By a Dafa practitioner

(Clearwisdom.net) At present, whether we are able to offer more beings the opportunity to enter the future in a limited amount of time is directly related to clarifying the truth in a deeper, more refined and comprehensive way. Below are some thoughts and suggestions from some practitioners on this topic.

1. Emphasize Evidence

Right now, quite a number of people do not trust the Chinese government, but they are also skeptical of Falun Gong. If we provide evidence in our stories, we can objectively guide them to analyze the situation without bias and allow them to have room for their own individual thinking. This may be beneficial in letting them come to understand the truth.

Among various types of evidence, photographs are very effective, because what one sees is quite often what one believes. In addition to an objective report, photographs will greatly influence people. The Chinese people also know that there is an information blockade in China, and they are curious about the outside world. However, they are also afraid of being deceived by new, unfamiliar things. Therefore, when we're anxious because we have a desire to let them know the truth, the result is often unsatisfactory. If we can have them become interested through communicating with them instead of pursuing any definite change in them, then they would be likely to want to learn about it themselves.

2. Help People Understand Through Reasoning

People have various different mentalities and ways of thinking, which create rigid concepts for them to live by. It is impossible for a person to give them up by himself, and he will judge everything according to these notions. We can only break through his barriers with his own concepts to enable him to give them up. In other words, we have to clarify the truth in his context in order to break through. Only in this way will he sincerely understand.

This is the reason why many of our practitioners fail to clarify the truth clearly sometimes. As far as we know, a large percentage of practitioners judge the effectiveness of truth-clarifying materials with their own standards, and they choose the materials and clarify the truth with their own understandings, which can greatly damage the results. In fact, when we say something only because we think it's good, our starting point is based on ourselves, and we appear to be forcing our own opinions on the other person. On the other hand, if we say something from the other person's perspective, our starting point is then based on the other person, and that is true benevolence.

3. Manners

First impressions are very important. Sometimes, people don't have the opportunity to see the whole picture, but when they glance at us, they will form an impression. Whether this first impression is positive or not is very important. If it's positive, they will perhaps want to look into it further. But even if they don't, when Falun Gong is mentioned at a later time, they will be reminded of this first impression and associate Falun Gong with it.

4. Combine Feelings with Reasoning

If we are able to share our feelings without losing rationality, we will better enable the person to relate to what is being said. Furthermore, it will help instill a greater sense of trust. However, we should never lose control over our feelings, because only by jumping out of sentimentality can we control it and use it at will.

Posting date: 3/4/2002
Original article date: 2/28/2002
Category: Views on Cultivation
Translated on 3/2/2002
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/2/28/25759.html

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