(Clearwisdom.net) "If a person is not after self-interest, heaven and earth will kill him" has become the motto of many people nowadays. Such people are extremely selfish. They will only pay attention or listen to something that is beneficial or lucrative to them, and they will only do those things that benefit themselves.
So during our truth-clarification, we need to know where we can make a breakthrough in order to clarify the truth in a way that appeals to our audience. We can start with those topics that they are interested in and then use plain and easy-to-understand language to clarify the truth. We should make sure to consider their feelings and not talk at will. Otherwise, they will be annoyed and refuse to listen or get in touch with us anymore, which would bring our truth-clarification efforts to an impasse.
In addition, if we, during clarifying the truth, encounter some question that we cannot clearly explain, we should avoid giving some sketchy explanation. Instead, we should just unequivocally tell the audience that we do not fully comprehend the issue and will get back to them after we fully understand it. In such a way, we have given our audience an impression of being earnest and serious, and they will also treat it seriously. We must avoid pretending to know the answers when we actually do not.
After each time of truth-clarification, we should examine ourselves according to Dafa for our shortcomings in our "manner of speaking, compassion, and reasoning" during the whole truth-clarification process. Especially on those aspects that we had failed to clarify clearly, we should make sure that we understand the issues from the perspective of Dafa, so that we can have a chance later to give a clear explanation.
We should persevere in clarifying the truth. When we clarify the truth to a particular person we should clarify the truth to him properly and frequently. Furthermore, we should do it in a fashion that goes from the simple to the profound, from a single aspect to the entirety, and from the superficial to the more profound.
Clarifying the truth about Dafa should begin with encouragement and emphasizing the positive aspects (of the audience), since most everyday people like to listen to words that praise them. We should find the positive aspects of our audience and show our appreciation. In this way we will be able to build up a bridge connecting their hearts to ours and thus create a good atmosphere for clarifying the truth.
When necessary, we can resort to different or even special ways for different audiences. Once I went to the home of one of my ex-classmates to clarify the truth. He is an official of a large state enterprise who is heavily influenced by power and money. He usually regarded himself as superior to others, held a dismissal attitude toward Falun Dafa, and often made disrespectful comments about Dafa.
Our conversation very naturally touched the topic of Dafa and cultivation. Before I could say anything on this topic, he said straightly, "Don't try to persuade me to practice it. I for sure will not practice it! Neither do I believe it!" Hearing this, I told him seriously, "I will not try to persuade anyone to practice cultivation. I only want to reveal some facts about this practice to you. As we are friends for so many years, I have tell you; otherwise, I would feel guilty. Through the several years of my cultivation, I have personally experienced and witnessed all these. I know why Dafa is so widespread, and I know that Falun Dafa brings numerous benefits and no harm! Whether to believe or not is up to you. However, 'one would rather believe its existence than not believe it at all,' [an old saying in Chinese culture] and this is the way that a wise person should follow." At the end, I further asked him, "If all of this is true, what will you do then?"
Hearing my words, which were gentle but firm, his insolent arrogance disappeared even without any actions on my part. He then changed his voice to a gentle tone and started to talk with me as an equal; he even acted a little awkwardly. He asked me some things that he did not understand. I then clarified these questions according to his particular situation. Through this conversation, he changed a lot; he no longer dares to look down on Dafa, and he treats Dafa practitioners with increased respect.
The above is just some of my understanding in the current stage of my cultivation. I implore fellow practitioners to point out anything improper in my understanding.
Finally, let us review the following from Teacher's teaching, so that we can do better in our truth-clarification effort and save more people who have been deeply poisoned by the lies. Teacher said, "No matter how busy you are, you have to see yourself as a Dafa disciple; no matter how busy you are, you have to consider how you might affect those around you. Since April 25th of 1999 and after July 20th, the evil has used the scoundrel means of slander and put us on the defensive, causing the minds of numerous beings to be poisoned. In your efforts to save sentient beings you've labored so hard to allow people to have a new understanding of us. So when you don't do well, it's quite possible you are unwittingly undermining the efforts you've made and some of the things you plan to do. You are cultivators, whose conduct is [supposed to be] pure and righteous. There are so many people who think you're great just by having seen how you act. If we don't pay attention to our own behavior in our daily lives, everyday people will see our actions and, since they can't get to know you at a deep level such as by studying the Fa, they will just look at how you act. And it's possible that one sentence or one action of yours will make them unsavable or create a bad impression of Dafa. We need to think about these things." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston")
"Especially since these things and everything that you're now doing are all interwoven with your responsibilities to Dafa, and since they include Dafa disciples' own profound and critical factors. ......You've got to try hard, and you've got to do well, because what you want is to consummate everything, and you have responsibilities--you have come with the mission and responsibility of saving sentient beings. Throughout history people have declared that they would save sentient beings. But who knew the true meaning of saving sentient beings? You are truly saving sentient beings, and only you are worthy of doing something this magnificent. Make sure you don't lose this opportunity!" (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)
June 26, 2002