Edmonton Journal: Protesters use Falun Dafa to heal wounds

Monday 14 May 2001 Huishar Chen and four friends meditate peacefully in front of the Alberta legislature building and try not to think about the people who have died in China for doing the same. As her colleagues continue with the five basic exercises that make up the practice of Falun Dafa, Chen, 35, breaks from her reverie to talk about the events that led to the death from torture of one of her friends. Falun Dafa began spreading in China in 1992 when one man, Li Hongzhi, started teaching people how to cultivate their minds to become better people. He also taught a series of exercises to improve their health and increase their energy. At first, the government of China helped organize the lectures because they saw they were saving money on health care when the health of participants improved. Chen can vouch for the healing effects of Falun Dafa personally. Her arthritis caused her terrible pain. Cold wind and water were an agony. For years she visited medical specialists but no one could help her. Then a friend introduced her to Falun Dafa. "At first I wasn't very interested. In China, I was educated not to believe in other dimensions or God or anything." But early one morning she picked up the book and didn't put it down until she finished it at midnight. "I got all the answers I was looking for," she said. Chen went to her friend and started to learn about Falun Dafa. "After practising for less than a month some miracles occurred. All my sufferings disappeared." Falun Dafa quickly gained 100 million followers and fell out of favour with the Chinese government. "They are afraid someone else will make use of this large group of people against the government," said Chen, who came to Canada in 1999. Falun Dafa was slandered in local papers. When its practitioners tried to correct the misinformation and held peaceful protests, they were rounded up, imprisoned and tortured. Chen's calm wavers when she talks about the 202 Falun Dafa practitioners who have so far died horribly. "One of my friends was tortured to death," she says. "He was younger than me." His offence: writing a letter to the mayor about the falsehoods being spread about Falun Dafa. Chen and her companions were at the legislature Sunday to draw attention to human-rights abuses continuing in China. But they were also there to celebrate the second annual World Falun Dafa Day and the ninth anniversary of when Hongzhi began to spread the exercises. And they want to reach out to people who might be interested in the practice. Tori Johnston, 34, watched the practitioners with her husband. Her two-year-old son approached them and after watching quietly tried to mimic their movements. Johnston was amused at her son's antics, but had some serious things to say about Falun Dafa. Two weeks ago she tried it. "It was wonderful. Within a couple of days I noticed I wasn't tired, I felt relaxed and I had more energy. It started to work immediately." Healing 101 - Practitioners of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, cultivate their hearts in accordance with the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance to become a better person and gain wisdom toward life, the universe and humanity. - To attend a free seminar in Edmonton, go to Function Room 021 in the Students' Union Building on the University of Alberta campus. Sessions are held there every Tuesday night from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information contact Chi Yeh at 988-5657.