Suggestions for Clarifying the Truth More Effectively in Manhattan (Photos)
By a Dafa practitioner from the Eastern U.S.A.
(Clearwisdom.net) An earlier article entitled "How to Clarify the
Truth to Westerners More Effectively" was very detailed and practical. The
article discussed real issues that we encounter when clarifying the truth to
Westerners. I want to discuss more on this topic. New York City is divided into five boroughs, including Manhattan, Brooklyn
and Queens. Manhattan is not the largest but is densely populated. Each street
and avenue has its unique style. Some streets are residential areas and others
are business districts. Some areas are mainly occupied by professionals or
locals, and certain areas are populated by tourists and travelers. A few areas
are upscale while some others are not. Many professionals live in the different
areas; for example, some districts have many media workers living in the same
areas while some other districts have many financial workers; some people in the
clothing industry or the arts live in one area. Many people enjoy the busy nightlife in New York, while some other people
work in New York but live in a quiet environment like New Jersey, aptly named
the Garden State. In short, people that live in the different areas have
different social backgrounds, financial resources, educational levels and
worldviews. We can find more detailed information online or ask some locals. We
should be able to find out what we need instead of waiting or relying on others,
and we should actively share our information with fellow practitioners to help
each other out. At the same time, practitioners who came to New York to clarify the truth
include those from the surrounding areas or more remote places. All of us have
to make great efforts each day, financially, mentally and physically. Truth
clarification is difficult work and we are pressed for time. What we have done
in the past few weeks is far from enough. Then how can we maximally eliminate the evil and offer salvation to people
with every single person we talk to, with every single exhibition board, every
single flyer, every single penny we spend on truth clarification materials and
every single minute of our time? How can we clarify the truth more effectively?
This has become an issue we must face and think about frequently. We discussed this issue during our break on Sunday and exchanged experiences.
Below is a summary of our discussion, to be used as a reference for fellow
practitioners. 1. Whether it's distributing materials or clarifying the truth face to face,
we can't be satisfied only by the materials having been distributed. We must pay
attention to the effect.
It is very important to clarify the truth face-to-face
in an appropriate manner 2. The importance of clarifying the truth face-to-face Many Westerners know a little about the persecution, but when they see
the anti-torture exhibit or a flyer, they cannot form a complete picture
of the persecution. Therefore, it is vital for us to talk to them face to
face. We can tell them the basics about Dafa in a few minutes. For
instance, we can briefly tell them that Falun Gong is a cultivation method
similar to Tai Chi and Yoga. Many New Yorkers like to do meditation, while
many others are strangers to it. We can tell them that Falun Gong was
first introduced in China in 1992, and it presented a significant benefit
to people's physical and mental health, that initially 100 million Chinese
people had learned to practice Falun Gong during the first seven years. In
1999, dictator Jiang Zemin, jealous and paranoid, suddenly ordered a ban
on Falun Gong and secretly ordered Falun Gong "to be annihilated in
three months." We can tell them who, when, and why the persecution
began, and we can compare the defamation of Falun Gong with the same kind
of lies used to defame the students during the Tiananmen Square Massacre
on June 4, 1989. We can further mention that the perpetrators have used
dozens of torture methods and mental torment, slandering Falun Gong and
trying to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their belief. Right
now, people in at least 50 countries around the world practice Falun Gong,
and only the Chinese government forbids the practice of Falun Gong. In the
past five years, only a limited number of people have learned the truth,
and we hope more people can understand the situation and step forward to
help us end the persecution. Of course, Westerners are encouraged to think independently from a
young age, and they do not like to be indoctrinated. If we keep talking
when meeting them and ignore their reactions, they would feel
uncomfortable and walk away. If we greet them first and politely ask them
to ask any questions they may have, this will give them a chance to think
and choose the information they want to take in. Quite often, they start
asking questions very quickly. 3. Banners, exhibition boards, and hand-held boards are very important
because they can deliver the right message quickly. Usually, a few
pictures with a brief description can attract the people's attention
easily--as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
For example, we can use an anti-torture picture with the words
"Happening in China NOW" instead of "China: stop
persecuting Falun Gong," as some Western practitioners often like
to say. China is not persecuting Falun Gong, Jiang Zemin and a few
perpetrators are; so it is not correct to target the whole of China as
the culprit and it's easy to hurt some people's feelings that way. We
can also say, "Help Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong in
China." We also have a picture of a Western practitioner doing
the meditation exercise, so people will know that Westerners are also
practicing Falun Gong. Furthermore, we can add some brief English
explanations to tell people what Falun Gong is, such as "Falun
Gong, Truth, Compassion, Tolerance." The two illustrations will form a sharp contrast, as one shows the
persecution and one introduces Falun Gong. People can see them in a
few seconds and the effect is very good. Of course, some Westerners have never heard of cultivation or Falun
Gong, and they might think Falun Gong is a person, or he is the person
in the picture doing meditation. So, some practitioners write on the
board "Falun Gong: Meditation, Relieves Stress". Some practitioners divide into teams of two and hold up boards like
this, and they buy a seven-dollar subway ticket that is valid all day
long. If they don't leave the subway station, they can buy a
two-dollar ticket to travel on subway trains all day long. At the
station and inside the train, people would approach the practitioners
on their own to read the boards, and almost all of them would accept
our flyer and newspaper. The number of people who read our material
throughout the day adds up to be a lot. If two practitioners work
together--one practitioner holds up the sign while the other
distributes flyers and makes explanations, the results are even
better. Some practitioners did the same thing at intersections, and the
outcome is far better than if we only give out flyers or newspapers.
