Arlee, Montana: Falun Dafa Welcomed at Tibetan Festival of Peace

(Minghui.org) The 13th annual Festival of Peace was held on September 19, 2017 in the small town of Arlee, in a beautiful mountainous area of Montana. The only practitioner in the state, who lives in the northwestern part of Montana, has participated in this popular festival for many years to introduce the benefits of this traditional meditation practice, and to raise awareness of the suppression of it by the communist regime in China. The Peace Festival is diverse and welcomes people from all traditions and beliefs.

The serene surroundings, with many native plants, flowers, trees, and a pond, make it a peaceful place to visit. Many at the festival come to the Garden of 1000 Buddhas to Walk-a-Mile-For-Peace and then visit the different exhibits. The Falun Dafa table was very popular.

This year saw the biggest turnout ever. A steady stream of visitors approached the Falun Dafa table, curious to learn more about the practice and pick out a paper lotus flower. Many returned with their friends, who wanted to find out what this meditation practice was all about. Some came back two or three times to make sure they understood.

A large group of young men from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia stayed and talked for a long time, to learn about Falun Dafa. They took all the information and especially appreciated the lotus flowers. They had already heard that Falun Dafa was being persecuted in China. Many visitors also knew that the Communist Party has persecuted other religious groups in China, including Tibetans.

Some people return to the festival year after year, and always stop by to greet the practitioner and pick up another lotus flower. There were also invitations from health care agencies and businesses in other parts of Montana that wanted their patients or employees to learn the Falun Dafa exercises and meditation.

People were very happy to hear how the exercises could benefit their health, and that they could download the exercise instruction videos for free on the Falun Dafa website.