(Minghui.org) During the Chinese New Year celebration, tens of thousands of greetings were submitted to the Minghui website from all over the world. Falun Dafa disciples from the country, city areas, truth-clarification teams, Fa study groups, families and individuals sent their Chinese New Year greetings to Master Li Hongzhi. To express their heartfelt greetings, praise and gratitude, beautiful greeting cards, poems, and music were submitted.
Chinese New Year is the most important traditional holiday for Chinese people. It originated from activities that paid respect to the divine and the ancestors at the end of a year. According to “Lu's Spring and Autumn,” the new year customs existed during the Yao and Shun times. The first day of the year is unique because it is the start of a new day, month, and year. After a good harvest year, people first give thanks for the blessings bestowed upon them from the divine and then they prepare for the arrival of the New Year. The celebratory activities usually begin at the December Festival on December 8th of the Chinese Lunar New Year or December 23rd or 24th and last until the Lantern Festival on January 15th. The peak of this celebration is New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Emperors would perform rituals to pay their respects to the heavens and to the ancestors on New Year's Day.
Chinese customs put a lot of emphasis on worship and rituals. These rituals first originated from people showing their respect and appreciation to heaven and earth. According to the Books of Rites - Rituals Unification: “Etiquette has five parts. Nothing is more important than rituals. Serve the divine with rituals and pray for blessings.”
Traditional culture emphasizes the educational function of rituals. Rituals are considered fundamental to the education of humanity. In some ways, the education of society evolves with rituals. Rituals have provided the essence of how Chinese culture passes from one generation to the next outside of the imperial palace. Rituals not only pass down the traditional culture, but they also permeate all aspects of people's daily lives and serve to offer people righteous guidance and clarity.
The Falun Dafa disciples' New Year's greetings and appreciation to the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi, are excellent examples of the inner meaning of Chinese traditional culture.
CCP Uses Power and Personal Gain to Demand Gratitude
After the CCP (Chinese communist party) took over China, it often propagandized that the CCP leadership would visit civilians and help the poor. The staged response from the people would be, “We are thankful for the party's policy. Our daily lives are better than last year. We are thankful for the care of the party and the government because we have had such a good meal on New Year's Eve.”
These words are the product of the Chinese people's attempt to survive amidst the CCP's reign. These comments are not what the people genuinely feel. In non-communist countries, the citizens do not give greetings and thanks to the ruling political party.
If the situation were reversed and people were told they would be persecuted if they showed their gratitude to the CCP, then no one, including the CCP leaders, would say “thank you” to the CCP.
Falun Dafa Disciples' Gratitude Comes from the Bottom of the Heart
The Dafa disciples detained at the Shilingzi Prison in Siping City, Jilin Province, sent a poem to wish Master a Happy New Year, “We remain steadfast in prison. Master's teachings will be on our minds forever. We see through the illusions in prison with our righteous thoughts and clear away the evil with dignity and righteous actions. Disciples' righteous thoughts cleanse the entire universe. Master's compassion accompanies us on our journeys. We miss our Master so much that we are beyond words. During the holiday, we send our greetings to wish Master a Happy New Year. We lift our hands together to thank Master.”
Not every Dafa disciple is being persecuted today. However, in Mainland China, sending New Year's greetings to the Minghui website requires breaking through the Internet blockade. The senders have to take a certain amount of risk and may even lose their lives. Such appreciation and gratitude isn't something that can be bought with money or taken away by a threat or with coercion. It reflects the genuine thoughts of Falun Dafa disciples.
Dafa disciples in Dingzhou, Baoding City, Hebei Province wrote in their New Year's greetings, “We respectfully wish our grand Master a Happy New Year! We are a small flower (referring to a truth-clarification material site) in the big garden. The material site has been running smoothly for about 10 years. We know that this could not have happened without Master's protection. Master, you have suffered so much!”
Yesterday I met a fellow practitioner and asked her: “If you were to see Master right now, what would be the first thing you would like to say to Master?” She immediately burst to tears. She wiped away her tears and said: “What I want to say most is: 'Happy New Year, Master! Master has given so much!'”
This is a common voice for tens of millions of disciples in Mainland China. Master, your disciples miss you! No words can describe the feelings of your disciples. Practitioners need to be more and more diligent so that we are worthy of Master's compassionate salvation. We need to cherish this unprecedented opportunity!
Dafa Disciples' hearts will follow Master forever. We follow Master's instructions to break through layers and layers of obstacles and dark clouds. We are completely devoted to Master because this is our vow in modern times.
Gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi Will Become a Future Tradition
Chinese people have a saying: “It's easy to change the landscape, but difficult to change one's nature.” Mr. Li Hongzhi has imparted Falun Dafa and changed the hearts of over 100 million people, improved their health, the level of their morality, and served as a positive force in society.
The police officers that have understood the truth in the Chinese Armed Police on China's border said, “Some of us read and listen to Zhuan Falun every day. Some read Dafa books from time to time, but they think of Dafa all the time and make themselves live by the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We are pure lotuses in the darkest work environment in China. We respectfully wish Master a happy New Year!”
Ten family members of Mainland Dafa disciples write: “Master, Happy New Year! Our entire family benefits from Dafa. Our families are in harmony. Even though we haven't cultivated, we know about Master's salvation. We believe that Falun Dafa is good. We support Dafa. We will support Falun Dafa forever.”
A retired public security cadre in Mainland China expresses his respect: “Master Li, Happy New Year! Falun Dafa has spread all over Mainland China for over 20 years. So many people have understood the tricks of the CCP and have made up their mind to have nothing to do with it. Because of this, they have chosen a good future for themselves. So many people with incurable diseases have obtained perfect health upon reciting 'Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance is good.' So many families live in harmony because of Falun Dafa. So many have avoided disasters thanks to the Falun Gong talismans. Master Li is compassionate to sentient beings. Falun Dafa blesses Mainland China. The Chinese people thank Master Li! We hope to have the opportunity to thank Master Li in person! We send thanks again to Master Li!”
Family members of a Dafa disciple in a village in Bin Township, Heilongjiang Province writes: “Teacher Li, Happy New Year to you and your family members! As family members of a Dafa disciple, we don't know how to thank you enough. We have a Dafa disciple in our family who is kind and sincere and always considerate of others. We have a harmonious family; one that so many envy. We have so much to say to you. There's no way we can repay you. The only thing we can do is to support your disciple to do the three things well, and save more and more sentient beings! Also, so that our wishes will be fulfilled.”
Family members of a Dafa disciple in Rongcheng, Weihai City, Shandong Province, write: “Respected Master Li: During the Chinese New Year celebration, we wish Master Li Happy New Year! Falun Dafa originated in China and after 20 years it has spread to over 100 countries and regions, and blesses the entire world. Good people recite 'Falun Dafa is good' every day. They receive Master's protection all of the time. Thank you! Falun Dafa is the great way. Dafa disciples are good people who obey the law. We hope Master can come back to China soon and lead the Shen Yun Performing Arts to perform in China! How great that will be! We eagerly wish for the arrival of such a day! We wish Master Happy New Year again!”
In the near future, whenever people celebrate a new year, they will express their gratitude to Mr. Li Hongzhi for his compassionate salvation. People who have understood the truth will cherish what Mr. Li has done for mankind. Expressing gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi will become a tradition for celebrating the New Year in the future.
