(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners gathered in Gothenburg's Botanical Gardens to do the exercises together during Sweden's National Day, on June 6, 2021.Many people were enjoying the park, and some families were having picnics. The serene scene of Falun Gong practitioners doing their peaceful exercises attracted the attention of many passersby.

Falun Gong practitioners introduce the spiritual practice in the Botanical Park

Handing out Falun Gong fliers to the public

A passerby appreciates a paper-folded lotus flower

A middle-aged woman paused to watch the practitioners doing the exercises. “Passing by you, I had a very peaceful feeling,” the lady told a Falun Gong practitioner who was standing near her. The pair started chatting.

The lady said she had decided to walk in the park to clear her mind. Her younger brother had taken her house in the countryside from her, and she was quite upset. The practitioner talked to her about Falun Gong, and shared her experiences of practicing the Falun Gong principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

The practitioner asked the lady: “What is the most important thing in life? When we can get rid of the attachment to things outside of the body, we will feel a kind of inner peace and comfort. I often read the book Zhuan Falun. This book has given me the truly precious things in life.”

The practitioner’s words touched the lady to tears. When she learned that the book could be downloaded from the Internet from a website address on the flyer, she repeatedly thanked the practitioner and said, “I will definitely read it.”

A couple talked with a practitioner and agreed with the Falun Gong principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practitioner spoke with them about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. The husband said, “Because the CCP does not accept Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, it persecutes Falun Gong.”

The wife is a veteran elementary school teacher. “We used to have moral points for children. Now I dare not mention morality. If a teacher corrects a child’s wrong words and deeds, the child’s parents will complain,” she said.

They also talked about prophecies described in the book by Nostradamus that were fulfilled in history. The practitioner said, “The moral decline is severe nowadays. Everyone makes a choice between good and evil. People should choose good. If we choose kindness, there will be an uplifting trend.”

“Falun Gong,” a woman said loudly to a friend who was walking with her, “I often see them doing exercises in Castle Forest Park [Slottsskogen Park]. I heard from my colleagues that this practice is good for both body and mind, and it is free!”

The lady took the initiative to take a flyer to her friend. She saw that Falun Gong practitioners were distributing paper lotus flowers and she asked what they were. The practitioner explained the meaning of the lotus flowers to the ladies: “The lotus is revered as a sacred and clean flower. I hope that we can maintain kindness and be good people in an environment of moral decline.”

The woman said, “Beautiful. Thank you! We should behave like a lotus flower.” Her friend nodded.

Background: What Is Falun Gong?

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in more than 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people have embraced the teaching, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, as well as five gentle exercises, and experienced improved health and well-being.