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Clarifying the Truth in My Neighborhood

Aug. 27, 2015 |   By An Ran, a practitioner from Hebei Province, China

(Minghui.org) In 2009 my husband leased a bike shelter to generate income. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months later, so I quit my job and took over the bike shelter business.

Creating an Environment to Clarify the Truth While Cultivating Myself

In the past I was afraid that my neighbors knew that I practice Falun Gong. I avoided them when I clarified the truth and worried that they might report me to the government. Now I cannot avoid my neighbors since they are my customers at the bike shelter.

I realized that, to clarify the truth well, I must first get rid of my fear and cultivate myself well. Every day I reminded myself to behave according Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and validate Dafa.

I tried to get along with my neighbors. I helped anyone who came to me for assistance. Gradually I developed good relationships with my customers. My neighbors all knew that I practiced Falun Gong, and they respected me and enjoyed chatting with me.

Some of them came to me for help when they had family issues. A middle-aged couple had a quarrel. At 5:00 a.m. the wife came to me with a big suitcase, cried to me, and wanted to leave home. A mother and a daughter had a quarrel; the daughter came to me and cried. When the neighbors had disputes, they liked to talk to me. I always used Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to straighten things out and mediate. In time, they, too, started to use Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to guide themselves. This created the environment for me to clarify the truth and persuade them to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Clarifying the Truth and Persuading People to Quit the Party

After clarifying the facts to people face to face, sometimes I was afraid and worried whether people would report me to the government. After talking to other practitioners about this, they suggested I study Master's Fa teachings after the persecution began, especially Master's Fa teachings regarding “the appearance stems from the mind.”

Master said:

“Ordinary people don’t know that all of this is encompassed by the expression 'the appearance stems from the mind.' So, put another way, one’s own factors can in fact change one’s surroundings. 'Cultivate yourself' and 'search within' are words that I have said in a very straightforward and clear manner. (Laughing) But, there aren’t that many people who give these words due weight. What I was describing holds true for Dafa disciples when they do things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”)

At that time, I thought about the Fa, “the appearance stems from the mind.” One day I was in tranquility and enlightened to a deeper meaning of “the appearance stems from the mind.” I looked within myself and found my attachment to selfishness: As a Dafa disciple, my responsibility is to save sentient beings, but I wouldn't take this responsibility due to fear for my safety.

I sent forth righteous thoughts to disintegrate my attachments. I reinforced my righteous thoughts through Fa study. Once I understood the Fa principle well, my fear was gone. Then I had no problems clarifying the truth to my customers.

Most of my customers store their bikes in the shelter temporarily. They all have a predestined relationship with Dafa. I didn't give up on them. I used every opportunity to clarify the truth to them, and I gave them the software to overcome the government's Internet firewall, a Shen Yun DVD, and an informational brochure.

After I clarified the truth to my customers for a period of time, over 90% of them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

There was a new customer, a man over 70 years old. One day he was cleaning his bike in the shelter. I explained the truth about Dafa and the CCP to him. I asked him if he was a a CCP member and suggested that he quit. He said he was and he didn't want to quit.

After he left, I thought that maybe I hadn't been friendly enough and that I should correct myself. I decided I would explain things to him again when I next saw him.

He came to pick up his bike, and I said, “Hi, have you quit the CCP yet? You really should. The CCP system is corrupt. Why do you want to protect it? I have been trying to persuade you to quit for your own good, so that you will have a good future when heaven eliminates the Party.” Finally he understood. He pondered for a moment and said, “I quit.”

After I told one neighbor why Jiang Zemin persecuted Falun Gong and how quitting the Party would keep her safe in the future, she said, “I now understand--it is really evil. I quit. I quit it for my son and my daughter-in-law. My granddaughter is a Young Pioneer, and I quit it for her, too.”

I told her, “They must all agree to quit. Once you ask them, and they agree, I'll help them quit for them.”

What I've Learned about Clarifying the Truth

The more I study the Fa, the more wisdom I have. Sometimes only a few words can speak to people's hearts to persuade them to make quit the Party. There were also people who do not want to quit no matter what I say.

I've realized that, to help ordinary people understand the truth, it is necessary to speak to them repeatedly and whenever there is an opportunity, since they are not really clear on just how evil the Party really is.

When faced with all sorts of human mindsets, attachments, and the painful process of eliminating attachments, I deeply understand the importance of studying the Fa well. With Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts, all bad elements can be disintegrated.