Some Stories of Clarifying the Truth
(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings, Respected Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners! I'll share my report in two parts: Part I. A story in a bookstore This report is on behalf of all practitioners in St. Antonio. In 1998, after listening to Master's Fa-lecture in Geneva, Switzerland, many
practitioners came back and followed Master's requirement in the Fa-lecture to
try every means to promote Dafa books to bookstores. Prior to Christmas that
year, two Dafa practitioners went to a local bookstore named, "Free Thought
Bookstore," to introduce Falun Dafa to the bookstore owner and negotiate
with her about putting Dafa books in her bookstore. Practitioners would sell the
books to the owner at a low price, and the owner would sell the books at market
price. The owner readily complied. She also pointed out that there were many
qigong and spiritual cultivation workshops in her bookstore, and hoped that the
practitioners would hold a workshop to introduce Falun Dafa there. At that time,
practitioners did not have much experience in Fa-promotion and only thought of
giving it a try. Unexpectedly, after that one try, practitioners have been
holding Fa-promotion workshops in the bookstore until today. When we discussed with the bookstore owner about holding Fa-promotion
workshops in the beginning, the owner hoped that we could hold regular workshops
in her bookstore, but because many other kinds of exercises workshops often held
activities there, we hesitated a bit, and didn't comply, though she asked us for
several times, so the owner was somewhat unhappy. Later we realized that her
true life is certainly not willing to give up the opportunity to become
connected to Dafa. Moreover, in such a big city, it was indeed difficult to find
the second place that could provide us with a free room for a long period of
time to do Fa-promotion. So we finally decided that every Saturday would be our
regular time to practice the exercises and study the Fa in the bookstore. We put a notice in our local flyers about our bookstore events. The bookstore
also spread this good news to all residents in St. Antonio through emails to the
readers and ads in the newspaper. From then on, people came one after another.
Some came with their friends and relatives, and some came with their whole
family. Several years passed, the number of local residents who came to learn
the exercises and Dafa exceeded a thousand. The bookstore has sold hundreds of
Dafa books. More importantly, the bookstore became a window for promoting Dafa,
doing Fa-rectification, clarifying the truth and contacting the media. The small
bookstore has experienced many ordinary but touching stories in the past few
years, and the practitioners have also tempered themselves in this small window
to become more mature. In a pure and righteous energy field bestowed by Dafa, new and veteran
practitioners, Western and Chinese practitioners were blended and cultivated.
Some Western practitioners made binders for us to hold Master's new articles;
some provided sound equipment and helped create exercise music and instruction
audio and videotapes. Every small thing reflected Dafa practitioners'
compassionate hearts. Practitioners helped each other, and also were considerate
of the bookstore owner and customers. If some practitioners traveled to other
small cities or had other things to do, the remaining practitioners including
Western practitioners would continue going to the bookstore to do Fa-promotion.
With the practitioners' concerted effort, we have become the only group that
could use the room free of charge in the last five years in this bookstore. Here I'd like to share a few stories with everybody: During the activity of rescuing our family members in China, practitioners
went to visit the office of a local congressman. The assistant of the
congressman, Susana, showed great interest in Dafa. She asked about the
persecution of Falun Gong in China, and also asked many questions about the Dafa
itself. She expressed that she wanted to learn. Several weeks later, she began
to show up in the bookstore to learn the exercises and study the Fa, and soon
became one of the regular practitioners who came to the bookstore. Our
activities at the bookstore are usually practicing the exercises and then group
Fa-study. New practitioners did not have their own books, and we would first
borrow the book Zhuan Falun from the bookstore for them. At that time,
another practitioner also often came to the bookstore, but she still did not get
her own book after such a long time. Every time we borrowed books, we would
borrow one for her. But we thought that she had practiced for such a long time,
but still did not know to cherish Dafa. She did not even want to buy a Dafa
book. One day, after our group Fa-study, Susana bought a new book and said she
would give the book to that practitioner as a gift. We were ashamed and moved. A musician suffered serious psychological problems because of living in an
unharmonious family in his childhood and being mentally abused. He was very
depressed when he first came to the bookstore, and often shed tears bitterly
