(Clearwisdom.net) We discovered that many people still have a lot of questions when we clarify the truth of Dafa to them. Aside from doubts about the staged self immolation and murder frame-ups (propaganda stunts contrived by the Party to demonize Falun Gong in the minds of the public), many still wonder: "You practitioners are distributing so many materials including CDs for free. Where does the money to make these materials come from?" Although we explained the truth to them with patience, many of them still have a hard time believing us.
A few stories from our truth-clarifying material production sites might help clear up their doubts.
Story One
In March 2002, I was released from a forced labor camp. Soon after, I participated in some activities with a group of practitioners. Because we made some errors in arranging the event, all of us were arrested at an experience-sharing conference by the police. Many of those arrested were responsible for making and distributing truth-clarifying materials in the city. Because we lacked consideration and carefulness, we brought a big loss to Fa-rectification work in the city and the whole area around it. The truth-clarifying work in the city was stopped, and for quite a while, many practitioners in the city had no way to see Minghui articles and Teacher's new articles.
A few days after we were arrested, I escaped with the help of righteous thoughts. I studied the Fa carefully and examined my shortcomings and attachments. Seeing that practitioners in the city could not see Teacher's new articles and articles on Minghui, I felt responsible to re-build the truth-clarifying materials site. I talked to two other practitioners about my idea, and they also wanted to do the same thing. However, we didn't have any money. The two practitioners' family members were non-practitioners, and besides, their families were pretty poor. We decided to ask for help from a few other practitioners we knew.
A few days later, a fellow practitioner invited me to his home. It was a couple in their 60's, and both of them were Dafa practitioners. They looked very young for their age. The husband asked the wife to take out 10,000 yuan (1) and said to me, "Take the money. You need it to buy some equipment, right?" Looking at the couple, I knew they worked for an average salary, and that they had retired years ago. Most work units are not making much money currently. The 10,000 yuan was probably all they had.
I said to them, "I can take half of this money; I will find the rest through some other means. If I take all you have, what if you have an urgent need?" The husband said, "No, take it all. This money should be used to do the important things. I have a temporary job now, so if you need more money, come to me again. I said, "How come you are still working at this age?" He replied, "I am in good health as a result of practicing Dafa; this is the benefit I received from Dafa. I am free of diseases or trouble now, yet we must think of saving sentient beings, and that takes money. As long as I can, I will go to work; if you need money, you can ask me for it."
I was so moved by the selflessness of the practitioner that tears kept running down my face. I felt my responsibility. With tears in my eyes, I took the money. I had nothing to say to them; I only told myself that I must run the truth-clarifying materials site well!
With the 10,000 yuan I got from the couple, we bought our first copier. Although it was a small one, which could only make 10 to 20 copies a minute, it always worked well. We bought a bigger copy machine later, but everyone at the production site liked our first one and we didn't want to replace it.
Story Two
In September 2003, I heard that a practitioner was released from jail. The practitioner was tortured badly when she was arrested. The police guards beat and shocked her with electric batons for an entire night, trying to force her to tell the whereabouts of her fellow practitioners. She firmly refused to cooperate with them. The torture left bruises and injuries all over her body. An inmate said in tears, "The police are so brutal!" The practitioner was detained for over 6 months before being released.
Because she knows me well, before she was arrested she asked someone to deliver a message to me, saying that she wanted to meet me. When we met, she took out some cash from her pocket and gave it to me. The cash was in different kinds of bills, some large and some small, and the total amount was about 130 yuan. I asked her, "Why are you giving me this?" She said, "I know you need money to make truth-clarifying materials. This is my small contribution. I was detained for such a long time, during which I did nothing to clarify the truth. After I was released, my family started to worry about my safety, so they don't allow me to come out. I said I was very bored, and wanted to come out to do some grocery shopping. They agreed. I saved some money by being thrifty in the shopping. When I have more, I will find you again and give it to you. After all, I have to contribute to the cause of saving sentient beings, even a little bit." She took some truth-clarifying materials and left. I said to myself while watching her walk away, "The solid heart of Dafa practitioners toward Dafa cannot be changed by any evil tribulations and persecution."
Story Three
One day in the summer of 2003, a practitioner put a small bag in my hands. It felt pretty heavy. I asked the practitioner, "What is this?" The practitioner asked me to open it. Inside the bag there were a lot of 50 cent coins, and 1 yuan bills, tidily rolled together. There were also some small bills. Altogether, there was about 50 to 60 yuan in the bag. I asked the practitioner, "Whose money is this?" The practitioner said, "This is from Xiao Min (alias). She wanted me to give the money to the truth-clarifying production site. Hearing that I did not want to take her money, she insisted, and she almost started to cry. I didn't have a choice but to bring the money to you."
Xiao Min is a young Dafa practitioner, who is still going to school (probably middle or high school). Her mother, a Dafa practitioner, was abducted several times by the persecutors and is currently detained in a detention center. Xiao Min also went to Beijing to validate Dafa. The persecutors arrested the young girl and detained her in a detention center. Her school also dismissed her. Later on, Xiao Min's dad had to use his personal relationships in order to get her back into school. Her mom is still being detained; her dad is also being monitored by his work unit, despite the fact that he is not a practitioner. Xiao Min has to take care of herself as a result.
Looking at the money with tears in my eyes, I said, "The kid's mom is not at home; she saved the money penny by penny. Why didn't you leave some for her?" The fellow practitioner said, "I did want to leave some for her, but she refused firmly. She said that the money was saved for Dafa, for making truth-clarifying materials, not for herself; she said she could take care of herself, and she asked us not to worry about her." I accepted the "heavy" bag and the pure heart of the young practitioner.
In the past two years, our truth-clarifying material production site has run smoothly with the continuous contribution of numerous practitioners. However, knowing how difficult the money was saved and came to us, we cherished every penny and never wasted any of it. Many Dafa practitioners saved the money from their breakfast, their groceries, clothes, and even ice cream bars, from young practitioners. Only with all the contributions could we produce CDs that move people to tears, pretty brochures and fliers that shake people's souls.
Dafa practitioners don't seek fame, money, or rewards. We distribute free truth-clarifying materials and CDs with only one wish: to save you from the lies and slanders toward Dafa from Jiang's followers, so that you are no longer deceived and endangered by them.
All Dafa practitioners are saving sentient beings with their pure hearts, because our practitioners have truly benefited from cultivating Dafa. Dafa brought us healthier bodies, higher moral standards, and a happier family life. We want to speak out about all the blessings and goodness Dafa brought us, so that everyone in this world can share them with us.
Notes:
(1) yuan -- Chinese currency, the monthly salary for an average Chinese urban worker is about 500 yuan.
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Category: Perspectives
