(Minghui.org) I often help out at a Falun Dafa information booth located at the entrance to a well-known cultural landmark in Taiwan. There is a constant stream of people passing by. The site was originally established primarily for Chinese tourists to see and hear the facts about Falun Dafa.
As the political situation between Taiwan and China continues to change, the number of Chinese tourists has decreased significantly. We have adjusted our approach and expanded our outreach to local residents and international tourists.
We have had many encounters at the site, and I would like to share the experiences of several seniors. Their advanced age seemed to make their eagerness and longing to learn the Fa even more pronounced.
A 74-Year-Old Food Delivery Man
One hot afternoon, an older food delivery man who looked tanned and hearty sat down near us on a bench to cool off and take a break. He saw several Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrating the exercises and asked, “Is this Falun Gong? What health benefits do you get from practicing it?”
After I explained some basic facts about Falun Dafa to him, he raised his voice and said, “I knew it. Doing these exercises makes you healthy! Why does the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] keep suppressing Falun Gong practitioners as if they were enemies? It’s because Falun Dafa is a Buddhist teaching, it is a faith. The CCP is atheistic, so it doesn’t believe in God and doesn’t want anyone else to believe in God, either. I am a Christian, and I know the CCP also persecutes Christians in China.
“Unlike most people, I listen and think things through for myself rather than blindly following what others say.”
I gave him a thumbs-up and he then asked, “You said that Falun Gong is now widely practiced in over a hundred countries. It must be very good. So how does one get started? I would really like to learn more and explore it further.”
I sensed that he had a strong desire to seek the Way and was eager to obtain the Fa, so I explained the concepts of cultivation to him.
He told me, “I have actually been to more than a dozen churches. I eventually found my current church when I was 40, 34 years ago. I agree with its teachings.”
I said, “You have been searching for the Way!”
He replied, “Of course I have to search for it. Do you have a copy of Zhuan Falun? I want to read it right now! I’ll buy a copy from you.”
I gave him a copy of Zhuan Falun and reminded him of a few things to pay attention to while he read it. He immediately understood: “Treat it as if God were present as I read. God is always by my side. I understand this, and I will put it into practice.”
He opened the book then and there, and started to read. About half an hour later, he got a call for an interview for a position as a long-term care provider and had to leave. He told me, “Do you know why I am applying for this job? I want to share the Gospel. Caring for elderly people involves spending long hours with them, so I’ll be able to share good news like this with them while I work.”
I reminded him to finish the book in a short time. He assured me, “Don’t worry, I definitely will!” He carefully secured the book on the very top of the delivery box and covered it with plastic to protect it from the elements.
He smiled, waved goodbye, and said, “Be sincere and respectful in the presence of the words of the Divine—as if God were watching. I can do that even as a beginner on the path of cultivation. See you again next time.”
An Elderly Man from Ireland
One drizzly afternoon, an elderly gentleman passed by. He seemed to be lost. Suddenly he said, “Ouch, my foot! It really hurts.”
I quickly helped him steady himself and asked if he would be willing to recite two auspicious phrases with me: “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” He agreed and even insisted that I teach him how to pronounce the phrases in Chinese. He slowly repeated the nine Chinese characters one by one, and his foot pain soon subsided.
He told me that he was from Dublin, Ireland. More than once, he had encountered large rallies in Dublin protesting the persecution, so he was aware of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong. He supported the practice, but he didn’t know much about it.
After the pandemic, he began spending at least half of every year in Taiwan, primarily to study traditional Chinese medicine. He had long term insomnia, and his legs shook uncontrollably. He had tried going to the gym and practicing Tai Chi and yoga, but nothing had helped. After trying both Eastern and Western doctors without success, he decided to study traditional Chinese medicine on his own. His Chinese was good enough to understand pharmacology, including medicinal herbs and prescriptions.
I smiled and said, “Today, you have found the true elixir, better than any other remedy! It’s truly miraculous, but only if you become a Dafa practitioner.”
His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he became like a child: “I will! Tell me, how can I become a practitioner? Do you know that I can only sleep two or three hours a day? I am always drowsy and lack energy during the day. I have suffered for many years.”
I showed him the Falun Dafa website and navigated to the Dafa books and exercise instruction videos, explaining each one in detail. Since he lived in a remote area, I suggested that he begin by studying online on his own. It would be better if he could join the group exercise sessions on holidays.
He said that he felt that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance were very meaningful and asked about the meaning of each character in Chinese and English.
Unfortunately, my English is limited, but I encouraged him to finish reading Zhuan Falun as soon as possible. He replied, “I will, definitely. I can’t wait to read it. I’ll also introduce it to my Chinese teacher!”
A Retired Chinese-American Couple
One evening as a light drizzle fell, an older woman came by and asked, “Can I have a copy of this newspaper? Since arriving in Taiwan, I haven’t had a chance to read any of your local papers yet.”
We invited her and her husband to take shelter under the large umbrella at our booth. They told us that they had lived in the U.S. for several decades. After returning to China a few days earlier to visit relatives, they had come to Taiwan to do some sightseeing.
The woman said, “Taiwan is so famous now. This is our first time here, but we do not want to see those skyscrapers or innovative developments. We have seen so many of them in mainland China. There is no traditional charm left over there.”
Taking this as a starting point, I said, “Taiwan has preserved and carried on traditional Chinese culture, so, as a society, we are more civil and pay more attention to proper etiquette than on the mainland. The chaos in mainland society stems from the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners who cultivate according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The prevalence of Party culture, which promotes lying, evil and strife, has led to a general decline in morality and caused the entire Chinese population to suffer.”
I told them that Falun Dafa had once been widely practiced throughout China. During that time, people were drawn toward goodness, their moral standards improved, and they benefited both physically and mentally. More than 100 million people had embarked on the path of returning to their true selves.
The wife immediately said, “Oh my, we didn’t know any of this. I came from China, but we were in the U.S. by that time. Our only concern then was to survive and live a life of freedom that we had never been able to experience in China. We missed out on so many things. Do you have a copy of Zhuan Falun? I really want to read it.”
The husband said, “Falun Gong is so wonderful. I hope my wife will start learning and practicing it right away. It’s been a few years since she retired, and she has been complaining all the time that she can’t keep up with what’s popular in American society. When she goes back to China, she feels out of place. I am so tired of hearing it. I never expected that she would be so happy to learn about Falun Gong. It is as if she has found a treasure. I think she came here specifically to find Falun Gong. Please tell her more about it.”
We talked for more than three hours. They had completely forgotten that they were tired and hungry.
I think this is the indescribable excitement and elation people feel when they first hear about Dafa. The moment they form a connection with Dafa, everything else seems to pale in comparison.
I am profoundly grateful to Master Li for arranging for me to clarify the truth at tourist attractions. Every time I see people’s heartfelt longing for the Fa and the eagerness on their faces as they wait to learn about Dafa, I am reminded to cherish this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and never let up.
Category: Clarifying the Truth
