(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings Honorable Teacher, greetings to all my fellow practitioners.
Teacher pointed out in "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference,"
"At present, in addition to a Dafa disciple's own, personal cultivation, you need to do a large amount of things to clarify the facts. So I think that for Dafa disciples clarifying the facts has become a unique way of cultivation for you cultivators today. This has never, ever happened before. And it can be called Dafa disciples' magnificent feat of validating the Fa and saving sentient beings during the Fa-rectification."
We have been clarifying the truth at a tourist site in Korea for more than 2 years. During the busy tourist season there can be 20 busloads of Chinese tourists each day. When we first started clarifying truth to these tourists, there were a lot of different types of interference. For example, due to a lack of understanding, the restaurant owners in the area took away our banners, materials, and even hit our practitioners. They also jointly reported us to the local police bureau. At that time we looked inside ourselves to see if we had any loopholes when clarifying the truth, and at the same time, we clarified the truth to the restaurateurs and the police. We also sent out one thought: "We completely deny the interference from the old forces; it doesn't matter what others say; only what Teacher says is important." Eventually, the interference disappeared. Some tour guides and bus drivers also misunderstood us in the beginning. They did not allow Chinese tourists to take our materials, and sometimes they even swore at us. The reaction of the tour guides became the key factor that affected whether a busload of tourists would accept the truth or not.
Facing such misunderstandings and interference, we realized that our every word and act is validating Dafa. Every time I saw those tour guides who had a bad attitude, I smiled and greeted them with "Hello!" Afterwards, one after another, they started to greet me in a friendly way too. Gradually they no longer tried to stop the tourists from taking the truth clarification materials. Sometimes, they also asked me questions about the persecution. I took this opportunity to thoroughly and carefully clarify the truth to them. The tour guides who now know the truth sometimes help us to clarify the truth. Some even directly take the materials from our hands and say to the Chinese tourists who don't dare to take them, "You see, it's all right. You can are free to read anything in South Korea." Some practitioners targeted the bus drivers to clarify truth. The bus drivers who now know the truth ask us to sit on the bus and clarify the truth to their tourists. Some drivers also help us to distribute the materials.
Teacher taught us:
"Even when in your daily life you pass by people so quickly that you don't have a chance to talk to them, you should still leave them with your compassion and kindness. Don't lose those who should be saved, especially those with predestined connections." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference")
During the process of clarifying the truth we can see that people are able to learn the truth, and are able to believe what practitioners tell them because they see the practitioners' compassionate behavior.
At that time we were short of people to talk with the tourists (we only had two practitioners). Through Fa study, sharing, looking inside, and constantly purifying our minds, we came to understand Dafa practitioners' mission and prehistoric wish during the Fa-rectification period. Some practitioners changed from 12-hour jobs to working 4 to 7-hour jobs and devoting their free time to clarifying truth. The practitioners who speak Chinese clarify the truth, and distribute materials. The practitioners who do not speak Chinese do the exercises and hold banners. We are always there even when the wind is howling, or when it is snowing, raining, or the temperature is really cold. We never stop. Through long-term purity, harmony, and compassion, practitioners have eliminated a lot of interference and changed the environment for the better.
With the progress of Fa-rectification quickly pushing forward, especially after The Epoch Times published Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, we added new content to our truth clarification materials. At that time, many practitioners thought that this was being "political." Thus, when clarifying the truth we were not sure how to use our wisdom to distribute the Nine Commentaries. We did not truly understand the important effect the Nine Commentaries had in saving sentient beings.
In view of this issue, we shared our understanding together. Teacher said in "We Are Not 'Getting Political' ",
"If our efforts to stop and expose the persecution by evildoers and the CCP are now being labeled as getting political, then we might as well spell things out completely--like what Falun Gong is, what the malevolent CCP is, and why the malevolent CCP wants to persecute Falun Gong. As for what Falun Gong is, Dafa disciples have explained that to the world's people in their all-out efforts to clarify the facts, and people the world over have come to understand. Then what's left is to help the world's people see what the malevolent CCP is about and why it persecutes Falun Gong. And that is done, in fact, to stop the persecution, not to get political. We have no political motives."
"We expose the evildoers and that vile party in order to stop the wicked persecution, and it is done to awaken and save the sentient beings who have been deceived by the evil."
"And so, to have the world's people be aware of that vile party's nature and why it has persecuted Dafa disciples, it has become necessary for people to learn about the Nine Commentaries."
Teacher also pointed out:
"If a person doesn't withdraw from it, he is a part of it, one of its particles, and a part of its composition, and he will become a target for elimination by all gods. When that chapter of mankind's history starts, there will be no more chances for human beings." ("Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World
Dafa practitioners' mission is to help Teacher rectify the Fa and save sentient beings. The Fa-rectification is progressing towards the human world. Before the truth manifests itself, the most urgent task that practitioners face is eliminating the CCP's evil specter, and saving huge numbers of beings poisoned by the CCP.
After reaching an understanding based on the principles of the Fa, through continuous sharing and looking inside, sending firm righteous thoughts, and denying all arrangements made by the old forces, we decided to openly persuade people to quit the CCP, we didn't worry that others would say that we were being political, because the CCP's corruption is a well-known fact.