while having a conversation with practitioners. Since he regularly came to the
bookstore to practice the exercises and study the Fa, he changed greatly. He
became very optimistic and open-minded, and his state of mind was obviously
changed for the better. He even often made jokes with other practitioners. He
was very grateful for Dafa from the bottom of his heart. Once, practitioners
noticed that he silently donated money to the bookstore to express thanks to the
bookstore for offering a free room for Falun Dafa introduction workshops. The Fa-promotion workshops not only benefited local people, but also played
an important role in contacting the media. During Human Rights Week prior to
Christmas in 1999, practitioners were inspired by practitioners in other places
to hold a seminar in San. Antonio. The practitioners hoped that the media would
pay attention to the persecution in China this way. The venue was settled at the
bookstore. The result was that the media did not come. But a week later, also
the second day Jiang's scoundrel regime illegally held a secret trial against
four Dafa practitioners in China, local ABC news editor made a phone call to
practitioners and wanted to learn what Falun Gong really is and planned to make
a program about Falun Dafa. So we made an appointment with the media to meet at
2:00 p.m. in the bookstore. The interview lasted for more than an hour; the
prime time on TV that night aired the evil persecution and suppression as the
top major news and caused great sensation among local residents. Another notable thing happened while having an interview with the TV station.
A woman reporter from St. Antonio Express got the news from some source
that the TV station would interview us, so she quietly came to the bookstore
without our notice. She watched TV for an hour and then talked to us. The
practitioners clarified the truth about Jiang regime's slander against Master
and Dafa. The following day, a righteous report was published in the newspaper.
Master emphasized the importance of process, but oftentimes we use our human way
of thinking to judge the degree of success for some specific activities
according to the results in actual practice. Actually, so long as we persist in
clarifying the truth, the best result can be achieved when we are not attached
to the result. Once, when a practitioner published an article on a column in St. Antonio
Express, that Saturday, two cable TV program producers suddenly came to the
bookstore to invite practitioners to their studios to do a program on Falun Dafa.
The half hour program turned out to be very successful. After the program was
broadcast, one of the producers, Ms. Sally Scherts, mailed us a videotape of the
program. To express our gratitude, we wrote back to her and sent her some money
for the video. But shortly after, we unexpectedly received the money she
returned and a letter. She said in the letter that she had made so many programs
and mailed so many videotapes, but this was the first time she received money
and letter to express thanks. She said that the money could be a token of her
heart to support Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering persecution in
China. The small bookstore gradually became the place that often attracted the
attention of the media. However, in the latter half of 2001, for quite a long
period of time the media carried few reports on us, so practitioners considered
taking the initiatives to contact the media. Regardless of how everyday people
reacted, Dafa practitioners have the responsibility to keep contacts with the
media. Especially when there seemed no sudden incident occurring. Continuously
clarifying the truth is the most important. So long as we treat this with
righteous thoughts, the media can truly recognize the great compassion and
tolerance Dafa practitioners have demonstrated in the face of the persecution to
validate the greatness of Dafa. Now, when sudden incidents occur, the media act
upon them without us needing to contact them. We rearranged materials and
delivered to several departments of the Express. Several days passed but
there was no reply. So we tried to contact the office of the Chief Editor, and
drove there to send the materials and followed up by phone. The secretary of the
chief editor' office was very hospitable, and transferred the materials to
another department that soon sent a reporter to conduct an in-depth interview
with us. Part II. A Story with the Secretary of State After the evil persecution began in 1999, clarifying the truth to governments
became an indispensable part of overseas Dafa practitioners' Fa-rectification
cultivation. Looking back over four years of truth clarification to government
officials, I had some regrets and had learned some profound lessons, but with
Master's care I began to walk toward maturity. Here I'd like to share with
everybody some stories of clarifying the truth to our Texas state government. At the end of 1999, we started with a few departments to try to contact with
the state government, but the effect seemed not quite satisfactory. Every time
we delivered materials to them and there would be no follow up. Once from a
state councilor, we learned that we could try contacting the Secretary of State.
