(Minghui.org) Practitioners held informational events to introduce Falun Dafa and with its principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in Pitești on October 14 and 15, 2023. They also told people how practitioners in China have been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999 for upholding their faith.
Practitioners in Pitești, Romania, tell people about Falun Dafa and the persecution.
During the activities, passersby heard how practitioners in China are incarcerated for their belief and some have been killed for their organs in the CCP’s forced organ harvesting operations. For the people of Romania, the persecution in China brings to mind similar tragedies that took place in Pitești, as it was the city where the Romanian Communist Party implemented its re-education system known as the Pitești Experiment, designed to dehumanize dissenters against the Party and legitimize suppression.
Many Romanians sympathized with practitioners in China and lamented the fact that innocent people in the 21st century were still being persecuted.
“Let Communism Disappear, Let the Chinese Be Free!”
The practitioners distributed flyers about Falun Dafa at their information booth. They also a petition asking the president of Romania to condemn the CCP’s forced organ harvesting from practitioners in China. Many people were happy to sign the petition and expressed regret and outrage over the CCP’s forced organ harvesting.
Cristina Pârvu and her husband sympathize with Falun Dafa practitioners.
Cristina Pârvu said that she’d read an article in the media about Falun Dafa and the persecution. She was saddened to learn that practitioners’ freedoms were being violated. “What is happening in China is sad and painful because the CCP is trying to change the way a person is,” she said. “That is to say, they don’t allow anyone to be honest, to be fair, to be compassionate, or to be tolerant. They want to change the most beautiful human values.”
She also contrasted the values of Falun Dafa against what she saw of the CCP’s behavior towards its own people. “When the COVID pandemic started and I saw how they treated the population in China, it was extremely harsh,” she said, “Their behavior proved they have a total lack of compassion and tolerance.”
Pârvu said she was interested in learning how to practice Falun Dafa and asked if there was a practice site in Pitești.
Mihaela Ștefania Popa also signed the petition. She was emphatic about standing up for practitioners in the face of an oppressive regime. “I am sorry for these persecutions against the Chinese. I do not agree with such atrocities. Let communism disappear, let the Chinese be free.” She also said she hoped that practitioners in China could be free to pursue their beliefs one day. “There is more freedom in Romania now. I want this freedom in China, too. Let communism disappear!” she said.
Ecaterina Cătănescu encourages Chinese practitioners to persevere.
Ecaterina Cătănescu was shocked to hear about the forced organ harvesting of Falun Dafa practitioners and drew parallels to the bloody reign of the Romanian Communists. “The CCP is a bad thing,” she said.
Before she left, she offered some encouragement to the practitioners in China. “Let them continue [practicing Falun Dafa and protesting the persecution].”
Ovidiu Marian Bețigă, 60, learned more about the persecution. He already knew about the history of the CCP and how it takes action against anyone who does not align with its ideology. He praised practitioners for bringing back traditional values. “It is a good thing that you are promoting this, and you should do so everywhere,” he said.
“Falun Dafa Can Help People Both Mentally And Physically.”
Other passersby remarked about the beneficial qualities of living a life according to the teachings and values of Falun Dafa for both physical and mental wellness.
People read display boards about Falun Dafa and the persecution.
An 85-year-old retired public schoolteacher and his wife stopped by the booth. After reading the information on the posters about Falun Dafa, he said these were great values to teach children and he planned to tell his own children about them. “It’s good for everyone what you do. Falun Dafa is clearly good,” he said. He and his wife took flyers and other informational materials with them.
“Clearly Falun Dafa is good,” a retired teacher said after reading the information.
After being given a Falun Dafa leaflet and a lotus flower, another retired gentleman read the three principles Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance on the leaflet and asked a practitioner, “Is this what is taught in schools?”
When the practitioner explained that Falun Dafa was not part of the school curriculum, he said, “Well, this is what should be taught to children in schools!”
Bianca Elena Vărulescu, 22, has a degree in kinetotherapy. She stopped by to find out more about the practice and the exercises and said that the practice could benefit people both physically and mentally.
“Falun Dafa can help people both mentally and physically, which is what every person needs,” she said. “Plus it would also combat stress to some extent, and with stress being the order of the day for us, whether at work or in college, I think Falun Dafa would have a super big impact on people.”
Bianca Elena Vărulescu: “Falun Dafa can help people both mentally and physically.”
Falun Dafa Offers Hope
Ruxandra, 39, practices Falun Dafa. She participated in the event in Pitești with other practitioners to tell people about Falun Dafa’s principles.
About a year ago, when she was going through a difficult time, Ruxandra received a Falun Dafa flyer that gave her ray of hope. She says that the three principles of Falun Dafa have helped her navigate challenges in life. “Falun Dafa makes you more aware of the truth within you and what needs to blossom in us, just like a lotus. Every time we speak the truth and tolerate someone and have compassion for that person, we blossom with that person,” she said.
Ruxandra believes the principles laid out in Falun Dafa are like a lifeline for people in difficult situations who are looking for a way out of suffering. “It offers a lifeline for the oppressed,” she said.
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