Falun Dafa Practitioners in Los Angeles Wish Master Li a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

(Minghui.org) Hundreds of Falun Dafa practitioners gathered at Fountain Valley in Los Angeles on September 24, 2023, a few days before the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, to wish Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, a happy holiday. 

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major holidays in traditional Chinese culture. Practitioners wanted to express their gratitude to their teacher for showing them how to improve their mental and physical health by following Falun Dafa’s guiding principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. They exclaimed in unison, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance is good, we wish Master a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!” 

Hundreds of Falun Dafa practitioners gathered at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, Los Angeles on September 24, 2023. They did the exercises and took a group photo to wish Master Li a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. 

New Practitioner Thanks Master Li

“I feel that to be able to become a Falun Dafa practitioner is the glory and honor of my life,” said Ms. Mary Shirley. 

Ms. Mary Shirley said she feels very honored to practice Falun Dafa. 

“I had a very painful and failed marriage, and I could not get over a lot of issues,” she recalled. The divorce had a negative effect on her mentally and physically, “I was lost, angry, and physically ill. I felt exhausted all the time and had no appetite. My life was dark and hopeless.”

She heard about Falun Dafa in 2019 and she read Zhuan Falun, Falun Dafa’s main book. “I read the book many times. I gradually understood that everything happened because of karmic relationships. The bad things that happened to me came from my own karma. I finally got over the divorce, the excruciating pain, and anger,” she said. 

After her mindset changed, she was pleasantly surprised to find that she was able to think positively and that her health improved significantly. “After I changed the way I saw things, I also behaved in a positive way,” she said, “I stopped being angry and could handle my problems with a smile. I knew that as a practitioner I had to face everything with compassion.” 

After all the ups and downs in life, she said, “I know how to cherish the opportunity to practice even more. I am grateful that Master gave me this opportunity, and I wish Master a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.” 

Young Man Grows Up Practicing Falun Dafa 

Daniel Bleibtreu, 18, was born in Paris, France. He grew up practicing Falun Dafa. 

Daniel Bleibtreu grew up practicing Falun Dafa.

“My parents practice Falun Dafa, and I was raised in a cultivation environment,” he said. After he grew up he decided to continue practicing, “Falun Dafa allowed me to have a healthy body and mind, and I wanted to keep practicing. 

“It was hard for me to fall asleep, but if I meditated for 30 minutes before I went to bed, I slept really well.” More importantly, he realized that the teachings changed him from within. “By following the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance my moral character improved,” he said. “When there was a conflict, I remembered the three values, and I knew that getting angry could not solve the problem. This helped me a lot.”

When he was 15, he went to the U.S. to learn Chinese classical dance. This summer he graduated from high school and went to a new environment for a higher education. Facing all the challenges, he said, “Now that I know the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, I will follow them to improve my patience. I will not quit no matter how hard things get.”

As the holiday approached, he thanked Master for giving him everything, “I am fortunate to be born into such an environment. I was able to learn Falun Dafa without having to look for such a great practice. I cherish it and thank Master for his arrangement for me.” 

Falun Dafa Is Great 

Mr. Ouyang Zhu’an, from Vietnam, moved to the U.S. years ago and is a senior engineer. He began practicing Falun Dafa 25 years ago. “I thought Falun Dafa was a great teaching, and I just wanted to practice it,” he said. 

Mr. Ouyang Zhu’an thanks Master Li and wishes him a happy holiday. 

“I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1998,” Mr. Ouyang shared. “My older brother introduced me to various qigongs but I was not interested in them. After he started practicing Falun Dafa, he told me about it. The first time I saw Master’s exercise teaching tape, I said ‘This is what I want,’ and I’ve practiced ever since.” 

He said his body and mind changed significantly after he began practicing. He was surprised that he no longer had a bad temper. “I always had to be first no matter what I did,” he said. After he began practicing, he constantly reminded himself to follow the principles and be altruistic. Now, when he meets someone with a different opinion, “I don’t judge them based on my views.” Gradually he realized that as a result, he encountered few interpersonal conflicts. His wife saw his positive changes and began practicing. 

As the Mid-Autumn Festival nears, he wished to thank Master Li for his compassion on this important day.