(Minghui.org) For Chinese, the Lunar New Year is a time when most people get time off work at least a few days. Falun Gong practitioners in Taipei seized the chance to spend several afternoons reading Falun Gong books and sharing their understandings of the practice.
Several dozen practitioners participated in the study, which ran from February 19-23. Since March 1999, this particular site has held Fa-study sessions several times a week to accommodate practitioners' schedules and availability.
Growing up in a family that made Buddha statues, a practitioner named Tang was very familiar with Buddhist images, although it didn't seem to help him on his quest of enlightenment. When he was in high school, his parents got divorced, making him stressed financially and emotionally. He became depressed and started to smoke.
After graduating from a vocational school, Tang was able to find a job as an interior designer. A friend encouraged him to learn Falun Gong in late April 2012. Shortly after he started the practice, he stopped smoking, leaving his friends and coworkers in disbelief, “You've been smoking for 18 years. How could you quit it so easily?”
Tang told them it was Falun Gong, whose principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance gave him the guidance he needed.
When his xinxing improved, he was able to resolve conflicts he had with his mother—things were so bad they had not spent New Year's together for more than a decade.
“When my mother saw me traveling to the south to spend the New Year with her, she was thrilled. Teacher told us to be good people and better people. I know this is something I have to do.”
Tang's mom then started practicing Falun Gong.
Tang joined this group Fa-study and said it was a great opportunity to improve, “The atmosphere here is pure and everyone is able to speak from their heart.” He came to understand that only by cultivating solidly with one's heart can a practitioner assimilate to the Fa and return to his or her original, true self.
A practitioner named Lian used to live overseas. But her dry eye syndrome and irregular heartbeat often put her life in jeopardy. After seeing doctors in the UK and Germany, none of their treatments helped. She had no choice but to return to Taiwan and continued looking for a cure. Her medical bills skyrocketed, but none of the doctors' attempts worked.
“About 15 years ago, one friend recommended Falun Gong to me. I gave it a try. One month later, my irregular heartbeat was gone; by the third month, even the dry eye syndrome disappeared. I was so happy!”
In addition to joining group Fa-study every day, Lian also goes to a nearby tourist site every morning to tell Chinese tourists the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong.
“We used to spend lots of time preparing for the New Year, but after so much activity for a couple of days, I often had a feeling of loss.”
She said having a group Fa-study for several days back to back around the New Year worked well, “My mind was opened and I had a much better understanding of the Fa. We all learned something here and I feel good about it.”
Before starting to practice Falun Gong in 2011, Pei was a cynic—complaining every day without knowing exactly what made her upset. She read lots of books, hoping to find an answer.
One day, she came across Zhuan Falun and was soon drawn to it, “This is the Buddha Fa I have been waiting for.”
As she continued to read, she found that her cynicism vanished. “I came to understand the purpose of life and learned how to be a better person.”
Pei says group Fa-study is very important. “It constantly purifies us and strengthens our righteous thoughts. Otherwise, it is very easy for us to get distracted by human notions.” She said Fa-study taught her how to be compassionate towards others and be strict with herself. “These past few days have been very meaningful.”
Before becoming a practitioner, a man named Zizi used to drink a lot of alcohol whenever he ate out because he was very stressed from work. One day when he got drunk, he did not feel comfortable after waking up. A doctor examined him and found numerous illnesses including angina, a nervous system disorder, asthma, and pneumonia.
He was hospitalized for eight days, but doctors did not find a treatment for him that could work. So he was discharged and returned home.
Seeing Ziyi in despair, his younger brother brought him a copy of Zhuan Falun, “I am learning Falun Gong now—and it is very good. Do you want to give it a try?”
That evening, Ziyi started to read the book while sitting on the couch. He thought he wouldn't sleep well because of his asthma, so he read for a long time and later fell asleep.
When he woke up, it was already 7 o'clock the next morning. “How come you did not cough last night?” his wife asked with surprise.
Ziyi could not explain it, either. He only knew one thing: this book was precious and he needed to continue reading it.
That was back on January 7, 2011. Ziyi remembered the date well because that was the turning point in his life. Within three months, all his illnesses disappeared.
Speaking about group Fa-study, Ziyi said it was a very valuable experience, “You learn when you study the Fa, and you learn when you share understandings with other practitioners. Our minds and bodies are constantly purified for five consecutive days. Where else could you find such a good opportunity like this?”