NEWARK, N.J.—As people go about their daily lives, many don’t normally think about why we are here on this tiny little planet. Our minds are focused on a variety of concerns like paying the bills, caring for our children, finding a mate, or getting a better job.

But in the grand scheme of things, how important are those worries? Do we ever stop to think about what we’re really supposed to be doing?

“It’s almost like we’re forgetting in modern times what we were really created for,” said Sai Poplai, an independent realtor, after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on April 30.

Mr. Poplai said the underlying message of divinity was eye opening and it caused him to reflect on how far away people have stepped from realizing their true purpose in life.

“Modern times have taken us away to more of a materialistic world as opposed to being part of the spiritualistic,” he said. He realized that one of the reasons God created us was so that we could become more compassionate and tolerant.

Shen Yun uplifts numerous audience members around the world with its universal message of morality and reverence for the divine.

The New York-based classical Chinese dance company is inspired by China’s 5,000-year cultural history and the spiritual discipline called Falun Dafa. Shen Yun’s belief in an ancient spiritual practice based on Buddhist and Taoist principles drives its mission to revive China’s traditional culture.

Heartfelt artistic re-enactments of legends from ancient China and mini dramas from modern day China educate audiences on how the divine culture has been systematically destroyed.

Mr. Poplai, who attended the performance on Saturday with his wife Pratima and daughter Priyanka, said he didn’t know people in China were being persecuted for expressing their opinions. “I never realized that was so intense over there,” he said.

Since 1999, communist China has outlawed Falun Dafa punishing thousands of practitioners with harsh prison sentences and subjecting them to hard labor, torture, and even death. The Chinese Communist Party has extended its horrific abuse outside of China by harassing Shen Yun performers in different cities, and banning the company from performing in China.

But there are numerous other countries that welcome Shen Yun’s universal message of faith, love, compassion, and truth. It’s a message that is awakening and inspiring thousands of people including the Poplai family.

Pratima Poplai said the performance was educational and entertaining and she appreciated learning about China’s true culture. “It exposed us to parts of China we were not exposed to, so we liked that,” she said.

“I think there needs to be a resounding message for all of us to stop, think, and see how far we’ve come from being that human being,” said Mr. Poplai, referring to the world becoming more materialistic.

“It’s [materialism] taking us away from things we’re truly meant to do,” he said, so Shen Yun was “a blessing to watch.”

Reporting by Weiyong Zhu and Arleen Richards

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.