Clearwisdom.net, Monday, September 29, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of September 16, the New York based Divine Performing Arts presented the third show of the Mid-Autumn Spectacular at the John Bassett Theater in Toronto. The show features classic Chinese dance and brings many beloved Chinese legends to life. When the show concluded, it received a standing ovation from the audience and the performers took three curtain calls.

Canadian film producer Jeit Briston said that compared to the previous year, the show is more diverse and further perfected, and he said that in many aspects the show reflects many Broadway shows.

"It was a miraculous night," said Mr. Briston, "I think the costumes are exceptional, as their design is so complicated and the colors are so bright. It is very impressive and the talent of the costume designer is amazing...The Erhu Solo was one of the best, and you can definitely feel that she devotes her compassion and heart... she is great."

Tandy Hillier, an Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), said that the show was great and he was amazed by the inner meaning conveyed. The MPP said that he fully agrees with the values of "Loyalty" and "Fidelity" depicted in the show. "To me, these are the universal values and should be inherent in people everywhere," said Mr. Hillier. Meanwhile, he was also impressed by classical Chinese dance and he was amazed by the fact that sophisticated messages can be conveyed using music and dance.

Doug Dickerson is a senior councilor of Pickering, and he said that the show was absolutely spectacular and the choreography, backdrop design and performers were amazing. Mr. Dickerson said that he held his breath while watching the show and he admired the Chinese culture even more. "After the show, many children would ask: 'Mom and dad, why do we know nothing about this culture? How can we let every corner of the world know about this excellent Chinese culture?'"

Tony is the manager of Stratcona Hotel Toronto, and he said that the show presented him with a culture which he had never seen. "I think this show is great and I love it. I am an Italian and my wife is German, and we are very glad to have seen such a show."

"The piece which impressed me the most is the Mongolian Bowl Dance. Loyalty and fidelity in Chinese culture are very important to family and country," said his wife Nila.

Members of audience give Mid-Autumn Spectacular a standing ovation at the conclusion of the third performance in Toronto. (Victor Chen/The Epoch Times)

TORONTO--Friday night's performance of the Mid-Autumn Spectacular by Divine Performing Arts left more patrons buzzing about caliber and content of this one-of-a-kind show.

"I think about all the live performances that I've seen, and I can't think of anything at the moment that touched me as much as this one," said film producer Leif Bristow, who took in the show with his wife Agnes, a writer, at the John Bassett Theatre.

Mr. Bristow was particularly interested in the choreography and dance. His daughter recently graduated from the National Ballet School of Canada.

"It's fascinating to see the difference in classical and traditional Chinese dance compared to the strict ballet of Europe and North America today," he said. "It's very fascinating because of the way the stories are integrated into it and the way the costumes are used differently than traditional European ballet - I love the show."

Mr. Bristow's film producer credits include the 2003 movie Blizzard, which starred Chistopher Plummer and Whoopi Goldberg.

He says he is now writing a book, and plans to make a movie, about Tia Zhang, one of the choreographers with Divine Performing Arts. He's taken in Divine Performing Arts shows three or four times, he says. And he has seen the show evolve.

"The show tonight was certainly the most spectacular one that I have seen so far," he said.

The show made Wendolyn Lozano, associate editor of the upscale arts, culture, and current affairs Literal Magazine, eager to learn more about the Chinese culture.

"We are enjoying it big time," she said at intermission. "We were just talking about that they really convey not only the dance but their spirituality. It's amazing and we are very surprised."

Toronto banker Frank Martino was beaming after his first visit to a Divine Performing Arts show.

"So upbeat - way to go!" he said on leaving the theatre.

"It was fantastic - the colours, the dancing; the costumes were unique. It was great. I am going to come back every year."

"Perfect, just perfect," he said.

The show was just what Zeres Devera, CIBC Bank Manager, was looking for.

Tony Steele-Philips and Zeres Devera at the Mid-Autumn Spectacular. (The Epoch Times)

"I love the show," said Ms. Devera, who attended with her husband, Tony Steele. "It is exactly what I thought it would be."

Ms. Devera enjoyed comparing classical Chinese dance with the traditional dances of her culture, Filipino.

"This is our first time to something like this so we'll be out to more kinds of things like this in the future," she said.

Meanwhile, Leslie Kimble came from 250 km east, in Kingston, Ontario, where she serves as the city's manager of special events, culture and recreation.

"I think the show is fabulous. This is absolutely unbelievable," she said.

"The feeling of softness and comfort that they all display. I know they work hard, and they are all so beautiful."

Acclaimed artist Charles Patcher praised many aspects of the show - the digital backdrops, a mesmerizing soprano, "subtle" and "lovely" choreography, and "gorgeous" costumes.

Mr. Patcher is an Officer of the Order of Canada and some of his work is now on display at the Royal Ontario Museum.

He was most moved by the program, Lady of the Moon.

"It is very special," he said. "It's a beautiful legend. It has a very nice quality about it; it's spiritual."

http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/toronto-mid-autumn-spectacular-4833.html

TORONTO--Elvis Stojko is one of the most successful and well-known Canadian figure skaters to ever take to the ice. He's a seven-time Canadian champion, three-time world champion, and two-time Olympic Silver medallist.

Saturday night, Mr. Stojko was at the John Bassett Theatre in downtown Toronto to watch Divine Performing Arts' Mid-Autumn Spectacular. It was the first time Elvis had seen a Divine Performing Arts show.

"Everything was impressive," he said afterwards, naming as prominent examples the two drumming pieces, the chopstick and fan dances, and content touching on Falun Gong. "Each single act had its own energy and character," he said.

In an interview after the show, Stojko, who has practice martial arts for 26 years, shared his thoughts on the Spectacular and his love for Chinese culture. The following is an excerpt of that Epoch Times interview with Elvis Stojko.

ET: Many of the performances in this show include classical Chinese dance. What is your impression of classical Chinese dance?

ES: I prefer it over ballet because it's not just about the technique and just looking nice - it's about showing the spirit and the energy of the dance. And that's what is being conveyed. It's not just about perfect technique and perfect toe point, even though they also have that, it's about the energy and the essence and the spirit of the person doing it and what they're trying to convey. The enjoyment of watching their faces as they're performing is all part of it. Being a performer, I know you get that sense of freedom when you do that.

ET: As a figure skater you performed at the highest level. You've praised the skill of the dancers tonight. Can you comment on what it takes to get to that level?

ES: You see a lot of the dancers coming out and they're learning all the dances. It's not just one dance that they perfect - they're doing all the different dances in the different styles. And there's a different energy to each one, a different way of thinking to each one. There's a perfection that goes along with it and a sense of pride.

