(Minghui.org) “I think highly of Falun Dafa. I have many friends who are moved by their persistence because this persecution has not gone on for just one, or two days but over two decades. They are under such great pressure, yet they still persist ….” said a family member of a Falun Dafa practitioner who took time to participate in the activities to celebrate Falun Dafa Day. He expressed his respect and support, and joined practitioners as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the public introduction of Falun Dafa and founder Master Li’s 71st birthday at Hong Lim Park on May 9, 2022.
Practitioners take a group photo on May 9, 2022, to wish Master Li Happy Birthday.
As part of the day’s celebrations practitioners did the Falun Dafa exercises.
Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public on May 13, 1992. It quickly became popular throughout China and was also introduced to many countries. To date, there are more than 100 million practitioners in over 100 countries. Falun Dafa has won over 5,000 awards, and the main book Zhuan Falun has been translated into more than 40 languages.
Passersby slowed down to read the information, take photos and chat with practitioners about Falun Dafa.
May 9 was a beautiful, sunny day. Practitioners did the Falun Dafa exercises, gave music and dance performances, and distributed fliers and handmade paper lotus flowers. Several artworks from the Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance exhibition were displayed. Many people stopped to see the artworks, read the information, take photos and listen to practitioners as they explained the benefits of the practice.
A broadcaster from Australia happened to walk past and did a live broadcast of the event. After obtaining some information, he said he would search online for more information. A pair of friends from Germany said it was the first time they’d encountered Falun Dafa. They stopped to chat with practitioners and took photos. A young man from Singapore said he’d heard about the bad deeds of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, he was still shocked to learn of the extent of the persecution. Two young people who had just arrived from China gladly agreed to renounce their membership in the CCP using aliases.
Mr. Chen and his wife thank Master for his compassionate salvation.
Mr. Chen and his wife are both nearly 70. They began to practice Falun Dafa together and enjoy a harmonious relationship. However, before she became a practitioner, Mrs. Chen often spoke of getting a divorce.
Mr. Chen was a manager in a science and technology company before he retired. He is calm and steady. His wife is a hairdresser who is outspoken and popular with her customers.
Because their characters were so different, the couple constantly argued. Mrs. Chen said, “I was weak and weighed less than 40 kilos. I could only eat two spoonfuls of rice. My family said I appeared to be in my 60s although I was only in my 30s. I often had colds and if a customer sneezed, I would develop similar symptoms. Half of what I earned was spent on medical bills. As I was often unwell, I got upset easily and had a quick temper.”
She continued, “Other families shout at one another when they fight. In our family, we don’t talk to each other for weeks. Needless to say, no one would apologize, as everyone thought they were right.”
Mr. Chen (center) and Mrs. Chen (back) participate in group exercises at the International Fa conference held in Beijing at the end of 1996.
In May 1995, the couple went to a friend’s house to learn the Falun Dafa exercises and read the teachings. Their trip to Beijing to attend the international experience sharing conference from the end of October to early November 1996 was most unforgettable. They were moved to see so many practitioners cherishing and diligently practicing Dafa. On the last day, they listened to Master give a lecture and they realized how fortunate they were.
Mr. Chen said, “When we got home, we started a Fa study group in our house. Every Sunday morning we also went to a sports stadium nearby to do the exercises and read the teachings.”
The couple went through a significant transformation as they studied the Fa and did the exercises. Mr. Chen had started to smoke and drink in his 20s and the addiction worsened. He knew these habits were bad for his health and he tried various ways to quit but failed. He said, “After I began practicing Dafa, and as I read Zhuan Falun, I made up my mind to get rid of these addictions, and miraculously, they were gone. My high blood pressure that plagued me for many years disappeared as well.”
His wife said, “My health improved and I gained weight. I gained over 5 kilos. In the past, I was scared of taking a plane and would throw up during the entire journey. After I began practicing Dafa, I went to many countries with my husband, visiting Australia, Japan, Switzerland, and the U.S., to take part in activities to raise awareness about the persecution.”
The couple is grateful for the many benefits gained through the practice. They said, “Thank you, Master, Thank you, Dafa. Master, you have worked very hard. We wish you a Happy Birthday!”
Jin, a software engineer, wished Master Happy Birthday.
Two years ago, an illness that lasted for a month prompted Jin, a 37-year-old software engineer, to seek a cultivation way.
He said, “In January 2020, I suddenly became ill and could not eat anything. I could only take sips of water. Even that was hard to swallow. The doctor said my tonsils were inflamed. I was sick for a month and lost 5-6 kilos.”
Jin recalled being severely ill in his childhood. He had a nightmare where he saw terrible scenes with no living beings in other dimensions. “I felt there was something I had to do in my life. I began to reflect on myself and searched online.”
