(Minghui.org) Many Falun Gong practitioners use social media to clarify the truth. The following are a few concerns I have regarding this most important matter.
Posting Master Li’s Photos, Portrait, and the Falun Emblem
Social media is awash with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) paid trolls, whose sole role is to relentlessly slander and defame Falun Gong.
Some of these people even dare to forge Master Li’s name, post misleading information about the Falun emblem, and modify Master Li’s portraits on their websites.
I believe that practitioners who post Master Li’s portrait or the Falun emblem, on social media sites, are indirectly helping these bad people defame Falun Gong.
Master Li said,
“That’s because the Internet is like the Devil. There are all sorts of things there, and it’s the vilest of places—it is the product of humanity gone bad. Why would we want to add our things into the mix? Why would we want to toss our beautiful works into that pit?” (“2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C.”)
Using “Falun Gong” or “Falun Dafa” as Social Media User Names
Some practitioners use “Falun Gong” or “Falun Dafa” as their social media user names. This is definitely not right.
Unlike practitioners, ordinary people are unaware that no one can represent Dafa. However, when everyday people see these usernames, they might mistaken them as being official Falun Gong or Falun Dafa social media accounts.
If an ordinary person's view differs sharply from what they think are official Falun Dafa's views, they may develop bad thoughts towards Falun Gong. In this case, the person may lose the opportunity to be saved.
If an ordinary person had the predestined relationship to take up the practice of Dafa in the future, but your carelessness caused them to lose this opportunity, then that is no trivial matter!
Posting Master Li’s Teaching on Social Media
Master addresses this issue in “Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference.”
“Disciple: Hong Yin III and Hong Yin IV have many of Master's published lyrics. Can I send them to relatives and friends via WeChat?
“Master: It's not a problem to send them to relatives and friends, but you'd better not use ordinary people's websites.
“Speaking of this, let me tell you that some people videotaped Shen Yun performances and Fei Tian College's dance classes without permission and posted them online. Do you know why I didn't have these Shen Yun DVDs distributed in society and place them online? This society is already a mess, and on the Internet all bad things are stirred in, just like demons, circulating. Whatever goes in is stirred in there or mixed in there, disrupting society, the human mind, and morality, and changing people's living state—the good and the bad are all jumbled together. I don't want to put this sacred thing in that demon's den. Whoever did it, take it down. Of course, this does not include Shen Yun commercials and the things Fei Tian College purposely put there. In the future they will be brought out for display, and that is the best.”
Also, due to the limited posting space on some social media platforms, it's not possible to post multiple paragraphs of Master's teachings. Thus, an everyday person might misunderstand what you posted, which in turn could mislead others.
Of course, it's not a problem for practitioners to refer to Master Li’s teaching, while clarifying the truth, or telling people what Master said about a specific issue.
Using Shen Yun’s Things on Social Media
Some practitioners have posted edited versions of Shen Yun photos and videos on their social media accounts. This is unacceptable.
Since the design of Shen Yun posters and video content are strictly controlled, no one is allowed to add, edit, or modify them, except Shen Yun designers.
In addition, no one is allowed to post upcoming Shen Yun ad designs on social media, before Shen Yun officially makes them public.
Master Li said,
“So if you’re not mindful and you put Shen Yun footage or recordings online, other people might grab them from the Internet. But bear in mind that many of Shen Yun’s things—including Shen Yun’s music—are of the heavens. If simply anyone could download them from the Internet, and they were used to attack Dafa or were used as part of the most vile of things in human society, how would you feel? You’d be the one who made it possible! You can see the problem, right?” (“2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C”)
Also, when introducing Shen Yun to others, be careful not to give people the impression that you're somehow associated with or represent Shen Yun. In actuality, no human being can represent Shen Yun.
Concerning Safety Issues
The CCP has infiltrated virtually every social media platform outside of China. They employ thousands of people to attack anyone who dares point out the true nature of the Party, or who disagrees with its warped view of the world.
Since the CCP cannot control what people outside of China search for or download from the Internet, it's perennially afraid of being exposed for what it is.
Thus, practitioners in China—who browse overseas social media sites—should not connect their cell phone numbers directly to these sites.
If a phone number is required to sign up for a specific social media account, use a free Google Voice phone number, instead.
Many practitioners received warnings from CCP security agents, due to the fact that they used non-secured VPNs, or connected their cell phone numbers to their social media accounts.
Practitioners should remember that we're using the Internet to save people. Thus, we must guard against getting addicted to wanting to read something novel or new in the news.
Don't waste precious time browsing social media sites. If we're not careful, we could develop a mentality of seeking justice for some perceived wrong done by a person or group, or wish for some result or outcome regarding an international affair.
In addition, practitioners in China should not use social media for sharing cultivation experiences. Rather, they should share them face-to-face or via Minghui.org or the Minghui mailbox.
Avoid Using High Level Principles When Clarifying the Truth
Master Li has repeatedly told us not to use high-level principles in our truth clarification efforts. Since there are practitioners on social media who don't take this issue seriously, they have unwittingly driven some everyday people away.
For example, one practitioner foolishly stated on his social media page, “So-and-so Buddha salutes so-and-so Falun Dafa disciple.” This statement has nothing to do with our truth-clarification work!
If someone with nefarious motives took a screenshot of these words, they could use it to attack Dafa.
Many people today claim to be atheists. Others don't believe that practicing qigong can heal illnesses. Everyday people simply cannot understand high-level principles.
Ordinary people in China have listened to the evil CCP’s propaganda for many years. So it's hard for them to all of a sudden change their mindset.
As practitioners, we should be compassionate towards others while clarifying the truth. This ensures that even if a person doesn't accept the things we're talking about, they'll still be left with a good impression of us and Falun Dafa.
Also, if you talk too aggressively, others may intuitively doubt your words. Thus, your truth-clarification efforts might fall far short.
With regards to the people the CCP hired to discredit Falun Gong, just clarify the truth to them, without getting into verbal confrontations with them.
I hope that practitioners who do truth-clarification work—using overseas social media—will use their wisdom to save more beings!
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Improving Oneself
