(Minghui.org) Many practitioners joined the annual West Coast Falun Gong activities in San Francisco last week and shared their own stories of benefitting from the practice.
San Francisco saw three marches, two rallies, and many group exercises between October 15 and 17. Information about the practice and the persecution in China blanketed the city's downtown, Chinatown, civic center area, Chinese consulate neighborhood, and tourist sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf.
San Franciscans and tourists alike had an opportunity to experience the energy field of the meditation exercise and learn the facts about the persecution.
Young Peruvian: "Falun Gong Changed Me"
Enrico Trigoso from Peru: "Falun Gong changed me"
Enrico Trigoso, a 28-year-old from Peru, was born in China. He started practicing Falun Gong in 2010.
“I had been looking for a method of self-improvement. I studied at a Catholic school in Spain. I felt that I wanted something more sacred and genuine. I came across a Thai Buddhist teaching and read Tao Te Ching by Lao Zi [a sage in ancient China] a few times. I didn't know Mandarin then. I was reading in English,” he said.
“I gained access to Falun Gong books four years ago. I realized that the cultivation Falun Gong talks about is very clear. I decided to learn Chinese to understand the original texts. I made many fundamental changes upon assimilating to the special quality of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
His family supports his choice, because they saw how he improved. He was able to quit smoking and drinking and devote himself to his studies rather than going to bars at night.
“Each time I participate in Falun Gong activities, I want to let people know that it is a noble practice and helps one improve significantly,” he concluded.
Former Professor: "Peace and Tolerance"
Ms. Zhu Peizhang (second on the right), who is over 80, finished a long march in San Francisco.
Ms. Zhu Peizhang from Washington, DC, had her illnesses healed via practicing Falun Gong. As a former professor, she was at the peak of her career when she found out that she suffered from severe stomach problems. Part of her stomach was surgically removed. She wasn't able to take any medications afterward and was very weak.
Her doctor introduced her a special method to address her ailments. It was Falun Gong. That was in April of 1996.
She started practicing and felt better within days. Exam results at the hospital a month later confirmed that all her health indicators had returned normal. She gained a lot of confidence in the practice.
She also noticed that her perspective of the world had also changed. As a professor, she used to be quite arrogant. Through cultivation, she understood the meaning of life and relinquished a lot of attachments such as fame and personal gain. Her personality underwent significant changes as well.
“I'm able to maintain inner peace and tolerance, thanks to Falun Gong,” she said.
Physician from Switzerland: "Falun Gong Is Profound"
Ms. Dong from Switzerland started practicing on her birthday in 1995. “Words couldn't express my joy,” she shared.
She had a lot of questions and confusions about life and the universe. Being a physician didn't provide many answers. She found the answers to her questions in Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong.
“I now know that cultivation entails profound wisdom and transcends human knowledge. I know how to handle many things better since I started practicing Falun Gong,” she said.
“Falun Gong has been my guiding light during my 15 years of cultivation, especially in handling work and family. I have shouldered more work than others but didn't tell my manager.” She said this would have been impossible before she practiced Falun Gong. “I know how harmful jealousy is and know that, as a cultivator, I cannot harbor it. I have learned to work hard without any pursuit.”
