(Minghui.org)Greetings, revered Master!Greetings, fellow practitioners!
After participating in the Hong Kong parade with the Divine Land Marching Band in April 2014, I remained there to clarify the truth at tourist sites. I returned to Taiwan only after participating in another parade in May. Since I'd never been involved in clarifying the truth at tourist sites in Taiwan, I had the mindset of “learning from scratch” and went to Hong Kong. Below is my experience of how I learned to clarify the truth.
Putting What I Learned into Practice
I learned to completely cooperate with Hong Kong practitioners. I set aside my thought that I “knew better.” I learned how to tie the display boards and banners correctly before distributing papers during the first three days.
When I distributed the papers, I listened carefully to local practitioners clarifying the truth to Chinese tourists and watched how they persuaded them to do the three withdrawals – withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its two affiliated youth organizations. However, the thought, “I want to return to Taiwan” emerged on the third day because I didn't know how to persuade people to quit the CCP I kept thinking, “I can't just tie the display boards, send forth righteous thoughts and distribute papers!”
The practitioners who knew that I wanted to return to Taiwan comforted me. One said, “In the beginning, I stayed at the tourist site for six months and couldn't persuade anybody to quit!” Another one said, “I stayed at the tourist site for a very long time before I dared to open my mouth and talk to Chinese visitors! Distributing the papers and sending forth righteous thoughts is also very important!” They were very compassionate but I still wanted to do more.
Because Master saw my wish to clarify the truth, he arranged it for me. On the fourth day, a practitioner encouraged me to persuade people to quit. I opened my mouth and persuaded a kind girl to quit. I was very nervous, and even stammered and read the display boards while answering her questions. I understood that as long as I open my mouth, I can save people. However, because I still wasn't sure of my abilities to persuade people to quit, I could only follow what the other practitioners did. As I could not clarify the truth with ease, my attachment of fear emerged and I went back to distributing papers.
A practitioner couple came on the fifth day. I saw they had two different versions of truth-clarification materials and I asked if I could use them. I used these papers and persuaded people to quit but only four people quit in half an hour. I went back to distributing papers again. I thought, “If the tourists understand the truth, they will quit at the next tourist site if they didn't quit here.”
I started thinking about how to tell tourists the facts quickly and to do the three withdrawals in three or four minutes. Master said, “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One in Zhuan Falun)
That night, I talked with a practitioner about my problem. We found a truth-clarification booklet. After reading it, I changed the sequence in which I clarified the truth.
The next day, I took this booklet with me to the tourist site. That day was special. I saw the tourists lined up in front of the hotel, walking slowly. I realized they'd have more time to listen to us. Two practitioners holding microphones were clarifying the truth in front. I stood at the hotel entrance with materials in my hands while I clarified the truth loudly and in detail. I had a breakthrough that day as I persuaded thirty people to quit.
This was the third day that I opened my mouth to clarify the truth in Hong Kong. I realized that I had progressed from not having any idea about how to clarify the truth to speaking fluently. I have immense gratitude to Master for arranging this opportunity for me and also for arranging for practitioners to assist me along the way.
During that period in Hong Kong, I persuaded nearly four hundred people to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliates. Although the number is not a lot, I deeply understand that Master will help us when we take the initiative.
Summarizing Experience and Sharing Understanding
1. Good and evil are fighting fiercely in another dimension, thus it is critically important to increase sending of righteous thoughts and studying the Fa well at tourist sites.
2. We should put our heart into it and think of ways to clarify the truth. Having truth-clarification materials in our hands can assist us in clarifying the truth in detail. Practitioners told me, “Sentient beings already understand the truth. We can just say, 'Do the three withdrawals to be safe and it is sufficient to just remember your alias!'” However, I realized that some tourists do not understand why they have to do the three withdrawals and do not know how wonderful Dafa is or about the persecution. Only by clarifying the truth to them well can they truly be saved.
3. Watch the tourist's mood. When practitioners are clarifying the truth to large groups of people, I observe from the side and clarify the truth in detail to those individuals who nod in agreement, look at the display boards intently, dare to take newspapers and Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, or those who are standing off alone or smoking. It is easier to persuade these people to quit.
4. One's heart will not be moved if we do this without pursuit. Saving people is a serious matter. Although it is urgent to save people, we cannot just go through the motions and count the number of people who have quit.
During the process of clarifying the truth, the tourists may nod their head in agreement with the truth of Dafa but shake their heads or become silent at the critical moment and not give their stand. We cannot have wishful thinking and count them in. Even though we may reject us or they respond negatively, we should not complain and blame them. Once, a young man refused to listen to the truth and said, “Get lost!” I replied calmly, “Sorry for interrupting you! Falun Dafa is good. I wish you a pleasant journey!”
