(Clearwisdom.net) Local Falun Gong practitioners were invited to participate in the Health Expo held in the city of Karlstad on October 24, 2004. The expo attracted many people. Practitioners were given three different time slots to demonstrate the exercises and introduce Falun Gong to the visitors.
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During the exercise demonstration, one practitioner introduced Falun Gong and the ongoing persecution in China to the audience. He said that Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) is a cultivation way in the Buddha School founded by Mr Li Hongzhi. Since its introduction to the general public in May 1992, the number of people practicing Falun Gong has grown to over one hundred million. There are practitioners from different racial, cultural, and social backgrounds in over sixty countries. The reason for Falun Gong's rapid spread around the world is that those who practice benefit greatly. Not only do practitioners show improvements in their morality and inner-nature, but Falun Gong also helps them to keep fit. Falun Gong practitioners live by the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, and always try to think of others first. The gentle and slow exercises are very easy to learn and are suitable for people of all ages, and there are many local practice sites across Sweden where people can learn the exercises for free. The teachings of Falun Dafa are also freely available on the Internet.
In July 1999, jealous of its popularity, the President of China Jiang Zemin initiated a brutal and relentless nationwide persecution campaign against Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners. Tens of thousands were illegally detained and subjected to torture and maltreatment. At least 1099 people have been persecuted to death, although this is only the number of cases that have been officially documented. The real death toll is thought to be much higher.
Many expo visitors stayed at the big stage watching and listening to the Falun Gong exercise demonstration. Every time the demonstration ended, people came to talk to the practitioners, wanting to learn more. When they found out that there would be a free class in Karlstad on the coming weekend, they all wanted to know the details. A middle-aged lady told practitioners, "Your energy field is very large." She hoped that practitioners could help more people learn this powerful cultivation method, and said that she has started reading the Falun Gong books.
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