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Gradually Getting Through to Some of My More Stubborn-Minded Friends

February 02, 2015 |   By a practitioner in China

(Minghui.org) Some of my friends are artists. They are painters who create fine art. However, they are typically quite influenced by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) way of thinking.

Additionally, they are self-centered, assertive, and have an inflated sense of their own self-worth. It requires more patience and wisdom to clarify the facts about Falun Dafa to them.

Inspired by the Divine, a Work of Art Reflects More Than Mere Skill

One day a classical Chinese painting professor, around the age of 30, came to see me. His specialty is landscape painting, but he also admires abstraction and impressionism.

We reviewed one of his works. I first complimented him on his painting skills and then started to talk about inspiration, creativity, and color.

He told me that he could produce quality paintings when he was in a good mood. That was when he felt inspired. This gave me the opportunity to share with him my understanding on the subject. “China's divine culture emphasizes the assimilation of Heaven and mankind,” I said. “When the painting reaches a level beyond mere skill, it will be the manifestation of one's thoughts and spirit. In order to improve the quality of painting, one has to improve one's character and morality. A noble person will have help and inspiration from the divine, which will then be transformed into a painting through the painter's skills.

“By the same token, a bad person will be controlled by bad elements and paint pictures that represent darkness. The world of darkness is the opposite of the human world.”

He appeared intrigued, so I continued. “A good piece of art work must have a rational overall design and convey uplifting and noble themes. Classical paintings in both the East and the West all praised the divine, which is the ultimate goal of the arts. So only artists with noble minds and respect for the divine can create good art beneficial to the viewers.

Getting to the Point

Then I broached the topic that had been on my mind all along: Falun Dafa and the CCP's persecution of Falun Dafa.

I said: “The CCP has destroyed the 5,000-year-old traditional Chinese culture, replaced it with the CCP culture, and killed 80 million Chinese. It orders its members to take an oath to serve the CCP until they die. You should quit the CCP, because Heaven will destroy it.”

I did my best not to stir up any negative thoughts or resentment. That is why I started with topics of interest to him and gradually inspired the goodness in him. At the same time, Master gave me the wisdom and the opportunity to cover anything that helped him realize what he needed to do.

As he left, he asked me come up with an alias for him and help him quit the CCP.

Difficulties

One of my business acquaintances is a painter. He is knowledgeable about traditional Chinese culture, but is especially interested in Taoist culture. He also admired Mao Zedong, the former head of the CCP. Every time after we met, I searched within to find any human notions that prevented me from convincing him that Falun Dafa is good. I wondered if I had talked at a level too high for him, which may have had a negative effect on him. I thought about how to approach the subject matter based on his mindset during our next meeting.

When I talked about the divine culture and Falun Dafa, he was very receptive. But, when I gave him the DVD of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, he said, “I definitely will not watch it. I don't get involved in politics.”

This made me look within: “What I did do wrong that he reacted that way?” I realized that I had an attachment to him, perhaps because we were related during a prior life. I was too eager and only looked at what he represented instead of trying to figure out his real thoughts.

One day during a discussion, I voiced an artistic opinion that was in obvious contrast to his in front of his students. His self-esteem was hurt. Normally, he would call me “brother” but this time he started referring to me as “fella.” I was sad and uncomfortable. I realized it was my attachment to self-respect and self-esteem. I said to myself, “Master, please don't allow my human attachment to affect his chance to be saved.”

A Different Approach

Because he believed in reincarnation and cultivation, I told him, “We have a special, predestined relationship. Before we came to this world, we promised each other that whoever first started practicing Falun Dafa would tell the other about it.”

He told me that he had read Zhuan Falun before the onset of the persecution. He did not own the book, and, after returning it, he could not find another copy.

I gave him Falun Dafa books and taught him the five exercises. He had very good enlightenment quality and advanced diligently in his cultivation.

He was able to quit smoking and drinking within a month. His face glowed with health. Soon, he not only quit his CCP membership, but he also asked me to talk to his friends about Falun Dafa.

His youngest daughter once came down with a fever. She told him that she feared the night and darkness. I asked, “Do you have any CCP badges, pictures, or books in your home? If so, you've got to get rid of them.” He took down Mao's picture and got rid of it and other CCP materials. From then on, his daughter was fine.

Helping Family See the Importance of Falun Dafa

He called and said, “My wife has taken away all the Falun Dafa materials you gave me.” I knew his wife did it out of fear.

I started sending righteous thoughts to eliminate anything that prevented him from continuing his cultivation. I also copied some Falun Dafa books, lectures, and audio files to a memory card so he could read and listen on his cell phone. But before long, his wife found out what he was doing and took his cell phone away. She called me and pleaded with me, “If you keep getting him involved with Falun Dafa, I will leave him.”

His father also called me. “It is fine if you two have a business relationship, but anything else is out of the question,” he said. “My son is single-minded and he may light himself on fire just like what happened during the Tiananmen Square self-immolation. You have to persuade him to quit.” His father also said things that were disrespectful and threatening. I developed the attachment of fear, although I kept asking Master for help and sending righteous thoughts.

I then recalled that Master asked practitioners not to bypass the conflicts, that we should, instead, clarify the truth in person to save people. One day after sending righteous thoughts, I decided to call both his wife and father.

I told his wife that the propaganda she saw on TV, including the self-immolation on Tiananmen, was fabricated in order to defame Falun Dafa, which teaches people to be good and kind to others. His wife said, “I did not know about all this. He just always practiced Falun Dafa behind my back without telling me anything.” I told her, “What do you think of me? Am I a bad person?” His wife said, “You are different. You are upright and honest.” I asked her to read the books so she could understand what Dafa is all about and how good it is.

I called his father, who said, “My son is a CCP member. Everyone in our entire family is a CCP member. It would be dangerous for my whole family if he practiced Falun Dafa.”

I told him, “Isn't he respectful to you? Does he gamble, get drunk, or do anything bad? Practitioners all strive to be responsible and good. If he does not behave this way, I will correct him. You can count on that.”

After these incidences, I developed better relationships with both his father and wife. I hope that, as they understand the true situation, they will take an upright stance and have a bright future.