(2001 New York Conference)

Esteemed Master, and Fellow Practitioners,

My name is Xiuling Zou. I attained the Fa in 1997 and have been cultivating for four years. Now I'd like to report to Master and fellow practitioners my experiences in the Fa-rectification process.

In the past, I just studied the Fa and practiced at home. Only occasionally did I participate in group activities in Boston. Though I was there with the group, I was merely out of my home. I am not prone to talking by nature, and I don't understand English. I blush even before my mouth opens. Since July 1999, Jiang Zemin administration's persecution of Falun Gong has escalated. The traditional way of cultivation is no longer appropriate during the Fa-rectification period. Master Li told us that "If a person has obtained the Fa but isn't able to validate the Fa, does he still deserve to be a Dafa disciple? No matter how he 'persists in studying the Fa and doing the exercises' at home, he is being controlled by demons and is 'enlightening' along an evil path." (quotation from "Serious Teachings" on the Clearwisdom net). I realized that I should come out to do something for Dafa. I told fellow practitioners to let me know when they needed assistance.

To inform more people about the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Jiang Zeming administration, we went to Chinatown to hand out flyers. My husband and I brought newspapers and a poster with pictures of the persecution. I thought if I stood at the intersections where crowds gathered, many people would be able to get the newspapers. After choosing a good location, I stood there, holding the poster with one hand and handing out newspapers with the other. It was just time for the restaurant workers to come to work. My former co-worker came across the street to ask: "Xiuling, what are you doing?" I replied: "Look, this is Zhao Xin, an assistant professor of Beijing Commerce University. She was arrested while she was practicing Falun Gong in a park in Beijing. Her cervical vertebrae were broken. But now the Jiang Zeming administration blocked the news, and exploited newspapers, radio, television, and all other media tools to slander Falun Gong." "It is really terrible. " he said after reading the poster, "How can the government be doing such things? I will read these materials when I get home." Then some of my countrymen and friends also passed by. I handed out newspapers, but some not only refused to take them, but their faces showed they wanted to distance themselves from me. This made me very embarrassed. I felt that I had lost face. The side of demon nature came out, and I thought: "I shouldn't have chosen this place. Had I chosen a place less crowded, I would not have met so many acquaintances." Just then, a fellow practitioner came to tell me: "There are practitioners at all the street corners. Could you please just stay here?" It seemed that I had to stay there handing out newspapers on this day. I began to struggle in my mind. I was afraid of meeting acquaintances, and of being refused by those who didn't understand . At this very moment, Master Li's words came to my ears: "Do not think that others will fail to understand you if you learn Dafa. Think about it: Even man's claim that he has evolved from apes can be highly regarded. Yet even with such a great Dafa of the universe, you are embarrassed to give it a correct position--this is man's true shame." (Environment) I am a Falun Gong cultivator. I came out to let more people understand the truth of Falun Gong, to assist Master with his journey in the world. Such a great deed, how can I hide, fearing this and that? Having balanced this relationship, my mind calmed down. I was able to naturally hand out newspapers, and clarify the truth to people.

About an hour later, five or six people came and surrounded us. One of them, about sixty-years old, pointed to my nose and began to shout in Cantonese. My husband told him, "She does not understand it." But the old man said: "That is fine. I will say it in Mandarin Chinese." He shouted: "You are a traitor to the country. You did not come to say anything when China did not have enough food. Now China is so good, you are doing this to destroy the government's image...." Just then, a friend who used to work in the same restaurant with me came across, asking: "What's happening? Why is he cursing you so madly?" My sad mind got heavier and my face turned red all over, thinking my face had been lost completely. But I replied to my friend: "No problem, please take a newspaper to read and learn the truth of Falun Gong." After a while, my mind gradually calmed down. Master's words came to my mind: "What is a mind of great forbearance? As a practitioner, you should first of all not fight back when someone beats you up, nor should you talk back when someone swears at you. You must be tolerant. Otherwise, what kind of practitioner will you be? Someone says, 'While walking on a street, if someone kicks me and no one around knows me, I will be able to put up with it.' I say that this is not enough. Perhaps in the future you may be slapped in the face twice and you will lose face before someone you do not want to see most. It will show how you will deal with this issue and whether you can put up with it. It is also not good enough that though you can tolerate it, it is still on your mind. " (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Nine) I came to realize that the process of coming out to hand out newspapers is also the process of walking out of the human level. We will not be able to break through the barrier if we put too much emphasis on human sentiments and our own pride. Cultivation is my own thing; I should be responsible for myself. Falun Dafa is the truth of the universe. I should let more people know about it. My promotion of Dafa should not be affected by my fear of unfair treatment. Through this event, I dropped my mentality of fear. Now, I often go to hand out newspapers and other materials in Chinatown.

