (“Enlightenment”, Essentials for Further Advancement)
Since the time I began cultivating in Dafa, many practitioners encouraged me to join the Tian Guo Marching Band, but I always declined with the excuse that I “didn’t have time.” In the spring of 2022, a practitioner shared an experience sharing article in our group chat and again encouraged us to join the band. The number of members in our local band had dropped below the minimum requirement of 60 people. I also sent a message encouraging younger practitioners to participate. Unexpectedly, one practitioner responded to me, “Why can’t it be you?”
To be honest, I had never felt that I could learn an instrument. At that time, I was in the waist drum team and felt that it was also great, as we were all helping Master to awaken people. I even thought the waist drum team suited me better. But that practitioner later called me and patiently persuaded me from the perspective of the Fa principles and the needs of the overall project. She said, “It was Master who painstakingly established the Tian Guo Marching Band, and we can’t just watch it fall apart because we don't have enough people.” She also said, “Joining the band helps one improve quickly in cultivation. It truly enables you to ‘cultivate purity and cultivate tranquility.’”
These words touched me deeply. I began repeatedly asking myself, “Do you really want to join the Tian Guo Marching Band? What is your motivation? Is it for your own improvement, or for the needs of the project? Do you have enough time to practice?” I knew that once I joined, there was no turning back, as I would not give up, no matter how hard it would be.
After much deliberation, I finally decided to join the band. On the one hand, it was to fill the project’s quota; on the other, it was a cultivation challenge. I had no musical talent, but I believed that Dafa disciples are capable of anything. When I was young, I loved to sing, but my father often scolded me, saying, “Stop singing. You’re tone-deaf. It sounds awful.” That sentence accompanied me for most of my life. Every time I opened my mouth to sing, his words echoed in my ears, and I would fall silent, because I was afraid others would laugh at my lack of pitch. I thought to myself, “In the band, at least I won’t be singing with my voice but playing an instrument. There shouldn’t be a problem of being tone-deaf, right?”
I chose what everyone called the “easiest but most understaffed” instrument in our band, the trombone. It wasn’t out of preference, but because I wanted to quickly fill the vacancy and participate in parades as soon as possible. However, reality proved far more difficult than I had imagined. I later learned that the trombone’s slide positions are not fixed, and producing tones with accurate pitches is actually quite challenging.
From the day I received my trombone, I wrestled with it. At first, whenever I couldn’t produce a pleasant sound, I blamed the instrument, so I replaced it with a new trombone. But after practicing for a while, I realized that although I had put in great effort and used all the techniques the teacher taught, the sound was still unpleasant. I again began to blame the instrument, yet I never looked inward from the perspective of cultivation. In truth, what was at work was my impatience, always wanting instant success.
Along the way, I have deeply felt Master’s ingenious arrangements and compassionate blessings everywhere. Every small breakthrough in my skill was often accompanied by an elevation in my xinxing.
At the beginning, my greatest concern was not having enough time to practice. But just then, I learned that I would be staying in South America for three months. This gave me an excellent opportunity to practice. There, I had no other projects and could devote myself entirely to practicing. However, there was no local Tian Guo Marching Band and no one to guide me in person. I could only take online lessons. Whether I was playing correctly depended entirely on my own judgment. If I was wrong, no one was there to correct me. I could only face the sheet music and synthesized recordings. Starting from the most basic notes, I practiced bit by bit. Every time I managed to reach a higher note, I felt genuine joy. I knew it was not only a technical breakthrough, but also encouragement following an elevation in my xinxing.
One note, one key, one piece—each had to be practiced countless times. I did not feel bored at all. My heart was filled with the joy of repeated breakthroughs.
After three months, I returned to Vancouver. I felt that I could play several pieces well, and I eagerly wanted to play for the music director. Unexpectedly, after listening, he said I had played the piece “Delivering Treasure” incorrectly, that I played all the off-beat notes on the beats. I had put the most effort into that piece, yet it was wrong. I felt close to collapse. Complaints, competitiveness, irritability, discouragement, and heartache—all kinds of human attachments surfaced. Imagine practicing painstakingly for three months, only to hear a new term, “off-beat,” and realize the piece you had practiced hundreds of times was entirely wrong and had to be relearned from scratch. How disheartening that felt. But disheartened as I was, the path still had to be walked. I could only start over. This is cultivation—this is how one’s xinxing must be tempered.
Moreover, due to a lack of foundational training, although I could play the pieces, my articulation was unclear. I found a professional teacher and studied for a period of time, gradually correcting fundamental problems and focusing on the fundamentals.
Finally, on May 13, 2023, I participated in a parade for the first time. When the music began, my throat choked with emotion, and my eyes filled with tears. Along the route, I tried hard to steady my emotions and focus on playing. For my first parade, I performed beyond my own abilities. I knew it was Master helping me. My heart was filled with boundless gratitude. From being saved by the Tian Guo Marching Band (more precisely, by Master) to now finally participating in saving people myself, the sacredness and joy of that moment are beyond words.
Master’s second meticulous arrangement was bringing me to Toronto. From September 2023 through Christmas, I participated in more than a dozen parades of various sizes. This experience led to a leap in both my playing skills and my cultivation state.
I practiced one to two hours every day, diligently completing the band’s assignments, and truly experienced what the fellow practitioner meant by “cultivating tranquility and purity.” In the repeated process of making mistakes and correcting them, my restless heart was gradually worn away layer by layer. One time, while practicing an assigned piece, I truly understood how to control the transitions between high and low notes rather than merely imitating mechanically. Another technical breakthrough! At that moment, gratitude welled up within me—gratitude to the Toronto practitioners for providing such a great practice environment, and gratitude to fellow section members for their patient corrections and guidance.
After this round of parade participation, although I had become more familiar with all the pieces, I remained dissatisfied with my tone quality. Other practitioners produced clear and rounded tones, whereas mine were blurry and stiff, as if they were popping out. It was more like noise than music.
I kept exploring and practicing repeatedly, but could not grasp the key. Then one day in October 2024, I sent forth a thought, “I need a professional trombone teacher.”
Unexpectedly, the very next day, at the recording studio where I often practiced, I met a professional trombonist. He patiently explained the importance of air in playing a wind instrument, guiding me step by step in breath training, demonstrating repeatedly, and correcting me promptly. I finally understood that practicing an instrument is like cultivation—there are no shortcuts. One must proceed step by step, improving skill and xinxing simultaneously, in order to produce truly beautiful tones. Following his method, I practiced breathing for about 20 minutes daily. After some time, I clearly felt my tone becoming fuller and more penetrating. My confidence grew greatly. I finally felt that what I was producing was music instead of noise.
That year, I participated in 10 more Christmas parades. After each one, my heart was filled with infinite gratitude to Master and to this music teacher. He helped me improve my playing skills, thereby assisting in saving people. At the same time, he learned about Falun Dafa and showed his support. I marveled at Master’s ingenious arrangement.
As my cultivation progressed, my standards for my playing continued to rise, and I began seeking new breakthroughs. I clearly understood that this must come from the improvement of my xinxing. Only when my heart truly reaches purity and tranquility can I produce music with the immense energy of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Cultivation and playing an instrument both require continuous, mindful practice.
The reason I began Dafa cultivation was that I was moved by the spirit and vitality displayed in Dafa groups in parades. After joining the band, I paid special attention to this aspect. At first, I often examined the band with a professional eye, offering suggestions and pointing out shortcomings. Gradually, this became an attachment. I always hoped the band could improve in this regard. Seeing that ordinary people’s marching bands could display a military-style presence, I felt that we cultivators should surpass them. Later, I realized that cultivation is about cultivating oneself, not constantly focusing on others. In fact, most practitioners are doing very well. They always silently recite the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts before parades, thinking only of saving people. If we remind and influence one another positively, the whole body will naturally elevate.
As cultivators, we inherently carry powerful energy. But how to maximize this energy to save people? I have realized that inspiring the collective morale before a parade is especially important. Whenever everyone loudly recites “On Dafa” and “Tian Guo Marching Band” together, I feel heat throughout my body, my energy quickly mobilized, and I instantly enter a pure state. I remember once during a parade on Victoria Island, an accompanying practitioner told us that a passerby felt a powerful energy when hearing us collectively recite “On Dafa.” This greatly encouraged me. From the moment I put on the parade uniform, I deeply feel its solemnity and sacredness. Our words and actions must match our attire. Our very presence is saving people and eliminating evil.
Coordination and cooperation among practitioners also directly affect the effectiveness of saving people. If someone harbors dissatisfaction or resentment, the resulting energy field will inevitably be affected. Therefore, before each parade, it is essential to clear oneself of any attachments that might influence one’s emotions. Not only must we clear ourselves, but we must also ensure we do not provoke fellow practitioners—no complaints, no accusations. Only by creating a relaxed, joyful, harmonious, and peaceful atmosphere can we better fulfill the mission of saving people. Though I understand this principle, I am still striving to improve and hope fellow practitioners will kindly remind me so that we can advance diligently together.
Finally, I would like to end by talking about a small episode. When I saw the call for submissions of a sharing paper, I hardly hesitated and told myself, “I must write one, and hope all members of the Tian Guo Marching Band can read it. This is not to validate myself, but to let everyone see that the band’s power in saving people is truly immense. My daughter and I are just two examples among countless lives that have been saved.” The moment this thought arose, I felt a warm current flow from head to toe. I knew it was Master encouraging me.
This is also one of my missions in joining the Tian Guo Marching Band—to use my experience to inspire fellow practitioners to keep striving forward and better fulfill the sacred mission of assisting Master in rectifying the Fa.
If there is anything in my sharing that is not in accordance with the Fa, please kindly point it out.
Thank you, Master!Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Selected article from the Tian Guo Marching Band 20th Anniversary Experience Sharing)
Copyright © 1999-2026 Minghui.org. All rights reserved.
