(Minghui.org) We clarify the truth about Falun Dafa at a tourist site in the downtown area of our city. People from all walks of life go there. We make sure that we put on appropriate clothing, such as the yellow Dafa vests, and behave respectably. Thanks to the efforts of fellow practitioners during the past years, the practitioners have become known to the local business owners and vendors. These people have heard about Falun Dafa given our efforts. I once delivered some Dafa informational brochures to the owner of a gym. She immediately recognized that this was about those who “wear the yellow vests.”
It is important for us to be composed when we are doing the exercises, although it is a busy place with a lot of traffic, and there are also street performances. With Master Li's (the founder) strengthening, we are not affected by the hustle and bustle of the environment. Although I could still hear them, they seemed so far away and have nothing to do with us.
Master said,
“Holding the Wheels with arms roundedI stand towering between heaven'n earthLooking down at the human worldPlanet Earth like a tiny pelletThe Three Realms under my feetThe World's people in dust” (“Holding the Wheel”, Hong Yin III)
I felt as if I was gigantic and bigger than the area where we were standing, or even larger than earth.
A security guard once joined us when we were doing the second set of exercises. Another time, on a hot summer day, when one of us was doing the meditation exercise, one fellow came over and asked me, “How long can the lady sit like that? How can I learn the exercises?” I let him know that he could learn from us, and that the longer one can sit like that the better. He told me, “I don't normally walk this way, but I did today. I guess it was for me to see you guys.”
There are many more such stories. People saw us, picked up a brochure, and some wanted to learn more about Dafa. Seeds have been planted in their hearts.
Practitioner A has been coming here to clarify the truth about Dafa for years. She told me that she saw a double rainbow not too long ago. She had many amazing stories to tell. Passersby smile at her. Maybe they had taken a brochure from her in the past. Once, a lady said to her, “You are still here after so many years!” We said to Practitioner A, “Master is encouraging you. You must persist no matter how hard it is!”
Eliminating the Old Forces' Interference
It takes more compassion, courage and wisdom to clarify the truth to Chinese tourists than to those of other nationalities.
One day I was talking to an older Chinese man in the park. He asked me many questions. After I answered his questions, I was going to help him quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Then he dropped his thermos, and it broke. He was upset. I helped him pick up the pieces. He brushed me off. I realized that something was interfering with what I was doing. He was so close to understanding the truth.
At another time, I was playing an audiotape for a group of tourists while holding a display board with my right hand. Then the tour guide came over, and berated me. I just ignored him, and continued with what I was doing. Then he threatened to take my photo, and report me to the police in China. When he was about to shoot the photo, I blocked it with the display board. He pushed it away, and I covered his camera lens. Then he got physical. By then our interactions had attracted many people's attention including the tourists. At the suggestion of a girl near me, I walked away to avoid escalating the incident.
I reflected on what happened. I know that it happened so the tourists could not hear the truth.
I realized in addition to sending righteous thoughts, I must improve my xinxing. What attachments did I have that needed to be removed? When he spoke ill of me, I was able to keep my cool. But, when he was about to take my photo, I felt fear. I wanted to take out my cell phone to take his photo, but couldn't find it in my pocket. I think that my competitiveness had been provoked. Fear and competitiveness are the two attachments we have to eliminate before talking to tourists. Although I had been making a point to remove them, they were still there.
I realize that the effectiveness of our truth-clarification efforts depends on how well we have cultivated, and how many attachments we have eliminated. Master said, “Your energy will only be as great as your character. ” (The Third Talk, Zhuan Falun).
When we are on the front line clarifying the truth to tourists, our attachments and shortcomings are easily exposed. We must constantly eliminate them so we can continue with our mission.
On that day I did very well in clarifying the truth, as 12 people agreed to quit the CCP. When I submitted their names to the website, I was filled with many emotions, as the sentient beings were saved due to the tremendous efforts on the part of Dafa practitioners.
Master said,
“I have come to save people (disciples applaud), and you all know that I am enduring things on behalf of sentient beings so that they may gain salvation. I seek nothing personally from this. I can forsake everything, and I have no human attachments.” (Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference)
What I had been through was nothing compared to what Master had suffered for us. Only with godly compassion, can we devote all we have to saving people.
Eliminating the Fear Substance
I held fear and hesitation before I went out to clarify the truth. I was worried that I would not be safe, I would not do a good job, that I would be verbally abused, and my personal gain would be at risk. How could I eliminate my fear?
First, we need to identify our fears and confront them. What is it that we are afraid of? We will then try to find solutions. We must understand that the substance of fear is not part of us. I know from my cultivation experience that it is indeed a substance. When we hold fear, that is when the substance surfaces. The substance has been accumulating for years, life after life, and is well-hidden. When the substance surfaces, it is a good opportunity to get rid of it. We must constantly reject and remove it.
I realize that all my fear is based on self. It is all about me. I was afraid that I would be verbally abused, that I would lose face, or I would be hurt. If my first thought was about others, and if I looked at things from the perspective of others, e.g. they needed to hear the truth as they were in danger, I would not be thinking about my own fear. As I eliminated my fear layer by layer, my true self emerged. I was able to think rationally, guided by the Fa, and to think from the perspective of others. For example, if I was afraid that I would not speak well, I needed to study more and get familiar with the truth-clarification materials. If I don't know how to start a conversation, I should think about what might be interesting to them, and what might be easy for them to understand, instead of focusing on what I want to say.
