(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am a Falun Gong practitioner from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Taiwanese practitioners have been volunteering their time and effort to clarify the facts about Falun Gong at various tourist places for eight years. I currently volunteer to speak to tourists in Xiziwan. We encountered relatively few mainland Chinese visitors during the early years of the persecution and often went to Hong Kong during holidays. As of last year, however, large groups of mainland Chinese tourists started to come to Taiwan, and recently the crowds grew even larger.
At the beginning, we were not as experienced as Hong Kong practitioners in conversing with mainland tourists, but learned from them to put up exhibition boards and banners. However, we had nonstop conflicts among practitioners, and the evil took advantage of our gaps. The police came, and government officials told us to move. After discussions with government representatives, we eventually were again given permission to carry out these activities.
When we reflected on our experiences and shared our understandings of why we had such disruptive clashes, we discovered two main reasons: We had different ideas and opinions and were attached to them, and each of us focused on changing others instead of changing ourselves. Some practitioners thought things should be done in a certain way, and other practitioners thought they should be done differently. We could not reconcile our opinions and could not reach an agreement. However, this project required cooperation of the whole body instead of one person doing whatever he pleases.
Master said:
"It's not like Gods see that your idea worked and then they raise your level. Instead, they only raise your level when they see that your understanding of it has improved." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")
We also should not form opinions about fellow practitioners, for example, thinking who is and who is not difficult to communicate with. Such notions may cause or magnify a rift among practitioners, leading to unwanted circumstances. If I interact with a practitioner without any emotional attachments or notions, he or she would feel my sincerity. We should always have the kind of compassion that melts steel. Although we aren't able to do it at all times, we should strive toward this goal.
I would also like to share some other experiences related to our truth-clarification efforts. One day, a man from the mainland sat across the street, staring at our exhibition boards. I approached him and asked: "Sir! Have you ever joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Communist Youth League, or the Young Pioneers? May I help you withdraw?" He shook his head in response. Then I quietly spoke with him about the torture that Falun Gong practitioners have suffered at the hands of the CCP, and how I have benefited from the practice. Afterward, his eyes turned red, and he wiped away tears. During our conversation, I learned that he was an official on the Olympics committee.
We also encountered interference. One day while I was talking to a group of Chinese tourists, a middle-aged man tried several times to burn my face with a cigarette. Another time, while we broadcasted messages about the CCP's crimes via a loudspeaker, someone poured water into the electric socket that we were using.
On a separate occasion, the front windows of our broadcast van were smashed.
We often hear mainland tourists brag about how powerful China is now, and how they would not have been able to travel abroad without the Communist Party's rule. To them I say: "Taiwan doesn't have a communist party, but we could travel abroad 30 years ago. Mainland China attracts investors because of its cheap labor. However, there is no guarantee of your rights in mainland China because it's a dictatorship. China is not truly powerful, because there is no independent media, and the public doesn't know about lots of things that happen there. This is one of the biggest concerns." One person told me, "Everyone curses the Communist Party in mainland China." I then asked, "So why do some tourists praise the Party?" He said, "Because they dare not speak the truth."
Mainland Chinese often ask me how much I get paid for speaking with them. I say to them: "I have a job, and I'm just telling you these facts in my spare time. I am not paid anything. Anyone can expose the persecution, and so can you!"
Some Christians that I meet say: "I believe in God, and He will protect me. There is no need for me to quit the party." Then I remind them of the prophecy in the Book of Revelations and say: "The final judgment will see if you have the mark of the beast, and that will determine whether you will live or die. God is warning people to quit the Party. How can you hold onto God at the same time as you hold onto the evil communist specter? If you believe in God, then believe in His words and quit the Party."
When I ask people to quit the Party, I usually find out what they are thinking and are attached to, so that I can better target their incorrect notions. Mainland Chinese who have been brainwashed by the Communist Party always say that the Party pays their salary, and that they wouldn't be here without the Party. It is hard to rescue someone and to clear their mind.
There is no shortcut in explaining the facts, so the more we speak with people, the more experienced we will become, and the more wisdom we will have. A lot of mainland tourists have already heard some facts elsewhere. When we ask them, "Can I help you by quitting the Party with an alias," many would gladly agree.
I find that it is not difficult to explain the facts at tourist sites. It is most difficult for me to look inward when conflicts arise. Studying the Fa well and cultivating myself well will ensure that I can fulfill my sacred mission to rescue sentient beings.
Above are my personal experiences. Please point out anything inappropriate.
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Category: Clarifying the Truth
