(Minghui.org) Once, I was chatting with a coworker when I discovered that he had a negative impression of Falun Gong. He didn’t know the truth of the self-immolation incident at Tiananmen. More importantly, he couldn’t understand the behaviors of some practitioners and found them repugnant.
I was saddened because I knew that fellow practitioners have put in so much hard work clarifying the truth, only to be criticized unfairly. But it reminded me of an article on Minghui that talked about the irrational behavior of some practitioners when they talk to people about Dafa.
For example, they would talk too much about high-level understandings, or raise their voices and argue with people. Also, they would write on currency bills and create informative posters that were messy and illegible.
I can understand that some practitioners might be very eager to get the truth out, but if we cause people’s antipathy toward Falun Gong in the process, that would be a greater loss.
There might be something that these practitioners are overlooking in the process of clarifying the truth. Master says in Essentials for Further Advancements,
“Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy” -- “Rationality”
“Under the persecution, we should help the people of the world see the truth of the situation and help more people obtain the Fa, saving the world’s people.” -- “A Congratulatory Message”
“So in clarifying the truth, don’t wait, don’t rely on others, and don’t just hope for changes in external factors.” -- “To All Students at the Nordic Fa Conference”
“Clarify the truth thoroughly, eliminate the evil with righteous thoughts, save all beings, and safeguard the Fa with determination” -- “Dafa is Indestructible”
Master repeatedly mentions that the truth must be explained, but when we're out there, have we actually done that? Dafa practitioners must be cautious and think things through before doing anything. Especially when assisting Master rectifying the Fa, we have to give our best.
Besides studying the Fa well and keeping righteous thoughts, we cannot argue with people when we explain the facts to them. We must be rational and calm instead of resorting to raising our voices. We should first figure out how much the person understands the truth through casual conversation. From his starting perspective, we can then build upon that to guide him through the whole truth.
We want the person to keep asking questions. This way, we will have the opportunity to dispel the misconceptions in his mind. For those who irrationally reject us, we need to stop and look within for our own human notions. We can then tell them that we hope another opportunity would come so that they can further understand the truth. We should never let our improper behavior prevent us from saving people.
Let’s work on how we clarify the truth so that people can develop the respect and reverence that Falun Dafa deserves.
