(Minghui.org) Respected Teacher, dear fellow practitioners,
I am a Western practitioner in the United States. I obtained the Fa in 2005. Master cleansed and adjusted my body, and accepted me as his disciple. I have come to realize that we disciples have a mission to save sentient beings, especially the Chinese people.
Since April of last year, I have been clarifying the truth to Chinese tourists visiting our city.
Previously, I had been trying to clarify the truth to Chinese people living in some downtown senior apartments, and I always carried lots of Chinese truth-clarification materials in the trunk of my car.
One day, I passed by an Asian restaurant and noticed a large group of Chinese people in the parking lot. I had the thought that they might be tourists from China. I parked my car and walked over to them and offered copies of the Chinese edition of the Epoch Times newspaper to a group of three men.
One of them said, “Falun Gong!” as if to warn the others. I just smiled and said, “Yes, I am Falun Gong.” Then I offered a newspaper to him, but he didn’t want to take it. The man next to him however took it. The other tourists then came closer and each also wanted a copy for themselves. I also had some special edition papers about the scandal of Wang Lijun (vice-mayor of Chongqing, who attempted to seek refuge in the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu in February 2012 amidst political infighting), and they were especially interested in those.
Almost everyone was very excited to read the paper, even the man who had first refused the paper came and took one. When I went back to my car, one of the women came over and said, “Thank you,” in English.
I was very pleased and thanked Master in my heart for arranging things so I could meet these precious Chinese people. I realized that this restaurant was a popular tourist destination. Since then, I have gone to the restaurant parking lot 5 to 6 days a week for about 2 hours every day, with two other Western practitioners covering the remaining 1 or 2 days. During the past 16 months we have handed out tens of thousands of pieces of literature to tens of thousands of Chinese tourists, and the results have been quite good.
Tourists Ask Questions
Many tourists are surprised to see a Westerner who practices Falun Gong. I have learned a few Chinese words, and generally greet everyone with, “Ni hao, Chinese paper, free!” And I smile a lot.
Some smile back, some bow while taking the papers, saying, “Thank you, thank you!” Others don’t want to take anything. But often, if I am a little bit persistent, or when they see someone else take a newspaper, they change their mind and also accept some materials.
There are also some who are negative and cannot be persuaded. To such people I say, “Falun Dafa is good, the persecution is not good,” in Chinese.
Some of the tourists speak some English, and they sometimes ask me questions.
One man wanted to know why I practice Falun Gong, when I am not Chinese. I told him that I have practiced Falun Gong for over seven years, and I am very healthy, I don’t take any medication and never need to see a doctor, and I am already 65 years old. Then he smiled.
Quite a lot ask me if I have ever been to China, and sometimes they add that China is different now, I should go and take a look for myself. I sometimes ask them, “I practice Falun Gong, tell me, if I go to China, what will happen to me if I want to practice the exercises in a park?” This generally makes them silent.
Sometimes I also say, “I would like to visit China; maybe when Jiang Zemin is in prison I will go.”
Others want to know how much I get paid, and who pays for the materials. I tell them that I am a volunteer, and I cover the cost for some of the materials, other Falun Gong practitioners also contribute. They generally accept this answer.
One man asked me whether I spoke Chinese. I said no. He asked, “A little?” I said, “Falun Dafa hao!” He laughed and repeated, “Falun Dafa hao!”
Interference
In the beginning I was faced with quite a bit of interference, such as things happening to my car, my driveway being blocked, rainy weather, or obstacles at work. But I never let it stop me from going to the restaurant. When I informed my boss that I would be gone for 2 hours every day and could not cover the phone, he asked me how long would I go on for. I said, “Until the persecution of Falun Gong has ended.” He was silent for a moment, then said, “Everyone should be entitled to have a lunch break.”
During the winter when it's rainy, it would often start raining just as I would leave the house. To that I would send righteous thoughts, and by the time I reach the restaurant, the rain would normally subside and stop.
I also had to deal with fear, not knowing what I might encounter. At the time we heard a lot about the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) interference with practitioners in Hong Kong, and one of our local coordinators said we should call the police right away if any trouble emerged. That evening I noticed that I started to feel some fear. I decided to eliminate it completely. I was saving sentient beings, which is the most righteous thing in the cosmos. I was protected by Master; there's nothing to worry about. With that, my mind was calm and unafraid.