As I was just saying, it's not just about perfecting the movements, it's about showing what they have inside as individuals in regards to the spirit and energy of what they're trying to convey. You know, just like someone writing a story or speaking, the clarity in what you try to convey comes through the technique. Once you get through the technique, then people get touched by what's there, what truly is there. Just like music, when someone sings if you hear the technique they're not quite there yet. But if you don't even hear the technique, you get a feeling, you get that sense of excitement, you get that tingle up your spine. Then you know that you've reached the people.

Because you go past the technique, you go beyond it. That takes years of training. It takes a sense of confidence in yourself and your ability, and a humbleness towards your craft. That is all about being free in what you do and loving what you do. And you can tell with each of the performers that they love what they're doing.

ET: So you saw that tonight, that 'transcending the technique' you just described?

ES: Oh absolutely. Yeah. The curtain goes up and then there's that ... they're all in position and they start, and you just get that sense ... through each dance too and each thing they do there's a sense of freedom and lyricism and character, and it goes beyond just the movements. You get a feeling from each movement; you get a feeling from each dance. It's not so much that I remember what the movement was, or even if something's slightly not perfect, it doesn't matter. You know, even though they were pretty much perfect tonight, even if they're off, it doesn't matter. It's a sense of being in the moment.

I remember the lady who was playing the erhu, something had fallen, I think, from her hair, but it didn't matter because she was so into what she was doing. It goes beyond; it becomes that her spirit was playing. The body's just sort of doing the movement, but the spirit is playing through the instrument. And that's what touches people.

As soon as that sound, that vibration, stems through. And as a dancer does it, and they combine with the music, that vision, that visual connects with you. And it's just really beautiful.

ET: You're familiar with the persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in China. You've spoken out against the repression before. Tonight's show was presented by the Falun Dafa Association, and some of the acts touched on Falun Gong. Was it a different side of Falun Gong you saw tonight?

ES: Well, that's the whole thing. It's about showing the happiness and the peace. That's how you get rid of evil, and that's how you get rid of the negative - it's to show how great the positive is, the happiness, the freedom and all of these things that are there. And that's what each dance shows. It shows all of that.

One person was asking me what I feel. Well, I felt a sense of happiness and a sense of peace when I finished watching the whole thing. That's what I felt from it, and that's what you want to feel. And with this type of thing, you don't want to focus on the bad side, even though we know it's there. But it's the strength of the spirit that carries through.

ES: For me it's a message of peace and happiness, the peace and happiness that I get from watching it. And there's that sense of freedom. There's that sense of giving back, of letting people know what Falun Gong is all about, what freedom is all about.

The dances promote freedom, free speech, free will, and that type of thing. It's almost a sense of floating, of flying.

There's also an underlying message of truth, compassion, and patience, the three principles that are combined in Falun Gong but should be predominate in everyone's walk of life, regardless of religion or way of thinking.

It's just nice to see how through dance and through music - and not always just through lyrics - that an idea, image, or a sense of being can be passed on to other people.

It's a breath of fresh air and there's a great lyricism and a great sense of, how can I put it, there's that delicacy to the way that the dances are done. Even when the men are dancing and there's a delicacy to it, and those three virtues are involved - you can see it in every dancer, that energy that's there.

ET: You have a background in martial arts. There were elements of martial arts in some of the performances tonight. What was your impression of that aspect of the show?

ES: I'm a traditional kungfu practitioner. I'm a sifu in my style. And it's all combat oriented. So there's a real difference between that kind of kungfu and wushu. Back when the Cultural Revolution was going on, they banned the traditional teaching of kungfu because it gives power to the people. They only allowed dance. What's great is the theatrical part of it. You can see even when they're depicting the general Yue Fei, you could see the guys doing the movements. Very very traditional. You've got horse dance, you've got proper punching, and you have all that, but it's combined with the dancing. It's just like when I was skating back in 1994. I made a program on Bruce Lee. I wanted to show the martial arts and I put it on the ice. It's the theatrical side. It's a showing of the art form, and how you can combine these two elements. And they did that flawlessly. It was really really nice.

ES: Oh, absolutely. I totally would recommend it. I brought one of my friends who knows a little bit about the culture. And she's just sort of amazed by it. I explained a little bit of the background of the Falun Gong and what's gone on in China, and the Cultural Revolution, and Sun Yat-sen before Mao took over, and the whole context so that some of this will start to make sense.

But even if you don't know anything about Chinese culture and you come to this, you'll walk away with some understanding of what's happening, of what's going on, and the beauty of the Chinese culture.

Source http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/elvis-stojko-dpa-toronto-interview-4907.html

Agnes Bristow at the Spectacular. (Michael Comas/The Epoch Times)

TORONTO--Film producer, actor and CEO of Knightscove Media Corp, Leif Bristow was very impressed with the Mid-Autumn Spectacular this year.

Mr. Bristow was at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto with his wife Agnes to see his third Divine Performing Arts performance and rates this one the best so far.

"I think with this show--it's a lot more colorful, it's a lot more fun, the music is a lot more... the show has become just so much more professional each year."

"It's improved and improved and improved. I would say that of the shows I've seen, this is by far the most polished. I think the choreography is so spectacular this year. Really beautiful. I love the show."

Mr. Bristow's daughter has just graduated from the National Ballet School, and he commented on the dance techniques: "It's fascinating to see the difference in classical and traditional Chinese ballet compared to the strict ballet of Europe and North America today. It's very fascinating because of the way the stories are integrated into it and the way the costumes are used differently than traditional European ballet.

"The woman who plays the erhu--that was the prettiest I ever heard that instrument sound. Very emotional. You've got all the emotions out of what she's playing."

Leading a team that has released three feature films and a company that distributes family friendly film he felt the way the projection screen for the background [was used] was also superior.

"It's a very fascinating way [in which] the backdrops are being used now both to bring characters to the ground and to have them on stage and then return."

"Especially in Lady of the Moon, that was a particularly good use of that screen. And the same thing with the water dance. What it does, it helps set a tone for the piece that's being done."

"The choreography is so spectacular this year. Really beautiful," Mr. Bristow said. "I find it really beautiful, really impressive."

He has plans to make a film about Divine Performing Arts choreographer, Tia Zhang. "I know that Tia is an incredible choreographer and very demanding of the dancers."

"I think the message is all about caring for other people, nurturing the human spirit and just love and support."

A writer of educational materials for schools and universities, and for parenting and life skills, she is currently writing a book about Tia Zhang's life.

