San Francisco to DC Trip -- Indianapolis, IN to Cincinnati, Ohio, Saturday, July 14

We practiced this morning on a grassy area at the Indiana University Campus, then headed downtown, about a half hour's drive away. Downtown has a very interesting blend of old and new architecture. There are massive granite or stone government buildings, a Post Office in the Greek Parthenon style, the Capitol Building with its gold dome, and numerous monuments, next to modernistic edifices.

The streets are laid out in a wide grid pattern, creating spacious avenues. In the center of town is a town center, the location of our media event today, where a number of streets converge. In the middle of this is a war memorial monument, dedicated to the "silent victors" of war. Steps lead up to the monument museum. We set up on the steps, and positioned our picture gallery on the sidewalk proceeding the steps rimmed by shade trees. We came in contact with many concerned citizens. We were moved by how attentively they listened to the persecution story of our practitioners in China.

It was another glorious day, similar to yesterday in St. Louis, which I again confirmed with local people was highly unusual. Two people from the press showed up a little before our starting time of 1:00. I was able to speak to them. One was a photographer from Fox, Channel 59, and the other a reporter from the main newspaper, Indianapolis Star.

From a practitioner's perspective, I feel that we need to remind ourselves that everything exists for the Fa, and things are in Teacher's hands. I feel that there is no need to get excited about this issue of Beijing hosting the Olympics: we need to hold steady to our firm conviction that our issue is ending the persecution in China.

There had been a short article, a few paragraphs, printed in the Indianapolis Star, mentioning our event. Three nice people who support an end to the persecution of Tibet showed up. They wore signs for support for spiritual beliefs in China. I found in my talking points that I was often able to incorporate the fact that not just Falun Gong, but all spiritual practices in China are in a very dubious and vulnerable position. This usually will bring the point closer to home to people that care about freedom of belief, as most Americans do. The Chinese government is also renouncing a part of China's illustrious heritage when it persecutes Falun Gong practitioners, demolishes and destroys forever Buddhist temples, etc.

Our program consisted of press statements, two government proclamations, a Li Hongzhi Day award, a City of Indianapolis proclamation, and a personal testimony by an Ohio university student, whose mother is detained in China. In the background, our practitioners were sitting in the meditation pose.

After that, we left for Cincinnati. The lushness and greenery of the countryside is quite a contrast to that of California. We were please when we got to our host practitioner's house in two hours, before 8:00 (and then we lost an hour, due to the time zone change). Driving through her sedate neighborhood lifted our spirits. The comfortable homes and manicured lawns seemed a world away from the suffering in China. Later, as a few of us were strolling through the neighborhood, we talked about how this was our challenge here, in the States. Living in such comfortable circumstances as we do here, for the most part, can seriously distract us from the fundamental issues at hand. It made me think of what Teacher has said, in the recent article "No Politics" written on June 4, 2001. "Human society is a good place for cultivation, since everything here can induce attachments. Precisely because of this, a person who is able to step out of this and get rid of all his attachments to human society is magnificent and able to reach Consummation."

We had a good Fa study session and brief meeting to discuss the following day's events. It was a good ending to another rewarding day of assisting our beloved Teacher, in service to all sentient beings.