While promoting the Nine Commentaries, the responses we get from the people we meet are varied. When I see a group of tourists from China, I give them The Epoch Times newspaper and a copy of the Nine Commentaries, and tell them: "The Epoch Times is distributed worldwide and has the largest distribution among Chinese newspapers. Moreover only The Epoch Times has the courage to report news truthfully and objectively; in China it belongs to materials for internal reference. The Nine Commentaries have triggered a wave of withdrawals from the CCP in China and outside of China. When they hear this Chinese tourists gladly take the newspaper. One day, a man among them, "bang!" threw the newspaper to the ground and said, "You are anti-Party! Family secrets should not be revealed to outsiders. You come to South Korea to disgrace Chinese people! You are too political." Because of his interference, many people gave the newspapers back to me.
I picked up the newspaper from the ground, smiled with dignity and said to him, "Sir, I hope you bring China's 5000-year civilization with you. If you do not want to read the truth you can return the newspapers to me. Our paper just reports what the Chinese Communist Party has done since it was established. Another thing, anti-Party is a special word that was used to attack people during the Great Cultural Revolution. Do you like it? Seeing your behavior, who is really disgracing Chinese people?" For the Chinese listening nearby, some smiled, some nodded. The man self-consciously lowered his head.
I then said, "Why shouldn't family secrets be revealed to outsiders? You all know that in a democratic country if a president breaks the law, people have the right to impeach him, and the newspapers worldwide are allowed to publish such news. But their people do not feel disgraced. On the contrary, people will condemn him. They do not think it is a family secret--they feel this is true patriotism. As President, under people's surveillance, he can only act lawfully; he cannot do things illegally. Isn't this for his own good? If a President does things righteously, people in that country will enjoy good fortune, and the nation will also be stabilized. Tell me which one is truly patriotic? In China, you wouldn't dare to even think about criticizing the Chinese Communist Party leaders; and even outside China you dare not read a newspaper that reports the news truthfully, because you fear that someone will report you to the authorities and that you will be punished. Haven't you thought about why this is so? Isn't it pitiful to live in fear everywhere you go?"
"Moreover, there is a popular saying in China: 'Control the Negative,' that is, control the negative news reported. Now many relatives of high-level CCP officials send their money outside the country--keeping the back door open for themselves. Do China's every day citizens know that this is happening? Isn't it true that only ordinary people suffer?"
To help them understand easily, I talked from the third party angle, "Look, that person who is doing the exercises over there is a Falun Gong practitioner. Can the media in China truthfully report that there are close to 80 countries worldwide in which people practice Falun Gong? If you didn't go abroad, would you be able to verify that there are people outside of China freely practicing Falun Gong? Since you are overseas, take this opportunity to see more, hear more, and ask more questions." Many of them silently nodded. Then suddenly one person said, "Falun Gong is a religion." I replied calmly, "Sir, Shakespeare has a famous saying: 'When you do not know the truth, do not randomly speak, otherwise your life will be in danger everywhere.'" He was perplexed and then lowered his head and left. Then, I started analyzing China's true economic status (as this is directly related to the tourist's personal interest, they were interested to hear what I had to say). I also talked about the Nine Commentaries, about the divine rock found in Guizhou Province that has the letters "CCP Dies" carved inside, prophecies, that heaven will eliminate the CCP and the importance of withdrawal from the CCP, the Youth League, and the Young Pioneers.
When urging the tourists from China to withdraw from the CCP, if there are many people around, individuals don't dare to withdraw so publicly. In this case, I would walk with one person and continue chatting with him. I would say that whether you believe or not, China is subject to an ancient precept, "It's safer to believe that something exists than to not believe." I continued, "This is a valuable experience summarized by our ancestors after suffering many losses. Besides, you don't need to use your real name, you can use a pen name to quit the CCP, and it is absolutely free. Don't burn your bridges, as there is no medicine to treat regret." Often at this point they agree to quit the CCP. Some tourists even shake my hand with tears in their eyes, and thank me. I know that their other side knows the truth and is longing to be saved.
During truth clarification, one small incident occurred. One day a man came to me and asked if I knew what he did for a living. I told him that I didn't need to know his career. I only wanted him to know the truth. Then he asked me, "Do you know how many plainclothes police officers from China there are in Korea?" I said, "To persecute Falun Gong, the CCP placed many spies all over the world. My Teacher mentioned that those spies are the people who have a special task. That is only your job." Then he asked me if we were scared. I said, "We are always upright. If I were scared, I would not stand here today. At the same time I would like to urge you to thoroughly understand the truth, walk your path righteously, and do not do things against your conscience. Good is rewarded with good and evil provokes retribution." He was looking pensive. He told me before he left, "I respect you very much."
When clarifying the truth to tourists I sometimes become a little angry when refuting the propaganda; but because I have righteous thoughts, which can eradicate the evil doctrine, my truthful words are still effective. From the perspective of cultivation, anger is inappropriate and I know I have not done well. Sometimes I have even offended people. I would like to achieve what Teacher said:
"The Fa is merciful to all beings, but at the same time it's solemn and dignified."("Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
If I could do so without my personal feelings getting in the way, I think the effect would be even better.
The above are my personal experiences during truth clarification. Please point out anything improper.