Three months later, he found the English version of Zhuan Falun on the Internet. “After reading it once, I found this book precious. It helped answer some of my questions. I understood the purpose of one’s life on earth and how to distinguish good and bad. When I read the book several times, I realized this is about cultivation, Master is here to offer salvation.” He taught himself the five sets of exercises from the instructions online.
But Jin kept having thoughts telling him he was not fit to learn this Fa or be a Dafa disciple. However when he put the book down, he felt “it was a great pity” and persisted in reading the teachings. “I discovered that every time I finished reading Zhuan Falun the interference would become weaker. By the time I read the book the fifth or sixth time, I was able to overcome these negative thoughts. Last year, I became more steady and could read the Fa and do the exercises regularly.”
Jin attended the nine-day introductory class for the first time in March last year. He was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet other practitioners to share experiences and encourage one another. He said, “My body feels much lighter after practicing Dafa. The main thing is my perspective of the world has changed. I learned to see things from other peoples’ perspectives and let go of my attachment to money.” He has a business partner who did not contribute much but took a lot. It used to make Jin feel unbalanced. “After studying the Fa, I let go of my attachment and felt more relaxed.”
“I know Master has given us many things. I will cherish this opportunity and practice cultivation all the way to the end. I know I am just a beginner, and I still have many attachments I need to eliminate. I will keep improving myself. Thank you, Master, I wish you Happy Birthday!”
Ms. Yu, who has been practicing for 27 years, wishes Master a Happy 71st Birthday.
Ms. Yu, who owns a health and beauty business, has been practicing for 27 years. In March 1995, she noticed her coworker had the book Falun Gong and when Ms. Yu read it, she thought it was well written. She felt the book taught one to be a good person and cultivate one’s character. She’d never read a book like that before and she was inspired to sign up for the Falun Dafa nine-day introductory class.
She discovered that the five sets of exercises were easy to learn, and she felt amazing afterwards.
Ms. Yu used to suffer from painful menstruation for many years. She said, “Every month I took pills to relieve the pain. I could not go to work. I went to see the doctor and was told things would get better after I had a child but I still suffered from painful periods. I was also anemic and frequently felt dizzy. I needed to rest all the time.”
After practicing Dafa, Ms. Yu’s health improved and her complexion became rosy. “I felt that Falun Dafa was amazing and I told people about it.”
She even taught her staff the exercises. She later joined other practitioners in organizing classes at community centers, parks, and sports stadiums around the country and helped many people learn Dafa.
Ms. Yu went through ups and downs in life but she did not feel lost because she is guided by the teachings of Dafa. She said, “Thank you, Master, I wish you a Happy Birthday! I will cherish this opportunity to practice cultivation.”
Finding Dafa After Searching for 13 Years
Mr. Lin, who owns a trading business, thanked Master for teaching Falun Dafa.
Mr. Lin, 48, owns a trading business. He has many degrees, including a master's in business management and environmental management. In spite of his successful education and career, he went through a tough time searching for a cultivation way.
From his youth, Mr. Lin longed to practice cultivation. In 2005, he began to study Buddhism. He went to many places to learn. In 2018, he went to Munich, Germany to study for a degree in Buddhism. He soon discovered that people in academia were attached to seeking fame and gain and competed with each other.
He met a Falun Dafa practitioner by chance and found a practice site in Italy in September 2018. “The first time I did the exercises, I felt a strong energy field. I thought the exercises were perfectly designed, every movement had profound meaning.” He said from that moment “I finally found what I was looking for.”
A year prior, there was a problem in his right shoulder and as a result of the pain, he could not lift his right hand over his head. One time, he dreamed that a large insect bit him hard on the right side of his chest. When he woke up, he felt a deep pain and discovered that his right shoulder was injured. Since then, he’d tried various ways to cure it, but failed to treat the problem.
The second day after he learned the exercises, Mr. Jin dreamed that the insect attempted to enter his body but was blocked. “The bad things that tried to harm me were no longer able to. After doing the exercises for two or three months, my shoulder was fine. This is something medicine could not treat.”
During his time in Europe, Mr. Jin experienced what it was like to be free of illness and he did the exercises with other practitioners in the park, listening to their cultivation stories. Upon returning to Singapore, when he was busy and under a lot of stress, he made sure to do the exercises and he felt stronger physically.
He said, “I am grateful to Master for bringing us Falun Dafa! I hope people can set aside their notions and understand what Falun Dafa truly is. You will discover that it is the true Buddha Fa. Many people don’t know how important Zhuan Falun is. The more I practice, the more I find that Falun Dafa is extremely precious!”