(Minghui.org)
Greetings, respected Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I wish to share with fellow practitioners how I broke through my human notions and improved my xinxing by participating in the global Real Time Communication (RTC) platform, a project that involves making phone calls to China to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa to the Chinese people.
I began to practice Falun Dafa in 2009. At first I just regarded it as physical exercise for healing and fitness. As I studied the teachings more, I developed a deeper understanding of the goal and significance of cultivation. Witnessing the progress of the Fa-rectification, I felt the urgency of saving people. Saving sentient beings is not only a way to elevate our level and realm, but, more importantly, it is the prehistoric vow and mission of every Falun Dafa practitioner.
Breaking through Notions on the RTC PlatformWhen I joined the global RTC platform in 2012, I was not eloquent and I couldn't figure out people's attitudes from what they said. They often commented that I was insensitive.
When I first began to make calls to China on the RTC platform, I was afraid of saying the wrong things, so I mainly listened to fellow practitioners' calls. When I had to call, I often worried that people might hang up on me. By the time I started calling Chinese lawyers at the end of 2014, I had let go of this human notion.
When I was told that we were going to set up a program that specifically targeted Chinese lawyers, my notions about lawyers became a large barrier. In my eyes, lawyers are highly educated and make high salaries. I thought they were well-informed, knowledgeable, and eloquent. I was afraid of being unable to handle the arguments they might put forward.
To overcome my mental barrier, I studied Teacher’s Fa lectures.
Teacher said,
“In whatever you do you should carry it through to the end, do it well, and if you intend to save someone, then go ahead and save him. When someone is placed before you, there isn’t a choice—you’re wrong if you become selective in terms of saving people. As long as he is someone you run into, you should save him, regardless of his position or social status, or whether he be the president or a beggar.” ("What is a Dafa Disciple")
I read this Fa principle repeatedly and tried to understand it. Finally, I built up my courage and made calls to lawyers.
Much to my surprise, it was not that difficult to communicate with them. In fact, compared to other groups of people, I found them easier to talk to. When I made calls to lawyers, those verbal battles that take place in court never became an issue. Many said they understood quite well that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was violating existing Chinese laws and was persecuting Falun Dafa.
I realized that, no matter how many professions there are or how many successful people there are, it is practitioners who play the leading role in this historic play. From the human perspective, we need the legal assistance of lawyers, while, actually, they may have chosen the legal profession in the remote past, so they could use their skills during the Fa-rectification period and would be among those to be saved.
I called a lawyer and said, “Have you heard that, in May of this year, a new policy came into effect that requires the Supreme People's Court to guarantee the registration and processing of all criminal and civil complaints? Since then, many Falun Dafa practitioners have sued Jiang Zemin and mailed their complaints to the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate.” He was very excited to hear that, but he did not dare handle Falun Dafa cases himself. He said all cases involving practitioners had to be submitted to the justice bureau.
“The illegal persecution of Falun Dafa was launched by Jiang Zemin," I said. "It is not practitioners, but law-enforcement personnel who are breaking the law.”
I told him about a Falun Dafa case in which Professor Zhang Zanning from the Law School of Southeast University defended the innocence of Falun Dafa practitioners.
“Professor Zhang pointed out that Jiang’s initiation of the persecution of Falun Dafa was using his power to undermine state law. He will definitely be brought to justice,” I said.
I told him how to overcome the Internet blockade, which would help him find information beneficial to his cases. He wrote down how to do it. I made sure he knew about the movement to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. He said he was not a CCP member but agreed to quit the Youth League and the Young Pioneers using a nickname. I told him to keep in mind the words “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
Another time I asked the lawyer I called to defend the innocence of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. He agreed immediately. Then I gave him the software to break through the Internet blockade. He told me he had it and already knew the facts about Falun Dafa. I asked him if he had quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. He said he already had.
Making calls to lawyers made me realize that all sentient beings are anxiously waiting for practitioners to save them, whether they are lawyers or in any other profession and whatever their social status. As long as we make an effort, Teacher will help us.
The true reason that prevents sentient beings from being saved is most likely our own notions. Practitioners have abilities, although we might not be completely aware of them. As long as we follow what Teacher has told us, we will progressively break through human notions and strengthen our righteous thoughts.
Making calls also helped me learn how to tell people about Dafa in person. I took every opportunity to talk to Chinese people and encourage them to quit the CCP. At work, shopping, or waiting in line, I talked to Chinese people. I know that, as long as we have the heart to save people, Teacher will sent people to us who have a predestined relationship with Dafa.
One time in a shopping mall, I approached three Chinese students and asked them if they had heard about the "quit the CCP" movement. They said they were not clear about it.
“You pledged to give your life to the CCP when you joined the CCP, the Youth League, and Young Pioneers. Not a good thing, so you should quit all of them and truly mean it,” I said.
They hesitated, so I said, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. You’ve learned from textbooks about the supposed "self-immolation on Tiananmen Square." The CCP staged that incident.” Before I could continue, one of them said, “Yes, that’s so obviously false. His hair was not on fire, and the plastic bottle did not melt.” I know he must have read our informational materials or seen the video. The three students quit the Youth League and used their English names.