"I thought it was one of the most phenomenal shows I have ever seen. I will come back every time."

The one performance that stood out for her was Risen Lotus Flower--a depiction of the persecution of Falun Gong in today's China.

"I think that summed up the whole show and then bringing people together for a common purpose and fighting something that isn't right in society and that was the message that I got from it."

Mrs. Bristow agreed with her husband that this was the most impressive show so far.

"I think about all the live performances that I've seen, I can't think of anything at the moment that touched me as much as this one. I think I just used the word phenomenal too many times to describe it!"

http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/best-show-so-far-says-film-producer-4842.html

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Hu is from Mainland China. Sharing her thoughts about the Mid-Autumn Spectacular presented by Divine Performing Arts on September 27, she said that it was her first time to be moved to tears by dance.

"I read about this show on the Internet and was very impressed by it. My family moved to Toronto a month ago and thus we were able to watch the Spectacular in person. Somehow, I just cried through the show. This is the very first time for me to be moved to tears by dance," said Ms. Hu.

Ms. Hu was certainly not alone. Also from China, Ms. Lin said that the show is very different from shows in Mainland China, as it places heavy emphasis on traditional values. Lin and her family just came to Canada two weeks ago from Guangzhou. When asked to summarize her feelings about the show, Ms. Lin said that it was a special pleasure which was hard to describe. When asked about her opinion about Falun Gong, Lin said, "I heard about Falun Gong while I was in China and I knew the persecution was very brutal and unjustified. People nowadays know that the state-run media have little credibility and thus we analyze the news and come to our own conclusions despite the propaganda."

Ms. Lu, who saw the show with her friends, said that she would recommend the show to others. "The quality of the Spectacular surpasses many other shows. Even though people nowadays are very busy, they should come to see it."

Mr. Wu and his family traveled from western New York to Toronto to see the Spectacular. He said that this was the best show that he had ever seen. He enjoyed the classical Chinese dance as well as the traditional values conveyed by the different acts. When asked about his opinion on the pieces about the persecution of Falun Gong, Wu paused and then said, "I am very sad for their suffering."

TORONTO--"The show was very nice -- beautiful actually," said Senator Consiglio Di Nino, describing the Mid-Autumn Spectacular which he attended Saturday evening at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto.

"It starts with a beautiful rainbow of colors," the Senator said. "You are treated to this scene of different variety and it is really quite stunning, and then it sort of fuses it with some wonderful music and singing. They have made it so that it all sort of blend together to make it a very pleasant experience."

Senator Di Nino added that he found the unique show, which portrays the essence of China's 5,000-year culture, "calming other than the drummers which woke you up. I found it quite pleasant and pleasing."

The New York-based Divine Performing Arts, the performance company that presents the Spectacular, is reviving the best of China's ancient and traditional culture and portraying it through various art forms such as Chinese classical dance.

"It has been a very enjoyable experience in the sense that all the senses are involved, the visual the audio blends it all together which gives you the experience, which gives you the comparable thing," the Senator said.

Two acts, in the show, depict abuses against practitioners of Falun Gong in China and how they triumph over adversity. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline rooted in Chinese culture that is currently being brutally suppressed by the Chinese regime.

"There is no question that the producers are trying to send a message which is one associated with the Falun Gong. This is not a problem for me as I have spoken on their behalf, and [something] which I am in support of is to have more religious freedom in China," he said.

Senator Consiglio said he did not have a particular favorite piece as "they were all very nice. The soprano -- what a voice she has. I do not know where she gets that lung power, it is fantastic, so that certainly stands out. To pick one performance takes away from all the rest, the whole experience was very good."

He said he would attend next year's Mid-Autumn Spectacular, adding that the show is "an experience that others should share."

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Mid-Autumn Spectacular, playing in Toronto from September 24-28.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China's most ancient and cherished holidays. The Spectacular expresses Chinese classical dance and showcases authentic traditional Chinese culture. Through background scenery, costumes, and choreography, the Spectacular expresses truthfulness, compassion, and pure beauty. China's history comes to life in this gorgeous performance that is entertaining, inspiring, and uplifting. The show's content is presented in both Chinese and English. For more information, visit: http://www.divineshows.com/Toronto

Source http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/rainbow-of-colours-senator-dpa-toronto-4872.html

(Clearwisdom.net) From September 24 to 28, the Divine Performing Arts presented six Mid-Autumn Spectacular shows in Toronto and received rave reviews from the audience.

Rashid Kurmally, a retired businessman, gave high remarks on the show. He said, "It was very inspiring, and I enlightened to some deep cultural connotations. All the performers are very talented and the show is just great. The cultural content conveyed by the show is far beyond so-called Chinese culture discussed by everyday people."

Prashant Kathotia, originally from India, is a graduate of the University of Toronto and currently works for the Bank of Montreal. Upon the recommendation of a friend, he came to see the show with many of his MBA classmates. Coming from different countries, these young people found the show very classy and were pleased to learn more about traditional Chinese culture. Prashant said, "It is such a great opportunity to see an authentic oriental show in Canada. China and India have similar cultural origins and I can easily appreciate the connotations behind the acts."

Pauline Helferty and her mother Lisa Malcolm are both music teachers. The mother and daughter said that they enjoyed the show and the music and dance were great. Pauline said, "I liked 'The Risen Lotus Flower' which depicted the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This piece passed on a very important message. We often run into news [about persecution] and then forget it as if it had nothing to do with us. However, this piece was very touching and unforgettable."

Kathy Harris and her husband live in London, Ontario and they drove more than two hours to see the show. Ms. Harris said, "The show was excellent and the music was outstanding. This is our first time to watch this show, and we will recommend it to our friends."

Flashy kicks, double-edged spears and long swords filled the stage at New Tang Dynasty's "International Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition" preliminaries on Sept. 27 at The Armory in Upper West Manhattan.

Bringing together contestants from all over the world, the competition aims to highlight talent in the field of traditional martial arts, a skill believed to have been lost after the Communist Party seized power in China in 1949 and destroyed much of China's traditional culture.

The styles presented were all traditional martial arts forms from China, including the external forms, Northern and Southern styles, as well as internal forms, such as Tai Chi. There were rounds for male and female contestants, as well as separate rounds for open weapons.

Contestants came from places as far away as Taiwan and even mainland China. There were over 100 contestants, and it was a truly a multicutural competition as Chinese, Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic ethnicities were all represented in the different forms, especially in the external forms.

There are estimated to be around 100 contestants for the semi-finals and finals round on Sunday, September 28. The contestants include those selected from earlier preliminaries in Taiwan on August 2nd and 3rd.