As I dug further, I realized that I held the fear of being persecuted. I have read many horrible persecution stories on the Minghui website. Sometimes I was seized by fear, and did not even want to read them. Persecution is rampant, even outside of China. The old forces interfere with our truth-clarification efforts, our daily life, our health, our network, and our community. They look for loopholes and try to take advantage of us. We should remember that no matter what we lack in cultivation, it is not for them to make arrangements for us.
The persecution of Falun Dafa in China, and the torture and anguish that practitioners are suffering are all arranged by the old forces.
Master said,
“... no one intends for your cultivation to be a success and no one is giving thought to how your cultivation goes. The old forces want only to complete what they want to see completed, and that’s it.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference ”)
Their intention was selfish. Although they are high-level beings, in the face of Fa-rectification, their first thought is always a selfish thought. They are only concerned with what they are attached to, not what is good for the future of beings at various levels.
As Dafa practitioners, we must be clear about this, and completely disregard the old forces' arrangements. Also, do not be afraid of the persecution and the old forces because Dafa practitioners are created for Dafa.
In addition to sending righteous thoughts for an extended period of time, we also need to be selfless. We must look at all cultivation issues from the Fa-rectification's point of view.
Strengthening Willpower
This summer, a big event was arranged to happen in Kostroma on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, I woke up with a bad sore throat. I felt sick and dizzy. I was going for all-day activities. We would be performing and needed to be in good shape. But, I was very sick and could not even smile. Yet, I went and stayed for the entire event.
On the train home, a lady sitting next to me told me, “I saw those in yellow outfits in downtown, and the dragon dance. It was very well done.” I could tell that she understood the truth. I was very happy hearing that. Master was so compassionate. He arranged for the lady to sit next to me to encourage me.
When I got home in the morning, I felt the pain again and had a fever. I fell onto the couch. After a while, I got up and turned on Master's lectures. I started to feel better, but still ran a fever. That night, I felt even worse, and had a bad cough. I started to recite Lunyu. My cough stopped. But then I couldn't remember the second paragraph of Lunyu. My cough started again, and I recited Lunyu. My cough stopped again. My husband woke up from my coughs, and I had to ask him to tell me the first line of the second paragraph of Lunyu. I fell asleep, as I recited Lunyu.
On the second day, I was still very weak. I listened to Master's lectures, and finished translating an article. I continued to cough, although my temperature was lower. On the third day, my sore throat still remained. But, I decided to go to the site to clarify the truth. Even though I could not speak, I stood there to do the exercises. I tried to suppress the cough throughout the day. I could feel Master's strengthening. By the end of the day, I felt that I had passed the test.
Throughout the process, I sent righteous thoughts for an extended period of time to clear out the interference, every hour or every half hour during a 24-hour period. Looking back, if I had let my condition be, it would have taken me much longer to get better, and I would have wasted much precious time.
Likewise, we cannot treat troubles in any other environment such as physical discomfort, family issues, work problems, as personal cultivation issues. We must see them from the perspective of Fa-rectification.
In addition to fear, we must remove our attachments to win arguments with others. Many Chinese, poisoned by the media misunderstood us, gave us dirty looks, verbally and physically abused us, or simply ignored us. We should take it in a stride. I feel that when we want to win an argument, they can feel it right away. But, if we are kind and tolerant, they can feel our kindness. We are validating Dafa.
Due to our efforts, many tour guides quit the CCP organizations and have come to understand the truth. Once, I was doing the exercises with my husband in the park, while playing a podcast about the truth of Falun Dafa. My husband told me later that a tour guide told his group to meet in front of where we were, so everyone would be able to hear the podcast. There was a time when the tourists were shocked and angry at seeing our presence, and they confronted the tour guide. The guide told him, “This is allowed here.” The person no longer said anything.
We are in a very beautiful park with a lake behind us. It was a perfect setting for doing the exercises. Many Chinese people ended up joining us. Once, I was doing the second exercise “holding the wheel.” A girl stopped in front of me, and when I opened my eyes I saw her watching me intensely. I thought she may have some complaints, but then she asked, "How long will you be in this position?' I realized that she was interested in the exercises. So I explained, “There are four different positions and each will last for seven minutes.” In fact, many Chinese have come to understand that Falun Dafa is very good and is being persecuted by the communist regime. People do not show their approval of Falun Dafa, given their fear of the CCP. Many people gave us a thumbs-up while watching us doing the exercises.
Clarifying the Truth Where it Is Needed
We still need to clarify the truth to the management of the park as they don't seem to understand us, despite various efforts on our part. They refuse to listen as soon as we mention Falun Dafa. One manager had heard from her predecessor about us and became very biased. She blocked us from meeting with senior management. We still have a lot more to do to clarify the truth. We have experienced much interference. People have verbally abused us, sneered at us, or threatened to call the police on us. Drunkards may come by as well. These are examples of the evil interfering with what we do.
Because Dafa disciples came from the higher level of the old cosmos, we not only must eliminate our human attachments, but also the shortcomings of being part of the old cosmos. We should assimilate to Dafa to reach the standard of the new universe.
As we constantly break through the thinking arranged for us by the old forces and align our thoughts with the requirements of Dafa, we are assimilating with Dafa and entering the new cosmos.
Master said,
“Cultivation is about people’s minds, about changing their ways of thinking. However pure your thoughts are, that is your Attainment Status.” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Zhengzhou”, Zhuan Falun Fajie)
