(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners from around Philadelphia went to the Liberty Bell site on Saturday, September 3, 2022, to share the practice with tourists and local residents during the Labor Day weekend. They performed the Falun Dafa exercises and had posters and banners to expose the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s brutal persecution and call for an end to the human rights atrocities.

Falun Dafa practitioners perform the Falun Dafa exercises at the Liberty Bell site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, September 3.

A tourist signs the petition calling for an end to the suppression of Falun Dafa in China.

With the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) approaching, practitioners wish Master Li, founder of Falun Dafa, a happy holiday!

Opposing the Persecution

A college student from Columbia University in New York came up to a practitioner and asked “Can I sign a petition?” She had heard about Falun Dafa from the Falun Dafa club on campus, and she knew about the mistreatment of practitioners in China. “The suppression is wrong,” she said, “As long as it is persecution, we need to stop it, no matter where it is.”

Two men from Brazil told a practitioner that they liked Chinese culture, especially the Tang Dynasty culture. They had planned to visit Tibet, but were thinking of canceling their trip after hearing about the CCP's various human rights abuses. They were surprised to hear that the persecution in China was so bad, with crimes such as organ harvesting, which were beyond their imagination. Both of them signed the petition and said they would share the information with family and friends.

Practitioners spoke to tourists about the CCP's mistreatment of Falun Dafa practitioners in China.

Susan from Russia said her family had experienced human rights abuses under the former Soviet Union. She thus understood how innocent practitioners could be persecuted in China. She encouraged practitioners to continue their efforts, since the CCP totalitarian regime would disintegrate in the end when more people learn what is going on.

Susan (left) encouraged Falun Dafa practitioners to continue raising awareness of the persecution.

High School Student: Protection from Dafa

The Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) is a traditional holiday that is about reunions and gratitude. Several practitioners shared their cultivation experiences, including Xinyu, a high school student in 11th grade. Although many of his peers tended to be lazy instead of working hard, Dafa has taught Xinyu to be considerate of others and have aspirations for the future.

“Not only that, being a practitioner means it's as if someone is helping you, and it is easier to succeed,” he continued. Of course, sometimes there may be setbacks or failures, which are part of life. “When that happens, I would look within to check if I had reviewed the course materials well. Or it could be that I had done something bad or something inconsistent with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Or I failed to improve xinxing. All of these could lead to problems,” he explained.

Looking back over the 10-plus years of his cultivation, Xinyu is very thankful for the protection of Master Li. “During my childhood in Malaysia, my parents were too busy to take care of me, so I often ran around. There were many strangers in that area and some of them wanted to come up to me. I did not know if they were good or bad people--kind of scary when you think about it,” he said. “But every time after I ran around, I could find my mother. So I am very grateful to Dafa.”

As he was an active young boy, he fell from time to time. Once it was raining hard and he had a bad fall. “I didn't have any special feeling at the time, so I did not tell my mother. But it began to hurt the following day and I had difficulty walking. I told my mother and she asked me to recite ‘Falun Dafa is good’ while persisting in studying the Dafa teachings and doing the exercises. I followed her words,” he recalled.

At that time, it was difficult for Xinyu to stand up to do the exercises, so he sat down for sitting meditation. After a few days, he was able to do the standing exercises, from the first set to all of the movements. He had basically recovered within one week and was fully healed after one month. He was happy to be able to run again.

“Had I not practiced Falun Dafa, I probably would have needed surgery. I know some people experienced something like that and they couldn't walk anymore,” he said, “Dafa saved my life and has helped me a lot. So I know Falun Dafa is good and I am very thankful to Master Li.”

Finance Professional: Mind and Body Improvement

Irene works in finance with a specialty in real estate mortgages. After hearing about Falun Dafa from a coworker in 2003, she began to practice. As her life and work became busier, she did not have much time for it. About five years ago, she went to an experience-sharing conference in New York and listened to Master Li’s lecture. A practitioner recommended that she join the group exercises and group study, and so she did.

The changes she went through after that were huge. Before resuming her cultivation, Irene had been in poor health and needed to take medication every day. After she took cultivation practice seriously, she no longer needed to take medicine. Her health is now very good and she is full of energy.

Improvement of her mind nature soon followed. Her husband is not a practitioner and they argued with each other. Even trivial matters in daily life could trigger all kinds of family fights. They included who would wash the dishes and who would pick up their child. Now, Irene considers herself a Dafa practitioner who follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. With a new perspective on the things in her life, she no longer argues with her husband and instead often offers to take on family chores.

A similar situation occurred at her workplace. Because of her work in real estate mortgages, Irene interacts with all kinds of clients. Because of this or that reason, or encountering some difficulty in their life, some clients would yell over the phone. “Whenever this happened, I would remind myself to be a Dafa practitioner. That means I should remain calm and be considerate of others,” she said. Interestingly, when she explained the situation to her client calmly, the client could sense her kindness and patience. As a result, she always received positive feedback on customer service surveys. Some clients even called her back afterward to apologize for their bad attitudes.

Finance professional Irene said Falun Dafa gives her a peaceful mind through the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival arriving soon, Irene is grateful to Master Li for everything. “Master Li introduced the practice to this world, allowing me and other practitioners to improve our minds and bodies,” she explained, “I also hope tourists who come here from around the world, especially Chinese, don't believe the propaganda from the CCP. With an open mind, you could benefit from Dafa like me, with surprise and joy.”

New Practitioner: Erhu Melody

Melody Shen moved from Taiwan to the United States more than 10 years ago. She moved to Philadelphia last year and watched a Shen Yun performance in February this year. “I was very moved because I had a sense of belonging,” she recalled.

She has a background in traditional Chinese music, so she was especially drawn in by the erhu solo titled “The Spirit of Dafa Practitioners. ” She could not explain why. “It was as if my life had been drifting for a long time and I was finally home. The rhythm went to my heart and everything was so natural,” she explained, “It was the first time I had heard this music. But after each musical note, I knew what would come next. I have never had such a feeling before.”

Melody Shen (first from right) started to practice Falun Dafa after watching a Shen Yun performance in February 2022

After this experience, Melody contacted Falun Dafa practitioners and began to join the group exercises at the Liberty Bell site. The practitioners were very helpful. They studied the Falun Dafa teachings with her and shared their experiences. She has learned a lot over the past few months.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, Melody is glad to celebrate this special occasion with fellow practitioners. From her heart she wants to say, “Thank you Master Li and I wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!”