Issued by Clearwisdom Net

The first large-scale group practice and cultivation experience sharing conference of Japanese Falun Gong practitioners was successfully held on October 16, 2005 in Kumamoto, Japan. Most practitioners attending the conference were from Kumamoto County, but many also came from other places including Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, and Kyushu in Japan.

At 9:00 a.m., practitioners held a large group practice in Baichuan Park. October is the autumn in Kumamoto where the sky is clear and high and the atmosphere is pleasant. Practitioners lined up in an orderly fashion to do the group exercises.

Beside the exercise group stood six display boards. The contents of the boards included: introducing Master Li Hongzhi and Falun Dafa's wide spread around the world, facts of the persecution taking place in China, lawsuits in many countries filed against the chief culprit Jiang Zemin for persecuting Falun Gong, the incident where the Chinese Embassy refused Falun Gong practitioners entrance to the exhibition hall during the 2005 Aichi Exhibition, and Falun Dafa's popularity in Kumamoto. Passersby stopped in front of the display boards and enthusiastically inquired about the facts.

After the group practice, practitioners came to nearby Central Citizens' Auditorium for the Fa conference. The atmosphere was solemn. Practitioners first sent forth righteous thoughts and then six Japanese practitioners shared their cultivation experiences.

The first speaker shared his experience of participating in activities in Miyazaki and Manhattan.

The second practitioner introduced her predestined opportunity to learn Falun Dafa. When she was considering learning a qigong, she unexpectedly found a flyer about a Falun Gong lecture in her mailbox. From then on, she started to practice Falun Dafa. She used to be weak and in ill-health, but she has become very healthy and vigorous, and she is very happy. She expressed that she would strive forward more diligently on the path of cultivation in the future, and hoped that everyone would work together to stop the Chinese Communist Party from persecuting Falun Gong as soon as possible.

The third speaker shared her experience of learning Falun Dafa when she was suffering from illnesses. She regained her physical health in the process of arduous and steady Fa-rectification cultivation. She was very grateful to Dafa. Her touching tears affected many practitioners at the conference, and the indescribable gratitude to Master and Dafa permeated the entire conference hall.

The fourth speaker talked about her experience of learning Falun Dafa. Her family member's misunderstanding of her had not shaken her belief in cultivating Falun Dafa. She also introduced Falun Dafa to her parents who soon experienced the happiness of cultivating Falun Dafa.

The fifth speaker talked about her participation in activities to introduce Falun Dafa in the Aso disaster-ridden area. In order to create an opportunity for people in the Aso area to learn about Falun Dafa, she spent her holidays in the cold winter going door-to-door to deliver introduction to Falun Gong lectures. New practitioners who attended Falun Gong lectures constantly increased. They not only kept holding group practice every week, but also held group Fa-study and experience sharing. She was very much moved and happy to see this.

The last speaker talked about her experience of learning Falun Dafa after receiving a notice about Falun Gong lectures. Prior to cultivating Dafa, she suffered from a serious illness. Through practicing Falun Gong, she regained her physical health very quickly. Many things that were previously inconceivable to her, became understandable through continuous study and cultivation. She deeply felt Dafa's benevolence and greatness.

The Fa conference was organized by Japanese practitioners from beginning to end. The conference was in a warm, solemn and benevolent atmosphere. Many practitioners were moved by six practitioners' experience sharing and expressed their hope to be able to attend such a Fa conference every year.

Some Japanese practitioners said, "The conference was great! The whole process was conducted in Japanese. It is the first time for Japanese practitioners. Fellow practitioners' speeches were really touching."

A new practitioner couple who lived in Nagasaki, over 200 km. (124 mi.) away from Kumamoto, said that after returning home, they would immediately distribute truth-clarifying materials to let more people know about Falun Dafa and learn the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa in Mainland China. They would also try to hold a Falun Gong lecture in the near future.

Falun Dafa received a warm welcome at the annual New Zealand Health Expo. This was the third time that Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the event. The practitioners rented a booth to introduce Falun Dafa to the local residents and to clarify the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

The Expo lasted for three days. Every day, the Falun Gong practitioners had thirty minutes onstage to demonstrate the exercises and introduce the practice. The peaceful movements attracted many of the Expo visitors. Four little practitioners were the focus of the attention. They were doing the sitting meditation during the thirty-minute-long demonstration. They were focused and solemn. The youngest one was only three years old. One audience member was a doctor of psychology, and he told a practitioner that it was unimaginable that a three-year-old could sit there so quietly for half an hour. He said that he only saw the boy scratch his foot two times and make not a single other movement. He said that this was impossible for a Kiwi of the same age. (New Zealanders affectionately call their babies Kiwis.)

Introducing Falun Dafa at the New Zealand Health Expo

A three-year-old little practitioner doing the meditation exercise

A young couple received a flyer and talked to the practitioners. "We received Falun Gong materials in Taiwan. Now we meet Falun Gong again. It's good to see you here."

When visitors heard about the persecution of Falun Gong in China, several women thanked the practitioners for informing them. One gentleman gave Isaac, a practitioner from Wellington, a big hug and said, "Thank you for your introduction." Several people began to learn the exercises at the Expo and wrote down the address of a local practice site.

People take initiative to learn more about Falun Gong

Over the years, more and more people have learned about Falun Gong and the persecution in China. Some came directly to the booth and asked, "Why does China want to persecute Falun Gong?" "Is the persecution still going on in China?" and "What can I do to help you?"

Chris, a western practitioner from Wellington, shared his experiences: "Between the demonstrations, please allow me to briefly introduce my experience of practicing Falun Gong. We set a lot of goals in life and work. To reach these goals, we all bear different pressures. So life becomes more and more full of tension. After learning Falun Gong, I understand the principle of following the course of nature. I am no longer attached to those previous goals. I have become open and clear minded. I feel relaxed, and no longer suffer from pressure and annoyances." The audience gave Chris a warm round of applause after his introduction.