(Clearwisdom.net) An earlier article entitled "How to Clarify the Truth to Westerners More Effectively" was very detailed and practical. The article discussed real issues that we encounter when clarifying the truth to Westerners. I want to discuss more on this topic.
New York City is divided into five boroughs, including Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Manhattan is not the largest but is densely populated. Each street and avenue has its unique style. Some streets are residential areas and others are business districts. Some areas are mainly occupied by professionals or locals, and certain areas are populated by tourists and travelers. A few areas are upscale while some others are not. Many professionals live in the different areas; for example, some districts have many media workers living in the same areas while some other districts have many financial workers; some people in the clothing industry or the arts live in one area.
Many people enjoy the busy nightlife in New York, while some other people work in New York but live in a quiet environment like New Jersey, aptly named the Garden State. In short, people that live in the different areas have different social backgrounds, financial resources, educational levels and worldviews. We can find more detailed information online or ask some locals. We should be able to find out what we need instead of waiting or relying on others, and we should actively share our information with fellow practitioners to help each other out.
At the same time, practitioners who came to New York to clarify the truth include those from the surrounding areas or more remote places. All of us have to make great efforts each day, financially, mentally and physically. Truth clarification is difficult work and we are pressed for time. What we have done in the past few weeks is far from enough.
Then how can we maximally eliminate the evil and offer salvation to people with every single person we talk to, with every single exhibition board, every single flyer, every single penny we spend on truth clarification materials and every single minute of our time? How can we clarify the truth more effectively? This has become an issue we must face and think about frequently.
We discussed this issue during our break on Sunday and exchanged experiences. Below is a summary of our discussion, to be used as a reference for fellow practitioners.
1. Whether it's distributing materials or clarifying the truth face to face, we can't be satisfied only by the materials having been distributed. We must pay attention to the effect.
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It is very important to clarify the truth face-to-face in an appropriate manner
2. The importance of clarifying the truth face-to-face
Many Westerners know a little about the persecution, but when they see the anti-torture exhibit or a flyer, they cannot form a complete picture of the persecution. Therefore, it is vital for us to talk to them face to face. We can tell them the basics about Dafa in a few minutes. For instance, we can briefly tell them that Falun Gong is a cultivation method similar to Tai Chi and Yoga. Many New Yorkers like to do meditation, while many others are strangers to it. We can tell them that Falun Gong was first introduced in China in 1992, and it presented a significant benefit to people's physical and mental health, that initially 100 million Chinese people had learned to practice Falun Gong during the first seven years. In 1999, dictator Jiang Zemin, jealous and paranoid, suddenly ordered a ban on Falun Gong and secretly ordered Falun Gong "to be annihilated in three months." We can tell them who, when, and why the persecution began, and we can compare the defamation of Falun Gong with the same kind of lies used to defame the students during the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989. We can further mention that the perpetrators have used dozens of torture methods and mental torment, slandering Falun Gong and trying to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their belief. Right now, people in at least 50 countries around the world practice Falun Gong, and only the Chinese government forbids the practice of Falun Gong. In the past five years, only a limited number of people have learned the truth, and we hope more people can understand the situation and step forward to help us end the persecution.
Of course, Westerners are encouraged to think independently from a young age, and they do not like to be indoctrinated. If we keep talking when meeting them and ignore their reactions, they would feel uncomfortable and walk away. If we greet them first and politely ask them to ask any questions they may have, this will give them a chance to think and choose the information they want to take in. Quite often, they start asking questions very quickly.
3. Banners, exhibition boards, and hand-held boards are very important because they can deliver the right message quickly. Usually, a few pictures with a brief description can attract the people's attention easily--as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
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For example, we can use an anti-torture picture with the words "Happening in China NOW" instead of "China: stop persecuting Falun Gong," as some Western practitioners often like to say. China is not persecuting Falun Gong, Jiang Zemin and a few perpetrators are; so it is not correct to target the whole of China as the culprit and it's easy to hurt some people's feelings that way. We can also say, "Help Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong in China." We also have a picture of a Western practitioner doing the meditation exercise, so people will know that Westerners are also practicing Falun Gong. Furthermore, we can add some brief English explanations to tell people what Falun Gong is, such as "Falun Gong, Truth, Compassion, Tolerance."
The two illustrations will form a sharp contrast, as one shows the persecution and one introduces Falun Gong. People can see them in a few seconds and the effect is very good.
