(Minghui.org) On May 17, 2013, practitioners from around the world gathered in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in front of the United Nations' building in New York. A large-scale group practice and rally were held as well as small-scale marches. Several practitioners were interviewed during the activities and talked about how clarifying the truth about Falun Gong has become an integral part of their lives.
Group exercises in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
Two Brothers from India
Indian brothers Sanjiv and Suneet
Sanjiv Bhalla and his brother Suneet travelled from India to attend the New York Fa Conference. Sanjiv, an IT professional from Bangalore, started practicing Falun Gong five and a half years ago. After practicing Hinduism, Tai Chi, yoga, and many other beliefs, he decided to give Falun Gong a try.
As soon as he started reading Zhuan Falun, he knew that he had finally found the way home. He sees Dafa as a path to understand his true self. “To me, Falun Gong is a journey that has been going on for over five years, and gradually I've come to understand more and more about myself,” Sanjiv explained.
He discussed the approach he uses when talking to people about Falun Gong and the persecution. “Different people have different ways of understanding,” he said. “But I generally just start out saying that Falun Gong is a way for a person to come back into harmony. And when a person comes back into harmony, they'll find benefits at different levels—at a physical level and at a mental level.
“In India, we've been to different schools and colleges and have made many Falun Gong presentations. Sometimes people want to learn the exercises, so we talk to them about Dafa and then we talk about the persecution. Other times we tell them about human rights and then mention the persecution, and we also tell them about Falun Dafa. So it doesn't matter where you start, you still have to cover all the major points.”
Suneet is the general manager of the Indian branch of Lufthansa Airline. After his brother had practiced Falun Gong for a year, he started practicing, too. Now seven people in both families read Zhuan Falun.
Sanjiv said, “As soon as I started reading Zhuan Falun, I realized how deep it was. I try to follow the principles of Dafa in my daily life. Shortly after I began the practice, I felt big changes in myself. Falun Dafa provides us with a way to return to our true selves.”
A Canadian Practitioner
Gordon Elliott
Gordon Elliott is a custom home builder from the San Juan Islands, which is an hour's ferry ride from Victoria, B.C., Canada. After reading the first page of Zhuan Falun, back in 2004, Gordon decided to practice Falun Gong.
During the event, he warmly greeted passersby with a big, genuine smile. His enthusiasm for clarifying the truth was very apparent.
“I want let others know about Falun Gong because it's an international issue and therefore important to everyone,” he said. “It's a global phenomena that major Western media seldom covers.”
He continued, “The practice is being persecuted, and even though the governments around the world are putting pressure on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it is not enough pressure. So we are at a stalemate.
“We gather in New York once a year to clarify the truth and explain what Falun Gong is about. We also tell people about the persecution and about the harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Although this is a genocide—the greatest crime against humanity that the world has ever known—it continues, because the governments of the world, out of economic interests and fear of China, refuse to draw a line with the CCP. Basically, the Chinese regime is finished and it's just a matter of time until they're forced out. Then, justice will prevail and the world will see a great change!”
A German Practitioner and His Wife
German practitioner Mike and his wife Bernadette
Mike, who works in the German media, and his wife Bernadette, an artist from the Philippines, also participated in the Falun Dafa experience sharing conference. Mike became acquainted with Dafa after he read an old BBC article about the Chinese regime slandering Falun Gong. Being curious, he decided to research the subject for himself. After reading several Falun Gong books, he realized that Falun Dafa is indeed a very profound practice.
He said it is important to help people understand the truth about Dafa so that they can make the right choice. He thought that the video programs exposing the Party's persecution of Falun Gong and live organ harvesting were powerful tools to help grab people's attention.
After learning the practice, Mike encouraged Bernadette, who writes and illustrates children books, to read Dafa books and practice the exercises. Shortly after she took up the practice, she noticed that creative ideas came to her much more quickly. In addition, both her writing and art work improved.
“When I look inside myself and purify my thoughts, she said, “I am more relaxed, and my art work has a greater impact. What I produce is selfless, and people are moved when they see it. The effect comes from a pure heart.”
Bernadette concluded, “Standing up for Falun Dafa has become my life's mission!”
