(Minghui.org) Two thousand Falun Dafa practitioners performed in front of The United Nations building in New York City on May 11, 2012, with an exercise demonstration and other performances, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and the 20^th anniversary of Falun Dafa's public introduction.

In the morning, 2000 practitioners started the celebration with a group exercise practice. White clouds floated in the blue sky above a sea of yellow exercise suits. The scene was solemn and touching, and the participants felt the immense energy field. After the exercise demonstration, the practitioners performed dances, singing, dragon dance, lion dance, and the Divine Land Marching Band performed.

The participants came from various countries, have all benefited from Falun Dafa, and thus wanted to thank Master.

Dafa Is Most Precious

Sophie from Sweden: I can't use language to express my thankfulness to Falun Dafa.

Sophie from Sweden has practiced Falun Dafa for ten years. She was very happy and excited about being able to participate in the celebration in New York City. “I had been looking for a belief. After I learned Falun Dafa, I felt it was very, very good. This is what I have been looking for. I have now practiced Falun Dafa for ten years. Nothing in the human world can compare to Dafa,” she said with a smile.

Sophie learned Falun Dafa outside of China. In some truth-clarification materials, she learned that Dafa practitioners continue their beliefs even in the face of persecution. Her heart was shaken. She realized it is a belief that one will protect with one's life.

Sophie has higher education degrees and prefers to look for answers herself. “At first, my family asked me why I wanted to practice Falun Gong. Is it like what the Chinese Communist Party has portrayed it? Actually, in overseas countries, many practitioners have advanced degrees, and are scholars, doctors, and many are westerners. I think this is enough to depict what Falun Gong is.”

Before practicing Dafa, Sophie was troubled by a persistent cough. “It came a few times every year. A very bad cough woke me up at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning. I tried many therapies, including Chinese medicine, but nothing could cure it.” She talked about her initial experiences with Falun Dafa. “The second and third day after reading Zhuan Falun, my cough was very bad. It might have been the worst cough I had in my lifetime. But in my heart, I understood that master was cleansing my body. I have not coughed since that time, ten years ago. No science can explain this.”

Dafa also raised Sophie's moral level, and has even affected the people around her. “For two years, my job was to take care of senior people. They would lose their tempers if they didn't get what they demanded, and were sometimes very irrational. I was able to keep my heart calm through cultivation practice. I sometimes didn't need to say anything. I often just stood by the person and he would quiet down. My colleagues felt this to be impossible. Others needed a lot of time and energy to quiet them down, which caused the emotions of the care givers to be affected as well. Cultivation gives me such deep peace. Dafa is what my true self was looking for.”

“Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” Are Universal Values in this World

Mr. Lu from Japan

Mr. Lu and his wife came to New York from Japan to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the world's people. The couple had been to New York City every year since the Chinese Communist Party started the persecution of Falun Gong. “At that time, we demanded the United Nations and America to side with justice and support Falun Gong. Now in America, more and more Americans support Falun Gong. This is very different from ten years ago. People now support Falun Gong. It is the same in Japan.” Lu said.

Lu began reading the book Zhuan Falun after a friend introduced it to him in 1996. He immediately recognized that it was a very special book. “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very good principles. The book touched my heart. I felt very lucky to read and learn Falun Dafa,” he continued.

Lu's major in school was history. This very special book taught him to look inward whenever a conflict erupted. “When others curse you, or misunderstand you, you look at yourself to find out if you did anything wrong to cause this. When you are peaceful, you yield and have no resentment in your heart.” When he can achieve this, he feels his xinxing raising quickly. His physical health has also improved dramatically.

Later, seeing her husband's change, Ms. Lu also began practicing Falun Dafa. Mr. Lu also introduced the practice to his colleagues, and three of them began cultivating.

No Regret of Tribulations

Ruan Shuang from Australia: I will come to New Year every year if I have the chance, till the persecution ends.

Ruan Shuang, a practitioner from Australia, said openly and enthusiastically, “I am excited. Today is a special day.” Ruan said, “I started practicing Falun Dafa on April 25, 1999. Soon after that, China started the persecution of Falun Gong. Today is the 13^th anniversary of World Falun Dafa Day. It is also the 13^th year that Falun Gong is being persecuted.

“My feeling is complex. The Chinese Communist Party vowed to eliminate Falun Gong in three months, but the result is just the opposite. Falun Gong has spread to over 100 countries. But it is still being persecuted in China. I am one of those being persecuted in China. Therefore, I will try to participate in this event, which takes place every year, until the persecution ends.”

The first time Ruan read the book Zhuan Falun, she finished it in only two days. Many puzzles in her life were solved, and after practicing Falun Dafa, her health improved. She also realized that in life and work, there are always conflicts or confrontations. She can see the reason behind each matter and can easily give up the attachments and maintain a pleasant mood. Ms. Ruan once went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was thus put in a forced labor camp.

“I experienced the persecution, my life changed, but I am still a happy woman. Every practitioner experiences the beauty of Falun Dafa, and the persecution can't eliminate it. The Chinese Communist Party failed,” Ruan said.