A Calm Oasis in Bustling Manhattan: People Drawn to Falun Dafa Information Booth at Times Square Summer Expo

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the Times Square Summer Expo in Manhattan on August 28, 2021. Located next to the Broadway Theater, their booth drew the attention of many New Yorkers and tourists.

Closed for a year due to the global pandemic, the historic theater district recently reopened. Many people from around the U.S. and the world passed through the iconic landmark that day and were attracted to a peaceful oasis in the bustling city – the Falun Dafa booth. Drawn by the melodious music, several people stopped to learn the Falun Dafa exercises. Practitioners also told them about the ongoing 22-year-long persecution in China. 

Practitioners demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises during the Times Square Summer Expo in Manhattan.

“People in the Performing Arts Sector Need to Learn Falun Dafa”

Naomi (first right), an actress, learns the Falun Dafa exercises.

Actress Naomi said she felt wonderful after learning the exercises, adding that they made her feel relaxed and calm in a short period of time. When she learned of the persecution taking place in China, she said it is right for practitioners to maintain their faith. She believes that Dafa practitioners’ perseverance will win people’s understanding and support. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should stop persecuting Falun Dafa,” she said.

Naomi also remarked, “Believing in the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance can cleanse one’s spirit and is beneficial to one’s physical health. It is not only good for China, it can have a positive impact on the entire world. People in the performing arts sector really need to practice Falun Dafa because they require good health, well-being and a pure heart in order to do well in this career.” Naomi said that not only will she begin practicing Falun Dafa, but she plans to introduce it to her coworkers and friends.

Putting Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance into Practice Benefits Society and Family

Rocco and Lisa (first and second right), bankers from California, learn the exercises.

Rocco and Lisa from California are bankers. After listening to practitioners introduce the spiritual discipline, they both learned the five sets of exercises. Afterward, they said they felt relaxed and calm. Their fatigue was greatly reduced and they felt wonderful.

Rocco also said that Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance are excellent, and he feels that if one follows these principles, it will surely benefit society and family.

Whole Family Gains After Mother Became a Falun Dafa Practitioner

Samuel Hernandez (first on right) chats with a practitioner.

Samuel Hernandez, a New York resident, happily told practitioners that his mother practices Falun Dafa. He said his mother used to suffer from Parkinson’s disease and her health was terrible before she took up the practice. Her body shook and she was in great pain. The entire family was very worried because Parkinson’s disease is very hard to treat according to modern medicine.

Samuel said that ever since his mother began to practice two years ago, her health improved tremendously and now she seldom trembles. Her character improved as well and the family became more harmonious. He is now closer to his mother.

He said he is very grateful—not only did Falun Dafa help his mother, it benefited the entire family.

It Takes a Great Predestined Relationship to Learn Falun Dafa

Michelle (first on right), a beautician from Georgia, learns the exercises.

Michelle is a beautician from Georgia. After learning all five exercises, she said she felt a powerful flow of energy throughout her body, and her mind became very calm. She said that it was an extraordinary thing to be able to learn the exercises that day. “One needs to have a great predestined relationship to be able to practice Falun Dafa,” she said, adding that she felt very fortunate to have such a great destiny.

Michelle bought a copy of the English version of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa’s teachings, and said she intends to continue practicing when she returns home.

Pritchett (second left), from Mississippi, her mother (third left) and her older sister (first left) learn the Falun Dafa exercises. 

Pritchett, her mother and older sister live in Mississippi. When she and her sister started to learn the exercises, their mother set down the things in her hand and joined in. After doing the five sets of exercises once, the three of them said they felt amazing. Pritchett works in a stadium. She said that unlike doing sports, she did not feel tired after practicing Falun Dafa—instead, she felt very relaxed. She plans to continue doing the exercises when she returns home.

Falun Dafa Is What I Have Been Searching For

Michael (first on left) and his friend Aryca (second on left) listen as a practitioner tells them about Falun Dafa.

Michael is an IT engineer, and his friend Aryca is a flight attendant. Michael told practitioners that he’s been searching for a way to practice cultivation. As soon as he heard about Falun Dafa, he felt that this was what he had been looking for.

Aryca said she felt the same. As a flight attendant, she has been to many countries and seen people who believe in God, or practice cultivation. She thinks people should practice cultivation and Falun Dafa suits her perfectly.

Both of them said they will find out more about Falun Dafa through the Internet and they are interested in learning the practice.

International Student Plans to Learn Falun Dafa

Yang Dexiong, from France, listens as a practitioner tells him about Falun Dafa.

Yang Dexiong was born in France. He heard about Falun Dafa for the first time at the expo that day. He said he practiced martial arts for years, but after hearing an introduction about Falun Dafa, he feels it is even better and more effective.

Yang said he obtained a Master’s degree in the U.S. and plans to return to France soon. He intends to go to the website falundafa.org and find out more about the practice. He said that he will also contact practitioners in France and learn the exercises.

Background: What Is Falun Dafa?

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

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline's growing popularity as a threat to the CCP's atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 22 years, though due to the difficulty in getting information out of China, the actual number is believed to be much higher. Many more have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang's personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.