(Clearwisdom.net)
Shared at 2003 Singapore Falun Dafa Conference
Greetings! Venerable Master,
Greetings, Fellow practitioners and Predestined friends!
I'll report on our experience of clarifying the truth of Falun Gong to Chinese construction workers in Singapore. For over one year, several fellow practitioners and I have visited all construction sites and dorms where Chinese construction workers in Singapore live and let over ten thousand Chinese construction workers have an opportunity to know the goodness of Dafa and to know about the persecution of Dafa in Mainland China. During the process, we encountered lots of difficulties but these just made us become more mature. We deeply feel that there are so many kind beings yearning for the truth of Dafa. As long as we do it with a pure heart, the power of Dafa will manifest and the bad thoughts toward Dafa in Chinese people's mind will be eliminated and thus they will be saved.
I write down my experience to share with fellow practitioners. Please kindly reveal any improper points.
1. Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions
One year ago, Minghui.net called for "clarifying the truth of Falun Gong to the precious Chinese people". After a group Fa study, one fellow practitioner invited me to join him in going to construction sites and clarifying the truth to Chinese construction workers there. I agreed immediately. Since then, we spent every Sunday night at all kinds of construction sites with mixed workers. Sometimes we even forgot the time and missed the last bus.
At noon one Sunday, the fellow practitioner and I went to a Japanese construction company's site. I knew that Japanese companies are famous for their strict management, so it's not easy to enter. Last week when the fellow practitioner came, he was refused by the Bengal guard. He tried his best to clarify the truth to the guard, and finally the guard promised to give the truth-clarifying materials to his boss and asked the fellow practitioner to come next week.
Perhaps because this was the first time I participated in such action or because of the fellow practitioner mentioned above, I lacked confidence. On the way we kept sending forth righteous thoughts. After we arrived, we first found a place to sit down and seriously sent forth righteous thoughts for 15 minutes. We happened to meet a new guard and simply told him that we want to meet the Chinese workers. He said, "It is lunch time now." We said that we just need 40 minutes. While he was recording our visitor passes, the previously mentioned guard showed up and recognized the fellow practitioner. He took out the truth-clarifying materials which were given by the fellow practitioner last week and said, "Hi, you come. This one I had showed my boss already. He said you can't. Sorry! oh, you can't." We listened peacefully as well as did the guard who was processing our entrance. However, he said, "Today no problem." and then continued the process. His colleague just had to look at him without a word. The fellow practitioner and I held the visitor passes and went to the construction site's dorm. And we were very clear of the effect of the righteous thoughts.
During the next few weeks, we took sending forth righteous thoughts seriously. So we successfully finished the things we wanted to do in the construction sites we visited. The Chinese workers were kind and not opinionated. They even eagerly asked for the truth-clarifying materials. Perhaps because things went so smoothly, we relaxed and many everyday persons' attachments appeared. Master said, "Human society is a good place for cultivation, since everything here can lead to attachments."(Essentials for Further Advancement II "No Politics") Sometimes we even forgot to send forth righteous thoughts. Thus our first problems with workers occurred.
That day we went to a dorm of about 100 Chinese construction workers. It was a temporary building with three floors. We started from the third floor and went downward. Since there were many construction workers and many dorms, we only briefly told them about the persecution and asked them to cherish the truth-clarifying materials we handed them. By the time we reached the first floor, it was already about 10:30 PM. At this time, many construction workers from the second and third floor had finished reading the materials and came down to the first floor. They surrounded us and started to ask questions. Since more and more people came, we split into two groups, each about 20 to 30 people. Most of the construction workers were confused and wanted to learn the truth, yet there were also a few unreasonable ones. At that time, what I thought was that if we could tell the truth better, many living beings would awaken. However, if we could not control the situation better, what we had done would be weakened. As a result, I tried very hard to persuade him. But with the competitive mentality of everyday people, we got no results, even after midnight.
