(Clearwisdom.net) In May of this year, I was fortunate enough to read a copy of The Epoch Times.
One day I went to a fellow practitioner's home. After finishing our business, this practitioner handed me a newspaper and said, "Look at this." I was surprised to find that it was The Epoch Times. I asked, "Where did it come from?"
The fellow practitioner told me that one of her relatives met several Falun Dafa practitioners at a service center for helping people quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while he was on a sightseeing tour in Europe. When these practitioners realized that he was from mainland China, they tried to persuade him to quit the CCP. He told them, "I have already withdrawn from the CCP a while ago. My sister is also a Falun Gong practitioner. I have read Master Li's book and know that Falun Dafa is good."
The European practitioners were very happy to hear that. They asked him lots of questions, and it felt like meeting a close relative. They gave him a copy of The Epoch Times. Since then, he has taken good care of it and treated it like a precious present. Once he brought it back to China, he passed it around among relatives and friends.
This fellow practitioner's relative was traveling with a tour group organized by the CCP. To bring back the paper, he needed to avoid others' attention. He also took precaution to pass the customs clearance. This involved some risk.
When I received the paper, I brought it home and read it very carefully. It has now been six months since I read this paper, but I can still remember the content of some articles. I had even read the advertisements several times. I know that each advertisement contains practitioners' hard work, and it represents society's understanding and support of Falun Dafa. As I was reading, I wished good fortune to those merchants that advertised in The Epoch Times.
I think this newspaper is really good. It clarifies the truth by explaining the facts in simple terms. It convinces people through reason and gives people a feeling of gentleness and warmth. It does not have the overbearing style of the CCP's repudiation and fighting. To be able to accomplish this, the overseas practitioners have had to overcome many difficulties and eliminate much interference. They have put much painstaking effort to overcome the various challenges.
The Epoch Times has broken the CCP's infiltration, dominance, and absolute control of the overseas Chinese-language media. It has spread the truth and called for justice. It helps people around the world see the evil and criminal nature of the CCP, and shows the holiness and goodness of Falun Dafa. It provides a great way to clarify the truth and save sentient beings.
This is why the CCP has been so scared of The Epoch Times. It has attempted all kinds of things to sabotage and cause trouble for the paper, but the evil cannot possibly wreck The Epoch Times with its underhanded tactics. All of their deceitful attempts have failed. During this great era, The Epoch Times will continue to improve and will play an even greater role in disintegrating all evil and saving sentient beings.
In the "Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting," Teacher has put forward higher requirements for practitioners in managing the paper in order to establish a solid footing in society and achieve a positive economic situation. My understanding is that these are the requirements of the Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings. To have a solid footing in society is not just a financial issue, but also a cultivation issue.
To be able to gain a footing in society and attain financial independence is an indication of The Epoch Times becoming mature, an indication of being widely recognized by society, and an indication of raising its prestige. It will then naturally save more sentient beings. Once achieved, this will prove that the Fa-rectification Dafa disciples are able to leave something great for the future.
Practitioners in mainland China care a great deal about The Epoch Times newspaper, and hope that it will continue to get better and better.
