(Minghui.org) Master has explained the importance of telling people the facts about Falun Dafa:
“The Dafa disciples of the world together encompass the whole earth, with each person having a certain reach. All of what you encounter and meet with owes to factors that are present within your expanse. If you can have sufficient righteous thoughts, you can then be towering and massive within your expanse and suppress any bad things that might exist there. Were every Dafa disciple able to achieve this, the entire world would change, since each of you assumes responsibility for a large expanse in this world and represents a certain segment of sentient beings. I often tell you to cultivate inward and to search within yourselves when problems arise. When you clear yourselves at the time of sending righteous thoughts, that is meant to purify and rectify your thinking as well as clean up what is your own share, the domain that you are responsible for.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”, Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume X)
There are many ways we can talk to people about Falun Dafa and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. I live in a well-populated major city that has good transportation, so there are many opportunities to tell people about Dafa. One, for example, is while waiting for or riding the bus. There are subways, high-speed rails, ships, and planes, and their waiting areas all offer opportunities.
Many Falun Dafa practitioners prefer to clarify the truth about the persecution to people outside of their own region or town, due to safety concerns. Because so many practitioners in our area have been arrested, hardly anyone clarifies the truth locally.
I once asked fellow practitioners, “It takes about four or five hours to commute back and forth when you travel elsewhere to talk people about the persecution; do you clarify the truth while you travel? If we all go elsewhere to help Master save people, what about the local residents?”
Several practitioners said, “We don’t talk about Dafa while we’re commuting because it’s not convenient or safe. Instead, we send forth righteous thoughts and recite the Fa.” None of them said they helped local residents know the facts about Dafa.
My understanding is a little different. Besides studying the Fa (teachings) and sending forth righteous thoughts on a regular basis, we should make the best use of our time and go out to help Master save people. My understanding is that we will find ways to talk about Dafa to the people we meet.
There are indeed safety concerns when we talk to people at bus or train stations. There are surveillance cameras almost everywhere, and now the CCP uses facial recognition, gesture recognition, and big data analysis. This has caused challenges to our truth-clarification and Dafa projects. Even a bus is equipped with at least six cameras. There are countless surveillance cameras on the streets. What should we do?
I always send forth righteous thoughts before I go out. I also send forth righteous so the cameras stop working.
As I gained a deeper understanding by reading Master’s teachings, I realized that cameras are also being manipulated by the CCP. Instead of sending forth righteous thoughts to cameras, I now focus on rectifying myself. I always make sure I’m following the Fa and that I have strong faith in Dafa and Master.
As soon as I step out the door, I look for opportunities to talk to people about Falun Dafa. After I arrive at a bus or train station, I look around and pay special attention to those who are holding cell phones. Once when I clarified the truth at a subway station, someone video recorded me and reported me. I was arrested but I was able to safely leave the subway police station.
It seems that people are always waiting at bus or train stations, so whenever possible, I talk a little lourder so that everyone can hear me.
Someone once asked me to teach her the Falun Dafa exercises. Since there were no benches and the ground was relatively clean, I just sat down in the full lotus position and I demonstrated the meditation exercise. Everyone around was amazed because they could not imagine that someone nearly 80 could be so agile. One person said, “If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.”
“This is the miracle of Falun Dafa,” I explained. While applauding me, one person said, “Falun Dafa is indeed great. I agree with what you said, Falun Dafa is lawful and it is those officials [who persecute practitioners] who violate the law!” I asked everyone to remember, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I also distributed amulets with these phrases and everyone was happy to receive them.
One encounters all kinds of people at bus or train stations. Once, I saw man about 40 years old and wondered about how to start a conversation with him. Seeing that he was carrying a plastic bag of medicine, I asked, “Are all these for you?”
“Yes, they are,” he replied. “I’m old and I have health issues.”
“I see,” I nodded, and replied, “I’m almost 80 and I haven’t been sick for 30 years. Can you believe it?”
“You must be kidding! Or you are a divine being?” he asked. “There’s no way you are close to 80. How come you look so young?”
“It’s because I practice Falun Dafa, a meditation system that can improve mind and body. All my illnesses disappeared and the practice also teaches us how to be good people,” I told him.
