My Nine Days in New York City

[PureInsight.org] A few months ago I had a dream where Master said to me, "They (New Yorkers) had to be reincarnated 36 times before they could be reincarnated in New York City." It seemed that Master was hinting that I should go to Manhattan to clarify the truth, because people there are precious, and they had endured much in order to be born in New York during this special historic period. But I didn't think too much about the dream at the time because I had a busy schedule, and it's difficult for me to take a long vacation from work. To tell you the truth, I felt that going to Manhattan was for those for whom making the trip was convenient, and that did not include me.

In September suddenly I had a very strong desire to go to Manhattan. After some effort I was able to get two weeks' vacation from work, get my passport renewed, and get an American visa. After taking out the time needed to coordinate the trip with other practitioners and the travel time, I only had nine days in Manhattan. Before leaving I sent an email to my manager and co-workers explaining the reason for my trip to New York, and asked three of my co-workers to take over my duties while I was gone. The manager emailed back asking co-workers to help me out, and wished my trip would "successfully reach consummation." To ordinary people, consummation means reaching your goal and completing your mission successfully. But as a practitioner I know what these words mean.

Arriving in New York, the first person I clarified the truth was the U.S. immigration officer at the airport. As a part of his job he asked me the reason for visiting the States. I said that I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and I am here to participate in Falun Dafa activities. He didn't seem to know about what I was talking about. After he asked for my fingerprints, he again asked me if I was visiting the U.S. for business or pleasure. So I answered, "I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Falun Dafa is a meditation like Tai Chi. But it's being persecuted by the Chinese Communist regime. I came here to tell the people…" Before I finished my sentence, he nodded his head in understanding. I saw in his face that he really did understand, and that he heard the truth. From this, I learned that it's important to make sure when we clarify the truth we get our points across clearly. Every person has a knowing side that wishes to listen to the truth about Falun Dafa and be saved. How can we tell them what is happening in a few sentences? I think that it is sufficient if we tell them that Falun Gong is being persecuted, and that is saving them.

I encountered some touching and encouraging stories during my nine-day stay in Manhattan. Here are nine stories to share with you:

1. A 90-year old granny denouncing the wicked communist party

When an elderly lady came upon our site she told us that she was born 90 years ago in the former Soviet Union. She had been a vegetarian for a few decades. She started to denounce brutal communist regimes, from the former Soviet Union, to Vietnam, to Cuba, and then to Communist China. She said that the people in those countries were living very well before the evil Communists showed up and caused so much misery to people there. Later I asked her to sign the petition. She signed the petition, walked over to the practitioners meditating on the other side and observed them for quite a while. She told me to give them her regards.

2. A righteous middle-aged man

A middle-aged man came over to me. Before I could hand him a flyer, he started criticizing the American government for being so accommodating to Communist China for reasons of economics. I asked him to sign the petition, and he said, "Thank you for being here for human rights." I was almost moved to tears upon hearing this.

3. A predestined African American

A curly-haired black man walked past me and I handed him the flyer. He said that he had signed the petition somewhere else already. Two days later I saw him again and another practitioner tried to give him a flyer, and he said he had already received one. So I turned to other pedestrians. He came back after taking a few steps and laughed, "Remember me?" I laughed and said, "I remember. I saw you two days ago." He said, "I told you, I am here quite often." I smiled and looked at him walking away; I felt that he and I have a predestined relationship.

4. Cooperating with Western practitioners

A pedestrian was walking by our exhibition site. Another Chinese practitioner tried to give him a flyer but he refused to accept it. He started to move away. After he took a few steps, a Western practitioner went up to him to clarify the truth to him. When I saw it, I sent forth righteous thoughts in silent support. After talking to the western practitioners a few minutes, the man not only accepted the flyer and the Nine Commentaries on Communist Party, he also signed our petition. He said that he would read the Nine Commentaries carefully. In those few minutes I learned the importance of good cooperation among practitioners.

