Maintaining Righteous Thoughts with Compassion When Awakening People

(Minghui.org) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner who began the practice in the United States after the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) persecution began in 1999. Shortly after I started my cultivation practice, I devoted myself to opposing the persecution and validating the Fa. Previously, I always felt that the tribulations occurring in mainland China would not happen to me. My cultivation path was to validate the Fa within the peaceful overseas environment, and I even harbored a slight regret about this, feeling I had not truly experienced the most severe trials.

When the Persecution Extended Overseas

Over the past two years, when a flood of propaganda appeared online and in the media, I was momentarily stunned because I mentally hadn’t fully prepared myself. I recognized that the malicious attacks targeting Shen Yun and Falun Dafa media were part of the CCP’s strategy to extend its persecution overseas through Western outlets, and that they must be strongly resisted.

My initial state shifted from being caught off guard, anxious and bewildered, filled with anger and resentment, to eventually calming down and seriously contemplating the following questions:

Who is Master? What is the relationship between cultivators and Master? As a disciple of Falun Dafa, what should I do at this time? After thoroughly contemplating these questions, I arrived at a clear conclusion:

Dafa is the standard of the universe and the foundation for everything. A cultivator’s various behaviors during the process of assimilating to Dafa represent only the individual, not Dafa. The evil exploits loopholes in our cultivation to persecute Dafa and prevent people from being saved. This goes far beyond the scope of personal cultivation; it’s a battle between good and evil.

Upholding Dafa Is Disciples’ Mission No Matter Where We Are

Once I figured out this issue, the principles of the Fa suddenly became crystal clear, and my heart felt at peace. At that moment, I truly experienced the state of immovable diamond-like resolve.

The daily practice of Dafa disciples plays a crucial role at this point. If one superficially studies the Fa, then cultivation is carried out with human notions and attachments without realizing it. Just doing things is not true cultivation. As a result, they will find it difficult to understand the principles of the Fa. Consequently, some Dafa disciples develop doubts about Dafa, fall behind, or even stop cultivating, which is truly regrettable.

At this time, Master’s articles “The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces” and “Critical Times Reveal One’s Spiritual State” were successively released. This further solidified my resolve—in the face of the persecution of Dafa, disciples must step forward to uphold Dafa, enabling the American people to understand the truth of this transnational persecution, dispel the CCP's lies, and save the people of America.

We have already lost precious time and opportunities, yet our compassionate Master continues to extend the final deadline, granting us chances to make amends. I deeply understand how hard-won this extension of time is. Beyond the online truth-clarification efforts already underway, I began contemplating how to step out and effectively convey the truth directly to ordinary people in American society.

Step-up in Various Forms to Clarify Truth

In June of this year, I took a week off from work. Very quickly, I prepared informational materials and display boards. Together with practitioners from my family, we traveled through several major cities in the eastern United States.

Along the way, we shared the truth in public places—such as bustling downtown areas, Ivy League universities, subway stations, and iconic landmarks. Throughout our journey, we encountered many predestined people and received a great deal of positive feedback. My mindset was straightforward: Once I gain an understanding, I will act on it. Validating the Fa is my own responsibility—don’t rely on others, don’t wait.

I have also observed that in recent times, through sharing experiences and mutual encouragement among fellow practitioners, an increasing number of practitioners have clarified their thinking in the face of this transnational persecution by the Chinese Communist Party.

We have come to realize the urgency of the situation and stepped forward to participate in various truth-clarification projects. These include sharing the truth online and on social media platforms, presenting the truth to government officials, distributing truth-clarification materials on the streets, and handing out special publications to businesses.

Helping Church-going People Become Aware of the CCP’s Transnational Suppression

One day, a practitioner in my family suggested that we distribute truth-clarifying materials to churches and seize the opportunity to inform religious figures about the persecution. The United States has 235 million Christians, accounting for 84.5% of the total population. A significant portion of them belong to churches of all sizes scattered across the country.

These individuals, with their religious backgrounds and traditional values, are the ideal audience for sharing the truth face-to-face. They are the mainstream group Master seeks to save and a potential audience for Shen Yun. Now is the very final stage of the Fa-rectification. If we don’t reach out to these people now, when will we?

So every Sunday morning, my family and I would set aside time to visit churches in my area one by one. During the pastor’s breaks, I would approach them and explain how the Chinese Communist Party is using media, social media, and the legal system to persecute religious groups right here in the United States. This directly threatens the very foundation of American religious freedom, ultimately impacting the fundamental freedom of belief and speech for every person in this country.

