(Clearwisdom.net) Several Falun Dafa practitioners including myself established a Quit the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Service Center a year ago in Garibong-dong, a Chinese neighborhood in Seoul, Korea, on May 20, 2007. We've gradually learned how to explain the facts to people, and more and more people have awakened from Communist Party propaganda.
A sign that reads "Quit the CCP Center" with a subtitle, "What are you waiting for now that the Party has been yanked from its roots?"
Passersby stop to read placards in the winter
Taking it all in
A banner with the words, "Falun Dafa;" "Truth, Compassion and Tolerance"
VCDs, pamphlets and flyers produced by Falun Dafa practitioners are distributed free of charge
Gradual awakening
"Hello, can I ask you something?" A young Chinese man approached me after circling our table for most of the morning. "Sure," I said with a smile. "Right now, I have terrible lower back pain. Do you think you can help me with it? Honestly, when you guys were doing the sitting meditation a while ago, I stood next to you and the pain was much relieved." "Well, if you have the courage, the best thing to do is to practice Falun Gong." "But I still have to go back to China, so I cannot practice yet. Some time ago I visited a relative in the countryside during Chinese New Year. Many people in the village had received materials from Falun Gong practitioners that explain what really happened during these years [since the persecution began]. When I read those pamphlets I said to myself, 'Hey, I saw this information back in Korea.'" "So, you must have already quit the Party, then?" I asked. He nodded. I advised him, "Always remember Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, be a good person, and practice at home if you are afraid of the Party, and come to us for help if you need it." He nodded again and left with a look of trust and appreciation on his face.
One morning, right after I set out the exhibition boards a man quietly came over to read them. I was busy sorting the materials, hanging up banners and organizing the place, so I didn't talk to him right away and thought, "I'll let him look around first." He didn't say anything and simply perused the pictures and articles. Then he approached our table and wrote on the form to withdraw from the Party. When I finished my work I picked up the form and saw the word, "Awakened"--that was the nickname he used to quit the Party; a comment that is also reflective of many people's state of mind.
Another practitioner told me an interesting story. One day she met a Chinese man who agreed to quit the Party after the practitioner explained the facts to him. Surprisingly, they shared the same name, and the man was amazed, "Wow! I guess something's going on here. Maybe now is the time for me to really say goodbye to the Party!" Another time, her boss mistakenly direct-deposited her colleague's salary into her bank account. As soon as she discovered the error she immediately returned the money. Her colleague was touched by her honesty. He came to the Quit the CCP Center over the weekend and insisted on giving her money as a gesture of gratitude. She refused to accept the money and instead told him of the crimes the CCP is guilty of. He subsequently renounced his membership in the Party.
Falun Dafa practitioners are a whole body
More and more Chinese people in Korea have learned the truth and quit the Party. I often hear people say, "I already quit back in China;" "I did this a long time ago;" "I saw something like this in Myongdong;" "I heard about this at the Entry-Exit Administration;" "I withdrew in Ansan" [where lots of Chinese immigrants live]; or, "I saw Falun Gong materials during a trip to Hong Kong." Their answers inspired me, and I gained a deeper understanding of the inner meaning of, "Falun Dafa practitioners are a whole body."
The Entry-Exit Administration and the Ansan Quit the CCP Service Center have had a tremendous impact on the withdrawal from the Party movement. Many Chinese people learned the facts about Falun Gong, the persecution, and the crimes of the Party for the first time at the Entry-Exit Administration. One practitioner stays there all year long [during business hours] rain or shine, and many days she is the only person there. Each morning she has to lug around heavy exhibition boards and position them correctly. It's really hard work. Compared to her, we maintain the Center in Garibong-dong only once a week, on Sundays, but I still complain about the lack of manpower. Once I met this practitioner at the Entry-Exit Administration on a freezing winter day and asked her, "Is it difficult on days like this?" She smiled and said, "It's nothing. This is what I choose to do." I was a little embarrassed about my selfish attitude and promised myself I would keep the Center in Garibong-dong going, even if I were the only person there.
Many practitioners in Korea have a natural reflex about Ansan whenever the phrase "Quit the CCP" is mentioned. In fact, though I don't know Ansan practitioners personally, but what I hear the most in Garibong-dong is, "I already quit the Party in Ansan." One day a man came to us hoping to get some materials. He looked at everything on our table but still was not satisfied. In the end he said, "Well, you've definitely got lots of things to learn from the folks in Ansan!" There is not a great number of practitioners in Ansan, and they had to overcome lots of hardships to do what they did. In my opinion, the reason they did so well is because they cooperated well and were able to persist throughout the years. In my heart/mind I harbored a wish that one day many Chinese people in Korea would say, "I quit the Party in Garibong-dong!"
Dealing with attack
Back during its infant stage, the Quit the CCP Center in Garibong-dong saw lots of angry mobs. Some sent our placards flying through the air with a long kick; others tore up flyers and threw them back in our face; some swore at us, and some tried to physically assault us. Despite their animosity, what I saw without exception were sweet smiles on the faces of my fellow practitioners, as well as clear and kind eyes, patient explanations and rational words, without any hint of frustration or resentment. I thought, "Falun Dafa endowed us with a big heart, and Truth, Compassion and Tolerance allowed us to handle insult and misunderstanding with resilience and composure."