Since Master published the new article Rationality, I have been wondering how I could "validate Dafa with reason, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and offer people salvation with benevolence." I came to realize the importance of promoting Dafa and clarifying the truth of Falun Gong to ordinary people, especially since many Chinese people here have heard Chinese government propaganda through Chinese official TV. Their heads are stuffed with the stylized single point of view preaching of the Chinese government. How can we help the Chinese in the United States learn the truth of Falun Gong? I heard practitioners from Canada share their experience. When they practiced in parks, they used banners to attract people's attention and used posters with photos to expose evils while handing out newspapers and other factual materials. The result was very good. I thought if we could establish a weekend practice site in Chinatown, this would have strong positive effects for our clarifying the truth and promoting Dafa. I shared my idea with my husband. We prepared the banners, posters and newspapers, etc. With the help of other practitioners, banners were done in no time. But we simply had no idea how to make the posters. We do not know anything about computers. How can we make posters with the information in the computer? When we have a heart to do it, Master will help us. It so happened that a practitioner came to our home. Learning of our difficulties, without hesitation he helped us print the words and photos from the computer. A practitioner from Canada also helped us by sending PDF files of the photos. Soon the posters were ready. In the past, the Chinese newspaper that we handed out in Chinatown was mainly Qingliu (Pure Flow) Issue One. After some time, people told us that they had already read the newspaper we were handing out, and asked for new ones. We then tried to find out where we could get the new issues. In the end, we were told that we could buy the second issue in another state. We did not know the location nor did we know the people there. With great difficulty, somehow we managed to find the factory manager and get the newspaper. How happy we were! It so happened that the person in charge of the Pure Flow newspaper came on business to the printing factory. The manager kindly introduced us to him. And so we established the contact with the Pure Flow newspaper, which made it easier for Chinese readers in the Boston area to read Pure Flow in the future. We are now handing out the fifth issue of Pure Flow.

As the Chinese saying goes "everything is ready, we are just waiting for the eastern wind." To practice in a park or public area with posters, we needed government approval. We had to apply for a permit. But I do not know English. Fearing communication with Americans, I contacted a fellow practitioner for help. Since fellow practitioners were all busy, I felt shy about asking again and again. Even though I felt the urgency in my mind, I still waited patiently. Three months passed, and still no information. My husband asked me: "What about the permit? When are we going to get it? Do you not dare to go to the City Hall and ask about it?" I felt both the unfairness and my inability. Waiting is not the way to go. No matter what the result, I was determined to try. I could ask if I did not understand. I could show them the newspaper if I could not communicate well. I wanted to tell them that I wished to apply for a permit to let more people know that Falun Gong is a good cultivation way; to let more people know that the Jiang Zeming administration is persecuting Falun Gong practitioners; to let more people demand that the Chinese government respect human rights and the freedom of belief. I carried the newspapers and went to several departments. Since I had a language barrier, I spoke slowly, and showed them the newspapers. In the end, I learned that I should go to apply for the permit at the Parks and Recreation Department. But this department was not in City Hall, so I asked the officer to write down the address and telephone number for me. When I applied for the permit, I asked a fellow practitioner who speaks English to come with me. With no difficulty we got the permit for January. When I applied for the permit for February, the government official granted it and then gave me a permit application form, saying that it would be convenient for next time. With the application form, I could ask people to fill it in for me and I only needed to bring the filled out one. I felt very happy about it. Recently I went to apply for the permit for March. The officer there told me: Falun Dafa exercises are very good. Now it is getting warm. Many people will come to watch. Let's do it this way. Tomorrow we are going to have a meeting. At the meeting I will suggest giving you a permit for two months so that you do not have to come for a permit each month. I was really moved. I am a housewife, with very little education and a terrible language barrier. What virtue and capability do I have that so many kind-hearted people would help me and support me? It is Dafa that has shaken people's hearts! It is compassionate Master who has secretly helped me. As my heart was set right, I had been able to break through each and every difficulty and barrier.