I explained what Shen Yun is, its mission, and the traditional Chinese culture that existed before the CCP. I described the religious persecution in China, including the targeting of Christianity. Almost every pastor listened attentively. Pastors who had previously served as missionaries in China felt a powerful resonance. We had many conversations. More than one pastor remarked that religious freedom in America faces unprecedented challenges, expressing deep understanding and agreement with the message I conveyed.

It’s essential to note that I was particularly cautious not to convey a strong intention to spread Dafa when clarifying the truth. I wasn’t there to promote Dafa, but to clarify the truth.

Thus, I approached them with an open, respectful, and humble heart. I began with universal values and fundamental human rights to find common ground. This allowed the conversation to unfold naturally, making the entire exchange relaxed and effortless. Humanity possesses a shared inherent goodness, which is particularly evident among religious practitioners. Our goal is to awaken this innate goodness, thereby helping people acknowledge the greatness of Dafa.

Master told us:

“Some people go [to churches] on account of wanting to clarify the truth there, but when spreading the Fa, you shouldn’t specifically make religious groups a target. I, your master, haven’t even done that, because that is something of the next stage. Now is the time when we target all the people of the world—and especially the Chinese—as we clarify the truth.” (“Teachings at the 2005 Conference in San Francisco”)

Inspire People’s Kindness and Support Through Clarifying Truth

Pastors will often ask me if I’m a Christian and share Christian teachings with me. I listen attentively and kindly tell them I practice Falun Dafa, striving to live by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Yet I also emphasize that, although I am not a Christian, I can still feel the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified on the cross and suffered for his followers. Humanity’s righteous faith can help people resist the various temptations of evil in this world.

They are pleased to hear this and gladly accept the special edition detailing Shen Yun’s transnational persecution by the Chinese Communist Party. Some pastors told me they would distribute the special edition to their congregants, or they would let me place copies on tables in the church lobby for people to take. Others assured me they would read it carefully and mention this religious persecution to their congregations, warning them about the CCP’s infiltration in the United States. At one church, the pastor even allowed us to stand at the door after the service and distribute materials directly to the congregants.

After hearing my introduction, a pastor insisted on praying for Falun Dafa practitioners right in front of me, asking God to end the CCP’s persecution swiftly. He prayed earnestly. I saw his kindness in this response, which deeply touched me. At the end of each conversation, I always reminded the pastors to try and attend Shen Yun performances.

They all said they would keep it in mind and recommend it to their congregations. I deeply sense how vast the capacity of Dafa truly is. Only by fully immersing ourselves in the Fa can its affinity fully manifest in the process of saving people—“Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth ushering in spring” (“The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos”, Hong Yin II). Though next year’s Shen Yun is still months away, by sharing the truth about Shen Yun, we are also promoting it in advance.

At the same time, I chose the Shen Yun Special Report as material for sharing the truth in churches because it is a serious investigative report. Its content is detailed and objective, highly credible, and doesn’t come across as ideological propaganda.

It serves as a valuable reference for any religious group in the United States and can fully function as firsthand information for pastors to understand the CCP’s transnational infiltration and religious persecution in America. Pastors, who are typically seminary graduates, generally show a strong interest in topics related to religious persecution and possess a deeper understanding of the situation than the average person.

My family and I have experienced doing truth-clarification at church, and we’ve encountered predestined people everywhere. Not only the pastors, but almost everyone has been friendly to us. Even the church members have looked at us warmly. A few church members gave me a big hug. They felt familiar, as if I’d known them forever.

I’ve seized every opportunity to clarify the truth and introduce Shen Yun to them. Thinking back, it must have been a predestined connection from a previous life. I must have promised to share the good news of Dafa with them in this lifetime. When our desire to save people is strong, our notions, fears, and anxieties are replaced by righteous thoughts and compassion. When our divine nature takes over, Master blesses us to accomplish our mission of saving people.

As Dafa disciples, validating Dafa and clarifying the truth to save people is our mission. All we can do is open a window, allowing them to encounter information about Dafa.

If they are predestined, Master will surely arrange for their salvation in the coming days, perhaps through attending a Shen Yun performance or other opportunities. Those in these religions have spent countless millennia in reincarnations awaiting Dafa’s final salvation and the ultimate return of life. Dafa disciples must not let them down.

This is my understanding at my current level. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.