(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners in Bulgaria held their 5th annual experience sharing conference on January 31, 2016 in the city of Stara Zagora. Practitioners shared how they improved their character and let go of attachments in daily life and in efforts to raise awareness about Falun Gong and the persecution.
The 5th annual experience sharing conference in Bulgaria.
While Martin Angelov was on his way to Vienna to attend an experience sharing conference, he suddenly had a deeper and clearer understanding as to what it meant for practitioners to form one body. During the conference in Vienna, he saw the powerful effects of practitioners from 20 countries forming one body in the activities to raise awareness.
After he returned to Bulgaria, he was surprised to find that another practitioner had the same realization at almost exactly the same time although they were in different areas. Teacher said,
“Dafa disciples are one body, and it is the same wherever you are--the progress of Fa-rectification is synchronized.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2007 New York Fa Conference”)
Svetoslav Milenov became a practitioner a year and a half ago. When he was reading Zhuan Falun the main book of the teachings, he felt an indescribably powerful energy instantly cleansing him. He knew that he had rid himself of his self-indulging lifestyle and his desire to drink alcohol.
Teacher said,
“Some people are already poisoned by drinking alcohol, and they cannot even pick up their rice bowls without drinking—they cannot do without a drink.” (Zhuan Falun)
Svetoslav said a power within helped him rid himself of the desire to drink alcohol. He began to join the group exercise sessions even in sub-zero temperatures. The pain he suffered doing the sitting meditation helped him to have more determination in eliminating attachments.
Dimitar Terzov worked in a rehabilitation facility. His manager invited all their customers for a meeting on December 10, and he volunteered to give a seminar on International Human Rights Day to help the customers understand the brutality of the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong. His manager, who knows well about the persecution, agreed. On that day, his coworkers, customers and even patients learned about Falun Gong and the persecution in China.
Ivan Barzakov has visited a prison twice a week since October 2015 to do Falun Gong exercises with the prisoners for an hour and study the Fa teachings for another hour. The changes in the prisoners were visible. One of them who was combative became quiet, friendly and began to smile more. Some of them recovered from their chronic illnesses. Most of them changed their attitude and became calmer. Several of them began to study the teachings outside of the sessions.
The prison authorities did a survey on the prisoners in December and the outcome was encouraging. The prison psychologist wrote an article to a newspaper about the results, which encouraged more prisoners to learn about Falun Gong.
When 66-year-old Darina Barzakova read the articles from the Vienna conference her son brought her, she decided to eliminate her attachment to comfort. She often walked an hour to attend the group exercise sessions and helped to distribute Falun Gong information to clarify the truth. She spent a month memorizing the recently published Lunyu and benefited significantly from the process.
After Boiana Mihova became a practitioner, she gave up many attachments and realized that she needed to continue to study the Fa teachings in order to give up more notions that were deeply rooted in her mind. She gradually became arrogant because of the praise that other practitioners gave her. She quickly became aware of the notion and eliminated it.
She felt great resistance in her efforts to clarify the truth. When she looked within she found the attachment of being shy in front of strangers. After attending practitioners' public activities a few times, she gradually conquered her fear and stopped focusing so much on “self.” She believed that cooperating with other practitioners was the key to clarifying the truth to people. As long as everyone did the three things Teacher asked us to do and constantly looks within, the environment and people around us will change and miracles can happen.
Before the conference concluded, the attendees took a moment to show their gratitude to Master Li, calling out in unison to wish him a happy New Year.
