(Minghui.org) University campuses are environments where ideas flourish, cultures intermingle, and information circulates rapidly—profoundly shaping the values and perspectives of young people.
Establishing and operating Falun Dafa clubs on campus not only creates an official, compliant student organization but also establishes a foundation for sustained truth-clarification activities. These clubs offer a long-term channel for newcomers to deepen their understanding, providing a platform for more students to participate and collectively become a force for advancing the truth.
On campuses such as Columbia and Harvard, which have long been influenced by communist ideology and exposed to various modern deviant cultural trends, Falun Dafa clubs have emerged as beacons of truth.
Falun Dafa clubs can reserve venues to host nine-day classes, book theaters to screen informational films about the truth of the persecution of Dafa disciples by the Chinese Communist Party, and apply for Dafa booths during peak activity seasons in high-traffic student plazas. These efforts enable thousands of students and faculty to learn about the persecution through engaging displays.
Falun Dafa clubs can apply for various activity funds—such as those for off-campus cultural exchange experiences—to purchase group tickets and organize student trips to Shen Yun performances. As clubs at Columbia and NYU, they can also reserve large lecture halls that seat hundreds for group study sessions in the New York area.
Setting up a booth outside the campus gates was an idea I had been considering for a long time. I remember that on my first day after arriving, I spent four hours walking around Columbia University, Central Park, and other areas without seeing a single truth-clarifying booth.
After receiving the official invitation email from the university’s Office of Religious Life in mid-August inviting the Falun Dafa club to participate in their event, Master imparted wisdom to me. Instantly, I had the idea of organizing a large-scale truth-clarification event for the start of the semester. Throughout this process, what struck me most profoundly was the realization that Master had long since made arrangements—everything had already been laid out, just waiting for the disciples to carry them out.
Since this was my first time coordinating multiple booths both on and off campus to clarify the truth simultaneously, I had to consider all aspects and responsibilities. At first, I was a bit worried—practitioners had sent people and vehicles, working hard to transport the tent and tables there. I couldn’t let any oversight on my part cause a minor hiccup.
So I planned to set up a small table on August 24, the new student registration day, to test the waters and gauge the response. But since no one signed up, I didn’t arrange it and put the idea aside.
Then, around 11 p.m. on August 23, I suddenly received a call from a fellow practitioner. Upon learning no one was going for the next day’s freshman orientation, she became concerned.
She said, “The freshman orientation day is incredibly important! Parents and students from all over the world have just arrived in America, in New York. Everything feels fresh and new to them. If we can share the beauty of Dafa with them right upon their arrival, it can spread to every corner of the world—how impactful that would be! I’ll take the train back from New Jersey tomorrow morning. If no one else can make it, just the two of us will go. We’ll distribute as many materials as possible. I’ll find out where we can get the materials.”
The next day, the crowd at the school gate was unexpectedly large, and the amount of material we distributed was also surprisingly high. Parents and students from all over were very positive, with some even asking for extra copies to take home and share with others.
Within just an hour or two, we distributed hundreds of flyers. Yet the crowd hadn’t even reached its peak—it kept growing steadily. We quickly called in more fellow practitioners and set up a small table at the school entrance. The results were outstanding. We continued distributing materials until past 7 PM that day, handing out over 1,300 copies both inside and outside the school—an unprecedented record!
The truth-clarification event on freshman registration day laid the groundwork for the September 2 and 3 activities, while also alleviating my concerns about off-campus permits and effectiveness. Through this experience, I sensed Master telling me that even one or two people can accomplish much, enlightening me to cherish and seize every precious opportunity to save others.
Since each enrolled student can only apply for two spots, two people at the Dafa booth would be insufficient. At the same time, student traffic on campus is denser, requiring more practitioners to enter the campus and distribute materials at different locations. This way, we can maximize the opportunity presented by the start of the semester to share the truth with more people.
Soon, Master imparted wisdom to me. I began contacting students who had watched the film “Unsilenced” organized by the Falun Dafa club earlier this year, as well as those who had purchased group tickets to see Shen Yun at the Lincoln Center. I requested their help in applying for campus access and invited them to attend the Falun Dafa booth.
After several days spent waiting for replies to my texts, emails, and phone calls—with no response—I refused to give up. Determined, I returned to campus to distribute materials, hoping to find students open to the truth who could help with the application. After wandering for hours without meeting anyone, I was nearly finished and ready to head home when I finally met a very receptive student.
During our conversation, I discovered that she was majoring in International Affairs and that the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa was closely connected to her academic research. She expressed appreciation for the flyer, happily accepted the lotus flower and bookmark, subscribed to our club platform, and volunteered to join. She also promised to help with the campus entry application during the two-day orientation period. Before leaving, she even requested materials for her close friends.
On the afternoon of September 1, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a reply from a student I had taken to see Shen Yun at the Lincoln Center earlier this year. She offered to help with applications and visit the Dafa booth.
The second time I witnessed perseverance pay off was on the first day of school. By 4 p.m., everyone was exhausted after a long day of clarifying the truth. Many were heading home, yet the flow of students continued to be heavy as dusk fell. With only two days allotted for orientation, I continued distributing materials on campus, hoping fellow practitioners with time to spare could stay a little longer, so we wouldn’t waste those precious final two or three hours. In the end, only two or three practitioners said they would stay outside the campus until we finished distributing materials inside before leaving together.