One morning, right after we finished setting everything out, two men started screaming at us saying, "You are traitors! You don't have a conscience! You wouldn't have the guts to say these things in China! You make all of us Chinese lose face!" A large crowd of mostly Chinese soon formed, and they accused us of various things. The two men felt empowered. They raised their voices and began kicking at our boards. One man even pulled a knife and tried to slash the boards. One practitioner shouted, "Everyone, please calm down. We are all Chinese; so, let us talk without spitballs or fists. If we've done anything wrong, please point it out and we'll thank you for it. Regardless of whether you think Falun Gong is good or bad, I hope you reached your conclusion via rational and critical thinking. The truth is, Falun Gong is severely persecuted in China. Practitioners are killed on an almost daily basis, and they are our brothers and sisters! Today, we've made up our minds that we must disintegrate the Communist Party, an evil specter that has sabotaged the Chinese race all these years, and we believe the end of the Party is imminent. You know, the heavens are eliminating the CCP right now. Please, think about it from your own experience: what has the Party done to us over the years?"
The crowd quieted down following this speech. An old man, however, remained highly emotional. I walked up to him and whispered, "Grandpa [a term of respect for the elderly], don't get mad; feel free to get everything off your chest. Anger, however, won't do you any good!" Some people continued to vent in a low voice, some bent down to read the words on the placards, and some came to us and asked for materials. That was the end of what could have been a violent confrontation. Not a single practitioner was riled, and of course not one tried to run away.
Things like this happened less and less, and we were able to handle incidents in a more mature manner as time went on. Nowadays, a heartfelt smile from us is enough to dissolve any hostility.
Growing in the cracks
Garibong-dong is a bustling neighborhood. It took us lots of time, energy and effort to create an environment in which people felt safe to learn about what we were doing and to eventually quit the Party. A few typical scenarios include Chinese people who oppose and even purposely interfere with us, and drunkards and bums who sometimes kick up a row, just for the heck of it. Also, the teeming downtown area is always jam-packed and every inch of land is gold.
An enormous number of Chinese people pass through the major commercial street in Garibong-dong on a daily basis, so we decided to set up our Center there. Suffice it to say, we had no shortage of experiencing "a roaming lifestyle." Soon a shoe vendor took up the spot we had first staked out for our exhibition boards, so we decided to move next to a secondhand electronic store. The owner immediately protested, so we moved again to a place near a pharmacy. The owner didn't say anything at first, but after a while he felt that we were making him lose business, so he asked us to leave. We looked everywhere and eventually settled near a temporary police department administrative office that was usually vacant. Although the police officer on patrol duty asked us to move we really had nowhere else to go; as we explained things to the police, they gradually turned into our supporters. One morning I tried to hang the sign for the Quit the CCP Service Center on the office window and suddenly saw a police officer inside. I was startled and thought, "Isn't he going to reproach me?" To my surprise he came out and said to me, "You are braving the cold! Great job!" I almost cried and thought, "What a wonderful person! Why can't the Chinese police treat people like this?" By now, our Center has gained a strong foothold in Garibong-dong.
There used to be lots of drunkards who came over just to kill time. They would ask for money, or ask for flyers and put them under beer bottles, or they would scream and sometimes even try to damage our placards. As always, we tried our best to advise them against inappropriate behavior as kindly as we could. I can't pinpoint the exact date when fewer drunkards came, but it did slow down, and those who still came stopped acting unreasonably. Over time, many Koreans understood us. Some encouraged us, some bought hot coffee for us, and a few days ago, someone gave us a large watermelon.
The Power of the Divine Land Marching Band
At times, for various reasons, only a few practitioners are able to make it to the Center. When I look at the throngs of Chinese people walking to and fro, I feel anxious and helpless, because there are not enough of us to help them. The happiest days come when the Divine Land Marching Band presents itself. The drums and trumpets uplift our spirits, and our hearts are filled with pride at the sight of the Falun Dafa banner and the amazing formation. Instantly, people stop in their tracks, and their eyes turn toward the band. Regardless of whether they have a good understanding of Falun Gong, at that moment everyone is touched by the music exuding vigor and grace, and perhaps the powerful drums will nudge them towards more serious thinking later on.
Endnote
The Quit the CCP Service Center in Garibong-dong helps an average of between 40 and 50 people quit the Party every Sunday. One day so many practitioners arrived that we almost took up the entire street. A record-breaking 130 people withdrew from the Party on that particular day. During the past year we only interrupted our schedule on three occasions: during the Korea Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Conference; when we participated in a large activity in Seoul to talk to the Chinese people, and once during the Chinese Spectacular by Divine Performing Arts in Korea. We have not done as well as some of the other Quit the CCP centers around the world, but I simply want to stress the paramount importance of perseverance.
I also want to lend moral support to fellow practitioners in Flushing. Please, do not forget that you will always have millions of fellow practitioners as well as kind-hearted people standing behind you all around the world.
We need to devote more effort to Chinatowns across the globe. Let us strive to meet our Master's expectations, take solid steps on the final leg of our sacred journey and fulfill our grand vows.
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