The preliminaries were preceded by two weeks of a "Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Exhibit" at the same location, where the history of Chinese martial arts was displayed. Posters detailed the history of Chinese martial arts, documenting them from ancient history, such as Yue Fei's story and his relationship to the popular Xingyi Fist form; Zhang Sanfeng and Tai Chi Fist, as well as Boddhidharma's cultivation story and the development of the Shaolin form.

Source http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/chinese-traditional-martial-arts-preliminaries-4865.html

(Clearwisdom.net) The Sanlu Group is a leading enterprise in Hebei Province and its products are popular throughout China. This company proudly advertises itself as the "Choice of 20 million moms" and sees itself as the big brother of China's milk industry.

Yet, the company that boasted to employ eleven hundred testing procedures added melamine to inflate the protein readings on a common industrial test. As a result, babies who drank the products produced from the poisoned milk powder over a long period of time came down with kidney stones, crystallization of the bladder and potential kidney failure or blockage of the urethra. So far, several babies have died and there will be more in the future. Then, another shocking revelation - melamine was found in twenty-two more milk powder products, produced by companies such as the Yili Industrial Group Ltd., Mengniu Dairy Company Ltd., and the Yashili Group. There was a public outcry throughout China when this information was publicized.

It is no secret that China is flooded with fake and inferior products, but no one would think that a company the size of Sanlu, which is famous for its baby milk powders, would produce poisonous products. After the incident was disclosed, officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) arrested a few dairy farmers and some scapegoated officials in an attempt to "solve" the problem. However, people can no longer be appeased with a few arrests of inconsequential people. They asked, "Did this issue only involve these dairy farmers and officials? Who are the real culprits and who should be called to task over this issue?"

Sanlu's rise in prestige is because of the full support of the Communist regime. The State General Administration of Quality Supervision issued a certificate to exempt Sanlu's products from having to be tested. The Chinese State Council awarded Sanlu with the "State Science and Technology Awards," signifying the highest approval by the Chinese government. Also, the company continuously received praise from the state-run media. Because of all the commendations Sanlu's products received, so many mothers trusted this company's products without question. How many people were deceived?

Such lies and deceptions are the characteristics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It uses lies and deception in its persecution of Falun Gong. In order to destroy Falun Gong, the CCP mobilized the country's media with the goal to frame and demonize Falun Gong, to slander the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and to destroy traditional Chinese culture. The CCP wanted to eradicate the knowledge that good deeds will be rewarded, while evil deeds will meet with due retribution. The CCP wants to promote atheism and "falseness, evil and struggle."

The Party has used a quarter of the national economy in its persecution of Falun Gong. Regime officials at all levels, including the Public Security Bureau, the Procuratorate and the People's Court utilized torture methods, ancient and modern, and lies and slander to eradicate Falun Gong. Why did these individuals do this? For economic gain - for rewards and bonuses from the CCP. Their methods include deception, threats, violence, plunder and inhuman torture. What the CCP failed to recognize is that the persecution of Falun Gong brought in a series of negative factors. A sage once said, "Without belief, human beings would have no moral standards. Therefore, human beings would not have good, but be governed by wicked thoughts." Therefore, moral values in human society would decline rapidly during such times and people's thoughts would be controlled by a materialistic way of thinking. Such people would dare to do anything for money. This deviated way of thinking is one of the fundamental reasons for Sanlu's poisonous milk powder.

When reviewing the CCP's history, one realizes that the CCP has never valued the lives of the people. It never has cared about how many people died in its myriad political movements. Therefore, to "ensure the stability" of the Beijing Olympic Games it could hide the forecast of the Sichuan earthquake. In order to satisfy personal gain, the CCP officials turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to repeated complaints about the Sanlu products.

Mao Zedong once said there should be a cultural revolution once every seven or eight years. Deng Xiaoping said that he would sacrifice 200,000 lives for 20 years of stability and Jiang Zemin said, about the persecution of Falun Gong, he would "defame their reputation, bankrupt them financially and destroy them physically." All that the CCP cares about is holding on to power and increasing the wealth of its members.

My fellow countrymen, please wake up and cast away your illusions about the CCP. "We should keep in mind the lessons from the past. We can't believe whatever promises or guarantees are made by the CCP officials. Whoever believes the CCP minions on a particular issue, he/she might loose his/her life over the issue." (from the "Nine Commentaries on Communist Party")

What is the way out for the Chinese people? Withdrawing from all CCP organizations is the best path. As of September 19, 2008, forty-three million and fifty thousand people have registered their withdrawal from the CCP and its affiliated organizations on the Epoch Times' website. Only when more and more people resign from the CCP will it disintegrate peacefully. The process of quitting the CCP is the process of eliminating bad governance. It is also a process of uplifting the moral standard and going back to the true foundation of the people.

(Clearwisdom.net) During the Beijing Olympic Games, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials from Xuanhua County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, and Xuanhua Steel Company illegally arrested Falun Gong practitioners and detained them in the Xuanhua Brainwashing Center. One of the practitioners, Mr. Ren Yuzhong, was arrested by personnel from the Xuanhua Steel Company Public Security Section. They also intended to arrest his wife, Liu Yongli, so she had to leave home to avoid being persecuted.

After Mr. Ren started practicing Falun Gong, he changed dramatically. He now takes good care of his parents and his mother-in-law. After he was arrested, his mother-in-law became ill from the stress. She passed away in August 2008. She wanted to see her daughter and son-in-law before she passed away, but it was not to be.

Deputy director of Internal Security Section, Xuanhua Steel Gao Hongwu: 86-13831325106

(Clearwisdom.net) During the Beijing Olympics in July and August of 2008, Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, escalated the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Guards tortured steadfast practitioners with electric batons, placed them on the "Stretching Bed," forced them to stand in the hot sun for long periods of time, slapped their faces, and beat them.

At Masanjia, guards used the brutal "Stretching Bed" on practitioners. This method of torture involves placing a practitioner in the middle of two beds with his or her arms and legs tied to the beds. The beds are then pulled apart. Practitioners have screamed out in unbearable pain from this torture. One guard said, "This torture will break the tendons and then the person cannot move, but the injuries cannot be seen on the surface of the body."

On June 29, practitioners Ms. Teng Zhijuan, Ms. Guan Liying, Ms. Dong Shengna, and Ms. Zhang Shuxia from Donggang City were hung up and their bodies were stretched by guards Cui Hong, Huang Haiyan, Zhang Jun, and Zhang Zuohui. The practitioners' hands became so swollen that they were unable to move them for several days. The guards also slapped the practitioners in the face.

In July 2008, guard Cui Hong left Ms. Zhang Xiuying from Xiuyan County handcuffed for three days and nights. She also shocked Ms. Zhang with electric batons and said, "I have not used the electric batons for a while. Let me have some fun." She shocked Ms. Zhang's eyes until they were bruised and black.

Practitioner Ms. Liu Guifang from Dandong City was also shocked with electric batons. Her face was slapped so severely that it became swollen and disfigured. Ms. Wang Xiaoyun was forced to stand in the hot sun for long periods of time and she was unable to move her legs from being beaten. She could not straighten her back or go to the cafeteria at mealtime.

The food in the labor camp was extremely bad. The bread given to the practitioners was moldy and smelled bad, and there were mouse droppings in the rice. Whenever upper level authorities came to do an inspection, the labor camp personnel pretended that everything was fine. Practitioners were forced to work during the day and clean the cells in the evening. All personal belongings were stored in the room with the toilets.

For those practitioners who remained firm in their faith, family visits were not allowed. Some of the practitioners' families were repeatedly denied visitation privileges.

Ms. Sheng Lianying and Ms. Zhou Huimin are currently being additionally persecuted. Ms. Zhou finished her prison term on July 27 and was due to be released, but her sentence was illegally extended and she is still being held. On July 28, Ms. Wu Juan from Fengcheng City finished her term, but she is also still detained.

(Clearwisdom.net) In August 2007, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhou Mozhen from Gulin County, Sichuan Province was arrested and sent to a forced labor camp. However, her whereabouts have since been unknown. Her term is supposed to have been over, but she has not returned home. When her family went to inquire of the 610 Office and police department, the officials would not answer them. Her family members are very worried about her.

Ms. Zhou Mozhen is 60 years old and lives in Gulin Town, Gulin County, Sichuan Province. In 1996, she started to practice Falun Gong. On December 30, 2000, Ms. Zhou went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. She was arrested, taken back and detained in a detention center. Later on, she and eight other practitioners were sentenced together. Ms. Zhou was detained in the Jianyang First Women's Prison for four and a half years. In May 2005, she was released and sent home.

At noon on August 26, 2007, Zou Qiang and four policemen from the Gulin Police Department went to search Ms. Zhou's home and arrested her. Five days later, she was sent to the Nanmu Temple Forced Labor Camp in Zizhong City for a term of one year.

Since then, Ms. Zhou's whereabouts have been unknown. Her family called and also wrote to the authorities, but they did not get any information. On September 8, 2008, Li Lianghui, Ms. Zhou's husband went to the 610 Office and asked Director Guo Wen about his wife. Guo said that he did not get any notice and did not know. Li Lianghui then went to ask Zhou Chuanjie of the national security team, who merely told him to wait for the notice.

Guo Wen, Director of the 610 Office: 86-13909085633(Cell), 86-830-7102590(Office), 86-830-7100911(Home)
Zou Qiang, former chief of the national security team: 86-13708282887(Cell), 86-830-7260699
Wang Yi, chief of the national security team:86-13909085981 (Cell), 86-830-7296009 (Office)
Zhou Chunjie, deputy chief of the national security team: 86-13982495500 (Cell)
Liu Qiang, deputy chief of the national security team: 86-13518375678 (Cell)

A Doctor from the Women and Children's Health Station in Zigong City, Sichuan Province Died as a Result of Persecution

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Peng Jianying was a doctor at the Women and Children's Health Station in Gongjing District, Zigong City, Sichuan Province. On April 29, 2008, she was arrested at her home by agents from the Gongjing District 610 Office and the police. Because she was steadfast in her belief in Falun Dafa, she was detained in the Wurong Village Detention Center in Zigong City and severely persecuted in both body and mind. On July 31, 2008, she was released on bail and taken home by her sister and brother. On the afternoon of September 16, 2008, she passed away at the age of 60. Before being arrested, Ms. Peng was in very good health.

Gongjing District Police Department in Zigong City: 86-813-3301243
Zigong City Police Department: 86-813-4702007
Zigong City Procuratorate: 86-813-2201909
Gongjing District Government: 86-813-3301771

Cheng Jiying from Anshan City, Liaoning Province Died as a Result of Persecution

Ms. Cheng Jiying, 61 years old, was a Falun Dafa practitioner in Anshan City, Liaoning Province. Because she was steadfast in practicing Falun Dafa, she was persecuted by CCP agents for a long time. She was frequently detained in forced labor camps and brainwashing centers. Both her body and mind were severely hurt. In 2003, she was arrested and detained in the Anshan Detention Center. Later, she was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and persecuted in Dabei Prison in Shenyang City. Her health became worse and worse. In July 2006, she was released, but by then she was blind and bedridden. On September 19, 2008, she passed away.

(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Hou Qiaozheng, 68, went to Beijing to appeal in July 1999 when the persecution began. She was arrested and sent back for one year of forced labor. On May 30, 2008, officers from the Heping Police Station broke into her home, ransacked it and imprisoned her at the Handan No. 1 Detention Center.

At around 10:00 a.m. on June 10, 2008, Hou Qingfen, Niu Weizhi, Shen Haihong, and Sun Wenhu, together with several other officers from the District Police Department and the Heping Police Station, intruded into practitioner couple Wang Xinzheng and Wang Xuwen's home and ransacked it. They searched their five rooms, including the ceiling of each room. They confiscated a booklet and two MP3 players and wanted to arrest Wang Xinzheng. Wang Xinzheng's father. Wang Xuwen explained the facts to them, but they refused to listen.

Police forcibly pushed Wang Xinzheng and her two-year-old child in her arms to the ground. They handcuffed her and let the child, who was crying in fear, fall to the ground. Police then dragged Wang Xinzheng into a police car.

Her father Wang Xuwen stepped in and demanded, "On what grounds are you ransacking our home and making an arrest? You are breaking the law as officers of the law!" The policemen flew into a rage. They took out a blank search warrant and filled it out in front of Mr. Wang. Then they ordered Wang Xuwen to sign it, and he refused. They then carried Wang Xuwen to a police car by force. Wang Xuwen's wife then discovered that the police had taken more than 10 thousand yuan in cash from a drawer. Wang's wife asked them to return the money, saying, "This is my personal savings that I have accumulated over a long time, and I cannot let you steal it." Then two police officers twisted her arms behind her back and said, "If you move even a little, we will handcuff you." Another police officer said, "Tie her up."

Wang Xuwen has since been released, but Wang Xinzheng was sentenced to one and a half years of forced labor.

At about 9:00 a.m. on July 14, 2008, Guangmingqiao Police searched Mr. Li Tongzhi's home, arrested him and confiscated Falun Gong information discs, copies of the Minghui Weekly and the book, Disintegrating the Party Culture. He was held at the Handan No. 1 Detention Center.

Police arrested Ms. Zhang Xiurong (around 62 years old) and Ms. Zhang Shulian (53 years old) on July 29 and 30. They are being held at the No. 1 Detention Center.

At 10:00 a.m. on August 5, 2008, practitioner Huang Jianlin from the Congtai District was taken away from his shop and then to his home by some people who arrived in two black cars and refused to identify themselves.

At 8:30 a.m. on July 14, 2008, Ms. He Haixiang was arrested and had her home ransacked by officers from the Congdong Police Station. She is now being held at the No. 1 Detention Center.

On the morning of July 14, 2008, a group of agents from the Congtaixi Police Station broke into Ms. Zhang Fenqing's home, ransacked it and arrested her. The 45-year-old Ms. Zhang is now being imprisoned in the No. 1 Detention Center.

Practitioner Li Rulan from the Congtai District didn't return home one night after she went out to distribute Falun Gong materials. Her family discovered the next morning that she was detained at a police station. She was released in the morning, but was arrested again the next night. Her home was ransacked.

Engineer Hu Shizheng and his wife were arrested by district police department agents and those from the Renmin Road Police Station on August 8, 2008.

Information about Congtai District Police Department, Domestic Security Division and Police Station

Congtai District Police Department, 43 A Congtain Road, Handan City, Hebei Province, Postal code: 056002
Director Niu Shengmin: 86-310-3019568, 86-13315066566
Political Director Wang Yongxiang: 86-310-3019893, 86-13315066588
Domestic Security Division Director An Zhengzhi, 86-310-3019329, 86-1333300772666
Heping Police Station Director Niu Weizhi, 86-310-3228036, 86-13315065901 (Police No: 03-8116, Law Enforcement ID No.: 4703201099)

(Clearwisdom.net) On July 9, 2008, personnel from the Weifang City Police Department in Shandong Province and the National Security Team used the excuse of the upcoming "Olympic Games" to rampantly arrest 104 Falun Gong practitioners. Ms. Cao Junfeng was arrested on July 9. When the police were illegally ransacking Ms. Cao Junfeng's home, her husband had a sudden heart attack, and had to be sent to the hospital emergency room. The illegal ransacking was then stopped. On September 7, the second day after the marriage of Ms. Cao Junfeng's daughter, the police once again barged into their residence. They took away Falun Gong books and informational materials. Ms. Cao Junfeng's sister, Ms. Cao Junping, has been detained for more than two weeks, and her whereabouts are unknown.

On August 10, 2008, after Ms. Cao Junfeng had been illegally incarcerated in the detention center for a month, she was sentenced to one year of forced labor. During this period of time, she was made to sit on a small stool for as long as several consecutive days. Both hands were handcuffed behind her back to a pipe. She couldn't move, and she was not given any food or water. After being tortured for a few days in this way, she showed the symptoms of a protruding spinal disc and blood in her stools.

September 6 was the day when Ms. Cao Junfeng's daughter got married. But because Ms. Cao persisted in her belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, she was thrown into jail and couldn't even attend the wedding ceremony of her only daughter. After her wedding, the daughter requested to see her mother. The police said, "Cao Junfeng has yet to be "transformed" and thus she is not allowed family visits." On September 7, the second day after the wedding, the police once again barged into the Cao's residence. They confiscated Falun Gong books and informational materials.

Cao Junfeng's husband suffered a tremendous mental blow and is currently under huge mental pressure. The newlywed daughter is also frequently summoned by the police for "interrogation."

Ms. Cao Junfeng's sister, Ms. Cao Junping, has been held by the police for more than two weeks, and her whereabouts are unknown. The husband of Ms. Cao Junping, although not a Falun Gong practitioner, was also taken away by the police because he tried to protect his wife. He was illegally incarcerated in the detention center for a month, and is currently released on bail. But he is being monitored by the police around the clock. Weifang City Police Department officials said that the duration of his release on bail while awaiting trial has been extended indefinitely.

Cao Junping's daughter, who is a resident of the US, is currently appealing to the international community to save her mother and aunt. Weifang City Police Department officials threatened Cao Junping's family members, and as for her daughter, they said they would "continue to use other means to pursue the matter."

(Clearwisdom.net) A "Solemn Declaration" is a person's public statement to the world that whatever he or she has done or said under duress or deception that was against Falun Dafa is null and void. These statements have come from Falun Dafa practitioners in China who wish to express regret that, in the face of physical torture and brainwashing, they signed documents renouncing Dafa and guaranteeing not to practice again. Now, they hereby declare their intention to resume practicing Falun Dafa.

(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, I have found a few practitioners doing the exercises in public in China. I was somewhat surprised. While I was watching them doing the exercises, I initially thought that those practitioners must have strong righteous thoughts. Then I realized that this was directly related to our relaxed environment.

The city that I live in is quite peaceful simply because the fellow practitioners keep sending forth righteous thoughts every hour. I also do this near the police department and detention centers.

Teacher said: "When disciples have ample righteous thoughts Master has the power to turn back the tide" ("The Master-Disciple Bond," Hong Yin Volume II) I now have a deeper understanding of this. I visit the Minghui/Clearwisdom website daily. I feel sad whenever I read about the many practitioners being persecuted every day, and the number of practitioners being persecuted continues to increase. On May 25, I decided to send forth righteous thoughts next to the police department and detention centers. Rather than passively enduring the persecution, we should exert our utmost energy and righteous thoughts to stop it.

When I sent forth righteous thoughts in close proximity to the local city Party committee building, my mind was clear without any distracting thoughts. I saw the flow of energy filtering everywhere while the word "Mie" ("eliminate") went forth, and the whole building instantly became peaceful. I was very happy because prior to this event I could not feel anything when I sent righteous thoughts. I understood that it was Teacher who saw my firm heart for eradicating evil and helped me become more powerful and confident. In my city, there are more than 80 evil sites. Therefore, I took turns sending forth righteous thoughts next to the dens of evil. Whenever I saw police officials or police cars, I would just send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors in other dimensions that control those people.

During the process of eliminating the evil, Teacher enlarged my power. Now, I can send a huge flow of energy to penetrate the dens of evil. For instance, one morning, a woman was singing Chinese Communist Party songs in a pergola, attracting many onlookers. I went close to that lady and sent energy to purify her body from head to toe. She immediately stopped and said, "I forgot the words." And she did not continue the songs.

Since it is we practitioners who create the cultivation environment together, it depends on every practitioner's effort. If you think of using human methods, attachments will have an excuse to exist. When we use our divine abilities, we are solemn and dignified towards Dafa. Wherever there is persecution, it indicates that the local practitioners are lacking righteous thoughts and are unable to use their divine abilities. We should mature in our cultivation and be divine. Teacher has already given us everything. The only problem is whether or not we really believe in what Teacher has said. Only when we truly believe in Teacher, will we be omnipotent. Thus, it should be easy for us to eliminate evil elements in other dimensions.

However, we cannot be blind to the evil elements around us nor should we give them any opportunity to do evil things. It is time to show our divine abilities. We should eliminate the evil in our own communities first. Then, the evil factors will be unable to control anyone to stalk or harass practitioners. In the end, our environment will become relaxed. If we eradicate the evil in our subdistrict offices and local police stations, they will not be able to arrest practitioners. If we eliminate the evil elements in our district and city, the environment will be relaxed. If we all take action to eradicate the evil around us, then together we can destroy every single den of evil, since practitioners are everywhere. Where then can the evils find a safe place? What fears can now exist?

My fellow practitioners, from now on, we should start within ourselves to rectify our environment without letup. With no doubt, we can restrain the evil's persecution, create a relaxed environment, save more sentient beings, and complete our historical mission.

(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I have noticed that some practitioners have relatively low self-esteem. They feel they have not cultivated well, have too many attachments and cannot succeed in cultivation, or they are unworthy of being future Buddhas, Taos, or Gods. In cultivation, it is constructive to continuously improve ourselves when we see our shortcomings. However, we cannot have low self-esteem. This maybe be a result of not completely believing in Teacher and the Fa. Teacher can certainly save us and I am confident that practitioners can succeed in cultivation.

Our confidence comes from believing in Teacher and the Fa. My understanding is that Teacher is very great (there are no words that can truly express how great Teacher is). Teacher has taught us the universal Dafa. How high can we cultivate in Falun Dafa? It is beyond our imagination. In the old universe, no one can teach such a great Fa! In addition, Teacher is giving us the greatest honor--to validate the Fa and save sentient beings to build up our mighty virtue. Very high level Gods envy us. So why do we indulge in low self-esteem?

Yes, we cultivate in ordinary society and our supernatural abilities are locked. In addition, our bodies change from the microscopic to the surface so we can't see or feel anything special. Actually, every practitioner has a different experience. How can we compare ourselves to everyday peoples' states of mind? Whereas ordinary society slides down further every day, we [try to] improve ourselves according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Although we feel we haven't done enough, as long as we cultivate, as long as we work hard, we can certainly reach our goal. Teacher will make sure that we succeed. We should be proud of having such a wonderful Teacher, of obtaining Dafa, and of being a practitioner in the Fa-rectification period. Fellow practitioners, we should not have low self-esteem because we are old or we didn't get much education or we are not attractive or we can't understand the Fa more or we are not doing well in the three things, or we are not able to save more sentient beings. As long as we persevere in cultivating to the end, we are great. Didn't Teacher also say we are great? Teacher cares for us and has given us so much. As it gets closer to the end, we should believe in Teacher and the Fa more and more!

In fact, what I mentioned above was clearly taught by Teacher a long time ago. I am only trying to remind fellow practitioners. Of course, we cannot go to the other extreme and become self-righteous and arrogant. Going to any extreme is wrong.

(Clearwisdom.net) Some time ago, I ran into a series of tribulations. I also had conflicts with fellow practitioners. I knew these were good things for a cultivator, and I tried my best to look inward. At the same time, I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate any evil interference. However, I was not able to resolve the fundamental issues for a long time.

When Teacher's lecture "Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference" was published, I was so happy. I felt as if I had found a treasure. I read it over and over looking for ways to solve my problems. But I had such strong attachments. Not only did I not resolve my issues, I even believed that I was right and others were wrong. I used Teacher's words about others to justify myself.

One day, I was talking to a fellow practitioner. He said, "Why don't you calm down and memorize Teacher's new article." When I was able to calm myself and start memorizing the Fa, I was able to let go of myself, and I discovered many of my attachments. With every paragraph I memorized, I felt that an attachment was eliminated. When I finished memorizing the entire article, I felt that all my attachments were gone. My biggest attachments were insisting on being right and doing things my way. I didn't consider if others could accept my view or not--I didn't cultivate myself. When my heart regained calmness, my words were also peaceful, and the conflicts I had been experiencing disappeared. At the same time, I saw the shortcomings of fellow practitioners. If we could all calm down, memorize the Fa, and discover our fundamental attachments, we would be able to improve together, better validate the Fa, and save sentient beings.

From this incident, I realized that memorizing the Fa is the best method of studying the Fa. I had wanted to memorize the Fa before 1999, but I stopped after just one chapter. In the past two years, I was finally able to break through and start memorizing the Fa.

(Clearwisdom.net) In the past when I was sending righteous thoughts, I would more or less have this mentality of completing a task. I could not concentrate for a long time and would often be distracted. A few days ago when I was sending righteous thoughts, I suddenly realized that I was not the only one sending righteous thoughts during the four global times. Practitioners all over the world send righteous thoughts at the same time. I realized that sending righteous thoughts is a sacred task in which the whole body of practitioners cooperates. It is also a task that all practitioners should participate in and cooperate with. Each time we send righteous thoughts on a global basis, we chase the evils and surround them from all directions. Each practitioner has his own space and dimension that he is in charge of. It is as though we are an army; each soldier has his own position for attack and defense. When it is time to send righteous thoughts, if anyone doesn't do it, his area will become a place where the evil can escape to and hide. This will then affect the effectiveness of winning the "battle."

The four times of sending righteous thoughts is really very important and also very sacred. Let us all send forth righteous thoughts properly. In this way we can fulfill Master's expectations of us:

"Then if every student is able to do that, I can tell you, with five minutes of sending forth righteous thoughts together, the evil in the Three Realms will never exist again--that's how important this is. ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.")

(Clearwisdom.net) There are excellent articles on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website that explain how to bring up young practitioners. Reading these articles helped me immensely, and I would like to report on how I have been raising my daughter.

My mother and I are practitioners, but in matters regarding cultivation, my mother has more influence on my daughter, who is now 10 years old.

1. The child is here to begin practicing Falun Gong. A cultivator should meet all the requirements of a practitioner.

It is my firm belief that my child was born into my family to become a practitioner. When she was less than a month old, she developed a fever and a cough. My mother and I had her listen to Master's lectures. We also both looked inward for any attachments. We studied the Fa and did the exercises in her presence for about half a day, and she recovered quickly and completely.

There have been many events similar to the one above. I think that the key issue for me is to fully understand that my daughter is here for the Fa, and that I should treat her as a practitioner.

When she started to talk, we asked her to memorize and recite "Hong Yin." I learned several of the poems in Hong Yin by listening to my daughter recite them.

We realized that in Fa study, there is a difference between a child and an adult. We know that a child cannot sit still for a long period of time. When we read the Fa, we let her play alongside us. Occasionally we asked her to repeat the last sentence we read, and she always did it correctly. She did not miss anything we read. Once she began school, we asked her to read "Zhuan Falun" with us. We taught her how to pronounce the words she did not know and encouraged her as she read. Before going to bed, we asked her to recite Lunyu, Hong Yin, and "True Cultivation." When she entered the fourth grade, we asked her to read the "Minghui Weekly." She enjoyed reading and discussing the meaning of the articles with us.

When my daughter was five years old, my mother started teaching her the exercises. She had no problem sitting in full-lotus position and could sit for an hour without any difficulty. Generally, she did not want to sit that long, and we had to encourage her to persist. My mother was particularly careful in making sure that she did the exercises correctly. On weekends we performed the exercises together at 3:50 a.m.

My daughter is bright and beautiful. She is very attractive, but I realized that any emotional ties between mother and daughter needed to be replaced with benevolence. Although we have not quite accomplished this yet, I believe that our continued practice will lead us there.

From studying the Fa, I understand that each one of us is a part of a group of practitioners. When one of us is not doing well, it affects the whole group. In our three-member group, when I was lazy in my practice, my daughter also wanted to do something else or find an excuse not to do the exercises.

When I strove forward and cultivated diligently, my daughter would recite Essentials for Further Advancement on her own and do the exercises. When we study the Fa together, we usually share our understandings following study. Every time my daughter describes her understanding, it is in complete agreement with ours and does not seem to have come from a child.

According to the Fa, whenever there is a problem, we should look inward. We constantly remind my daughter to follow this approach in order to solve problems in school or at home, with relatives or with friends. We also help her to analyze situations and remind her that there are no accidents. Gradually, she has adopted this approach.

My mother pays special attention to sending forth righteous thoughts. This has a positive impact on my daughter. Regardless of her playtime activities, she always returns at noon and 6:00 p.m. to send righteous thoughts. When we travel, she usually sits in the back in the car and watches the time so that she can tell us when to change hand positions. We always send forth righteous thoughts when we are in a public place. I downloaded related articles on sending forth righteous thoughts for her, and asked her to send forth righteous thoughts during the "raising of the flag" ceremony held every Monday in school.

When my daughter was in the second grade, she went to the school principal and asked for permission to not wear a red scarf, and then withdrew from the communist Young Pioneers. While in grades three and four, she advised several of her friends to withdraw from the Young Pioneers. We also discussed how she could help more friends and classmates withdraw. In the meantime, I downloaded several articles so that she could utilize more reference materials.

When she was three years old, my daughter helped me carry informational materials about Falun Gong for distribution. Now when I explain the facts about the practice to people, she sends forth righteous thoughts near us to provide a clean environment for our activities.

I was not able to help my daughter with her schoolwork, because I was too busy with my own work (although I think that this was just an excuse). I only asked her to do well, because she represented a child-practitioner (her status as a practitioner was not made known in school). I thought that if my daughter did not do well in school, then it would be more difficult for me to tell the teachers about Dafa. Because of this attachment, there was a period when my daughter's grades fell. When I realized that I had this attachment and corrected myself, her grades began to improve. Dafa can bring greater wisdom to a child if she is diligent in her study of the Fa and eliminates her attachments. Then, miracles will happen.

7. Be sure to remove the communist Party culture.

All children like to watch movies and shows. In mainland China, the television shows are full of the evil communist culture. My daughter observed with her celestial eye that the movie "Return of the Mummy" had a harmful effect on the people watching it. For this reason, I do not allow her to watch movies, especially TV series (all practitioners who are parents should be particularly careful about this problem). It is better for the children to watch Anderson's fairy tales, the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, or other Dafa productions and sing Dafa songs. It is also important to remind the children to be careful of what they say. Do not let our own emotions, human ways of thinking, or lack of diligence affect the child. We are obligated and responsible for the well-being of the child-practitioner. There was a time when I had regrets because I was not sufficiently diligent. Now my daughter and I are striving forward together diligently. We want to ensure that we reach consummation and not let our Master down.

(Clearwisdom.net) Teacher told us in "Fa Teaching Given to the Australian Practitioners" to look inward whenever we run into a problem. But I was hindered by the notions formed in the human world, I didn't look inward well, and I was not able to negate the old forces' evil factors around me.

When sending forth righteous thoughts, I tended to fall asleep and my hand position would change. I was like this for five years, sometimes a little better and sometimes a little worse. Fellow practitioners kept reminding me not to fall asleep. I tried hard, but it was very difficult for me to overcome it. If I didn't concentrate for a few seconds, I would fall asleep. And sometimes I didn't want to send forth righteous thoughts at all. Recently, I read the article "Looking Inwards to Get Rid of Attachments, To be a True Cultivator" (Published on minghui.ca, the Chinese version of Clearwisdom). Then I suddenly understood my problem: Because I didn't look inward, the evil took advantage of my gap to interfere with me.

I then concentrated and took an attentive look inward. I found many attachments: jealousy, competitiveness, resentment, attachment to self, and others. The evil took advantage of these attachments and kept interfering with me for many years.

Now I send forth these strong righteous thoughts: "Completely disintegrate these bad attachments, the evil lives that have interfered with me for years, and the communist evil spirit and factors; completely eliminate them."

Because I was introverted, it was hard for me to expose the evil factors, and they took advantage of my weakness, creating many illusions and barriers among Dafa disciples, and causing damage to the Fa-rectification process.

I am very grateful to the Clearwisdom website for offering a platform for practitioners to exchange experiences and insights. It helped me to truly elevate and eliminate the old forces' interference. It cleared away the evil's illusion for me. I also appreciate very much all the practitioners who helped me. Most of all, I am extremely thankful to our great Teacher who keeps giving me opportunities to elevate and catch up with the progress of Fa-rectification.

I need to be more diligent and do well the three things, so that I can reach consummation and return home with Teacher.