I do my best to stay calm and friendly. I often send righteous thoughts, and I often ask Master and the righteous Gods for help. Sometimes I hum the song, Falun Dafa hao (Falun Dafa is Good) to keep my mind from thinking too much.
Bus Drivers and Tour Guides
I learned that the bus drivers’ attitude toward Falun Gong makes a big difference. The bus drivers are all Chinese who live in the United States. Generally, they will either encourage the tourists to take the papers, or tell them not to take any. Some drivers are neutral, they let the tourists do what they want. So I decided that I had to make friends with the drivers and clarify the truth to them.
Many of the drivers are very friendly and helpful, but some are not.
One driver in particular was very angry. He yelled at me, “Why do you do this? Why do you hate China? Have you ever been to China?”
About six or eight tourists stood around us, silently listening.
I told him, “I practice Falun Gong, Falun Gong is good. I don’t hate China. I like the Chinese people, but I don’t like the current Chinese regime; they lie and hurt people.”
Then he shouted, “Go away!”
I said to him, “This is my country!”
He yelled back, “This is my country! I am the president!”
I was a bit speechless and tried to stay calm as I sent forth righteous thoughts. Although I slightly trembled, I did not move away. I then said to him, “You should be a good man.”
He said nothing and then turned away and walked a few steps. Some of the people around us looked at me and smiled. One woman came up to me and said “Thank you.”
Later I thought about this incident and decided that I should try my best to save this man.
Master said,
"I told you a long time ago that a Dafa disciple, or a cultivator, has no enemies. The only thing you have a role in is saving people..." (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference VII)
Several months later, I met this driver again. He looked angry and said to me, “Go away, go home, sleep!”
I said nothing and kept offering papers to his group, smiling the whole time. The driver then said some things to the tourists, which made one man from another group give his newspaper back to me. The driver then said some disrespectful things about Master.
I calmly said, “Falun Dafa is good, and my Master is a good man.” I gave the driver a little slap on the arm with a paper. But I stayed very calm inside.
A couple of weeks later, I saw this driver again. He behaved much better. He greeted me and said he had nothing against me, but that it was Master that he didn’t like.
I kept a friendly smile and said, “You must say good things about Falun Gong, then my Master will bless you. If you say bad things, bad things will happen to you.”
He said he didn’t believe in that. But he did not get upset, and when the people on his bus took some materials, he also did not interfere.
The next time I saw him, I greeted him by saying, “How are you, my friend?”
Another time, I got a big surprise. He came out of the restaurant with a can of soda and offered it to me. I smiled and thanked him very much. I pressed my hands together and nodded to him with a big smile.
Master said,
“Dafa's dignity can't be safeguarded with the means of everyday people. It's brought about by each of our Dafa disciples exhibiting true compassion and kindness. It's not created, it's not created by human conduct or human means. It's born out of compassion and it's manifest in saving sentient beings and in your cultivation. When you cultivate well as a whole, the world's people will say that Dafa is good and will all respect Dafa. ... If someone says that it's not good and you debate with him in everyday people's ways, or you try to silence him or the like, that will worsen the disagreement. We should just conduct ourselves well and handle everything with compassion. You don't need to argue or debate with them. People have a side of them that's aware, and they'll be moved on the human surface too.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference III)
I have handed out about 100 Nine Commentaries DVDs to various drivers. One driver told me he had been looking for this DVD for a long time.
Some drivers have come up to shake my hand. Some ask, “Do you remember me?” One came to give me some cookies and a hug. Others ask if I had lunch or want to bring me water, saying, “It is so hot, and you have been standing here for so long.”
Some groups gathered around me and gave a little speech, saying that I am a nice German lady who practices Falun Gong, and that the Epoch Times is a good paper, they should all take a copy.
Saving Chinese People
I have passed out about 1,500 Nine Commentaries booklets. One day, almost every tourist from one particular large bus wanted a booklet.
One day, a driver came over to chat with me for a while. He said that he has lived in America for 10 years and loves the freedom. I asked, “Would you like to quit from the CCP?” He simply answered, “Yes” and gave me his name.
