Germany: Letting Go of Selfishness through Saving Sentient Beings

Greetings revered Master, Greetings fellow practitioners!

For years I’ve been clarifying the truth face-to-face at Cologne Church Square, and over the phone on the RTC platform. Today, I’d like to share some cultivation experiences of how I let go of my selfishness and truly saved Chinese people out of consideration for them by participating in a large-scale truth clarification project.

Since the outbreak of COVID, tour groups from mainland China effectively vanished. The platform for calling China instantly added a couple of important projects: fully automated dialling and semi-automated dialling. Many practitioners from other countries also took part. The daily number of people persuaded to quit the CCP increased dramatically, reaching hundreds a day.

I’ve been clarifying the truth over the phone and face to face for over a decade. Under Master's arrangements, I was lucky enough to participate in the project of writing the truth-clarifying audio script. The finished script was made into an audio file by the recording team and played extensively to ​​sentient beings in China automatically or manually every day.

1. Remove Attachments to Ego, Self-righteousness, Zealotry, and Impetuousness in the Process of Scriptwriting

A good script can touch people's hearts. It starts from what all beings want to know, from caring about them, and develops logically and expressively. An easy-to-understand, coherent, and well-written script can be silently absorbed and can bring out the kindness in people. 

In the process of scriptwriting, I gained a deeper understanding of Master's wisdom in teaching the Fa. No one reading Zhuan Falun would be left with a feeling of being lectured to. Master taught the Fa eloquently, steadily guiding modern people poisoned by atheism to believing in the truth of the universe and the existence of the Gods. 

For instance, when Master revealed that plants have feelings he gave a few examples, one leading to another from the elementary to the profound. From plants’ response when being watered, which is the most easily understood, to their reaction when approached by a trampler, and eventually to the fact that they know what people are thinking, and so on. 

There are countless such examples in Zhuan Falun. Also, every sentence and every word of Master is just perfect. With one extra or one less word in the middle, the meaning may seem to be the same on surface, but upon closer scrutiny, it would not be as precise or flow as well.

A script is broadcast tens of thousands of times, encountering sentient beings with all kinds of thoughts. For example, some people are sick of daily PCR tests, while others feel safer to be tested; some even think of the free testing provided by the state as a great benefit. I enlightened that when writing a script, it’s best to avoid judging subjectively or drawing conclusions lightly. 

Without paving the way with solid facts or seeing the underlying meaning through the facts, the audience can easily hang up and refuse to listen. When I first started writing, I often made the mistake of jumping to conclusions. After a few reminders from fellow practitioners, I realised that my problem was self-righteousness.

During COVID, there’s a key event in China almost every couple of days. It’s easy to capture the attention of the audience by clarifying the truth through analysing that event. 

To gather data, I read a lot of related reports in the media and media run by Dafa practitioners. I found a common feature particularly among practitioners media: they were not self-righteous. They didn’t draw conclusions casually or follow others' opinions or spread gossip. They articulated sound logic and reasoning, which was extremely convincing. 

I often reminded myself to let go of all my notions and put myself in the shoes of others. If I were to live in China, indoctrinated by the CCP's propaganda, how could others persuade me to learn the truth step by step? At the same time, I reminded myself not to write based on my personal preferences or parrot what others say. 

For example, sometimes I would come across a piece of news that seemed beneficial to truth clarification, but it may be fake news. When attachments to self-righteousness and zealotry surfaced, it’s easy to get carried away. It’d come off as an exaggeration, and achieving the opposite effect.

My script co-writer, a practitioner in Canada, helped me a great deal. I was very grateful to Master for the ingenious arrangement because her qualities were exactly what I lacked. The two of us complemented each other, crafting many life-saving weapons by writing numerous scripts. This practitioner was very patient and could truly listen to other people's ideas without ego.

Through clarifying the truth extensively over the phone and face to face, I fully understood Chinese people's thinking, their worries, and misgivings. This generally made me very confident, complacent, even conceited. 

Whenever I came across an event useful for truth clarification material, I could quickly pinpoint the starting point and develop an idea of how to support it. Every time, the fellow practitioner patiently listened to my ideas, thought it through carefully, and then calmly discussed her perspectives and ideas with me by raising questions. 

