Sri Lanka: Celebrating Falun Dafa Day and Introducing the Practice to Friends and Family

(Minghui.org) The World Falun Dafa Day celebration was held at Hotel Silvage, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on May 13, 2023. It was a special day for practitioners. They invited their friends and relatives to learn more about Falun Dafa. They did the five sets of the Falun Dafa exercises, read the teachings of Master Li Hongzhi (Dafa’s founder), and talked about their cultivation experiences.

Many Sri Lankan practitioners’ families and friends encourage the practitioners they know, and some of them have even helped with Falun Dafa activities. On Falun Dafa Day, the Sri Lankan practitioners wanted to show their friends and family the benefits of Falun Dafa and why they practice. Seventeen people were invited with a special invitation card and attended the program.

The World Falun Dafa Day celebration was held at Hotel Silvage, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on May 13, 2023. A practitioner speaks about Falun Dafa to the friends and relatives of practitioners.

The attendees were given an overview of the history of the practice in China and shown two introductory videos: One about the practice and one with the experiences of practitioners.

Practitioners told attendees about Falun Dafa’s health and wellness benefits, its global spread, and how it was supported by the Chinese government in the 1990s. Attendees were also told about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of the practice starting in 1999 due to the CCP’s fear of losing ideological control of Chinese society.

Afterward, practitioners read some of Master Li’s teachings to the attendees so they could understand the spiritual tenets of the practice, including “On Dafa” and “Why the Creator Seeks to Save All Life.” Two Sri Lankan practitioners also shared their own experiences of how they came to learn the practice.

Finally, practitioners taught attendees the five Falun Dafa exercises. One practitioner also gave Sinhalese editions of Zhuan Falun, Falun Dafa’s main book of teachings, to all participants.

A practitioner demonstrates the Falun Dafa exercises.A practitioner corrects the learner’s exercise movements.

Practitioners’ Friends and Family Interested in Practicing Falun Dafa

A practitioner’s mother, H. M. Gunarathmanike, a retired nurse, said that she did not realize that her son was involved in such a good practice.

Another practitioner’s relative, Mr. Nimal Herath, said that the program cleared up some of his misunderstandings about the practice, and he now understands that Falun Dafa is good.

Mr. Sanjeewa Herath, a farmer, and a practitioner’s friend, told the practitioners that they should have introduced the practice to him sooner and that he wants to start a practice site in his village.

Ms. Erandi Rathnayake learns Falun Dafa’s fifth exercise.

Ms. Erandi Rathnayake, a government officer, told the practitioners that they weren’t just practicing Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—they were also being philanthropic. She took back information about the local practice site run by practitioners so that she could meditate with them.

Mr. Kithsiri Dayanthage, a government driver, brought his wife and son to the program. His wife collected the information of weekly Falun Dafa practice site information as well.

Sharing By Two Sri Lankan Practitioners

In the evening, practitioners got together to discuss their cultivation experiences, and how Falun Dafa has helped them overcome the challenges in their lives.

Mr. Nadeep Thanuja explained how he was able to maintain good moral character by following Falun Dafa’s principles. He has practiced Falun Dafa for 17 years.

“The main thing is that as a Falun Dafa practitioner, I have encountered many things in my life. I meet people from all walks of life,” he said.

But the practice’s teachings helped him maintain harmonious relationships with all kinds of different people, and he is able to hold himself to a higher moral standard.

“I am happy today that I am able to remain on a stable mental level and do my work without wavering among people of different mental levels because I follow the principles of Falun Dafa,” said Thanuja.

He also said that he was able to keep away from some of the bad habits that plague some of his acquaintances because he practices Falun Dafa.

“I find that by reading Zhuan Falun and practicing Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance regularly,” he said. “I avoid many bad habits like drinking alcohol.”

Ms. Kansika Nevindi started to practice Falun Dafa in 2021. She explained how she found inner peace by following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, and how she always tries to improve her character as a Falun Dafa practitioner.

“As a practitioner, I am happy that I was able to use my time on something useful to improve my values in an era of declining values,” she said.

From the practice, she learned that with all things in life, there was an element of loss and gain.

“I understood that there is no gain without loss and the more effort you put in, the more you gain,” Nevindi said. “It was very useful for me in my studies in relation to my life. I have understood from the teachings of Master Li Hongzhi that, the harder you work the more results you will get. It has enabled me to direct my life in a better direction as a Falun Dafa practitioner.”

Mr. Chandana Bandara, a carpenter and friend of a practitioner, was impressed by the practitioners’ sharing, saying, “All of what you’ve said is true.”