At the Great Lakes Conference in North America, Master Li said: "...those people and beings who have in their minds 'the Dafa of the cosmos isn't good' will be the first eliminated. It's because they're worse than the worst beings in the cosmos, for what they're against is the Fa of the cosmos. So when we're clarifying the truth, we're eliminating some people's evil thoughts towards Dafa. Haven't we saved them at least when it comes to this?" Chinatown is a place with a dense Chinese population and a place mostly affected by the Chinese government. When our exercise music was first played at the Chinatown weekend practice site, many people came to watch us practicing and to look at the pictures on the posters. About 1,000 newspapers were handed out that weekend. Many people said: "You just practice Falun Gong this way? Quiet and peaceful, what's wrong with it? Why doesn't the Chinese government allow you to practice it?" Talking with Falun Gong practitioners, they got a new understanding about Falun Gong. The notions in their minds changed. The effect was quite good. Other practitioners came to praise me. Seeing the result of my efforts of the past several months, I felt very happy in my mind. I became zealous. I thought this activity was very important and thus hoped that more practitioners could join us, especially Western practitioners. Then for some reason in the next two weeks not many people came to look at the posters. We also found it difficult to hand out newspapers. Some people saw that I stood there handing out newspapers, and would avoid me from far away. Others would quickly refuse me with an "I don't want it." It seemed as though I was giving them something dangerous. I felt sad in my mind. Fellow practitioners busy with other activities also seldom came to support us. I thought since nobody was around now, we could pack things up and go home early one day. My husband felt unhappy about it, and asked me: "What on earth are you doing? Any problem?" His words woke me up. Look inward. The purpose to set up a practice site in Chinatown is to clarify the truth, eliminate the evils, and call for support from all kind-hearted people. At the same time, we could help more people learn about Falun Gong, and then more people will obtain the Fa. Other practitioners' praise should be taken as encouragement to do even better, but instead, I developed an attitude of zealotry. Such zealotry could easily be exploited by the evil, and I would not accomplish what I had intended by coming to practice in Chinatown. My understanding should be based on the Fa. Dafa does not offer fame, profit, nor does it offer high-ranking positions. It only teaches cultivation. It does not matter how many people come. Even if only one person came, it would still be worth the effort to clarify the truth to him and change his mind. We would not have done it in vain. It was my fault for not studying the Fa well, that caused difficulties in our work. After I found my problems and improved my understanding, the situation was not the same for me the next weekend as I handed out newspapers. Because I had righteous thoughts, the results were different. For the first time, a journalist from The World Journal visited and took pictures of our practice site. Together with other practitioners, we told Chinese as well as Westerners that Falun Gong cultivates the mind nature according to the cosmic characteristics: "Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance." It teaches us to be good persons, better persons. However, to maintain his absolute control, Jiang Zeming devotes his all efforts persecuting Falun Gong so as to shift the world's attention away from China's political and economic crises. Under such a brutal persecution, millions of kind people are suffering. Many of them have been arrested, detained, severely beaten, illegally sentenced, forced into mental hospitals, or even tortured to death. Upon hearing this, two American college students asked me what they could do to support Falun Gong? I told them the best way to support us is to tell the truth to the world's people! They then signed a petition for the Chinese government to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. The process of spreading Dafa to ordinary people has not only changed their viewpoints about Falun Gong, but also made me even more determined about cultivation. It has also improved my understanding of the Fa.

The self-immolation incident in Tiananmen Square stirred up the world media. It also has been a hot-discussing topic for the people in the world. One day, a Chinese man said to me: "I used to be very sympathetic toward Falun Gong. I thought the practice was just about healing and keeping fit. Since the self-immolation incident in Tiananmen Square, I am afraid of it. Practicing Falun Gong can lead to insanity, and to people even immolating themselves in order to reach consummation." I told him: "Falun Gong practitioners are absolutely forbidden to kill." He said: "I do not believe it. The Chinese government has already reported it." I showed him the ten suspicious points in the report, and said: "You are standing in the middle ground. You should also listen to what Falun Gong practitioners have to say about their understanding of killing. In Lecture Seven of the book Zhuan Falun, Master Li clearly told us on the issue of killing: 'The issue of killing is very sensitive. For practitioners, we have set strict requirements that they cannot kill lives.' Committing suicide is also a kind of killing lives. I think genuine practitioners will not kill lives or commit suicide, because cultivation is serious. One's main consciousness must know clearly what one is doing. If one is not acting in accordance with the Fa, he cannot be regarded as Falun Dafa disciple." After talking with him for a while, he asked again: "You practitioners say that hitting another person would give De, virtue to the other person, but virtue cannot be seen. Is it really true?" I replied: "I believe what Master Li says about the relationship between karma and virtue. When you are hit, you feel injustice towards you. The principle of the universe is fair. Therefore you will be awarded with virtue." In the end, he said to me: "What you said warmed my heart. I would also like to read Zhuan Falun. Thank you!" From the bottom of my heart, I felt happy for him. Another predestined man established a relationship with Dafa. As long as we keep a righteous mind, dissolve ourselves into the Fa, eliminate evils and offer salvation to people in the Fa rectification process, we will be able to reach the realm where "the Buddha light shines everywhere; propriety and morality are perfected and illuminated."