(Minghui.org) I have struggled with words since I was a child. As an adult, I also struggle with reading people’s facial expressions and body language, and interacting with them. Having lived in the United States for thirty years, my work and life have been in mainstream society, so clarifying the truth is mostly directed at Westerners.
To share the truth about Dafa and the persecution, I have spoken at city council meetings, set up booths at community events, shown films related to persecution topics, and have often shared the facts at small group gatherings.
It was Dafa that changed me, giving me the courage and wisdom to approach mainstream society and assist Master in validating the Fa. I want to share some of the insights I have gained over the past twenty years.
Eliminating Impatience
I am from mainland China. Before I came into contact with mainstream Western society, I was not aware of my own Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture. I thought that all people in the world were the same as us mainlanders: loud, impetuous, and self-centered. I only realized these problems thanks to the reminders from my Western friends. They reminded me in a polite and often humorous way.
More than 20 years ago, a Western colleague of mine wrote me a note in Chinese with just three characters: stop, look, listen. He was reminding me not to be so impatient. At that time, I would easily get nervous and anxious whenever I encountered problems, and when I was anxious, I would lose my temper. Now, I rarely feel anxious. Nothing is important enough to be anxious about, and it does not help. It is better to deal with things calmly.
Cultivating impatience is a long process. The root of impatience is fear: fear that things will not turn out well, fear that others will blame me, fear of losing face, and fear of loss. To remain calm in the face of difficulties, I must let go of many attachments. If I can do this while clarifying the truth, the results will be good.
I want to share two brief stories. Eight years ago, my husband drove me to a Rotary Club to introduce Falun Dafa and raise awareness of the persecution in China. On the way, we argued over something trivial, and I got out of the car feeling angry. My husband dropped me off and drove away.
When I walked in, I found that the club was relatively small, with only ten people present. Everyone was friendly and greeted me warmly. Their gathering was held in an antique, old-fashioned restaurant with walls adorned with murals and neatly arranged tableware. Everyone behaved with impeccable manners. I felt as though I had been transported to another time and space, facing a group of gentlemen and ladies from ancient times.
When my husband came to pick me up, he soon commented, “How come you have become so polite? You are not angry at all?” I sighed and said that I was with such a well-mannered, intelligent group of people, that they impressed and influenced me. Yes, how can I talk about Dafa with impatience and anger? Master used this scene to remind me.
The second story took place a month ago. The host told me I had thirty minutes to speak, and there were several people before me. I was the last one. I sat there from six in the evening until eight, thinking that the gathering would end at 8:30, and the longer I waited, the less time I would have. I kept checking the clock, feeling increasingly anxious, but the speakers before me were still talking nonstop. Finally, at 8:30 p.m., it was my turn to take the stage. By then, everyone looked exhausted.
For some reason, I suddenly stopped feeling anxious. I walked up to the stage wearing a smile and said, “I thought you were going to wrap up at 8:30. I was secretly happy that I’d get a free dinner and could leave without having to speak.” The audience burst into laughter, and no one was dozing off anymore. Then, I began to talk about Falun Dafa and the persecution. That evening went very well, and I think it was because I let go of my attachment to the outcome and no longer felt tense or rushed. Dafa granted me wisdom.
Long-term Plans and Credibility
When the persecution first started, people had a short-term mentality about it and were unwilling to consider plans for a few months or years ahead. I applied to host a photography exhibition at a public library in 2002. It was free, but the earliest opportunity for the actual exhibition was six months away.
Some practitioners opposed the opportunity, saying that the Fa-rectification might end in six months, which would be too late. I still applied. I thought, since it was free, why not give it a try? If others didn't have time to go, I would organize it myself. Six months later, we held the photo exhibition as scheduled.
There are many excellent opportunities to share the truth about Dafa in Western mainstream society, but they require planning several months in advance. Activities organized by ordinary groups are also planned well in advance, with speakers and topics determined months ahead of time. If we only want to act quickly without making long-term plans, we can only distribute flyers outside the venue at the last minute. By applying in advance to participate, we can set up a booth, have more time to speak, and present the topics openly and confidently, which is much more effective.
If you book an opportunity to talk to a group in advance, you must keep your word. No matter how busy you are on that day, you must go. If you are unable to attend, you must notify the other party as soon as possible so that they can pass the opportunity on to another group. This demonstrates your accountability, reliability, and responsibility and may open up future opportunities for you.
In January 2018, I decided to move to New York to accompany my two children who were to study music at the Northern Academy of the Arts in Middletown. After making this decision, I planned to have another practitioner replace me at a Southern California club meeting in February. That practitioner agreed. I mentioned this to the club contact person, and his response surprised me.
He said that they had to hold two meetings to decide whether to let me speak that day. If they wanted to replace me, they would need to review the other person’s resume and hold two more meetings to make a decision. However, they only had one meeting per month, so there wasn’t enough time to make the change by the following month. I didn’t realize that replacing a speaker would be so complicated. Ultimately, I booked a flight and flew back from New York to attend the event. This incident also reflects the people-oriented spirit of Western society.
Establishing Solid Relationships
If you want to establish yourself in mainstream society, you need to lay a solid foundation, make friends, and build a reputation.
Our region reached out to local organizations to promote Shen Yun in 2011. A group of practitioners made contacts and, after securing a time slot, brought along those who spoke well to introduce Shen Yun.
