My Experience Clarifying the Truth at Sun Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake is a tourist spot which tourists from China cannot miss when they come to visit Taiwan. Shuishe Wharf, Chaowu Wharf, Wenwu Temple, Dehua She, Xuanguang Temple and more are all good locations for truth clarification (clarifying the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong) in this area. Currently, because we are short of hands, we mainly clarify the truth at the Xuanguang Temple Wharf by displaying posters and demonstrating the exercises.

Last year, after the Taiwanese government opened the gates for travellers from China to visit Taiwan, our truth clarification at Sun Moon Lake received all kinds of interference. During this period of time, the coordination among practitioners was also difficult, leading to the consequence that our banners, truth clarification boards and materials were prohibited. So practitioners decided to rectify the field there again.

I am a coordinator, and was rather timid at the beginning. Because practitioners are at different levels and have different understandings, some feel that their own way may be better. Thus, we had some conflicts. After one such incident, instead of looking inward, I complained about the mistakes of other practitioners and blamed others for not cherishing the environment created by fellow practitioners. When I truly calmed down and looked inward, I noticed that I have many problems in the coordination work. It took me a long time to find my attachments, and after I let them go, the environment improved.

During that time, practitioner A had conflicts with other practitioners. When she was around, our banners and posters were often confiscated. Because of this, some of the practitioners asked me not to let her come any longer. Instead of looking inward, I complained together with others about practitioner A. Later, although I called practitioner A several times and invited her to come to clarify the truth in Sun Moon Lake, she declined every time. In the end, I was disappointed and felt that I had already tried my best.

A practitioner said to me, "You have to lower your attitude more, and then the problem will be solved." I tried hard to look inward, and finally realized that I didn't have a pure heart when I called her. I was not very sincere during those times and instead still held some prejudice toward her. It was not surprising that she always declined, every time I called her. After I really let go of my attachment to myself, I called practitioner A again, and this time she happily promised to come.

One time when a tourist group from China came to Taiwan, their trip was widely reported by the Taiwan media. Sun Moon Lake was one of the top spots that they had wanted to visit, and on the day they were to arrive at Dehuashe Wharf, I and several other practitioners arrived very early. We noticed that five vehicles from the media were waiting to report the scene. The Tourist Department and the local police station were also waiting there, as if they were expecting a big enemy. The officials from the tourist department were quite upset when they saw us and asked us nervously what we wanted to do. They also warned us to not make any trouble, or they would ban us from displaying materials at the Xuanguang Temple. I answered with righteous thoughts, "We come to welcome the Chinese tourists to Taiwan. We will also demonstrate the beautiful exercises of Falun Gong for them." At that time, our hearts were united and our thoughts were righteous. Thus, we formed a very compassionate and righteous field, and the evil could find no loopholes.

During that afternoon, a group of the tourists from China arrived, and they were young people. Everyone took lots of photos of us. One Chinese tourist asked us if he could stand among our banners and have a photo taken together with us. We replied, "Sure!" After he took the photo, he told us happily, "Thank you! In China, we can no longer see this."

Here is my personal understanding. Because people don't know the truth about Falun Gong, most of the time they learn about Falun Gong by observing the behaviour of practitioners. Just like when we first began clarifying the truth at Sun Moon Lake, the officials from the Tourist Department were extremely concerned about us, and many businesses and shop owners were very cold towards us. Now, the officials are always delighted to see us. They even expressed hope that we would volunteer to be tour guides. Some business and shop owners, although a minority, still have a negative view about us, but this is something we have to break through by clarifying the truth to them with more strength.