So we made an appointment through the phone with the assistant to the Secretary
of State, and we had a 20-minute conversation with the assistant, Mr. O'Connor.
Upon meeting him, Mr. Connor's conscientious and reserved manner made a deep
impression on us. From then on, I have kept good relationships with Mr. Connor, and every time
we held large activity, he would contact the office of the Governor and arrange
for the timely issue of a proclamation to Dafa. But every time he talked little
about the measures to stop the persecution. I didn't mind much, because for
sentient beings, knowing "Falun Dafa is good" is crucial, as for what
specific measures to take, I should not attach too much to it. So whenever
important occasions arose, I would try various means to send warm greetings to
his office, and take every opportunity to try to let him recognize Dafa from the
bottom of his heart, and truly see clearly the evil nature of the persecution,
and not only issue a proclamation as a routine. In the Autumn of 2002, to prepare for the battle in Texas, I made another
appointment with Mr. O'Connor. Because the situation at that time was very
special, interference from different aspects was very large. Some offices that
usually supported us suddenly turned indifferent and difficult to communicate
with. So I noticed that at the beginning of our conversation this time, Mr.
O'Connor's expression was quite serious. I told him that we would have
large-scale peaceful activities when Jiang came to visit, and we hoped the state
government would support us. I also talked about how some Canadian government
officials had refused to meet the head of "610 Office" after learning
that he was participating in the persecution of Falun Gong. I wanted to use this
to awaken his righteous thoughts. Unexpectedly, he said nothing about the issue
of a proclamation. He also said that he could not understand why the Canadian
officials had not met the Chinese official. He also emphasized that when Jiang
came to Texas, the Texas government would arrange to meet him and see him off as
scheduled. After hearing his words, I felt cells in my entire body rapidly expand, and I
became as big and tall as if I could touch the sky. I completely let go of the
attachment to the proclamation. I looked into his eyes, and told him in a
peaceful but extremely firm tone, "Whatever you choose to do, I have no
comment, and I will understand; I only want to tell you that the reason that the
Canadian officials did not go to meet that person is that they did not want to
shake the hands that have been stained by the blood of the Chinese people. But
are you aware that the hands you are going to shake are bloodier than that pair
of hands? I tell you this because I truly want what is good for you. I hope you
pass these words to the governor." He nodded his head seriously. At that
moment, I truly understood that compassion and dignity coexist! Nearly a year later, leading up to World Falun Dafa Day in May, I once again
came to Mr. O'Connor's office, unexpectedly, he greeted me with a full smiling
face. As soon as I sat down, he talked about an old thing, saying that it made
him feel very angry: last year when Jiang came to visit Texas, Jiang was
frightened by Falun Dafa banners surrounding the place where it stayed in
Houston. Jiang sent people to exert pressure on the Texas government to request
the state government to take down the Falun Dafa banners, but this angered the
state government, and Mr. O'Connor replied sternly, "No. This is a free
country!" He also mentioned that a consul from the Chinese Consulate in
Houston slandered Falun Gong practitioners and pressured him by saying,
"You should not meet Falun Gong practitioners in future, they are all bad
people, and they want to overthrow the country." Mr. O'Connor replied,
"No. I don't think so, I'll still meet them." After listening to his
recount, I suddenly noticed that his face brightened up, I was happy from the
bottom of my heart for his change! Soon, we welcomed a golden October in Texas. This is a rare Fa conference,
and also a good opportunity to continue clarifying the truth to the state
government. The night before I last went to the state government to meet Mr.
O'Connor, I opened the website of the state government, and found that he had
been promoted from the assistant of the Secretary of State to the Secretary of
State. The following day, several practitioners and I bought a bunch of fresh
flowers to visit him. Pushing open the door of the new office, the room was
bright and fresh. Like an old friend, he walked up to us from his seat and shook
hands with us and we had a conversation. When he learned that we would hold a
public trial of Jiang during our activities, he could not help laughing and
said, "I'm a lawyer, and I know this kind of mock trial. It is very
interesting. Though I have other engagements and can't participate in your
activities, I'll definitely congratulate you on your success!"
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2003/10/18/58983.html
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