(Minghui.org) After reading a recent Minghui sharing article, a few of our local practitioners realized that we are attached to seeing quick results when we clarify the truth, just as the article talked about.
More and more practitioners have stepped forward to talk to non-practitioners about Falun Dafa in recent years. However, many are out for quick results and talk at too high a level. By doing that, we create more misunderstandings about Dafa instead of helping these people.
Scrutinizing the Truth Clarification Process
For example, I recently heard quite a few practitioners talking about a practitioner who was "doing a great job of clarifying the facts." They thought that because she had helped many people quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that she had also helped them to understand the practice. I don't agree.
Others commented that this practitioner did not clarify the facts clearly. She simply said a few words such as “quitting the Party to be safe” and suggested a nickname for the person to quit the Party without even finding out what organizations the person had joined. As long as the person was appreciative, she thought that she had achieved her goal.
I was given a list of people this practitioner had helped quit the Party and asked to make an announcement for them on the Epoch Times website. Before doing so, I asked the others how she had approached these people.
I was told that she shares her own experience of getting rid of illnesses through practicing Dafa, then clarifies the facts about the Tiananmen Square self-immolation hoax. She goes on to explain how Falun Dafa guides us to become better people, and concludes by explaining why it is important to quit the Party.
However, if the person still doesn't show any willingness to quit the Party at this point, she will say something like, “The earth will be replaced next year and there isn't enough time. If you don't quit now, you will remain here and explode with the earth.”
Hearing this, some people right away agreed to quit. She can get quite a few names this way in a short time. Seeing this, many veteran practitioners followed suit and started to clarify the facts like this.
Misinterpretation of Master's Words
This practitioner's reasoning for “the earth will be replaced” is her own understanding of what Master said in Zhuan Falun, “that humankind has undergone complete annihilation eighty-one times.” The book reads,
“I made a careful investigation once and found that humankind has undergone complete annihilation eighty-one times. With a little remaining from the previous civilization, only a small number of people would survive and enter the next period, again living a primitive life.” (Zhuan Falun)
Master meant humankind has gone through annihilation eighty-one times, not that the earth has been destroyed that many times. Humankind being wiped out doesn't mean the destruction of the earth. The last time human civilization was destroyed was around the time of Noah's ark, and that was only a big flood, not the entire earth being destroyed. Master has also said, “I can tell you that the period of each Earth has lasted 100 million years...” (“Touring North America to Teach the Fa”)
Unsure How to Proceed
I don't know how I feel about the list of names that was given to me—even though these people agreed to quit the Party. Come next year, if nothing happens, how will they feel and what will they say about Dafa? What do we do then?
The Communist regime has been searching for reasons to slander Falun Dafa. Won't this give them a reason?
Master has told us not to explain the facts on too high a level, as doing so could cause very serious problems.
Creating a Bad Impression of Dafa
I made such a mistake before and the outcome was not good. I obtained the Fa in 2012 and, at that time, my understanding of the Fa was not as deep. However, I was very eager to clarify the facts about the practice.
I started with a small circle of friends and classmates. I gave them various Falun Dafa materials and explained everything that I felt they should know. I also added some of my own understanding and what I had enlightened to, wanting to show them that higher beings do exist.
This was right before December 2012, the time that many Western prophets had predicted the end of the world. I begged my friends to quit the Party and told them that, if they didn't, they would not make it past the predicted date. They all quit, although one was very reluctant.
I was really happy at the time, thinking that I had done really well for a new practitioner. I had actually just started practicing and had not finished reading all of Master's Fa teachings. I learned later from other practitioners that Master had long since explained that the predicted date was not accurate anymore.
On the predicted date marking the end of the world, the friend who had quit the Party reluctantly called me. He laughed at me and said really negative things about Dafa.
Although I later explained the facts again to everyone who was involved, clarified the issue, and admitted my mistakes, a few still use this incident to slander Falun Dafa and make me out as a fool. This has left bad impression and prevented them from truly being saved. This was a serious lesson for me.
Learning from Others' Mistakes
I share the above in the hope that fellow practitioners will not make similar mistakes. Don't push sentient beings away just because you're eager for quick results. You could be committing a big mistake. How do we recover from such losses?
I hope that all practitioners will explain the facts clearly and truthfully; do not exaggerate or make up things just to have a few more names under your belt.
Veteran practitioners, please take this to heart—otherwise the evil might exploit our gaps and the Communist regime could use this to slander Falun Gong.
As a new practitioner, my level is limited. I sincerely ask fellow practitioners to kindly point out anything inappropriate.