5. Sincerely do it for their sake. Living under the CCP regime, in addition to the threats from the tour guide, tourists may feel great fear and stress. There was a tourist who finished reading the display boards and was smoking on the side. I walked up to him and opened the truth-clarification booklet. He said hurriedly, “Don't come over. The leader is watching!” I put away the booklet immediately and said, “I understand. Do the three withdrawals to be safe. Remember this alias. Good people will be blessed. I wish you a safe journey!” He said immediately, “Okay. Thank you!”
Some tourists were reading from the display boards hung on trees. When we walked near them, they pointed with their index fingers, “The leader is watching from the bus.” We followed them and went to behind the tree, where they quit.
6. Respond with softness and compassion. One young man was being scolded by his mother and girlfriend and threw the newspaper and Nine Commentaries into the trash bin in front of us. I picked it up, walked over and said, “Whether you have read it or don't want to read anymore, please put it on the table. Don't throw the precious materials away. Have respect for other people!” I saw his face change and he became apologetic after listening to me.
At one tourist site in Taiwan, we met a tour guide who was about to put up his hand to stop the practitioner from talking. He said, “I'm a tour guide! Don't come over!” I smiled, walked up to him and said, “We're only trying to greet you.” He smiled with an embarrassed grin and immediately started chatting with us. This diffused the embarrassment and misunderstanding.
7. Understand everyday people's attachments and clarify the truth with wisdom. There are different approaches for tourists of different ages and backgrounds. Once, a tourist and a practitioner were almost bickering and I happened to walked over. I heard that the tourist felt that he was being forced. Hence, I said, “We are not asking you to practice Falun Gong. We only want you to understand the truth.” He said, “Alas, the people in mainland China are impetuous. They wouldn't listen!” I said, “It's alright. The Buddha will give salvation to people with predestined relationships.” He was suddenly enlightened and put his guard down to listen to the truth. I changed the subject and gave him an alias to quit the CCP. He accepted it gladly.
After he understood the truth, he gave us encouragement and told us to persevere. When I finished the task on hand and passed by him again, he told me sincerely, “We are going in to have a meal. You have to persevere!” That was the last day that I was in Hong Kong. I am grateful to Master for the encouragement and enlightenment. I reminded myself not to get too comfortable and relax after returning to Taiwan.
8. Break through self, co-operate with practitioners to become one body and harmonize what Master wants. During the process of learning how to clarify the truth in Hong Kong, Master arranged for practitioners to assist me at the beginning. After I matured, Master arranged practitioners from different cities to live in the same dormitory as me.
Through our conversations, I learned that these practitioners were experiencing the same hurdle, which is an inability to truly break through to persuade tourists to quit the CCP, even though they often clarify the truth at Taiwanese tourist sites or make phone calls to China. To help them, I asked practitioners to print the truth-clarification materials and I gave a simple demonstration. The practitioners could overcome the hurdle the next day and really persuade people to quit the CCP. After a practitioner made a breakthrough, he invited me to undertake the responsibility of training practitioners in Taiwan. Seeing others' understanding and enlightenment, I could not describe the gratitude I felt.
9. Sentient beings are thankful when we do a good job in clarifying the truth. Some tourists who have finally understood shouted loudly, “Thank you!” Some of them may have already walked past but turned around and thanked us.
There was a tourist who quit and all the friends he was with also quit because of him. Some who listened to the truth and had a sense of justice pointed to the materials, “Jiang Zemin is the worst! He framed Falun Gong!”
Some tourists looked quite fierce and silently smoke a cigarette. After I finished clarifying the truth, they threw the cigarette down, and forcefully said, “That will do! I will draw the line with the CCP starting from today!”
This makes me understand that we need to, “Cultivate away the attachment of fear and do not give up on anyone or any opportunities.” Some tourists who understood the truth said, “You are really great. It has been hard to save so many people!” Some Hong Kong people who walked past the tourist sites gave us the thumbs up many times, and said, “We support you! We support you!”
10. We must cultivate ourselves and have righteous thoughts and righteous actions. The environment in Hong Kong is complicated and unique. I have to cooperate fully with the Hong Kong practitioners' arrangements. I have to be selflessness and considerate when rooming with others. There will be less interference when I clarify the truth if I purify every thought. This way, it will be easier to pass the tests.
Above is my first experience of persuading people to quit the CCP. If there is anything inappropriate, please point it out!
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!