One practitioner contacted a very small Rotary Club, and the coordinator asked me to give the presentation. The practitioner responsible for making the arrangements felt that the club was too small, so she did not accompany me. When I arrived, they were surprised and said they had not invited me. The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so I explained that I was her friend and she couldn’t come at the last minute, so I was there to speak on her behalf.
In Western society, people respect individual commitments. Once someone is designated to speak, they shouldn’t be replaced lightly. It’s like if someone invites you to their home for a visit and you decide not to go at the last minute, then send someone else instead—the host would certainly be upset.
Imagine if the U.S. Secretary of State were to speak about U.S.-China relations. Many people would pay $500 to attend. But if an unknown speaker were to address the same topic, no one would be willing to pay, let alone bother to attend.
In CCP culture, people are treated like insignificant individuals who can be easily replaced. This mentality is easily carried over into Falun Dafa projects, where the unique connections, characteristics, long-established community ties, and friendships of each practitioner may be ignored. Failure to utilize practitioners' strengths effectively, and instead to coordinate haphazardly, will result in twice the work for half the result.
I have established long-term, stable relationships with certain organizations. They actively invite us to share the truth, promote our cause, and they provide various forms of support every year.
We all have ordinary colleagues, neighbors, and friends, and I always attend their gatherings. Whenever I go out, there is always an opportunity to share the truth or lay the groundwork for future discussions.
When my children were in elementary school, I met a retired teacher from their school. This teacher and their spouse got along well with my children and they invited us to their family holiday gatherings every year. I attended every time.
When the children were young, they would perform dances and play musical instruments at gatherings, and I would tell them stories about traditional Chinese culture. This couple once invited me to dinner specifically to learn more about Falun Dafa. Other friends I met at the gatherings also arranged for me to speak about Dafa at their organizations. This circle of teachers has become our long-term supporters.
Promoting Kindness and Clarifying Truth with Wisdom
When clarifying the truth, we cannot be selective about who we talk to; we often face people who are different from us. No matter how different our views are from theirs, we must not provoke them, or we will not be able to have them understand Falun Dafa and the persecution.
Once, a doctor was talking to me about gun control in the United States, arguing that guns should be banned completely, and he wanted me to share my view.
I could only say, “A complete ban on guns would also cause problems. Our family enjoys driving to national parks for camping, and in remote areas, we need to refuel, eat, and find lodging. I noticed some hotels posted signs that they had guns for protection. Those places are an hour's drive from the nearest police station. Without a gun, how would you protect yourself? If their business closes, travelers would be in a bind—they wouldn't even have a place to refuel.” The doctor suddenly understood, “You're right! We really should consider issues from different perspectives!”
Some questions are not so easy to answer. Sometimes, the other person keeps criticizing Republican policies, such as abortion or stopping funding for left-wing universities. I don't want to lie or get into an argument, so I say, “Most policies are well-intentioned, but it's difficult for policymakers to see the big picture. Good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes. That’s why we need to listen to different perspectives and try different policies. That’s the beauty of democracy. So your concern for current events is very important.” Such a response, no matter how different the other person’s views may be from ours, will be well-received, and they will respect us and see us as a friend.
Every question can have a different answer. I observe the other person's reaction and then think carefully about how I can respond more effectively in the future. One of the most frequently asked questions is, “You criticize the CCP so much. Aren't you afraid they will track you down and persecute you?”
This question is really difficult to answer. If I say I'm afraid, the other person will also be scared and might not want to hear the truth anymore. If I'm not afraid, it is equivalent to denying the CCP's transnational repression that we are talking about.
I’ve been giving a lot of thought about how to respond, and this is what I’ve decided to say: “Of course I’m afraid. I hesitated for an entire year before deciding to speak out. But now that I’ve taken this step, there’s no turning back. I might as well do more. Freedom comes at a cost and involves risks, but I feel much better now than I did twenty years ago. Many people are talking about these issues, and when we share the burden together, the pressure on each individual is lighter. I don’t consider myself a whistleblower. I want to be the one who hands out the whistles. Today, you’ve learned the truth, and you’ll tell your family and friends. Then, everyone becomes a whistleblower. That’s the best support you can give me.”
When people hear this, they applaud me. It awakens their kindness and encourages them to take action to support Falun Dafa, the true purpose of sharing the truth.
Another issue that has been troubling me is that many groups prefer speakers who are well-known figures among everyday people, accomplished and successful individuals, or leaders of prominent organizations. I have none of these qualifications—I am not a professor, have no notable achievements, am not famous, do not lead any group, and have never even coordinated a team in the truth-clarification project.
Master enlightened me through feedback from ordinary people on how to respond, but it took me a long time to fully understand.
Four years ago, a practitioner from another state, through her connections, made arrangements for me to speak at a larger local organization about Falun Dafa. The chairman of that organization later told me that some members of their leadership did not understand why they were not inviting a university professor to speak about China, as they had done in the past. Then he said, “I have already heard many university professors speak. This time, I want to hear someone who has lived in communist China speak about China.”
Last month, the head of a club told me that the speakers at their events were all members of Congress or renowned university professors. The implication was that I wasn't qualified enough. In the past, I would have just given up, but that day, I finally figured out the answer. I replied, “You've heard so many experts' opinions; sometimes, it's also good to hear what everyday people think.” The person immediately responded, “Yes, yes, you’re right.” A week later, I received an invitation from the group.
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Category: Clarifying the Truth
