(Clearwisdom.net) We have all become much more mature over the course of the Fa-rectification period. However, I'd like to remind everyone that in addition to improving our understanding of the Fa, and the need to save sentient beings, some of the most basic things should not be forgotten. This is important because these minor issues usually have enormous impact on others, and can affect their attitude towards Dafa.
Not long ago I met someone who came to visit his relatives in China. When I was trying to clarify the truth to him, I found that he had a bad impression of Falun Gong. This came about because he used to have a co-worker who was a Dafa practitioner. As he described it, this practitioner made telephone calls during work hours, and used up the whole year's vacation and traveled by air to different places for Fa conferences shortly after he joined the company. When someone wanted to learn the exercises to improve their health, the practitioner would toss them a book and tell them to study on their own.
Later on, the Dafa disciple was laid off when the company started downsizing. Other colleagues talked a lot about the practitioner after he left.
The man who came to visit his relatives in China also had an acquaintance who is friends with a Dafa practitioner. He heard that she spent a lot of money on Dafa projects. Her husband was unhappy about it and asked for a divorce, so he also had a bad impression of Falun Dafa.
After listening to these stories, my heart was moved and I felt very bad. As a result, I did not do well clarifying the truth to him. Now I regret that I did not do better.
On another occasion, as soon as I talked about the persecution of Falun Gong, the person I was talking to immediately seemed to understand the situation. And this was because he had a neighbor who is a Dafa disciple. According to him, this was a good person. When the Public Security Bureau illegally arrested him again and again, everyone felt it was not fair. Because this person had a good impression of Dafa disciples, when I talked about the persecution and torture and the lack of freedom of belief, he accepted what I said.
I'd like to take this opportunity to remind my fellow practitioners that our behavior is a window for others to view Dafa. We must not neglect our image, as we could cause damage to Dafa.
In fact, in the early days of individual cultivation we all paid attention to our behavior; but now it may be ignored. Dafa disciples outside of China should pay attention to their behavior too, as it is necessary for them to harmonize their environment.
Master has talked a lot about these things in his Fa teaching. We all have a lot of difficulties, but should still try to do a good job! And the lesson that I have learned from this is that truth clarification should not be driven by ordinary people. No matter what kind of people and what kind of responses we encounter, we should have the greatest compassion to clarify the truth. My omission was not doing a good job of truth clarification. In future I will work hard to make up for it. Please kindly point out my mistakes.
October 10th, 2007
