(Clearwisdom.net) I came to Flushing with other practitioners by bus to clarify the truth to local people. As soon as we arrived, we saw the separation fences put up by the police. A few persons hired by the CCP were at the other end inciting hatred among people towards Falun Gong. The sky was heavily clouded, with occasional thunder. Soon it rained. We were sending forth righteous thoughts in the rain and felt a sudden silence around us. Our bodies were enveloped by energy and we didn't feel the cold. In our mind was our determination in the Fa and our resolution to eliminate the evil. We as practitioners have benefited from Master's immense mercy. We were reinforcing our diamond-like will in the harsh environment.
The scene on July 20, 1999, when the evil ran rampant in China, came to my mind. Some practitioners were scared and stayed at home. But more practitioners stepped forward with determination. Their pure righteous thoughts shook heaven and earth. There was no police protection, and the whole nation turned into an evil propaganda machine. When we walked on the street, even tree branches hit our faces. Many practitioners without a clear understanding of the Fa or strong belief in Master fell straight to the bottom. I saw the cruelty of the old forces' weeding-out.
Though the extent of the evilness in Flushing was not comparable to that in Mainland China, the pressure on every practitioner was the same, especially for the local practitioners. In China before the persecution, ordinary people had already known about Falun Gong. I still remember that when I got onto the bus wearing a Falun badge, the driver would say that Falun Gong practitioners were honest people. Some companies would put a clause in their recruitment ad that Falun Gong practitioners were preferable. Many people in China knew what Falun Gong was. Dafa practitioners' strict requirements for themselves during their personal cultivation period laid a good foundation for ordinary people to recognize Dafa.
When practitioners clarified the truth to people after the persecution started, many people already understood about Falun Gong and some even had read Dafa books. They resented the CCP, though some of them were deceived by the CCP's lies. But the situation overseas was totally different. Most practitioners obtained the "Fa" after the persecution started. Some were from Mainland China and didn't obtain the Fa until they came overseas. Practitioners overseas were busy every day with all sorts of projects. There were so many activities . They were weak in clarifying the truth to people face-to-face. They have relatively fewer opportunities to demonstrate the Dafa exercises in public and to show Dafa to people. These weaknesses are now gradually being revealed. Many overseas Chinese first heard about Falun Gong through the CCP's lies, not like Chinese people in China who had a good impression of Dafa in the first place. And the CCP's propagandized "nationalism" made them more blind, making it possible for the CCP Many people don't want to listen to the truth or don't believe the truth.
On the streets in Flushing, we heard the CCP agents instigate people to curse us. What they said were all lies. I felt sorry for them. They actually didn't know Falun Gong at all. Many people didn't show their ignorance, but once they were stirred up, they quickly became the accomplice of the CCP. Those who besieged us were dispersed by the police. Among them were the CCP agents and ignorant people as well. Those ignorant people were most pitiful.
I know that everything that happened was not accidental. Master has said that everything in ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts. I, too, helped to fuel it. When I was in China, I never forgot to clarify the truth wherever I went. I would go to different markets to buy vegetables so that I could clarify the truth to different people. If I missed one person, I would regret so much that day.
But after I came overseas, in a free environment, I lost the sense of urgency to save sentient beings. I was busy with projects and forgot that the third thing that Master requires us to do is to clarify the truth. To do a project is also a job, and we cultivate ourselves when we do a job, but it can't replace direct truth clarification. After I realized this omission, I said to Master in my heart that I would not miss any person that Master arranged for me to clarify the truth to. Since then, I have always carried copies of the Nine Commentaries and flyers with me. Three weeks later I realized the importance of a Dafa disciple's thoughts. Whether I was on the bus or on the street in Chinatown, people would come up and talk to me. Everything was arranged so naturally. I wear Dafa clothes as often as I can and let people know that there are many young Dafa practitioners.
In China when the persecution was severe in one place, practitioners would realize that their truth-clarification work was not up to standard and that we hadn't met the requirements set by Master. We would send forth righteous thoughts for that place, share experiences, and encourage more people to step out. Then the situation would change. Practitioners in China have gone through so much and become mature. If we look inward, then the evil will be eliminated.
The main stage for the battle between the evil and the righteous is in Mainland China. In other places, people are audience members as well as actors. Practitioners overseas also play a huge role in exposing the evil.