After that, we communicated with each other and reached the conclusion that we should avoid conflicts by all means. Anyway, they were poisoned beings. Since we went to save them, we should not care about their attitudes. In those years when Master taught us the Fa, he didn't abandon us because of our problems and attachments. The kindness and benevolence of Buddha will solve all troubles.
2. Treat All Beings Kindly
In the beginning, every Sunday morning, we carried heavy truth-clarifying materials under the burning sun to construction sites and dorms. Our physical energy was consumed a lot and our efficiency was very low. Once, within a whole day, we just found only one or two Chinese workers. Although we know that as practitioners, we should not fear having a tough time, our cultivation way is not simply depending on suffering. Master said,
"If one can make progress just by suffering physically, I would say that Chinese farmers suffer the most. Shouldn't they all become qigong masters, then? No matter how much you suffer physically, you do not suffer as much as they do, who work both hard and painstakingly in the field everyday under the baking sun. It is not that simple a matter." (Zhuan Falun page 132)
We thought that it would be better if we had a car. Then we contacted a fellow practitioner who had a car and he was willing to join us. With a car, our efficiency improved dramatically. Every Sunday evening, we could cover one big construction site or several small ones. Usually, we first decided upon an area and met at a place in the area, then we would all get in the car and search for construction sites together. Once we found one, we would split into several teams and clarify the truth to the workers. If we meet one or two stubborn construction workers, we would all return to the construction workers place and clarify the truth from different angles. In many occasions, we were able to handle the situation well.
After several weeks, we found that the best time for visiting the construction sites was Sunday evening. Because during working days, they are busy at work till 8:00pm or 9:00pm. After a tough day, they just want to eat and take a bath. At this time, they seldom listened to us in a good mood. However, on Sunday, they do not have to work. Most of them go out during the day to visit friends or shop, and only a few stay at the dorm. At night, they are all back, and almost have nothing to do but watch TV, play chess, chat or read books or newspapers. At this time, if we give them the truth-clarifying material, and discuss the Falun Gong issue with them, they are willing to listen. Even if they won't accept the truth at first, they will change their opinion after we tell them the truth. Of course, our attitudes, tone, words and deeds including our dress, all should accord to the standard of a practitioner. These will leave them a good first impression. Many construction sites' dorms are hot, dark and dirty. There's no walkway and front door. Sometimes we had to climb and jump, sometimes we stepped into mud and sometimes our clothes were torn. Even in such circumstances, we still paid attention to our attire and kept our voices friendly and respectful. Thus we fully showed them Dafa's goodness, and the results were very good.
After we discovered the above situation, we acted accordingly: we only went to the construction sites on Sunday evenings and on the evenings of some holidays. This way, we used the other time to do other things. Although it' s was a little slow, we made solid progress. However, seeing that there were so many people eagerly waiting for the truth, some practitioners suggested that we also go to the sites on Saturday evenings.
So we went on a Saturday evening. But if it were not for Master's timely hints, the consequence would have been unimaginable.
That evening, we went to a construction site where seven or eight construction workers lived. After we told them why we came, against our expectations, none of them wanted to listen to us. As soon as we started to talk, they immediately interrupted us rudely and loudly and began to repeat the propaganda about Falun Gong. We tried to stop them many times, but failed. Instead, they became more excited and argued even louder. Some asked us to leave, some even threatened to call the police. Perhaps the chaos had already resulted in a complaint from a residence nearby and they called the police. However we knew nothing at the time. The situation lasted over 40 minutes, but we could neither clarify the truth nor deliver a copy of our materials. We felt very sorry for them if we simply left because we didn't save them but probably harmed them. With this righteous thought, I said solemnly but peacefully, "Please listen to me. We will leave after I finish my words." They immediately became quiet. I corrected the most serious part which was inconsistent with the facts without stopping. And I also told them some main facts of Dafa. Their expression became relaxed and we could tell that they were thinking while listening. I just wanted to take this chance to tell them the goodness of Dafa which they had never heard. Suddenly, one shouted, "It's nine o'clock. "The Semi-gods and the Semi-devils [a popular TV show] is starting." All of them went to watch TV and said in undertone, "The TV show has already started. We want to watch the program. Please go now." Actually, we were reluctant to leave. But I thought that a practitioner should never lie and should always be considerate of others. So we said good-by to them and blessed them sincerely. To our surprise, as soon as we stepped out of the entrance of the construction site, a police wagon stopped in front of us. The policemen looked at us from inside their car. Maybe they saw nothing abnormal, so they drove into the construction site. Afterwards, we were all touched by Master's benevolent hints, but also felt shameful because we couldn't always think of others first.
