(Minghui.org) The largest Chinatown in the central US is located in Chicago, which also has a Chinese consulate. Years ago, Falun Dafa practitioners established information sites in Chinatown and near the Chinese consulate to raise awareness about the ongoing persecution in China.

As part of their 2021 Chinese New Year celebrations, practitioners in Chicago shared their cultivation experiences and reminded one another to fulfill their responsibilities as Falun Dafa practitioners and to continue to cultivate diligently. They also took a group photo and thanked Master Li for introducing Falun Dafa to the world.

Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrate the exercises in Chicago’s Chinatown.

Practitioners demonstrate the exercises outside the Chinese consulate in Chicago.

Practitioners in Chicago gathered for a group photo, thanked Master Li for his compassionate salvation, and wished him Happy Lunar New Year!

Practitioners Recount How They Began the Practice

Ms. Xu said her father taught her to be honest and kind. He said when humanity experienced a great calamity, someone would come to save them. Her father believed the person was born in Northeast China. When Ms. Xu read Zhuan Falun years later, she realized that Falun Dafa was very special. She quickly told her siblings and four of them, including Ms. Xu, became Falun Dafa practitioners. Ms. Xu had been diagnosed with uterine cancer back then and the growth was as large as a three-month-old child. The tumor disappeared without surgery after she began practicing Dafa. Two decades have gone by in a flash. Ms. Xu said that Master always protects her and words cannot express her gratitude.

Mr. Fang was introduced to Dafa by his family. Influenced by modern science, his initial understanding was shallow and for a long time he did not truly cultivate. He said, “I often went fishing with friends before I began practicing. Each time I caught at least twelve fish. After I started practicing I learned that as a cultivator, I shouldn’t fish. But I still went fishing, however, I did not catch anything. Now I know it was because Master was watching over me and stopped me from taking lives.”

Mr. Fang moved to another city and wondered if there were any practitioners there. When he went to a Chinese restaurant he noticed a waiter wearing a badge with the Falun symbol. He learned the waiter was the first practitioner in that city. Mr. Fang felt the encounter was amazing. He met the local contact person that weekend and visited his place. The coordinator had many of Master’s taped lectures. He wished he had a tape player so that he could watch them. The next day after returning to the apartment his company leased for him, he suddenly found a tape player on the table. He was surprised and overjoyed. Since then, he truly began to practice cultivation. He expressed gratitude to Master for his compassionate salvation.

Young Practitioners Grew Up with Dafa

When Xiao En was 4 years old, her mother came to pick up her from kindergarten. The teacher anxiously told her mother that Xiao En inhaled a small pearl. The teacher urged her mother to take her to the hospital. When they got home, Xiao En’s mother shined a light into her nose and saw the pearl was stuck deep inside. She asked Xiao En to try and push it out but she couldn’t. Her mother told her to say, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” In less than a minute, the pearl fell out and landed on the carpet.

Hao Tian had recurring bouts of bronchitis which later developed into asthma. He couldn’t eat anything cold or participate in sports. Whenever the weather got cold he would have an asthma attack. No matter what he did the condition kept reoccurring. The doctor said no medicine could cure him. Hao Tian was in agony every time he had an asthma attack. He and his mother recited, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” and they listened to Master’s taped lectures.

Shortly after they moved to the US, Hao Tian had an asthma attack during a health checkup. The doctor told his mother to keep an eye on him and reminded her that nothing could cure his condition. When they returned home his mother said, “You are older now and can study the Fa yourself. We tried Chinese medicine in China and Western medicine in the US and nothing worked. Only Master can help you and he has been looking after you all this time. You can choose to carry medicine with you and continue seeking treatment or you can study the Fa diligently.” Hao Tian, who was 7 years old, decided to study the Fa.

Every week his mother took him to group Fa study. In the beginning, his nose kept running and he kept sneezing. Two months later, the symptoms stopped and he recovered from asthma.

Now, Hao Tian can jump and run like normal children. He is outgoing and tells his friends and their parents about Dafa as well as all his teachers. One day, he saw the book Zhuan Falun open on his teacher’s computer screen. His teacher was reading the first lecture.

Co-Workers Say “Falun Dafa Is Good”

Ms. Wen talked about her experiences at her work—a Japanese sushi restaurant. Most of the staff are Koreans and Mexicans. She told her co-workers about Dafa and encouraged them to remember and say, "Falun Dafa is good." They signed the petition to support ending the persecution in China.

On January 28, 2016, the restaurant re-opened its doors and customers flocked in. That day, Ms. Wen said she suddenly felt as if she was going to collapse. She turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat, and her limbs felt numb. She tried to ignore it and asked Master for help. She quickly went into a back room and sent righteous thoughts non-stop.

After several minutes she did not feel better. She did not want her co-workers to worry so she sat on a chair in the hallway and kept sending righteous thoughts. Her co-workers could tell something was wrong. One waitress said, “You should rest and say 'Falun Dafa is good.'” Ms. Wen replied, “I was reciting the phrase, and now I am fine.” She felt very comfortable after saying those words, as if nothing at all had happened. The co-worker stared at her and then said something to the chef in Korean. Then Ms. Wen heard the Korean chef say, "Falun Dafa is good."

Ms. Wen said, “The next day I went to work as usual. Previously, the Korean chef would greet me in Chinese. That day, after I said good morning to him, he smiled and said, 'Falun Dafa is good!' The Mexican chef said, 'I want to learn Falun Dafa from you.' That day, everyone recited the phrase as they worked. Since then, we greet each other with 'Falun Dafa is good' every morning.”

New Practitioner: Falun Dafa Is a Pure Land

Mr. Zhou, who recently began to practice Falun Dafa, was moved by fellow practitioners’ experience-sharing. He said all his non-practitioner friends talked about how to make more money and pursue material things in life. He said that Falun Dafa practitioners are different—they talk about how to be better people and think of others, how to take fame and gain lightly, and so on. “This truly is a pure land!” he exclaimed. 

More than two decades have gone by in a flash, and every practitioner in Chicago has their own cultivation story. They've experienced Master’s compassionate salvation and are extremely grateful to esteemed Master. In the New Year, practitioners said they hope to practice cultivation more solidly and save more people to repay Master.