(Minghui.org) On the eve of the 24th World Falun Dafa Day, May 13, 2023, practitioners of all ethnic groups in Melbourne, Australia, practiced the exercises and took photos to greet Master Li Hongzhi on his birthday and celebrate the 31st anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction.

Greeting card: Falun Dafa Practitioners in Melbourne Congratulate Master on His Birthday.

In May 2023, Practitioners in Melbourne took a group photo to congratulate Mr. Li Hongzhi on his birthday and celebrate the 31st anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction.

Western Falun Dafa practitioners in Melbourne wish Master a happy birthday.

On May 13, 1992, Master Li Hongzhi gave his first lecture in Changchun, China. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, teaches the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. In just a few years, millions of people, both inside China and throughout the world, began to practice Falun Dafa.

On March 12, 1995, Master Li Hongzhi was invited to hold a lecture at the Cultural Section of the Chinese Embassy in France, and from March 13 to 19, he held the first overseas Falun Dafa class in Paris. From April 14 to 20, 1995, in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, Master Li Hongzhi held the second overseas Falun Dafa class.

In 1996, Falun Dafa was introduced to Melbourne, Australia’s cultural capital and now the largest city, where the principles, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance took root.

In May, the golden autumn season in the southern hemisphere, several Melbourne Falun Dafa practitioners shared their experiences. Although they started practicing at different times, they all reaped the blessings of cultivation and wanted to express their gratitude.

Geochemical Modeler: My Heart Is Peaceful

Dr. Vu wishes Master Li Hongzhi a happy birthday.

Dr. Vu from Vietnam is a geochemist who has spent many years at Melbourne’s top universities in environmental geochemistry, geomicrobiology and environmental mineralogy. Three years ago, he joined the Australian branch of a Fortune 500 company with 60,000 employees worldwide as a geochemical modeler.

Witnessing the changes in his wife and daughter after they began practicing, he also started practicing two years ago. He said, “The changes in one’s body after cultivation are very obvious. In the past, I had a very serious pollen allergy, which needed to be controlled with drugs, but now I do not need it.

“After cultivation, I can better understand my wife and daughters. My heart has become peaceful, and my family life is happier.”

Dr. Vu said that his positive outlook after he began practicing benefited him the most, “My work is usually very challenging, but I can often complete it easily. Even though I have many years of scientific research experience in this field, I think that maintaining peace of mind under a lot of pressure is definitely an important factor in coping with difficulties at work.” 

Now Dr. Vu actively takes his daughter to participate in activities to promote Dafa, and often shares his cultivation experience with old friends and colleagues in the field of scientific research, hoping that more people can know the beauty of Dafa.

Doctor: The Power of Compassion

Dr. Lau and her daughters wish Master a happy birthday.

Hong Kong-born Dr. Lau is a geriatrician with many years of experience in medicine at a top university, and is an attending physician at an internationally renowned public hospital in Melbourne.

She has practiced Falun Dafa for more than 20 years. During the three-year pandemic, as the attending physician for the elderly in nursing homes, she was on the front line of the pandemic every day. Because she follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, her entire medical team witnessed the compassionate energy of Falun Dafa practitioners.

“Before starting work every morning, I had my team sit quietly for a few minutes and listen to Pudu or Shen Yun music (music performed by Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra). This kept the team calm and focused,” she said. 

“Because the media was full of disturbing news, how to maintain the most compassionate attitude and provide the best treatment for the elderly was most important. When someone on the team was feeling down, I took care of it to ensure that the team as a whole maintained a harmonious mindset. 

“There were often very urgent or difficult moments. When this happened I thought of Master’s teaching in Zhuan Falun,about enduring the unbearable. My husband and I also memorized Master’s new articles, always reminding ourselves to look at everything from the perspective of cultivation.

“I also try to share my thoughts on the pandemic and the truth of the CCP’s cover-up from an angle that the team members can understand.”

When conflicts and chaos arise, Dr. Lau stays calm and kind and things move in a positive direction.

