(Clearwisdom.net)
Making the Trip to New York
In the first week of August, practitioners from my area arrived in Manhattan one after another and participated in the important truth-clarification activities there. Practitioners from my area live far apart and are very busy so it is difficult for us to keep in touch. This experience was a very good chance for us to become one body. We kept in contact with each other, planned carefully, divided into several smaller groups and drove to New York City.
In the following three days of clarifying the truth in Manhattan, some of the practitioners participated in the anti-torture exhibitions, some passed out flyers on the streets and some went to the markets and other gatherings to clarify the truth about the practice and the persecution of Falun Gong.
An elderly couple in their 70's stood on the streets every day. The husband couldn't stand too long so he would take a break by sitting on a small stool. His wife carried a "sandwich board." On the front of the board was information about the practice of Falun Gong, and on the back was information exposing the persecution and torture taking place in China. The display was very eye-catching. The couple would give out flyers at the same time. They said that there are only 52 weeks in a year and we don't have much time. We have to utilize every opportunity to clarify the truth.
In our group is a 60-something-year-old practitioner from Israel. She carried a 2-pocket shoulder bag. She had all kinds of materials in the bag, from truth-clarification materials to sitting mats, as well as a small MP3 player that plays Falun Gong music. She left her house at 9 a.m. every day, and returned to her home around 7 to 8 p.m. Yet she was always energetic when she clarified the truth and always had a smile on her face. She would compassionately talk to anyone who passed by that showed an interest.
This practitioner said that when she clarifies the truth, she doesn't care who they are or what background people have, she talks to them with her heart. She sincerely looks into their eyes and tells them what Falun Gong is, and that a group of innocent people are being persecuted in China.
Taking Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts Seriously
In the first few days of my trip, some practitioners felt tired like they never had before. When we think back, we can see that it was because we didn't take sending forth righteous thoughts seriously enough.
There are many pedestrians in New York and they walk fast. They looked indifferent and they ignored our presence. This is only the reflection in this dimension. In the other dimensions the evil had gathered in New York and controlled ordinary people. Therefore, we need to send forth righteous thoughts seriously and eliminate the evil in other dimensions. When the other dimensions are cleansed, then people will awaken.
We went to two different anti-torture exhibitions, and further experienced the importance of having righteous thoughts. The first anti-torture exhibition was close to the edge of a park. It's a popular park for many joggers and people looking for a place to relax. The practitioners were very focused on exposing the persecution and clarifying the truth, but many passers-by seemed numb. The practitioners meditating were very sleepy as well, and were swaying left and right.
In the other anti-torture exhibition, we noticed a difference. The person in charge reminded everyone to send forth righteous thoughts every hour. The practitioners practicing the exercises would stop and sit down to send forth righteous thoughts on the hour. Some practitioners would send forth righteous thoughts in their minds while continuing other activities. This location is in a crowded and mixed area. There were a lot of drunken people and some with unclear consciousness came over and made distracting noises. Regardless, the practitioners focused on sending forth righteous thoughts and the truth-clarification was very effective. There were crowds of people looking at the exhibit boards. It was almost overwhelming talking to everyone at once. The practitioners' meditation postures were very accurate. Many people were drawn to watch.
What we do is different from what ordinary people do. Studying the Fa (1), sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth are all things we cannot neglect. Especially during this last period of eliminating the evil, we have to place great emphasis on sending forth righteous thoughts, on clarifying the truth and bringing salvation to sentient beings.
(1) Fa: Law and principles; the teachings of Falun Dafa.