I saw my problems at once: impatient and self-centred. Especially, when I knew the ins and outs of things very well, I didn't have enough patience to listen to her. Recognizing a strong ego, I was determined to eradicate this false self. As I listened to her more and more, better ideas and examples started popping up in my mind. The wisdom gained through Dafa cultivation was revealed gradually.

As the two of us cooperated more and more harmoniously, our writing improved massively. Later, we further revised and improved many previously written short drafts for semi-automated broadcasting addressing sentient beings’ worries, making them clearer, and more concise and persuasive. 

The fellow practitioner had impeccable attention to detail. Every time an article was drafted, we would study it word by word. Sometimes, we’d switch the order of the sentences to make the script flow better, sound catchier and be more logical. It also taught me a lot about being thorough. 

Master said in “Sage” in Essentials for Further Advancement: "…he is full of great aspirations while minding minor details."

I have a carefree personality and often fail to pay enough attention to details. Through our cooperation, I also learned to be meticulous.

2. Let Go of Attachments to Judging and Self-Protection during COVID

COVID and vaccination are also a test for Dafa disciples: a test of how we position ourselves and adjust our mentality. Only by positioning ourselves correctly can we clarify the truth to sentient beings effectively and truly save them.

For a while, many online articles highlighted the side effects of vaccines, which even might be fatal. Of course, problems did exist. My first reaction hearing the news was that I wouldn't get it or want my family to get it. Looking inward on this thought though, I saw a strong attachment to self-protection. I wanted to keep myself safe, which was a selfish desire. 

As practitioners, our true selves are assimilated with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Our thoughts should not be moved by anything we hear or see. Then I enlightened that it's perfectly fine to get vaccinated, or not. We don't change the social norm of ordinary people. The vaccine does not have any effect on practitioners - the same goes for viruses. The gong we’ve cultivated is infinitely more microscopic than those substances, so how can they have any effect on us?

The key is how ordinary people view our actions. If they regard us as going to extremes, it will affect their salvation. Subsequently, Master published a new article on whether to get vaccinated. I firmed up my will. Before watching Shen Yun, some practitioners and I got vaccinated. Just like water, the injection did not produce any adverse reactions in me.

Master said at the beginning of his recent teaching Rationality: “Plagues and pestilence, by their very nature, are arranged by the Gods, and in the course of history, they are an inevitability. When humans become corrupt in their hearts, they will generate karma, fall sick, and suffer calamities. At such times, those who don’t believe in Gods will resort to various measures. The homophone [in Chinese] of this noun is already telling you that a “measure” is in fact a misguided approach. There have been many positive lessons in history, yet all because of the atheistic mindset of modern-day Chinese people after being brainwashed by the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP), people do not believe in Gods and do not believe in the lessons from history.”

I enlightened that vaccinations are not the deciding factor for sentient beings’ salvation. The key is where their hearts lie in the battle between good and evil. By trying to talk them into or out of vaccinations, we would lead truth clarification astray, bringing about bad knock-on effects. Clarifying the truth to sentient beings is to bring out and encourage their kindness towards Dafa and the Gods.

3. Cultivate Empathy through Face-to-Face Truth Clarification

When COVID first broke out in Wuhan, there was an exhibition in Germany that attracted many exhibitors from Wuhan. Having learned of their origin, people in nearby booths all put on masks and avoided them. In the eyes of others, they were like viruses. I bet they must have felt very uncomfortable and discriminated against.

With no mask on I walked up to them cheerfully, treating them the same as people from other places. My attitude comforted them a great deal. I asked whether they felt pressured because of the pandemic. They all nodded. I said: “Anxiety is not good for the body. Don't be too stressed. It is more important to maintain a peaceful and healthy mindset and improve your immunity.” 

I started talking about how I had a calm mind, and my body had a strong immune system because I often did meditation exercises. After hearing this, they relaxed a lot and smiled again. I then talked about Chinese medicine and the belief that righteousness inside would keep away evil. They all agreed, and saw light and hope. Finally, I told them how I practiced Dafa, the mind and body benefits of Dafa, and the CCP's persecution. Getting them to quit the CCP was a matter of course.

During COVID the CCP's draconian lockdowns of cities and communities flamed panic. When business travel resumed after the pandemic eased, masses of Chinese people returned to German exhibitions. 

I talked to them about my German experience, about how Germany survived COVID without large-scale lockdowns or major incidents. I pointed out the madness of the CCP’s sudden lifting of all restrictions after strict domestic lockdowns, triggered mass infections as well as stress-induced lower immunity, and so on. I clarified the truth to Chinese exhibitors, wishing them good health by resting well, adjusting their mentality, and improving immunity. They could feel that I sincerely cared about them.