By doing this we reduce the chance of people throwing our flyers away.
Practitioners from out of town, please take note: New Yorkers
sometimes refuse to take a flyer because they encounter people who
give out flyers promoting a business or ask for donations. If we ask
them to read it and learn about the current situation, it's more
likely that they will take the flyer. 4. We should not wait for or depend on others to take the
initiative. Before we arrive in New York or come to the demonstration
spot, we should have prepared the schedule, directions, the required
exhibition boards and a small volume of materials, so that we can give
them to people who may have an interest in the topic when we go from
place to place. That way, we will not waste time in transit. Falun Dafa cultivation also requires us to be serious in our work,
and to be considerate of others in every respect. If we would really
work seriously, and make real efforts in the design of the content and
the hardware (e.g., display boards, torture demonstration devices,
etc.), we could make ourselves more efficient. Meanwhile, it is great
support for those senior practitioners who do not speak English, but
who have been actively involved in clarifying the truth in the
Manhattan area. It has been proven in practice through our collaborative efforts,
the sharing of helpful experiences and repeated discussion that the
pictures and text on the exhibition boards can become our most
effective tools. 5. Our mindset is critical. We should frequently send forth
righteous thoughts and maintain focus on our purpose: We are coming
here to help people become aware of the truth. We should not be
affected by whatever attitudes people may hold toward us, nor by
difficulties and unexpected situations. We should stay rational and
clearheaded at every moment, maintaining the mindset of a Falun Dafa
practitioner. In addition, practitioners can get very tired due to going around
to so many places, so we should pay heed to fatigue and rest
appropriately when we get tired, so as to guarantee mental clarity for
our Fa study and discussion. Meanwhile, we should pay close attention
to our image whenever we take a rest in public areas, because whenever
we are out among the public, we may be observed by many others at any
moment. To them, the image that we project is part of clarifying the
truth to them. If we project a positive impression while actively
clarifying the truth, but leave a negative impression while taking a
rest, what will people think of us when they see us and hear us speak?
If their overall impression is negative, it may result in an
unnecessary obstacle. 6. Provide a direct convenience to people who wish to help us
immediately stop this persecution, so that they can play their roles.
7. New York is well known as a center for fashion and finance. Many New Yorkers are used to assessing a person according to their outer appearance. Therefore, tidy and appropriate appearance, the overall image of hair, apparel and behavior, are important to ensure leaving good first impressions with people in a short period of time.
In places where there are group activities such as torture exhibitions or parades, some practitioners wear tidy yellow t-shirts, which really attract people's attention. The characters on the yellow T-shirts also pass on some information to people to a certain degree. However, if we all wear yellow T-shirts, the effect may not be so good because those who are well dressed in a suit and tie or professional attire may feel too distant from us.
Actually, the yellow T-shirt is only an identifier, and not a "Falun Dafa suit" or "Falun Dafa uniform" as some practitioners have referred to it. (Dafa has no uniform; no fixed form of any kind. It is the "Great Way without form.") There are many situations in which wearing the yellow T-shirts would not be recommended, where they would seem strange, inappropriate or not serious. However, this does not mean we should not have a way to identify ourselves. For example, some practitioners designed buttons for themselves of varying size, and wear them at appropriate occasions. (Many stores can make them for you. You just need to choose the words to be printed on them.)
The contents of the button is similar to that of the portable exhibition board, the main point is to write clearly "Falun Gong" and in English, "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance," "Beneficial to Body and Mind" or "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong in China," so that people will know at a glance what you are doing here.
As for making banners, exhibition boards and buttons, there is one point to which we should pay close attention: you must double check it before it is produced. In particular, we hope to eliminate the phenomenon of spelling and typographical errors, due to temporary interference and carelessness, which would seriously affect the overall image and effect.
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/8/30/82971.html
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