The final result was amazing. Dr. Liu’s medical team never had a single infection, which was very rare for frontline medical staff during the COVID pandemic. “I think the mindfulness that Master gave us practitioners resisted negative thoughts, and the team members benefited.”

She said, “At the height of the outbreak I really felt a lot of pressure. Listening to Master’s teachings in the car on my way to work every day quickly restored calm and peace in my heart. I was free from all kinds of (negative) stuff.”

She concluded, “I am grateful to Master for his compassionate protection and guidance. I wish him a happy birthday.” 

Retired Kinesiologist: Dafa Changed My Life

Ester Ruffin has been practicing for 24 years, and is grateful to Master Li Hongzhi.

Retired kinesiologist Ester Ruffin, 88, said she had the privilege of hearing about Falun Dafa in 1999, “Learning that Falun Dafa does not charge is one of the things that attracted me. Master Li is very upright. Who in the world doesn’t want money and who doesn’t care about it? So I think Master Li is very special.”

She recalled, “A friend suggested I watch the nine-day video of Master’s lectures in Guangzhou. I then bought two books, first Falun Gong and then Zhuan Falun,” she recalled. When she began practicing the exercises, she noticed that her menopausal symptoms had improved significantly, and the pain caused by skin burns almost completely disappeared.

Speaking of why she has practiced Falun Dafa for 24 years and tells others about Dafa, she said, “Falun Dafa is a high moral teaching. If you keep cultivating your body and mind, you will continue to align with the principles, and you can understand what Master teaches. Dafa is important to the world because it sends a message of peace and beauty.”

She said, “Dafa changed my life. There are no words to describe how happy I am to practice, so I cherish this opportunity. Thank you, Master! Happy birthday Master!”

Software Company CEO: My Entire Family Practices Falun Dafa

Mr. Hoang, the founder and CEO of a software company.

In 2018, a banker who practices Falun Dafa and graduated from an Ivy League school, told Mr. Hoang about Falun Dafa. The young Vietnamese who founded a software company said he feels lucky to learn about Dafa and begin practicing. Guided by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, cultivation not only brought him great physical and mental changes, but his entire family of twenty people now practice.

Mr. Hoang grew up in a middle-class family in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. “When I was a child, I used to look up at the sky and ask: ‘Do divine beings exist? Is reincarnation real? Who am I? Where am I from?’”

“Before I began practicing Falun Dafa, I was very competitive and wanted to be wealthy.”

The IT software services company founded by Mr. Hoang and his partners in 2008 now has more than 70 employees, “In the past, I would yell at employees when I was anxious or when a project deadline was approaching.

“No matter how much money I made or how much I splurged, my heart still felt empty.” He needed to take sleeping pills and prescription drugs to sleep.

“After opening Zhuan Falun for the first time, I read it three times in a row, and I began to understand Master’s teaching. The questions I had since childhood were answered. Most importantly, I finally understood why I came to this world. Dafa is what I was looking for.

“I no longer felt empty and gradually let go of my attachments. Soon after I began practicing, I was able to fall asleep easily. Even though I slept very little, I felt energetic. What is also amazing is that my addiction to tobacco and alcohol that I once couldn’t quit disappeared.”

Mr. Hoang’s business philosophy also changed, “I no longer worry about whether I can sign a contract. Instead, I view the situation from the customer’s perspective, and think about how to provide the best service. This way, even if our quote is higher, the customer is willing to use us. People feel that I am trustworthy, so now we have more long-term customers. Now our company’s business has expanded to other countries in Asia, North America and Canada. The company’s prospects are getting better and better.”

The great physical and mental changes not only amazed Mr. Hoang’s partners, friends and employees and interested in understanding the reason, but now more than 20 relatives of his family have begun to practice Falun Dafa.

Mr. Hoang wanted to tell Master, “I am very grateful to Master Li Hongzhi for his help to me and my family. Although we regret that we did not start practicing Falun Dafa years ago, we are grateful to find Falun Dafa now!”