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Clarifying the Truth by Inspiring Good Thoughts In Others

Aug. 26, 2004 |   By Falun Dafa practitioner Zi Zhou

(Clearwisdom.net)

I. Clarifying the truth by calling people in China

It has been a while since I started to clarify the truth to companies in China by calling them at the numbers I found from the business phone book. The effect has been very good. Over 90% of them had positive reactions, and many thanked me after listening to the truth. Some people even asked me, "What can I do to help you?" Even though some people kept silent until I finished talking without giving any comments, I could still feel that they were shocked after hearing the truth.

I have been improving my skills time after time and little by little. I became more and more succinct and straightforward.

I tell them the principles of "good is rewarded with good" as well as the truth of the staged Tiananmen Self-immolation. After I finish, usually I can feel their shock and appreciation. Many said, "Good to know" or "I see." Many of them thanked me.

Occasionally, I would meet someone who didn't understand the truth and was about to hang up the phone. I would seize the moment before he/she hung up and say quickly as if I was talking to a friend, "Don't hang up yet. I've made hundreds of phone calls, and almost everyone thanked me. You may have misunderstood me." Many times, I held them this way until they understood me and said thanks in the end.

Sometimes the other side would give comments, ask questions or challenge me. Then I knew what his/her misunderstanding was and could take the opportunity to clarify the truth to them even more.

It is part of our cultivation practice when we make phone calls to clarify the truth. Our words are powerful. Teacher said, "But today I have imparted a Fa so grand that it can deeply stir everyone's hearts." "Everyone will be deeply stirred by this Fa." ("Lecture at the US East Coast Conference") The principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" have woken us up. They will wake up the world's people as well. Let's get rid of the mentality of fear. The more righteous our hearts are, the more righteous our thoughts are, the more upright our other sides become, and the better the results will be. Let's not lecture to them; instead, let's treat them with sincerity and inspire their good thoughts.

II. Clarifying the truth over the Internet

Chatting over the Internet in a chat room using a microphone has no time limit; therefore it allows us to give out more information to the other side. There are many young people we meet this way who have become indifferent about traditional moral concepts. I focus on leading them to have good thoughts, and then naturally change the topic to the two kinds of attitudes [people have] towards the persecution of Falun Gong. Finally I clarify the truth to them. The result has been very good. Many people were indeed shocked. I remember when we just started practicing cultivation in Dafa, the principles Teacher has articulated to us, such as the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance," the principles of De (virtue) and karma as well as their roles in our lives, changed our conventional way of thinking. We have changed from merely learning to be good people to being practitioners. Today, we are able to pass on to the world's people our understandings at different levels of the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" as well as the wonder of Falun Dafa, and to touch their hearts. Many more people are waiting to hear from us.

I often see such messages in the chat room, "Alas, I had to switch to this room, the other rooms are too disturbing." "Me too. I had to come to this room." I know these are Teacher's Law Body's arrangements to let them come listen to me clarifying the truth. I tend to talk in more depth with those who I know have predestined relationships. For example, a young man from Xinjiang in the Uighur Autonomous Region told me excitedly, "Please send me all of Master's lectures in zipped files, I will risk everything else to read them." He then told me his name, workplace, home address and email address. He said that he had been longing for and preparing for this a long time ago.

We received all kinds of good responses. Many people are waking up from the lies spread by Jiang's group and they appreciate our efforts. They want to make friends with us. I use private chat more often in these cases, so that I can avoid interference from those who vilify us or who come in the middle of a conversation.

III. Clarifying the truth in Chinatown

When practitioners step into society or a crowd, we find numerous opportunities waiting for us to save sentient beings, for example, passers-by, people sitting close to us in restaurants or cafeterias, people riding the same bus with us, chatters, vendors, store attendants, tourist groups from China and older couples from China who are visiting their son or daughter. We can play it by ear to clarify the truth in many circumstances and environments.

I usually say hello to the other party in any circumstance. Sometimes I ask where he/she is from. Sometimes I ask, "Are you from the Northern (or Southern) part of China?" "Are you from the Northeast of China?" Experience helps me to get it correct. This is just warming up. Sometimes I play it by the ear and chat with him/her a little bit before I start to tell them what I want to. For example, I might say, "I'll share something with you, I have been detained in China three times together with other inmates facing the death-penalty or life-imprisonment, just because I practice Falun Gong! Many Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned, and they are suffering brutal torture. Tens of millions of people are practicing Falun Gong. Falun Gong is very good! One will get punishment from Heaven for persecuting the innocent. Good or evil must receive their reward or punishment. You will regret it if you do not give good thoughts to this significant matter. By having good thoughts, you will create a good future for yourself."