“The government said Falun Dafa is bad. And you still practice it?” he asked.
“What the government says is not true. Because the number of Falun Dafa practitioners exceeded CCP members, former CCP leader Jiang Zemin was jealous and started the persecution,” I explained. “The Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of belief, and Jiang and the CCP are breaking the law.”
“I see. I was fooled by the CCP!” he said. “Yes, we should all follow the Constitution.”
As our bus approached, I said, “Please remember: Falun Dafa is great! The CCP is lying!”
People inside and outside the bus also heard this. “Someone is talking about Falun Dafa?” one of them said.
I had no fear and continued, “Please remember these words, ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are good!’ It will help you stay safe!”
“Got it! Thank you! Thank you!” the man relied.
“No need to thank me! Master Li Hongzhi asks us to do this!” I told him.
“Thank you, Master Li!” he exclaimed.
I once met a group of tourists at a bus station and they asked me several questions. I answered them one by one.
After the bus arrived, they got on the bus and waved goodbye to me. One of them said, “You are so nice. Thank you!”
“Master Li told me to do this. Please thank him,” I replied.
Everyone smiled and the person replied, “Thank you, Master Li!”
After I got on my bus, I realized I accidentally left the 200-yuan worth of vegetable oil I’d just bought, since I was focused on telling people the facts. But then I thought that was all right because I did the right thing.
Master said, “The Dafa disciples of the Fa-rectification period all have a mission to assist Master in saving people. As such, the Dafa disciples of each region have become the hope of salvation for the people there.” (“To the Italy Fa Conference”) My understanding is that there many people in our area who have not been saved and they are waiting for us.
Every time I get on a bus or train, instead of looking for a seat, I quickly look at the passengers. There are all kinds of people and we cannot ignore safety.
When another practitioner saw me clarifying facts on a bus, she said, “I did not know you could do this here. I just can’t.”
I said, “We are Falun Dafa practitioners and Master is protecting us. Righteous thoughts and righteous actions are part of our cultivation practice. You should give it a try.”
“What you said is right, but it’s easier said than done. I still need to think about it,” she replied.
I told her, “Maybe you need to study the teachings more. Our strength and wisdom come from the Fa. We also need to cultivate compassion. When our compassion surfaces, we naturally find ways to help save people.”
Once, I saw a man riding the bus who was carrying many things: he had a bag on his shoulder, he was carrying some more bags, and he also had a fully loaded shopping cart. When it was time for him to get off the bus, he had a hard time organizing and moving everything, and the bus driver and passengers complained.
I immediately got up from my seat and helped him. After jumping off the bus, I put his things together for him before I quickly jumped back on the bus to avoid delaying the other passengers.
The man repeatedly thanked me and many people on the bus also praised me and said I was a good person. I knew this was another opportunity to clarify the truth, so I said loudly, “No worries. I practice Falun Dafa. How else could a nearly 80-year-old woman help you?”
The bus started moving and people on the bus were excited. Someone said, “You’re almost 80? Are you serious?”
“You jumped down and got back on so quickly. I wouldn’t have believed someone close to 80 could do this if I hadn’t seen it today,” another person added.
“Falun Dafa? The government banned it. How could you still practice it?” a third person said.
Looking at everyone with a smile, I said. “I know you may think this way, but that is not true. First, Article 35 and Article 36 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of belief and freedom of speech. We should follow this instead of someone or some official in the government.
“Plus, the No. 50 document from the General Administration of State Press and Publication in 2011 revoked the ban on Falun Dafa books. Therefore, it is lawful to practice Falun Dafa and read such books. Please don’t say bad things about Dafa—sometimes defamation is considered a crime,” I continued.
One person said, “We didn’t know. I just repeated what they said on television.”
“I know,” I said. “But if we look at all of the CCP’s political campaigns in the past, one would know many groups have been wronged. It’s the same with Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa gave me good health and resolved my illnesses. Otherwise, how could I help like that? Plus, Falun Dafa teaches one to be a good person according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Otherwise, I would probably just take care of myself instead of helping other. Isn’t Falun Dafa great?”
