Eindhovens Dagblad: Meditating in Stadswandelpark

(Clearwisdom.net)

June 21, 2003

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'Falun Gong the key to self development'

Through the loud singing of the birds the sweet sounds from the portable cd-player are only just audible. Slow and inconspicuous, but intensely concentrated, a dozen people practices meditative exercises. It's the Eindhoven department of the in China forbidden spiritual movement Falun Gong. Tomorrow morning this mixed group of people does, like every Sunday, her exercises in the Stadswandelpark.

With an information paper and postcards the Falun Gong practitioners from Eindhoven inform the passersby and interested people about their movement without obligation. They mainly try to get rid of the misconception that Falun Gong would be a cult, or a terrorist organization, things the Chinese government claims.

Since July 1999 the millions of Falun Gong practitioners in the People's Republic of China are being persecuted. Until today over 50,000 people are said to have been arrested and tortured, 119 people have died due to torture. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are criticizing the human rights violations in this regard constantly.

Whoever sees the group of practitioners doing their thing in the Stadswandelpark, can only conclude that these are soft and friendly types. People -- of all kinds of nationalities -- that wouldn't harm a fly; merely people who are being healthy and conscious. Contact person in Eindhoven is Xiaojun Zhu. The thirty year old chemist came to Eindhoven in 1994 for his study at the Technical University. From his mother -- who at that time started to read books about Falun Gong -- Zhu became interested in the movement and the principles on which the thinking of Falun Gong is based: truth, compassion and tolerance. Zhu: "As I was intensely busy with my study and learning the Dutch language, I had a lot of trouble sleeping and I could hardly relax. The Falun Gong exercises helped me to become tranquil, both mentally and physically." According to Zhu the exercises can be compared with the exercise movements of Yoga or Tai Chi, with the difference that Falun Gong does not solely aim at gaining good health, but also at obtaining wisdom and enlightenment. "It's the key to self development", says Zhu.

The little group of Falun Gong practitioners from Eindhoven come together at home or in the park to meditate together. Besides that they also try as much as possible to expose the cruel persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. "We go to the Chinese embassy in The Hague regularly to protest the torturing and raping of Falun Gong practitioners", says Zhu.

A matter he is now working on is the passport of Deng Qing who lives in Eindhoven. Her passport got lost and the Chinese government doesn't want to give her a new one, because she practices Falun Gong. The consequence might be that she'd have to go back to China, where she will end up in jail immediately.