(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, practitioners participated in truth clarification activities during the Opera Festival in Germany. Below are some of their experiences to share with fellow practitioners.
For those who refuse to sign the anti-persecution petition, we generally ask, "If you have time, could I please ask you why you say no?" This person would say, "I don't want to get involved in politics" or "I don't want to talk about politics at the Opera Festival." Some others say, "I don't know too much about it so I don't want to sign." There were still others who said, "I don't speak German" or "I don't live here."
So after this answer, there would be a starting point for clarifying the truth. For example, if the international media had been strongly protesting the persecution in China for the past three years, the persecution against Falun Gong would not have spread into Hong Kong and Germany. Also, we can ask them to look at the torture pictures in the pamphlets and tell them that the dictator did this. They would then be able to understand us better. Many German people also believe in karmic retribution.
For people who think it's none of their business and do not wish to leave their address in a public setting, we also tell them, "There are many ways to support justice. You can write a letter to the prime minister of Germany and ask him to help end the persecution." Many people could relate to this course of action. Therefore, it's very important to spend some more time to thoroughly clarify the truth. They might not sign the petition, but it will leave a deep impression in their minds: Falun Gong practitioners are not like what the evil propaganda says.
For people who think Falun Gong is none of their business, we use the famous quote by Martin Niemoeller [a German pastor Martin Niemoeller said these thought-provoking words, "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me"], and we tell them, "People in China risk jail terms if they walk in the street and speak out for Falun Gong. Therefore the voice from the international community is very important. If we all keep silent in the face of the evil persecution, then the dictator will act even more ruthlessly."
Above are ways to pave the way for thorough truth clarification. We are not merely collecting signatures -- we are saving people and helping to create Germany's future. In the article titled "To Fellow Practitioners" published on Clearwisdom, it states, "The fundamental purpose of Fa rectification is to save people and allow people to develop righteous thoughts regarding Dafa."
In Zhuan Falun, Master talked about a small matchstick and using the matchstick to pull out teeth. We have been constantly looking for the "matchstick" that saves Germany. I have realized that it is powerful righteous thoughts.
We must study the Fa everyday before clarifying the truth. We can't clarify the truth well if we don't study the Fa well. In order to answer many non-practitioners' questions, we must use the wisdom we have obtained from the Fa. Master has given us answers in the Fa. Studying the Fa can strengthen our confidence and purify our minds, helping us do truth clarification better. The purer our minds are, the more moving our message will be.
Secondly, Master said in "Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference", "Wherever there's a problem, that is where you need to clarify the truth and save people. Don't take a detour when you run into difficulties. When you see something that does us harm, or when you see something blocking our validating the Fa, don't take a detour-you should face it, and clarify the truth and save those beings. This is the compassion (cibei) of a Dafa disciple, and it's our saving lives." So when people reject the petition or refuse to sign, I will try to ask him why he refuses with compassion, and continue to clarify the truth to him. Some people were truly moved by Dafa practitioners' sincerity and persistence, and they took the petition and signed their names.
August 23, 2002
