Why the Heaven and Earth Publication Is Needed in China

(Minghui.org) Because Falun Dafa is persecuted in China, publications that promote the practice and expose the persecution are often made smaller to make them easier to carry and distribute.

When printing the full-size, 64-page magazine, Tiandicangsheng (Heaven and Earth), while some practitioners in China reduce the A4 (8.3” x 11.7”) magazine to A5 (5.8” x 8.3”) or even smaller to be safer, there are some practitioners who have been printing the magazine in full size, as it’s easier to read and the photos more attractive.

Practitioners in China print out the magazine not only for themselves or their families to read. Some practitioners print many copies and give all of them out, while others lend them, and then take them back and redistribute them. Why do some practitioners prefer using the A4 size version of the magazine despite the ongoing persecution? We may find answers from these practitioners’ feedback.

Comment #1

We began making the A4 size version when we were provided with an A3 document with 2 A4 size pages that were meant for saddle stitch binding. However, we cut the pages before binding them to make the final product look more professional. The cover was made of 180g two sided coated paper. We usually make over a thousand copies of each edition. Practitioners from outside of our city and province come and ask for them because they are very popular. Most of them we give out personally, and people welcome them.

Comment #2

Our local practitioner started printing the magazine in the A4 size beginning in February 2023. Every season I print out about 70 copies of the new edition and hang them on the doorknobs of residents in the community. Occasionally I hand them out to people I know, and they tell me that the content is very good.

Comment #3

I print 10 copies of each edition of the magazine at home. I usually give them to people with some level of education who like to read. The magazine has 64 pages, and the articles can explain and clarify things in depth.

Comment #4

We print around 10 to 20 copies of each edition. Sometimes people return the magazine to us after they read it. If we know that they cherish the magazine and don’t want to take it without paying, we ask them to pass it on to their family members or friends. Other times, we ask them to return the magazine and then we pass it along to more people. The truth never expires. Someone once told me that he couldn’t believe that Falun Dafa published such a formal picture magazine. The results I get from distributing the magazine have been good, and I hear more and more readers say good things about it.

Comment #6

We started printing the A4 version of Heaven and Earth in 2022. We mainly give it to people who are more educated or are picky about the quality of the articles and the display of the magazine.

Comment #7

We live in a rural village. Sometimes we deliver the magazine to people’s doorsteps, and sometimes we give them directly to people who are educated and willing to read it. Most of the time, older people are more accepting of the magazine because they prefer reading hard copies of things rather than digitally.

Comment #8

Beginning with the 293rd edition published in August 2022, we have printed the magazine in A4. At first we printed ten copies of each edition. Now we print 20 to 30 copies. The colors on the A4 size version are clearer and the pictures complement the text, which make the magazine look more professional and easy to read. Even the practitioners love the larger print and cherish it because of its good quality.

I remember what a practitioner’s family said after reading Heaven and Earth: “So beautiful! It’s amazing. I’d like to show it to my older sister.” At first we circulated the magazine only within practitioners’ family members. Now we send it to workplaces, teachers, and officials.

After reading the A4 version, a friend told me, “The practitioners are incredible and produce such a good publication. This magazine must be expensive. I have to give it back to you.” I told him that it was well worth it if he understood the truth and saw through the Chinese regime’s propaganda about Falun Dafa by reading it. I asked him to keep the copy and to share it with his family and friends.

A practitioner clarified the truth to someone and let him choose one of the informational materials he liked. Without hesitation, he picked Heaven and Earth and left with a big smile on his face.

Summary

The persecution started in 1999 and has been ongoing for 25 years. Many people still have negative opinions about Falun Dafa because of the Chinese regime’s propaganda. In such a perilous environment, practitioners have never stopped telling people the facts of Falun Dafa. The normal A4 print size version of the magazine has opened the door to clarifying the truth to mainstream society in China.

One practitioner said, “I hope the practitioners in China cherish Heaven and Earth. Time waits for no one, and we should use every possible tool to save precious sentient beings.”

Most readers in rural villages and small towns agree that the smaller print versions such as Minghui Weekly, Great Fortune, Golden Seeds, and Truth are easy to carry around and less demanding to read. There are also people in larger cities who are willing to read regular-sized Falun Dafa magazines, including the books of the teachings. We need to give them that chance as well.

The key is to choose the right readers for the regular-sized magazine. People who like to play on their phones and watch short videos do not want to read paper books, and they might not be the target readers. However, people with a good education who can read well may enjoy reading the A4 size version. There are also people who are simple and kind who want to learn more about culture and the meaning of life. When they get the magazine, they almost always enjoy the articles.

As it says in Heaven and Earth: “Discover tradition, art, virtue, and wisdom. Create a moment of tranquility for you in chaotic times.” If more practitioners could calm down and read this magazine, perhaps they would understand who would want to read this publication and why.