My Cultivation Experiences in the Tian Guo Marching Band
Greetings, fellow Falun Dafa practitioners!
Writing and sharing experiences is essential for the benefit of others and to help oneself improve in cultivation. Therefore, I would like to share some understandings and experiences I gained on my cultivation path while playing in the Tian Guo Marching Band.
Beginning
When I was in the lower grades of elementary school, my dad started practicing Falun Dafa. It was all completely new to me then, and I didn't understand what it was. But since I was a child, I didn't have that many postnatal notions, and I instinctively understood and felt that it was something good, regardless of what other members of my family would say. I began to see my father doing the Falun Dafa exercises more and more often. The movements he performed really impressed me. And so as time went by, I watched my dad practice and decided I would like to join him. He taught me the four standing exercises, and that's how I started practicing. As a child, I never liked reading, so I didn't study the Dafa books, but I would listen to audio lectures every night before going to bed. In general, I was a very naughty child, but as soon as I listened more to the Fa and began to align myself with the principles of the universe (Zhen - Shan - Ren, or Truthfulness - Compassion - Tolerance) that my dad often emphasized to me, I began to understand more and more the meaning of life and the right way to behave.
At the same time, I started taking music more seriously, and began to practice a type of instrument that I had listened to all through my childhood, since my father played it his whole life–percussion. I started little by little, day by day, until I had learned some of the basic techniques.
Then I decided to go to music school, so my parents signed me up for an audition, and I passed. I enjoyed playing percussion more and more. Around that time, my father joined the European Tian Guo Marching Band, and I would always listen to the songs and music the band played as a kid. I remember that I was listening and playing “Triumphant Return” so much that I learned how to play it on the snare drum by heart, and I wanted to show what I had learned to my music teacher. He couldn’t understand how I could play the tune without knowing the notes yet.
As I progressed in playing, I joined a local marching band and started playing in it with my father.
Taking the Wrong Path
Unfortunately, when puberty hit me, I faced some family difficulties. At that time I felt really lost, got dragged away from Dafa, and indulged myself in bad things and distorted thinking. From then on, years passed and I was still lost in the illusions of the modern world. I started drinking, smoking, partying and doing all kinds of bad stuff that today's people treat as normal, but that is truly far from it. At the same time, I stopped playing my instrument. I lost interest in actually progressing in playing, and my overall interest in good-quality music waned. Looking back, I can see that the more my moral standards were falling, the more distorted and demonic the music that I listened to became.
Returning to the Right Path and Joining the Tian Guo Marching Band
I was just about to turn 17 when my father sent me 2 of the latest articles from Master:
“Stay Far Away From Peril” and “Cultivation In Dafa Is Serious.”
Master said:
“When each person joined the ranks of Fa-rectification Dafa disciples, their knowing side made a vow to, and signed a pledge with, the Divine, and they swore by their very soul that they would fulfill the historic mission that a Dafa disciple should shoulder, so they have since been outside the authority of the Three Realms. And therefore I, your master, removed the names of all Dafa disciples from the ledgers of the Three Realms, of the Human Realm, of the Netherworld, and even of Hell. The lives of Dafa disciples have ever since been in Dafa’s hands only, and freed from reincarnation; even those with sins are no longer bound for Hell. Spiritual perfection awaits those who do well in their practice. They will return to their position in the New Universe, where they will govern a Heavenly Kingdom of their own. Those who do not succeed in their self-cultivation, violate their vows, or sin against the Great Way will have to meet with the consequence that accords with the promise they made with their souls! But I have mercifully kept giving them more chances. They don’t even realize they should be grateful for that, though, and have stubbornly held on to their attachments.“ ("Cultivation in Dafa is Serious")
After reading this teaching, I was shocked, and my whole mindset changed as I instinctively felt a sense of urgency. Shortly after that, I read Zhuan Falun from beginning to end for the first time. As I finished it, I couldn't believe what I had missed all those years, lost in illusion. Realising that, I would often shed tears. From then on, I decided to be steadfast in cultivation, fulfill my vows, and never let anything drag me away from Dafa.
As some time had already passed, I remember that one day my dad came to me and said: “Hey Sven, you know in the Tian Guo Marching Band, there is currently a situation where we don't have enough base-drum players. So I was thinking that, since you already know how to play, would you like to join?”
Without thinking, I immediately said “Yes!” With my knowledge of the band’s mission and a strong will, I took my drumsticks, put the drum on, and from then on started learning and playing the songs every single day. I learned all of the songs very quickly and passed the entrance test. However, I continued to practice diligently every day to get a stable rhythm and to learn all the songs by heart so that I could be fully prepared for my first workshop and future parades.
I remember when I came to my first workshop. Everything was new to me, and I didn't know anyone. As I didn't know anything about where I needed to go, or who I needed to talk to, I was always following my father. But suddenly he disappeared as he went to pick up another member at the train station. I panicked a little bit. Then one practitioner came to me and said: “You don't need to worry, you already know everyone from your past lives.” I felt relaxed and, from then on, I viewed our band as one big family.
Genuine Compassion
My first time playing in a parade was in Prague. The feeling that I had was indescribable. Before marching, we were doing akiyama and tuning, and I could feel goosebumps all over my body. Then we started marching and heading towards Charles Bridge. I saw many people looking at us, and the sun was shining, and our divine music was playing. While looking at all those people with the thought of saving them, I felt a deep and genuine compassion. I just couldn't stop shedding tears.
After that, I had similar experiences at other parades as well. Some practitioners would often mention that we need to smile while playing in parades. When I had that thought in my head, I started thinking about it all the time and tried to smile intentionally. I noticed that that's not a sincere smile, but more like acting. Last year, when we played in Athens, I experienced how great an effect a sincere smile has on people.
I was in the outside row of the formation when we played. And I would sometimes make eye contact with people we passed by. I noticed that when I had a truly genuine and compassionate smile that came from my heart, people who made eye contact with me saw it, and it put big and thankful smiles on their faces, while many simultaneously gave us a thumbs up.
Also, a couple of us once talked about keeping that smile on while playing, when one member said something that really touched me and stayed in my head. He said something like:
“Well, think about it. We are Dafa practitioners, we are the luckiest beings in the universe. We should always have a smile on our face!”
Attachment to Pride and Ego
Once, when we had a parade in Berlin, there were 5 bass drummers. Since I had joined the band, there were usually 4 of us. We tried to set up with 5 rows, but because it was quite difficult for the cymbal players, the marching band coordinator said that we would set up with 4 rows, and that one base drum would need to go behind. When I heard that, a thought came to my mind, like: “Oh, I will not go behind, the new base drummer will, I will be in front like always.” At that moment, one base drum player asked me if I could go behind. Since I pursued something because of my attachments, I got the opposite result.
However, I quickly realized that that thought was wrong and rejected it immediately. I looked inside and realized that I still had fundamental attachments of pride, reputation, and ego, as well as selfishness. I saw how selfish I was at that moment, when one new member was playing for the first time, and, instead of thinking that I would go behind and let him be in front so he could learn faster and gain experience, my thought was completely the opposite.
The next day we changed, and I was in front. At the end of the second parade, we were playing and marching towards the bridge where one practitioner was taking a photo. At that moment, the screws became loose on my drum holder, and my drum leaned to one side. I thought: “Oh no, what do I do now? That will not look good for other people as well as in the photos?” Then I played with one hand and tightened the screws with my other hand, trying to do it so that others didn’t notice.
Master said:
“As a matter of fact, when you agonize over infringements upon your reputation, self-interest, and feelings among everyday people, it already indicates that you cannot let go of ordinary human attachments.”
(Essentials For Further Advancement - “True Cultivation”)
I found out that it all happened because I still have strong, fundamental attachments to pride, looks, reputation, fame, ego, and selfishness. And I need to cultivate them away seriously.
A Clear Mind While Playing
There is something that I experienced while playing in a parade in Gothenburg, Sweden. When we began with our workshop the day before the parade, I noticed that we started with a faster tempo than usual. The conductors obviously decided to speed up the tempo for this event. When we started to play, it was good for a period of time, but then, as we got tired, the conductors saw that we were losing tempo, and decided to slow down.
But the thing that I noticed was that when I play at a faster tempo than usual, I need to really focus to be synchronized with the drum major’s mace. But as we slowed down the tempo, I realized that I had become too comfortable at that tempo, and didn't pay as much attention to the mace as I did at a faster tempo. I also saw that the whole band played even slower than the slow tempo. As I was losing focus, I started thinking about various things. Then I heard that our rhythm section was not clear like it’s supposed to be. I asked myself what was happening. Why was that happening? Does this have anything to do with me? Well, indeed it had. But not with my playing part, but inside of me. I didn't have a clear mind while playing, and I wasn't focused enough.
Then at one point, we stopped under some trees in the town. When we started marching again, I started being more focused. At that point, the sound of percussion while playing was all of a sudden so clear and precise that I was amazed.
My understanding was that it was not just a hint for me, but that my unclear mind even resulted in an imprecise sound when playing. As we are one body, each of us needs to have a clear mind while playing so we can have a better effect on each other, and so we can be harmonized. And that will result in a better effect in saving sentient beings.
These are some experiences and insights that I had while playing in the Tian Guo Marching Band. As this is my understanding at my current level, if there is anything inappropriate, please point it out.
Thank you, revered Master!
Thank you, fellow Falun Dafa practitioners. Heshi!
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