During face-to-face truth clarification, I deeply sympathised with the trials each being endures in this world. The differences in their environments, past experiences, families, careers, and those close to them drive differing views on the same matter. Once, I had a good chat with a lad, who finally agreed to quit the CCP. He parted with: “Thank you for your guidance.” 

Another time, an exhibition regularly quipped: “You came to lecture me again.” I suddenly realised the problem in our truth clarification. Although everything we talked about made sense, we might have come across as being condescending.

I enlightened that in front of ordinary people I should be humble and interact more with them. I should let them talk first, open their hearts by learning more about their situation and thoughts, and create a more friendly atmosphere for communication. 

It’s like helping someone build a house. Some know very little about the truth, and the foundation has just been laid. Some have got several floors, while others have already built high-rise buildings. If someone is building the second floor, I should also stand on that floor to help them by gradually going upward from the level they can relate to. 

Having realised the issue, I got along with them better. They became more open to me and more willing to accept the truth. No one complained that I lectured them anymore.

When I truly cared about others, their reciprocation invariably moved me. They warmly invited me to sit down for a chat and offered me water and food. At the end of the exhibitions, while I waited for other practitioners outside, occasionally I spotted people who had heard the truth waving to me from a distance, looking very happy.

4. Cultivate Selflessness through Attention to Details

Everything we say and do affects the salvation of sentient beings. Once, at a truth-clarification point, a fellow practitioner alerted me, “You dozed off while meditating just now. A group of Chinese people happened to pass by, and they noticed.” 

To correct my exercise posture, for a while I did the exercises in front of a mirror. I found that during meditation my back was not straight, and my neck craned forward. Without a correct posture I fell asleep easily and lacked the energy of a cultivator. When I did “Holding the Wheel Over the Head” position during the 2nd exercise, my hands were too low and too far away. When doing the exercise position “Holding the Wheel on Both Sides of the Head”, my hands would unconsciously slide down, and so on. Now these bad habits have basically been shaken off. 

In addition, the exercise movements should follow Master's commands, neither fast nor slow, and in unison with other practitioners. Practitioners should also frequently remind one another. Nowadays our exercises in the church square often attract numerous onlookers, snapping photos. Many have shown great interest in the exercises. On multiple occasions some even joined us, and many children came over to learn.

I also discovered that I held numerous notions. Under the influence of modernist art and fashion, my aesthetics had also been warped. I carefully observed Shen Yun's use of colours. Shen Yun's colours are extremely pure and brilliant. Their coordination is very harmonious. Those colours are all created by Gods, while the colours of many fashions today are off and dirty and have filthy pigments in them.

While watching practitioners’ media programs, I paid attention to their outfits and accessories. I also learned about attire and colour coordination, corrected my warped notions, and developed traditional aesthetics. 

Now I try to stick with clean and warm colours with harmonious coordination. Dressing up is to make others feel comfortable rather than to show off. When doing the exercises, I try to wear longer skirts or looser pants to minimise skin and body exposure. When I stick to standard exercise postures, giving uplifting and pleasant feelings, the effect of Hongfa is a lot better.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank all the practitioners who have helped me, pointed out my problems, and had conflicts with me. Especially when I felt unfairly treated, slandered, or humiliated, I didn’t pass the tests. Sometimes I was resentful. Other times I was rude to fellow practitioners.

Master said in “Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong” in Hong Yin III:

“As a cultivator
One always looks for one’s own faults
Ti's the Way to get rid of attachments most effectively
There’s no way to skip ordeals, big or small
He’s right
And I’m wrong
What’s to dispute?”

These words often come to my mind, but I haven't truly enlightened or put them into practice. Looking back, I’m ashamed of some of my previous actions and behaviours. I have enlightened that it is the acquired false self that can’t be wronged. It is selfish and seeking fame. As I finished writing this sharing, I realised that I still have a lot of attachments to let go. What I would like to say here that I sincerely thank those practitioners who conflicted with me. Going forward I will cherish the good opportunities to help me improve.

The above is a little bit of my cultivation experience. Please kindly point out anything lacking.

Thank you, benevolent Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.

Heshi!

 

(Selected article for the European Fa-conference 2023 in Paris)