(Minghui.org) I have always felt uncomfortable speaking to strangers, and only started going out to talk to people about Falun Dafa and the persecution about two months ago.
An elderly practitioner took me with her when she went out to talk to people about Dafa. I sent righteous thoughts and listened carefully as she talked to them. I knew how to begin a conversation and tell people about the persecution after a week, but I was still hesitant about approaching people.
I asked Master to help me eliminate whatever was stopping me. I increased my time spent on Fa study and sending forth righteous thoughts.
Several days later, I went to a park with another practitioner. She began talking to someone, and so did I. With Master help, the person agreed to withdraw from the Young Pioneers, an organization affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The practitioner encouraged me afterwards and told me that I spoke very well.
I still had trouble approaching people, especially in a crowd. I knew that I still had the attachment of fear. I talked with my wife, who is also a practitioner and who is very good at talking to people about the persecution.
I realized that I had not participated in any group Fa study since the persecution began, so my wife encouraged me to attend a nearby Fa study group.
I started going and listened to other practitioners experiences. I noticed the difference between the practitioners who spoke to people face-to-face and myself. Their voices were peaceful and calm when they studied the Fa, while I often read quickly and loudly. I didn't focus on the Fa itself and was more concerned about pronouncing the words correctly. When the other practitioners read, I paid attention to their mistakes so I could correct them.
I did not read the Fa with a pure heart and had the mentality of showing off. I often didn't even know what I had just read. I started to slow down and concentrate on what I was reading.
By increasing the time I studied the Fa, eliminating my attachments, and reading practitioners' experience-sharing articles regarding this issue on Minghui.org, I gained more confidence and was able to talk to people better.
Another practitioner and I go out to talk to people for three hours every afternoon, as I have to work in the mornings. We go to shopping centers, bus stops, train stations, parks, and up and down streets. Our attachments are quickly exposed through talking to people face-to-face, and we always talk about our experiences on the way home.
Before I began talking to people in person, I was only able to help two or three people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations each year. Now I help several people each month. I believe the number will increase as I improve in cultivation.
My Thoughts on Talking to People About Dafa
I believe that it is beneficial for a practitioner who has just started talking to people in person to go out with an experienced practitioner. The practitioner who is new to this can start by sending forth righteous thoughts and listening to the experienced practitioner.
It is also helpful to read experience-sharing articles on the topic first. I found it easier to start with talking to people in quieter places.
We should always follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. If some people have a negative impression of Dafa, we should not argue with them. If someone is not being respectful to Dafa, we can explain what Falun Dafa is, and that it is flourishing around the world.
Practitioners should cooperate well with each other. When one practitioner speaks, the other can send righteous thoughts. When the first practitioner gets stuck for words, the other practitioner can take over. But we should not interrupt each other.
Pay attention to the listener’s reactions and how much he or she can understand or accept. We can choose different topics and approaches depending on the person's education and background.
It is important to arrange our work, Fa study, exercises, and daily lives well. Feeling tired, being too busy, or harboring fear are all interference. Cultivating ourselves well and keeping our thoughts righteous are key in doing this well.
Practitioners in China must pay attention to safety and not stay in one location for too long. For example, we usually spend one day at a shopping center, the next day at a bus station, the next day at a park, and so on.
We may meet people who’ve already heard or read some information about Falun Dafa but who did not know about quitting the CCP. These people usually agree to quit very quickly.
We’ve also met a lot of people who were happy to listen to us, but we did not have a chance to help them quit the CCP. They may decide to quit when they talk to other practitioners.
Talking to people about the persecution face-to-face is not as hard as it sounds. Master has arranged everything. All we need to do is to actually go out and do it. We must believe in Master and the Fa.
These are some of my thoughts. Please point out any shortcomings.