I would play it by ear and illustrate some of the benefits as a result of good virtue, and continue, "Please be sure to support Falun Gong. Thank you!" Many people replied, "You're welcome." Some people said, "You bet." And some said, "You've got me." Some said solemnly, "I've kept your words in my heart." Several people said thanks to me while pressing their hands in front of their chest. Since many people in Chinatown arrived in the U.S. not long ago, they undergo physical and mental hardships coping in their new environment. I always encourage and help them, and ask them not to be depressed or anxious. I tell them that most of the success stories in Chinatown are not a result of good education, but that having good virtue was the key for success and good fortune. And furthermore, one should support Falun Gong with a good heart. People wouldn't find me aggressive. Most people accepted my words and thanked me.

I've made lots of friends, [some of] whom surprised me a lot later on. For example, a man from Beijing was having dinner with his girlfriend in a big restaurant with more than a hundred people. He saw me and yelled at me, and also at the rest of people in the restaurant, "Falun Dafa is good!" Another friend I clarified the truth to before, saw me from a distance at the Confucius Plaza and yelled out loud, "Falun Dafa is good!" I walked over to him and said, "Good for you!" I was truly happy for him. A fruit vendor who originally came from the Northeast of China was doing business next to a supermarket. He saw me and said like a brother, "How come I've not seen you for so long? I've been worried about you!" A watch repairman saw me. He greeted me with his hands held in a fist in front of his chest, with tears in his eyes. A man from Northern China introduced me to his friends, "This is my elder sister. She helped me at my most difficult time. She practices Falun Gong!" Then, he pointed to my Falun badge.

We would encounter situations when the other party did not understand us or resisted us. A man did not agree with what I said about good or evil meeting with rewards or punishment. He told me a story. He had a kindhearted friend who owned a restaurant, but he was depressed that he was not getting what he deserved with his good intentions. I asked him to convey the following message to his friend, "Compassion is one's nature. Other people can be less compassionate, but we cannot follow them, because they will lose virtue. It is not a completely bad thing to suffer a little bit. The saints have said, 'If the heavens wants someone to shoulder a big task, the heavens would pain his heart first and labor his body next.' My understanding is that man should undertake them without losing his compassion. Andy Lau (a well known Hong Kong movie star) once said, 'The heavens wouldn't treat a good man unfairly.'" Then I continued to clarify the truth to him. When I left, he said to me, "Thank you for your blessings." I didn't say anything [that could be considered as] blessings. It was his knowing side being appreciative after realizing that we were saving him.

As a matter of fact, it isn't us who are powerful. What is powerful are the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance." When men forget about righteousness for personal gains, their true nature is disappearing. When man's compassion comes out, it is a reflection of his true nature.

I've also come to know many people with great-predestined relationships. Some of their stories were very touching. Several of them borrowed Zhuan Falun from me, and were reluctant to return the book. A Christian pastor from NJ told me after reading the book, "I hope I can have this book." An abbot in a Chinatown temple told me, "You should leave this book here to connect to the sentient beings with predestined relationships." A man I met on the bus read the book for two hours without stopping and said, "How powerful the energy is!" He constantly sighed with feeling while reading it. Later on, he went to the bathroom on the bus and told me he couldn't read the book anymore. I asked him why and he answered, "My hands are dirty now." He ended up "borrowing" the book from me. A middle-aged woman told me with tears in her eyes, "I understand something new every time I read the book, can I keep it?" A most precious happening was a young mother who obtained the Fa along with her daughter. She has listened to Teacher to teach the Fa in person at two Experience Sharing Conferences. Once, I met her and her daughter when they were sitting in meditation in Chinatown with other practitioners. The eight-year-old daughter asked me, "Would you come with us to distribute truth-clarifying materials in Confucius Plaza?"

Clarifying the truth is very important and magnificent. As long as our hearts are filled with compassion, we, as Dafa practitioners, will let the world's people feel the benevolence and grandness of Dafa. We have obtained Dafa, but others are still waiting.

Let's not fail to live up to the hopes of sentient beings. Let's do our best and give them a heart-to-heart talk. They will feel our hearts and come to understand us.