(Minghui.org) “Today is Falun Dafa Day,” Ms. Lin said excitedly. “Practitioners came from all over the world to participate in this experience-sharing conference. Falun Dafa has made me healthier with a higher moral standard. These are the happiest days of my life!”
Ms. Lin said she feels she is very fortunate. Before she began practicing Falun Dafa in 1996, the anemia she suffered from for over a decade caused subcutaneous hemorrhage and Ménière's disease and she had severe dizziness. To make things worse, she also had a tumor and kidney stones, as well as poor eyesight. “Those days were horrible,” the 80-year-old woman recalled.
She said her life changed dramatically after she began to practice. “All the diseases were gone and even my sallow skin became rosy.” She said the improvements in her mind and body were tremendous. That morning, did the meditative exercises in the park for two hours with other practitioners. Afterward, with an extra bounce in her step, she headed to the conference center.
“Every Conference Is Like Attending a Conference for the First Time”
About 8000 practitioners attended the conference. Many who practice Falun Dafa have reported similar improvements to their health and wellbeing. “I like the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance very much. Nothing and nobody can stop me from practicing,” Ms. Lin said emphatically.
She was referring to the brutal persecution in China. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began targeting Falun Dafa fifteen years ago, this belief—as well as the peaceful meditation—was treated as though it were a crime. A large number of practitioners have been detained, imprisoned, or sent to brainwashing centers. Thousands of them lost their lives, according to the first-hand reports published on the Minghui website.
Ms. Lin said that practicing Falun Dafa greatly helped her, both physically and mentally. Her memory improved and she also started to learn English, despite her advanced age. “I often ride a bike to distribute Falun Dafa materials to Chinese people,” she said. “They have been deceived for such a long time by the CCP's propaganda. We have to help them know the real story.”
Ms. Lin has attended numerous conferences. She excitedly said she was eager to see Master Li and her fellow practitioners at the conference. “I feel so refreshed. To me, every conference is like attending a conference for the first time.” She said she is very grateful for Master Li's compassionate salvation.
European Practitioner: “Practitioners Are Very Considerate and Kind”
Ms. Fei also started to practice in 1996 when she was 10 years old. She said her cultivation journey was not smooth. After the CCP tried to stop people from practicing Falun Dafa in China in 1999, her mother was illegally arrested and detained. Ms. Fei said she gradually stopped practicing and led an ordinary life.
When she moved to Europe in 2006 and lived with her elder sister, also a practitioner, she resumed practicing Falun Dafa. “I was so happy to live with practitioners again!” she said. Ms. Fei added that, “Practitioners are very considerate and kind. I was very fortunate to begin practicing again.”
“Today is a special day, and I'm especially glad to meet so many practitioners.” She said many young people her age focus on competing for fame and material interest, even at the risk of harming others. “Falun Dafa has given me a different perspective. For example, I know I should treat others well and be tolerant.” She said she has fewer worries now. “By consistently improving myself and focusing on doing well what I am supposed to do, everything will be just fine.”
Practitioner from France: “This Is What I've Been Looking For”
Ms. Chen is from France and said she kept searching for something since she was young. “I often wondered what life was about. For example, what is the purpose of coming to this world?” She said she could never find the answer to her question until she began practicing Falun Dafa. “I came to understand what returning to the origin means.”
She said she felt spiritually uplifted and experienced improvements to her health. “I used to have poor health and suffered migraine headaches for many years,” said Ms. Chen. Through practicing the Falun Dafa exercises, not only did her headaches disappear, she was delighted by the positive changes in her health, “I knew this was what I had been looking for all my life.”
When Ms. Chen told Chinese people about Falun Dafa, trying to correct their misunderstandings caused by the CCP’s propaganda, she was often asked why she did this and whether she had political motives. When this happens, she tells people her personal stories of what she's experienced.
Citing an old Chinese saying: “If you benefit from someone, you should show your gratitude by returning more,” Ms. Chen explains to Chinese people, “Falun Dafa has brought positive changes to tens of millions of people around the world; but it is severely persecuted in China. Shouldn’t I speak out of conscience and tell you what is really happening?”
Company Manager: “Falun Dafa Is Special”
Mr. Chen is a company manager from North Carolina. Before practicing Falun Dafa, he tried several types of Qigong and religions. “I was not satisfied with what I found and still felt lost,” he said.
After reading Zhuan Falun, Mr. Chen believed Falun Dafa was special. He was able to find solutions for issues that puzzled him in the past. He also came to understand much more than he had expected.
“I had arthritis since I was very young and was sensitive to humid weather. This continued after I graduated from college and found a job. I still remember when I did the exercises for the first time, I had a very comfortable feeling that surprised me: Wow! Falun Dafa is so powerful!” His arthritis soon disappeared.
Mr. Chen said he travels to the Falun Dafa Day celebrations and experience-sharing conference every year. He said, “I know I'm very fortunate!”
Vancouver Practitioner: “It Was a Miracle!”
Two Vancouver practitioners, Ms. Chen and Ms. Wang, also joined the activities on May 13. A government worker before she retired, 70-year-old Ms. Chen often had anxiety as well as other physical discomfort. But she had no way learn about Falun Dafa as a result of the massive propaganda campaign against the practice in China.
After coming to Canada, Ms. Chen often read The Epoch Times newspaper and learned many facts about Falun Dafa. One year later, her attitude changed, “Falun Dafa looked good to me and I thought: Why not give a try?” she said.
Many interesting things soon happened. Despite her elderly age, Ms. Chen found herself becoming more energetic and healthier. “Climbing upstairs is no longer difficult for me,” she said. “In fact, it became so easy that I felt as if I could hop up like a child.”
But her cultivation journey was not always so smooth. Once when she was in severe pain, her doctor told her it was late-stage shingles. Because the best treatment stage had passed, it was hard to quickly relieve the pain. After sharing with other practitioners, Ms. Chen learned that her body was being cleansed, a natural process in cultivation. “I discarded the medicines I had the next day, because I knew I would not need them anymore. By the evening, all the symptoms of shingles were gone. It was a miracle!” Ms. Chen said.
She experienced many things, as described in Zhuan Falun, ranging from physical changes to the uplifting of her mind. Ms. Chen is very thankful to Master Li and said, “I was so happy to see Teacher during the experience-sharing today. Recalling the great benefits I received from Falun Dafa, I was in tears.”
Sitting next to her was Ms. Wang, a quiet young woman, also from Vancouver, who said, “This is first time I've come to such a large-scale conference of practitioners. It's a wonderful event!”
Ms. Wang started to practice Falun Dafa with her parents in 1996. After the persecution started in 1999, her parents were both affected. Her father was detained at a brainwashing center, and pressured to give up his belief.
Ms. Wang found that being outside the harsh environment that exists in China, one can easily slack off in cultivation and it's harder to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
She said, “I often think of my parents who are still in China and are facing severe persecution every day. But they are determined in their faith because they know they are doing the right thing. Whenever I think of this I always remember to do better and not miss this precious cultivation opportunity.”