At the last moment, several potential club members approached the small Falun Dafa booth outside. Many students eagerly provided their contact information and expressed genuine interest in joining the club.
For instance, a man who had watched the film “Unsilenced” at Columbia in March became very excited when he saw the Falun Dafa booth. He immediately pulled out a “Ganjing World” bookmark from his bag, explaining that he had kept it in his backpack for the past six months. He expressed warm support and gratitude at our booth, eagerly hoping to participate in future events and asking us to definitely notify him.
A junior student mentioned that he had previously practiced the exercises and demonstrated the first set of movements on the spot. Another student from Singapore shared that she had long wanted to learn but hadn’t been able to find a place near Columbia for years. Finally, we arrived! We also met a student who offered to help us apply for on-campus access.
In the end, ten of us attended the campus booth and successfully demonstrated the exercises! I feel this is a reward from Master. If we persist Master will naturally help us fill any gaps in our truth clarification and save lives. By seeking nothing, we will gain everything.
Those who understand the truth become seeds that help spread it. The words of the Singaporean student also made me realize how important it is to maintain a long-term truth-clarification site. On such a large campus, with tens of thousands of students, faculty, and staff, consistently maintaining this spot—and with Master’s arrangements for those who are predestined to learn—means that finding hundreds of new members interested in learning the exercises will not be a problem.
Campuses are distinct from streets or residential areas; the strategies used at truth-clarification sites such as streets or consulates cannot be directly applied to campus environments for sharing information and distributing materials.
We must comply with campus regulations and adopt approaches that better align with student preferences. Additionally, since parts of the campus are restricted to the public, external practitioners cannot directly enter the campus to establish truth-clarification booths.
With the long-term absence of such spots outside campuses, effective truth-clarifying methods within campuses becomes essential. In organizing this back-to-school event, I gained several new insights:
First, it’s crucial to maintain long-term truth-clarifying booths outside the campus. A large student population remains unsaved, and our efforts to share the truth with them have been insufficient. As the rectification of the universe draws to a close, the enlightened side within these students and the life groups they represent are eagerly awaiting.
Following the event, after consulting with local practitioners, we immediately established a Dafa booth outside the West Gate, operating it twice a week. The bright yellow Dafa tent attracted many Westerners deeply interested in meditation. The long-term off-campus Dafa booth, combined with group practice sessions and truth-clarifying activities within campus clubs, has produced excellent results!
Second, I have started adopting approaches that resonate with students. I used to avoid attending various school-organized dinner parties, barbecues, and other events. However, motivated by the recent drive to find new members for the club, I’ve been participating in Religious Life’s dinner parties and the Statistics Department’s new semester networking event. These experiences have proved to be very rewarding
While introducing Falun Dafa activities and sharing information with other religious groups and student organizations during these events, I encountered many new potential members. Sitting together at a table, eating, drinking, and conversing for extended periods in a relaxed atmosphere was much more effective than hurriedly approaching people outside academic buildings.
I’ve always been reluctant to sign up for social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook, and I’ve never created accounts for them. Recent events however, have changed my outlook. Since young people and students today are highly engaged with these platforms, online promotion has become essential for effective outreach.
Sometimes, promoting truth-clarifying films or club activities on these platforms yields better results than posting flyers offline in academic buildings. Therefore, operating Falun Dafa club channels and truth-sharing platforms on these social media platforms is indispensable. Simultaneously, organizing diverse cross-campus activities—such as joint cultural experiences with NYU—represents fresh inspiration and new approaches.
Third, we should proactively seek opportunities to share the truth with senior leaders across various university departments, such as the Acting President of ISSO, University Life, and Religious Life. When senior leadership gains a clear understanding of the truth, it becomes easier to secure institutional resources and support. Additionally, this enhances the visibility of Falun Dafa and raises awareness about the persecution on campus, attracting greater attention and engagement from both mainstream and elite circles.
After the orientation activities concluded, the story didn’t end—we couldn’t just stop there. People kept reaching out to me wanting to learn the exercises, and I kept coming up with new ideas for developing the club, so I’ve been constantly busy.
Previously, I harbored many fears and hesitations, feeling that I was too weak and my path too lonely. I never fully mobilized myself, often choosing to participate in off-campus projects while paying little attention to campus activities.
However, while organizing this event, I realized that for every Dafa disciple, a single thought holds immense importance. The extent to which one can clarify the truth and save sentient beings depends on the depth of one’s heart and the extent to which one’s single thought can be applied to the sentient beings within their scope.
If I had continued as before—just taking part in a two-hour religious fair on campus, mechanically applying for only two people to enter the school, not aiming to spread the truth to more people, and not coordinating a full-day synchronized effort with an off-campus Dafa booth—I would have truly missed a precious opportunity to save lives!
This event went so smoothly, thanks in many ways to Master’s help and encouragement. If my first truth-clarification event hadn’t gone so smoothly and I had encountered major setbacks, I wouldn’t have had the unwavering confidence to persevere long-term with my current level of cultivation and abilities.
After the event, I understood clearly what I should do: to expand the club’s membership even more vigorously within the limited time frame before graduation. Just as Master expects media organizations not to just operate temporarily or simply break even, they must gradually achieve profitability and become large, stable companies with a foothold in ordinary society. Though challenging, it must be achieved!
Master’s arrangements are designed for success. This requires disciples to cultivate righteous thoughts and perseverance, eliminate interference, overcome difficulties, coordinate with each other, and clarify the truth to achieve success.