Some people nodded and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the thumbs up with heshi (both palms placed together in front of the chest). The passengers continued discussing what they’d just heard. When I got off the bus, many people waved goodbye and one of them said, “I hope you continue getting younger and younger!”
Once, I saw an older man with gray hair riding the bus. I gave my seat to him and we began chatting. It turned out he was more than 10 years younger than me, but he looked much older and said he was on his way back from seeing a doctor in the hospital.
After he learned my age, he stood up immediately. “You are much older. Please, you should sit here,” he said.
“No problem, please sit since you need the seat more,” I replied with a smile. I said that practicing Falun Dafa made me healthy and willing to help others, adding that otherwise, an old woman close to 80 like me would not do things like this.
“Yes, your actions speak volumes. I believe you. Thank you!” he said.
“No need to thank me. Master Li teaches me to be selfless,” I replied. The people around us also heard the conversation, and some nodded in agreement.
Occasionally, people poisoned by the CCP’s slander will argue with me. One time, a woman said, “How dare you talk about Falun Dafa on a bus? It is a cult and I will call the police to arrest you!”
I was not afraid and said, “We are both lawful citizens. Falun Dafa is not a cult. We have to be careful with what we say.”
Before I could finish, some passengers already stood up for me. “It’s none of your business. Please don’t criticize what you do not know,” one said to the woman.
“This is public space and she [referring to me] has the freedom of speech,” another one said.
“What you are doing?!” someone else asked, addressing the woman. “Don’t do something so silly!”
The woman was quiet from then on. I knew that Master Li was protecting me.
Sometimes, practitioners go out and do not find suitable people to talk to, so they just return home. My thought is that we should be proactive. Once, I heard a couple speaking a Northeastern dialect, so I got off the bus with them and chatted with them.
“Hearing you speaking that dialect, I feel so close to you,” I said.
“Why?” they asked in surprise.
“Have you heard about Master Li Hongzhi from Changchun City in Jilin Province?” I asked.
“Of course. Are you part of that cult?” they asked.
“Come on, please do not say that. Master Li is a great person and I admire him very much. Falun Dafa is innocent and it is Jiang and the CCP who have been slandering the practice with lies,” I explained. I then debunked some of the hate propaganda from the CCP.
“I see. We really don’t know much about it,” the husband replied. “I heard Master Li has ‘fled’ to the United States?”
“Master Li obtained a green card in 1996, three years before the CCP started to persecute Falun Dafa,” I explained. “He went there because people in other places also need to know about Falun Dafa. People in more than 100 countries practice Falun Dafa now.”
We talked for more than one hour and I answered all their questions. “It seems Falun Dafa is indeed extraordinary,” commented the wife. “You look so young and explained things so well. Thank you! Thank you!”
It was a very cold day, but I felt very warm as I walked home. In my heart, I was grateful to Master.
One time, I was a traveling to another province for a Dafa project. During the security check, officials used a metal detector to scan the passengers. They did not check bags in general, but they pulled me to the side to check my bag. I know the officials checked my ID card and they saw the police note in the system.
Due to safety concerns, I did not bring anything about Dafa with me on the trip. So I took this opportunity to clarify the truth.
“Why did you only stop me and check my bag?” I asked. “Probably you checked my ID and know I practice Falun Dafa. But there is nothing wrong with it. The Constitution allows freedom of belief. And no laws say Falun Dafa is illegal.”
I intentionally spoke loudly in the lobby. There was an echo in the lobby, and since I’m from Beijing and speak clearly, the effect was very good. Many people gathered to listen.
One officer got nervous and whispered to me, “Come on. This is an airport. You can leave now.”
I was not afraid, and continued talking loudly, “I am a lawful citizen. You cannot casually violate our rights like this. Falun Dafa practitioners are good people. They deserve respect, not bullying.”
In front the crowds, several officers politely escorted me to the gate. Again, I was thankful to Master Li for the opportunity to clarify the truth.
There are so many stories of this kind. I am sharing some of these stories because I think we practitioners should do more, and do better, to help save people.
(Selected submission for the 22nd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org)