(Minghui.org) Easter is a solemn holiday in the West, second only to Christmas. This day of hope also carries great significance for Falun Dafa practitioners in Sweden.
Twenty-six years ago, during Easter in April 1995, Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong), visited Gothenburg, Sweden, and taught the spiritual discipline over the course of seven days. The classes allowed locals to hear of Falun Dafa for the first time.
Dr. Wang, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine who had settled in Gothenburg, invited Master to lecture in Sweden. Those days are still vivid in her and her daughter’s memories.
Master Li guides and corrects learners’ hand movements while teaching Falun Dafa in Gothenburg in April 1995.
Inviting Master Li to Sweden
Dr. Wang settled in Sweden in the early 1990s and set up a clinic in Gothenburg. “I practiced many kinds of qigong and spent a lot of money,” Dr. Wang recalled. “When I returned to China to visit relatives in the summer of 1994, I saw people practicing Falun Dafa in Zhongshan Park in Beijing. I was drawn by the wonderful music.
“After I did the exercises, I felt very good. Later, I learned that Master Li would hold a class in Jinan, Shandong Province. The class happened to be scheduled for the days before I was to return to Sweden… We were fortunate to attend Master’s lecture in Jinan in 1994.
“After the class, my heart and worldview changed a lot. Many questions that puzzled me for years were answered. I returned to Sweden in a happy mood. I especially wanted to share the beauty and benefits of practicing Falun Dafa with the honest and kind Swedes.”
When Dr. Wang learned that Master Li would teach in France in March 1995, she contacted practitioners there and invited Master to come to Sweden. Master agreed. She said, “I was very happy to learn that Master was coming to Sweden, and I hurriedly started preparing.
“I’d run a number of health workshops in Gothenburg, so I knew many people who were interested in traditional Chinese culture and Chinese medicine. I told everyone I knew that Falun Dafa’s founder was coming to Sweden. I also advertised the event.”
When she remembered the scene of Master Li teaching thousands of students in one class in China, Dr. Wang felt uneasy. When she phoned Master, he assured her that it would be fine. About 120 people came to the seven-day instructional workshop in Gothenburg; 20 were from France, and the rest were from Sweden.
Master Li’s Compassion
During the class, Dr. Wang noticed that Master Li was very easygoing. She recalled, “When Master came to Sweden, he brought his own food—a box of instant noodles. Master didn’t want to bother the students and always thought of others.
“Master arrived early before each lecture and was neatly dressed. In order to help Western students understand as much as possible, Master repeatedly explained the principles and patiently answered students’ questions until everyone understood.
“Master demonstrated the five sets of exercises. Then, he went to each student and patiently corrected everyone’s hand movements. Before he left Sweden, Master visited the practitioners at the group practice site to help correct their hand movements. Master always thought of others.”
Another thing impressed Dr. Wang: “Due to the lack of manpower and a lot of work involved with the class, I sometimes was a little impatient when I answered the students’ questions. One day Master called me aside and pointed the issue out seriously. I knew I was wrong, and I regretted it very much.”
She said with emotion, “Now when I don’t do well, I hear Master’s voice in my ears, reminding me that I should be kind to others. I know what I have done wrong and I quickly correct it.”
Fortunate Mother and Daughter
Anna, who works in a kindergarten, recalled the scene 26 years ago: “I was pregnant with my daughter, and it was about a month before the due date. I was in the pediatric health care class of Chinese medicine run by Dr. Wang. I heard that Master Li Hongzhi would come to Sweden to teach.
“I felt Master Li was special and I immediately decided to sign up. But I really wanted someone to accompany me. So I called my mother. My mother wanted to participate, but she suffered from a backache and it was very difficult for her to get around. I called Dr. Wang again. She told me to ask my mother to try her best to attend the class.
“My mother came, but she drove while leaning over and laying halfway in the driver seat,” Anna said.
“In order for us to understand, Master explained principles over and over. Although I couldn’t understand much at the time, I could feel the profoundness.
“During the course of the lecture, my mother and I often looked at each other in amazement. Dafa opened up a whole new world for us. I was always looking for spiritual things, but I couldn’t decide what I needed. At that moment, I understood that what I was waiting for was Falun Dafa,” Anna said as she smiled joyfully.
“We are so lucky to practice Dafa. I understand the meaning of life and I’ve learned to look within [for shortcomings] when I face conflicts. I cannot find any words to express my gratitude to Master and Dafa.”
Anna was sad when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa in 1999 and spread lies to defame Dafa. She said, “Dafa is so good. No one can stop me from practicing. This persecution is unacceptable. I want to tell the whole world that Falun Dafa is good. I hope people can learn about Falun Dafa and not be misled by the CCP’s lies.”
Anna (right) and her mother Christina (left) practice the Falun Dafa exercises.
Extraordinary Experience with Dafa
At age 75, Christina has delicate and smooth skin that always looks radiant. She is especially grateful to Master Li for arranging for her daughter Anna to call her.
“I remember when I received the phone call,” she said, “I felt that someone very special would appear in Anna’s life. I suffered from lower back pain at the time. I could barely move for more than ten days. But I really didn’t want to miss this opportunity, so I endured the pain and drove there. It took me three hours!”
She smiled happily. “I remember clearly Master’s analogy about a bottle filled with dirty water. When the translation was not accurate, Master Li knew it. So he repeated what he said and further explained it. The questions raised by the students were very basic, even somewhat naive. Master answered them with compassion and patience. No one in the world can explain clearly the relationship between life and the universe, except our Master,” she said.
“During the class, Master emitted a lot of pure, transparent light, which was very strong energy to adjust our bodies. After the class was over, I was in a good mood and my body felt light.
“I got back in my car and drove home. The back pain that had troubled me for more than half a month disappeared,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“I knew Master cleansed my body and came to save us. This practice is extraordinary. My gratitude to Master is beyond words.”
Christina follows Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in her daily life. She looks within for shortcomings when she faces conflicts. Her health kept improving, and her temper and character changed too. Her husband Leif was surprised.
Christina said, “I told him that the book Zhuan Falun (the main text of Falun Dafa) changed me. Later he read the book. He started to learn the exercises and practice Falun Dafa. He also gave up his decades-long habits of hunting and drinking. If Leif didn’t practice Dafa, it would have been impossible for him to give them up. Dafa is miraculous and really wonderful.
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