Of course, some Westerners have never heard of cultivation or Falun Gong, and they might think Falun Gong is a person, or he is the person in the picture doing meditation. So, some practitioners write on the board "Falun Gong: Meditation, Relieves Stress".
Some practitioners divide into teams of two and hold up boards like this, and they buy a seven-dollar subway ticket that is valid all day long. If they don't leave the subway station, they can buy a two-dollar ticket to travel on subway trains all day long. At the station and inside the train, people would approach the practitioners on their own to read the boards, and almost all of them would accept our flyer and newspaper. The number of people who read our material throughout the day adds up to be a lot. If two practitioners work together--one practitioner holds up the sign while the other distributes flyers and makes explanations, the results are even better.
Some practitioners did the same thing at intersections, and the outcome is far better than if we only give out flyers or newspapers. By doing this we reduce the chance of people throwing our flyers away. Practitioners from out of town, please take note: New Yorkers sometimes refuse to take a flyer because they encounter people who give out flyers promoting a business or ask for donations. If we ask them to read it and learn about the current situation, it's more likely that they will take the flyer.
4. We should not wait for or depend on others to take the initiative. Before we arrive in New York or come to the demonstration spot, we should have prepared the schedule, directions, the required exhibition boards and a small volume of materials, so that we can give them to people who may have an interest in the topic when we go from place to place. That way, we will not waste time in transit.
Falun Dafa cultivation also requires us to be serious in our work, and to be considerate of others in every respect. If we would really work seriously, and make real efforts in the design of the content and the hardware (e.g., display boards, torture demonstration devices, etc.), we could make ourselves more efficient. Meanwhile, it is great support for those senior practitioners who do not speak English, but who have been actively involved in clarifying the truth in the Manhattan area.
It has been proven in practice through our collaborative efforts, the sharing of helpful experiences and repeated discussion that the pictures and text on the exhibition boards can become our most effective tools.
5. Our mindset is critical. We should frequently send forth righteous thoughts and maintain focus on our purpose: We are coming here to help people become aware of the truth. We should not be affected by whatever attitudes people may hold toward us, nor by difficulties and unexpected situations. We should stay rational and clearheaded at every moment, maintaining the mindset of a Falun Dafa practitioner.
In addition, practitioners can get very tired due to going around to so many places, so we should pay heed to fatigue and rest appropriately when we get tired, so as to guarantee mental clarity for our Fa study and discussion. Meanwhile, we should pay close attention to our image whenever we take a rest in public areas, because whenever we are out among the public, we may be observed by many others at any moment. To them, the image that we project is part of clarifying the truth to them. If we project a positive impression while actively clarifying the truth, but leave a negative impression while taking a rest, what will people think of us when they see us and hear us speak? If their overall impression is negative, it may result in an unnecessary obstacle.
6. Provide a direct convenience to people who wish to help us immediately stop this persecution, so that they can play their roles.
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7. New York is well known as a center for fashion and finance. Many New Yorkers are used to assessing a person according to their outer appearance. Therefore, tidy and appropriate appearance, the overall image of hair, apparel and behavior, are important to ensure leaving good first impressions with people in a short period of time.
In places where there are group activities such as torture exhibitions or parades, some practitioners wear tidy yellow t-shirts, which really attract people's attention. The characters on the yellow T-shirts also pass on some information to people to a certain degree. However, if we all wear yellow T-shirts, the effect may not be so good because those who are well dressed in a suit and tie or professional attire may feel too distant from us.
Actually, the yellow T-shirt is only an identifier, and not a "Falun Dafa suit" or "Falun Dafa uniform" as some practitioners have referred to it. (Dafa has no uniform; no fixed form of any kind. It is the "Great Way without form.") There are many situations in which wearing the yellow T-shirts would not be recommended, where they would seem strange, inappropriate or not serious. However, this does not mean we should not have a way to identify ourselves. For example, some practitioners designed buttons for themselves of varying size, and wear them at appropriate occasions. (Many stores can make them for you. You just need to choose the words to be printed on them.)
The contents of the button is similar to that of the portable exhibition board, the main point is to write clearly "Falun Gong" and in English, "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance," "Beneficial to Body and Mind" or "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong in China," so that people will know at a glance what you are doing here.
As for making banners, exhibition boards and buttons, there is one point to which we should pay close attention: you must double check it before it is produced. In particular, we hope to eliminate the phenomenon of spelling and typographical errors, due to temporary interference and carelessness, which would seriously affect the overall image and effect.