Another bus driver agreed to quit from the Young Pioneers, a CCP affiliate for children.
One day a young tour guide seemed to interfere with his tourists taking papers. I went up to him and said with a smile, “Are you good or bad?” He laughed and said, “I guess sometimes good and sometimes bad.” I nodded and smiled back. He returned the following day with another group and no longer interfered with others taking papers.
One group of about six men stood around and smoked. They refused to take anything. Then the tour guide came out and waved to me. I offered a paper to him. He took it and pointed at the men and said, “Give to them.” He then started explaining to them in Chinese that Falun Gong and the Epoch Times are good. Then they all wanted a newspaper. I smiled and patted the guide on the shoulder, saying, “You are a good man. You will have a good future.” He said, “Yes, thank you.”
Once I tried to start a conversation with a group, asking a young man if he spoke English. He said no. I asked where he was from, he said, Guangzhou. I replied, “Ah, Guangdong Province.” He said yes. I said, “Wang X is your government leader.” He laughed and told the others that I knew about Wang X. They all laughed. Then the bus driver came over to me and wanted a paper. It was a coincidence that I had just read an article in the English Epoch Times about Wang X.
One man once refused a paper, saying he is a Buddhist and he doesn’t want anything to do with Falun Gong. I told him, “We can have different beliefs and still respect each other. But Falun Gong practitioners should not be killed just because of what they believe in.” Then he agreed and started to smile a little.
At the beginning of November of last year a World Kidney Congress was held in our city. Several buses with Chinese doctors attending came to eat at the restaurant. Many took the special editions of the paper. Every group took some. One man talked to me after he read it. He was very serious and asked if it was true about what was in the paper. I said yes. He said it was hard to believe. I talked with him for a while and then his groups started leaving. He shook my hand and left.
One day I offered a special edition to a driver. He said, “I am afraid of what my passengers will think when they see me read this.”
I said to the driver, “You mustn’t have any fear, this is good for them to read, you should encourage them. I grew up in Germany. We first had the Nazis who controlled us. Everyone was afraid of them, and therefore they could control the people. Then we had communism, and it was the same. When everyone is afraid, they can really control and suppress you and do whatever they want, and use you.”
The driver said, “You are right, you are right.”
When his group came out, many took informational materials. Then the driver smiled at me and seemed quite happy.
Sometimes, several people in a group will say out loud, “Falun Dafa hao!”
One man offered me a cigarette after accepting the paper; it really made me laugh.
Recently a driver told me, “I support you, I really do! You people are right, what you say is true.”
A group of male tourists all declined to take materials on another occasion, and some of them gave me a hostile look. I stayed near them, smiling and offering them the materials repeatedly. One man gave me a stern look. In my heart I asked Master for help. Then I looked this man in the eyes and smiled. A moment later, his expression softened and he asked, “You, Falun Gong?” I nodded and said yes. Then he stretched out his hand to get a paper. Another man from his group also took one.
Lately I started distributing English flyers containing information about the organ harvesting to Chinese tourists or bus drivers who speak good English. This also had some good results.
One man rejected a paper, so I showed him an organ harvesting flyer and said, “This is what the Chinese regime does to Falun Gong practitioners in China. They kill them to sell their organs to rich Americans and others who need organ transplants.”
He said, “But I live here.” Then I said, “That’s why I want to give this flyer to you so you can check the websites and decide for yourself. These are your brothers and sisters. I am German. Why am I here telling you this? It’s because this is a crime against humanity. We had Hitler in our country who killed 6 million Jews. The German people did not want to believe that our government would do this. The same in your country.” He took the flyer and said, “Ok.”
Master said in his poem,
“Beyond time and space I vigorously rectify the Fa
Despite the huge ordeals my will never bends
Amidst crazed evil, I never lose my way
I regard eliminating the evil as whisking dust away
When disciples walk righteously the path of Dafa
Their light illumines the world, purging evil completely
Diligent disciples—plum blossoms in winter’s chill
The eons of hardship were all for this day” (“All For This Day” from Hong Yin III)
I feel that clarifying the truth to Chinese tourists is a great privilege. It has also helped me improve my forbearance and raise my xinxing. Please point out anything that is not appropriate.
Thank you Master, thank you fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2013 Western US Fa Conference)