When I stepped out of a room, I saw a Chinese young man in the corridor. He said hello and asked what we were doing. I told him that I was a Falun Dafa practitioner and that we were studying the Falun Dafa books. I told him about practitioners in China being killed for their organs. I gave him a nickname and he quit the Youth League and the Young Pioneers.
There are many more such stories. Actually, it’s not difficult to tell people the facts about Dafa. All we need to do is to keep that one thought of saving people in our mind all the time, take action, and speak up, because Teacher has already paved the way for us.
Making calls on the RTC platform has also been a process of exposing my human thoughts, identifying my shortcomings, and constantly rectifying myself.
At first, I had many worries and fears. I was afraid of questions that I couldn’t answer, afraid of people hanging up on me, afraid that people wouldn’t listen to me, afraid of being cursed at, and afraid of losing face in front of fellow practitioners who listened to me on the platform. As I became more experienced, I no longer worried. I think it’s also a process of constantly strengthening my righteous thoughts.
I realized that people had to sense my compassion. In the beginning, I wanted to show everyone how well I knew current affairs. However, every time I listened to fellow practitioners making calls on the RTC platform, I felt that they used simple terms and sounded kind, just like they were talking to their own family. They persuaded people to quit the CCP with just a few thoughtful sentences. I thought those words and phrases were very simple, but they delivered a very strong field that was filled with compassion. That’s why people accepted the truth very easily.
Teacher said,
“But if what you say is self-centered and every word you say is intended to please everyone, 'Oh, he’d better not misunderstand me as meaning this or that,' or 'I’d better watch what I say so others won’t use it to criticize me later,' and has all kinds of things, then the messages carried by the words active in your mind and emitted from your mind will be very bad. If you are truly kindhearted and without any of your own motives, what you say will be nothing but pure and kind.” (Teaching the Fa at the Assistants’ Fa Conference in Changchun)
On some occasions, although I had studied the Fa and sent righteous thoughts before making calls, people who answered still could not accept what I said, so the result was not good. I looked inside and identified the attachment of validating myself. I had not reached the state of pure compassion. After I enlightened to this, I sent righteous thoughts more often. I told myself that I was saving people and was not in a debate.
A new function was added to the RTC platform in 2015. People who get our calls and listen to the recordings can press the number 8 to request a return phone call. If we call back immediately, the possibility that they will quit the CCP is high, because they have listened to the recording and are motivated. Most know the truth and want to quit the CCP. Interaction with such people is much easier.
I took these phone numbers and had good results, because it’s quite easy to persuade these people to quit the CCP. Fellow practitioners also liked to take such calls, so I stared at the computer screen to catch as many of these calls as possible. Then I realized that it was selfish to only talk to these people. I was regarding it as a task instead of a sacred project to save people.
The RTC platform produces a large number of phone numbers for us to call. Since then, I stopped competing for specific phone numbers. I thought it made no difference who made the call as long as people quit the CCP. I was no longer attached to the number of people I persuaded to quit the CCP. That’s not the measure of how well we are doing the three things. Cultivation is not as simple as building up numbers. It’s genuinely letting go of selfishness.
Before I joined the global RTC platform, I didn’t know how to talk about Falun Dafa to people, and I often argued with them on big topics like freedom, democracy, or social systems. I couldn’t make people understand the truth, so I wasn't good at persuading them to quit the CCP.
On the RTC platform, we have a weekly schedule for making calls to China, and we share with each other. Fellow practitioners regularly talk about how they tell people the truth about Dafa. These sharing meetings greatly improved my skill at making calls to Chinese people and helped me have a better understanding of the Fa.
Through the RTC platform, I learned how to tell people about Falun Dafa more effectively and how to start the conversation. I greatly improved when it came to what to cover, how to speak, my tone, and compassion. I applied what I learned to my daily life and successfully persuaded my family, many other relatives, and the Chinese people I came in contact with to quit the CCP.
Although my ability to persuade people to quit the CCP varies, I feel enriched, because Teacher is leading me on my cultivation path.
I give thanks to the RTC platform that connects me with practitioners from all over the world and makes us into one body so that we can use phone calls to assist Teacher in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings.
I’ve been clarifying the truth on the RTC platform for three years, although I have occasionally slacked off. Thanks to Teacher’s protection and fellow practitioner’s encouragement, I understand the urgency of saving people.
As Dafa practitioners outside of China, we don’t worry about security. It might not be easy or it might be inconvenient for practitioners in China to get in touch with special groups of people such as lawyers, government officials, and officers from the police department, court and procuratorate. That is exactly where Dafa practitioners outside of China should play a role – by making phone calls to clarify the truth.
Teacher said,
“I can tell you, without a predestined relationship, you can't be a human being in this world today--not a single person without a predestined relationship could be in this world.” ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
I often remind myself to regard everyone I contact as my closest family member. If we believe weeding out sentient beings is coming soon, are we still unmoved? I will cultivate more diligently and save more of the world’s people so as to repay Teacher for His infinite grace.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference)