On the way to the administration office of a park in New York to apply for permission for group exercise at the park, we picked up a copy of an activity announcement that was on the table. We were surprised to find that there were traditional cultural activities in every park in New York City. For example, summer outdoor concerts, opera shows, and other cultural gatherings. The majority of these outdoor activities are free and scheduled at night or on the weekends. It is quiet and cool in the parks on summer evenings, and there are many attendees at the events. We thought this could be a good opportunity to promote the Fa. After a short discussion, we decided to give it a try. There was a series of Shakespearean operas, close to where we live. So we went there that night, bringing with us an introduction bulletin board full of pictures, tens of Falun Dafa brief introduction sheets, and more than a hundred copies of the brochure Stop the Suppression of Falun Gong in China.
The show began at 8 pm, and large numbers of people began arriving after 7 pm. We arrived at 7 pm, and two practitioners started the exercises while one or two others distributed materials. The result was better than expected, and the materials were all gone in less than half an hour. When the opera started, people went inside and so we left. It was not yet 9 pm when we got home so we joined the Fa-study group (we study the Fa together every night). Since it only took about two hours and was very effective and worked well, we shared our experience with the nearby practitioners who all wanted to participate. We drew up a schedule matching people with various time slots. Those of us who worked during the day would go to the park directly after work, while the others would bring the materials to the site. With a little coordination we expected to continue promoting the Fa until the opera series ended, which was in twenty days. During the next several days everything worked very well, and we handed out about four or five hundred flyers each time. We found that the people attending the operas were usually quite educated, and most of them would accept the flyers and show their support. Perhaps people who appreciate traditional culture still possess some cultural essence in their hearts, and were therefore relatively easy to communicate with. Among them there were people with pre-destined relationships. A western lady said that this was what she had always been looking for when she spotted us, and eagerly wanted to attend the next Falun Gong introduction workshop. The second week, she attended our 9-day Falun Gong lectures.
What happened later was also worth thinking about. Teacher says that what we do for the Fa can’t be separated from our own cultivation practice. One day, a policeman in the park told a practitioner that the administration office of the park was concerned about our distributing flyers because there were many people, and we might be disturbing them . But he also said that he knew what we were handing out and they had no objection to our materials. Since there were only a few of us, three or four each day, and no one came to question us directly, we continued to hand out information. A few days later after we had distributed a lot of materials, finished the four sets of exercise, and people attending the opera were going inside the theatre, we were about to leave for home. Seeing the people going inside the theatre, I really wanted to hand out more flyers even though I knew that the park office was making an exception by allowing us to distribute materials. Shortly thereafter, an administrative officer came to find me. She said that we were not allowed to practice and distribute materials there anymore. Her manner was quite stern, and she said that they would do such and such if we didn't stop. I realized my inconsideration, and immediately said that it was my fault. She left without saying anything further.
After that incident, we all thought about what had occurred. We realized that no matter what we are doing, we should not go to the extreme. In many lectures Teacher has taught us this way of thinking and attitude. For example, in Lecture in Eastern United States, a practitioner asked: “Originally the living conditions are quite good, but one intentionally lives in a very modest way, is that an attachment?” Teacher said: “…to the extreme, that is not good. Live normally. Actually modest is not a bad thing, but if anything goes to the extreme, that won’t be good. A practitioner shall not stick to any fixed ideas…” We decided not to insist on being allowed to promote the Fa at the park any further. There were activities and people in other parks and squares, and by all means we could do more in a flexible way.
In the newly published scripture Rationality, again Teacher tells us: “when a practitioner has a strong attachment, his conduct is, strictly speaking, fundamentally a manifestation of his demon-nature and something brought about by emotion; it is not rational…” When we work for Dafa and cultivate with this type of attachment, we could cause damage to Dafa and create a severe barrier in our own cultivation practice, which would be quite opposite from our intention.
It is not easy to do everything strictly according to the Fa. However only by doing so does it show the greatness of the Fa, and that Dafa is the most righteous way. In the scripture Take the Middle Way Teacher says: “When I tell you to change your human understandings, I am not asking you to maintain the human way of understanding Dafa. Yet neither should you be irrational or eccentric. I want you to understand Dafa with a clear mind.” So during all kinds of activities to validate the Fa, we should use the Fa to guide our thinking and actions. “Validate the Fa with reason, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa, and offer people salvation with benevolence.” Practitioners in New York, 8/29/00
Category: April 25 Events