3. Truth gives one full control over things
During the process of clarifying the truth, all of us felt our improvement. The most difficult thing is not the environment of construction sites, nor the time, but how to answer various questions and how to use different ways of explaining to suit different people with an answer that is based on the Fa. This is an integrated test for a practitioner. Almost all of us became more mature in different degrees. This experience helped us establish a solid base for calmly treating various people, various questions under various circumstances.
In the beginning, we knocked on the door and said politely, "Excuse me. Here are some materials about Falun Gong. Will you please read them?" At this time, although they usually gave no reaction, they would not be too impolite because we approached them politely. In order to relax them, we continued, "Falun Gong is unjustly treated in China and soon its reputation will be restored. It's good for you to know the truth in advance." Then someone interested in this would ask, "Is it true? Can Falun Gong's reputation really be restored?" And many questions would be raised. When we answered these questions, more would join in. "The Cultural Revolution lasted ten years but the conclusion reached was that it was a national catastrophe." "But Falun Gong is different." "Why is it different? At the time of cultural revolution, nobody realized it was wrong. However, after the cultural revolution ended, people awoke and discovered that so many talented specialists and scholars had been killed and the whole country regressed twenty to thirty years." Most of them agreed because this was an event they were familiar with. Then we added, "Now the persecution against Falun Gong in China is the same as the cultural revolution. The persecution is in progress, and few people speak out that it is wrong. After Falun Gong's reputation is restored, people will know that Falun Gong is good. But then it will be too late to know the truth. Now the reason why we send you these truth-clarifying materials is that we want you to know the truth in advance. Who is willing to be deceived?" At this point, most of them would understand, some even expressed that they would carefully read through these materials. Some even asked for the materials. If someone was still apathetic, we would further add, "Actually the Falun Gong practitioners' intention of clarifying the truth is not for themselves, but for those who would hear the truth, because they are the ones that are benefited. The Falun Gong practitioners in China are under high pressure, unlike us overseas; to clarify the truth here, we simply need to spend some spare time and hard work, yet they must take the risk of their house being searched, being put into jail and even death." "You are right." "But they still step out to clarify the truth. It's impossible for them just do this for themselves. Because they already know that Falun Gong is good, it would be safe to just benefit secretly. But they don't go into hiding, instead, they'd rather take the risk of losing their lives to clarify the truth to those who are deceived. What noble and selfless behavior! People over time will admire their courage and selflessness!" Almost everyone's heart became moved at this point. Many stubborn ones would take the materials, and those who received the materials would say that they would read them carefully. We expressed our thanks to each one before we left..
Later, the method of clarifying the truth became more and more flexible. For example, around the New Year, we first greeted with, "Countrymen, happy new year! We come to pay you a New Year call." These words closed our distance. Then we gave them calendar cards, and they were willing to accept materials. Some wanted all kinds of materials, some read the materials immediately and some carefully packed them away. Sometimes we also delivered The Epoch Times. The effect was very good. If there were many people living in one room, we usually delivered materials while talking about the truth. We didn't leave anyone out, and we tried to talk to everyone. And we didn't care about the impassive response of some people, but answered the questions first. When we were answering the questions, those impassive ones were changing. If we just deeply talked with individuals and could not answer most people's questions, those who were heavily poisoned would jump up and argue with us, thus the field would be messed up and would effect many other people whose minds were not steady.
