(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!"