5. Getting a signature in one minute

An elegant lady was reading the material on our torture exhibition. I went over to give her the flyers and asked her if she knew what was going on. She said that she didn't know. So I pointed to the practitioners meditating and said, "Falun Gong is a meditation like Tai Chi." I then pointed at the torture exhibit, "In China, people are being persecuted for practicing it, and practitioners over there are demonstrating the torture methods that the Chinese regime have used on Mainland Chinese practitioners." Then I brought her the petition, "We are collecting signatures for a petition that urges the Chinese regime to stop the persecution. Will you sign it?" She said immediately, "Of course." It took less than a minute from the time I went up to talk to her to the time she signed the petition.

6. Predesitined people in the subway

One time when I was riding the subway to the torture exhibition site, a practitioner was handing out Dafa materials in the subway. I was listening to Master's Fa lecture through headphones. The practitioner came over to ask for my help because he doesn't speak English. It turns out that a westerner in the subway car was asking if Falun Gong is a religion after reading the flyer. I told him that it's not a religion, and it's a meditation like Tai Chi. I then told him about the persecution. Then another practitioner gave him a bookmark with information on the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. He was very interested, and asked if we could send a practitioner to his office in New Jersey to hold a class. I said of course, and took his name and number. Later on, I gave that information to local New York practitioners.

7. A Chinese learning the truth

An Asian man was reading the materials on the exhibition site. I asked him in English if he wished to sign the petition. To my surprise he replied in Chinese, "You have to sue Jiang Zemin. This is too cruel." Then he signed the petition. I told him that people in a few dozen countries are suing Jiang Zemin, and the cases are pending. After he signed his name, he nodded his head and left.

8. Passers-by shocked by the torture exhibition

The torture exhibition with real people is very dramatic, especially to the Westerners who value human rights and freedom. A black man, upon seeing the exhibit of the torture method called "Tiger Bench," was shocked. He yelled, "Why is that person chained up like that?" I told him immediately that we are demonstrating how the Communist regime tortures Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China. A white man stood for quite some time, and asked me how long the practitioner on the "tiger bench" had been there, and that we have to send him to the hospital. I explained that it was just a demonstration. I told him what's going on in China, and then he understood. I also heard from fellow practitioners that earlier a passerby had been so enraged that he released a practitioner from the chains. The practitioner couldn't speak English so he waited until the passer-by left before putting back the chains. To avoid misunderstanding, I think we should have a sign that reads, "This is a demonstration of what practitioners of Falun Gong go through as they are being persecuted in Communist China." Many passers-by only glanced at the exhibition, but this glance can determine their attitude towards Dafa, so our message must be clear.

9. A driver giving us ideas

When we were packing up our materials on one evening, a street-cleaning truck driver was standing nearby. A non-English speaking elderly practitioner went up to him. From a distance I heard that the driver said he already had the flyer, and I couldn't make out what else he said. The practitioner asked me to go over to talk to him. The driver suggested that we should find some celebrities to help us out and bring more attention to our cause.

I once joked with practitioners that coming to New York for 9 days is like attending the 9-day video lecture (I started practicing by reading the books; I never attended a 9-day video lecture). Of course, this particular 9-day class is not to introduce Falun Gong to a new practitioner. Instead, it is about practitioners validating Fa and bringing salvation to sentient beings. Many practitioners who have been staying in Manhattan are walking the path of becoming gods. Touching stories unfold all around us. It is getting cold, but practitioners' heats are warm. The cruel winter has arrived, but spring is also close.

It was Thanksgiving when I was leaving New York. There were a few million people attending the Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. I think one day when people realized Master's compassionate salvation, they will be giving thanks to the boundless compassion of the Buddha.

Teacher said, "[…] every single sentient being reveres Dafa's saving grace. All of the heavens and the earth celebrate together, congratulate each other, and exalt together." –(From "Foretelling the Fa's Rectification of the Human World" in Essentials for Further Advancement II.)

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/11/28/34761.html