Another time, when we went to a construction site, from far away, we saw hundreds of Chinese workers squatting at a hillside in front of their dorms, chatting and enjoying the cool air. After a simple greeting, we directly mentioned Falun Gong. They were all scared because they just came from China and before they left, they were all forced to write down "the statement which guarantees that they will never practice Falun Gong." The evil uses all means to push common people into hell. How evil it is! Under such circumstances, we firmly believed that "The Fa can break all attachments." So we began to expose the lies one by one from the "self-immolation" incident. Because there were too many people together, we clarified the truth in the manner of giving an introduction. One fellow practitioner gave the talk, taking the form of questions and answers, we achieved a good effect. Firstly, I asked them, "Have you ever visited Tiananmen Square?" Most of them answered, "Yes." Then I asked, "Is the square very big?" They answered, "It's indeed very big." I continued, "Have any of you seen any fire extinguishers placed there?" Some answered, "How could the fire extinguisher be placed there?" While some said, "Not at that time. And I don't know whether there are some now." I confirmed their answer, "Right, no fire extinguishers are in the square but in the buildings nearby. However, after the self-immolation was reported, someone did a test on the spot of the event: he ran from the place of the immolation to the nearest building as fast as possible to fetch a fire extinguisher, then ran back. The round trip took him more than ten minutes. But what was reported by the CCTV is that when the policemen on duty suddenly found several people igniting themselves at the northeast corner of the square, they immediately rushed there and quickly put out the fire. All this took less than two minutes. It's impossible unless the policemen were carrying fire extinguishers while patrolling. The ten or twenty fire extinguishers at the immolation spot had already been placed there beforehand. Wasn't it staged?" After they heard this, they all laughed. Next, I told them the green plastic Sprite bottle in Wang Jindong's hand was not melted, that Liu Chunling was actually not a Falun Gong practitioner, etc. I also told them Dafa has been spread all over the world. I also mentioned our changes both in mind and body after practicing cultivation. Some even joked with us, "We know Falun Gong is good, but now we are working hard to make a living. Will we earn more money if we practice Falun Gong?" Then we told them being healthy is one of the big fortunes in life and how we should treat our life. From another angle, we validated Dafa.
We have met many predestined person and clear minded people. Usually, supervisors were opinionated and often flattered themselves. Some even opposed Dafa. They not only didn't accept the truth but also threatened their workers to drop their materials in hand. But we met two thoughtful supervisors who kindly invited us to their dorms and carefully asked lots of questions. Once they understood the truth through our answers, they took all kinds of materials. At last, they sent us off gratefully and admiringly. Another supervisor we met kindly invited us to his room after knowing our intention. After sitting down, he said, "I just can't understand that the workers from all other countries, no matter rich or poor, they all have belief. Such as Indian, Thai, Burmese, even Bengalese will find a place to worship. But our Chinese know nothing but money. From day to night, except eat and sleep, they have nothing else to do." After heard his words, I knew that he was a thoughtful predestined person. So I talked with him from the perspective of the Chinese five thousand year history and told him our ancestors had the convention of worshiping. Only in the past fifty years, the traditional culture was damaged dramatically which made today's Chinese not believe in the existence of Gods anymore. Even worse, some dared to slander Buddha. But Buddha won't disappear just because human beings do not believe anymore. Finally, I mentioned the national catastrophe in China -- the brutal persecution of kind everyday people believing in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." He enlightened a lot from my words and took lots of materials. He also asked me how could he get a book of Dafa. I gave him my Zhuan Falun immediately and also told him where he could buy other Dafa books.
Another time, we met a person while he was cooking. Right after I started to talk to him about the persecution in China, he said in agreement: "It is like the Cultural Revolution. A few leaders lost their minds, and the people suffer. ..." I said, "You are truly a clear-minded person, and you will be rewarded for that." On our way back, I joked with my fellow practitioners, "Today someone clarified the truth to us."
There are so many touching stories in addition to those I mentioned above. In short, when we see people who yearn for the truth, we only feel that what we have done is not enough.
01/11/2002
