By practitioner Shanyuan in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

(Clearwisdom.net) Just several days before I learned Falun Dafa in 1997, while I was sleeping I clearly saw a middle-aged man standing beside my bed; he smiled at me for a long time. After I awoke in the morning, I wondered why such a man would be standing in front of me and smiling at me? After I learned the Fa, I understood it was Teacher in my dream. Later, Teacher purified my body. Before that, although I was still young, I suffered from many kinds of maladies, such as stomach aches, nervous disorder, kidney stones, chronic angina and heart disease. I worried about myself every day. My income was pretty good, but even more money could not make me happy. Every day, after I returned home from work, I would just lay down in my couch and not want to get up. I felt life was so tiring and painful. No laughter could be heard in my family. I also lost my temper very easily when I was in a bad mood. Because of all this, my family suffered a lot.

One morning in 1997, guided by Teacher's Fashen (law body), I learned Falun Dafa. After only several months of studying the Fa and doing exercises, all my illnesses disappeared, and I felt the Falun rotating in my abdomen. I experienced the indescribable comfort of being free of illness. Every day, I read Teacher's "Zhuan Falun" and other Dafa books, and strictly disciplined myself both mentally and behaviorally. Seeing my changes, colleagues also thought it was a miracle and came to study Dafa regularly. Later, we set up a practice site. We exercised at 5 AM each morning and studied the Fa together at night. I was feeling so blessed.

Then on July 20 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Dafa and practitioners. When the police forced us to watch those TV programs which slandered Teacher and Dafa, I immediately detected the CCP's deceptions. Afterwards, the police and my company leaders tried to persuade and threaten me. Nothing could move my determination to firmly believe in Teacher and Dafa. Though all my leadership positions were taken from me, and I was laughed at and denigrated by people who didn't know the truth, I just smiled. Since the Fa was in my heart, I knew I didn't do anything wrong.

Early in the persecution, practitioners did not keep regular contact; gradually, I lost my connections to the other practitioners. I was like a lost child, feeling confused and dejected; nevertheless, I constantly reminded myself: No matter what, I must study the Fa and exercise every day. With Teacher's care, I eventually got Teacher's new articles, which strengthened my confidence in cultivation. Since I had only a shallow understanding of the Fa, I was interfered with while studying the Fa by many notions. I was just not completely enlightened. I didn't realize the deeper meaning of Teacher's statement that practitioners must step forward. Instead, I was complacent, thinking that my refusal to compromise while practicing Dafa was firmly "stepping forward". As a result, for a very long time, I didn't follow what Teacher told us to do. I even got lots of hints from Teacher in dreams, yet, I still did not understand. Now looking back, I feel ashamed to face the sentient beings who put their hopes in me. Under Teacher's guidance, I got to know some very diligent practitioners in other cities. In 2004, I just started to do the three things seriously. Since I didn't have many experiences and dared not tell them, the effect was not very good. Later as I began to mentally review and summarize each of my truth-clarification experiences, I became more and more accomplished with face-to-face contacts and distributing materials. Consequently, the effect become better and better. Please let me share my experiences about truth clarification:

With the severe slander against Falun Dafa, many people do not understand practitioners. People hold bad images of practitioners; some of them even regard practitioners as dangerous and become anxious when somebody mentions Falun Gong. Therefore, presenting a good image helps eliminate their negative impressions and it adds credibility to the things we say. Even if they do not totally believe it, the icebergs in their hearts begin to slowly melt, and this can build a very good foundation for them to understand the truth in the future. Of course, many people are against Dafa due to the control of the old forces and their ill thoughts, so, we must first send righteous thoughts to eliminate those thoughts. I pay much attention to my image such as my dress, haircut, speech, behavior, facial expressions, my tone, etc. People's first impression of me is as an educated, civilized person with a good status. Usually, when I clarify the truth, I begin with other topics and gradually, guide the listeners to the main topic and continue to clarify the truth very naturally. With this method, people tend to accept the truth easier. Some of them even ask questions; this gives us a good opportunity to clarify the truth further.

All the Chinese people know the Chinese Communist Party(CCP)'s television and newspaper reports are not credible and should be questioned, while Hong Kong and Macao have free speech. Therefore, news from Hong Kong and Macao have higher credibility and are not associated with or thought of as an anti-Chinese force. Especially now, people in mainland China can travel to Hong Kong and Macao, and this exposure gives us a very good opportunity to clarify the truth. We can say it like this: "I saw some reports from the newspapers or magazines in Hong Kong (or Macao).", or "My friend shared some news after he came back from Hong Kong (or Macao)." I tried this method and the results were good. In the middle of the conversation, we should decide whether it's proper to continue an issue or to stop depending on the listeners' reactions. Do not push them; otherwise, it will have the opposite effect.

Persuading people to renounce the CCP so they can be saved is what every practitioner must do and must do well; it's also our prehistoric vow. Teacher requires us to allot time to save sentient beings and requires us to do it more efficiently for a better result. In the sharing articles on the Internet, practitioners all understand a key point, that is to study Fa with a pure mind; because only through studying the Fa well, are our righteous thoughts strengthened and our words made to have more power to wake up people's knowing sides in other dimensions. However, ordinary people also have unknowing sides which are infused with the CCP's culture. Accordingly, to succeed in getting people to quit the CCP, we need persuasive skills.

During the past ten years of cultivation, no matter how furious the evil became or how the situations changed, nothing could move me from firmly believing in Teacher and Dafa. I always keep Teacher's words in mind:

"Be resolute cultivating Dafa, the mind unstirred
Climbing in levels is what's fundamental
Faced with tests, a person's true character is revealed
May you Consummate--a Buddha, Dao, or God"

("True Character is Revealed" from Hong Yin II)

After ten years, I have become more and more mature. Through studying the Fa, I have continuously enlightened to how I should cultivate and how to be diligent in society. I dealt well with my family and the home environment, so, they evolved from opposing me to supporting me in clarifying Dafa's truths and distributing materials. At last, they even learned Falun Dafa and actively helped clarify the truth. All of this is the result of Teacher's enormous compassion and the Fa's mighty solemnity and sacredness. I also dealt well with other social relationships and often remind myself to present a good image as a practitioner. Now, none of my relatives and friends are against my practicing Dafa, and most of them have already learned the truth of Dafa and quit the CCP.

The above are my limited understandings from cultivating in the boundless Dafa. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.

April 1, 2008

Posting date: 4/21/2008
Original article date: 4/20/2008
Category: Truth Clarification
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/4/2/175657.html

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