Los Angeles: Falun Gong Practitioners Express Gratitude and Wish Master a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

(Minghui.org) On the occasion of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated by Chinese communities around the world, on the morning of September 15, 2024, Falun Dafa practitioners in Los Angeles gathered at a park in San Gabriel for group exercises and to wish Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, a happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Practitioners shared their experiences of the physical and mental benefits they have received from practicing and expressed their gratitude to Master Li for spreading Falun Dafa worldwide.

(On September 15, 2024, Falun Dafa practitioners in Los Angeles gathered at San Gabriel park for a group practice to wish Master Li a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.)

Li Youfu: Many in Los Angeles experience improved morality and health from practicing Falun Dafa

Li Youfu, President of the US Southwestern Falun Dafa Association, said many in Los Angeles have experienced improved morality and health from practicing Falun Dafa.

Li Youfu, President of the US Southwestern Falun Dafa Association, said, “During festivals, we are always very grateful to Master. Master has spread Dafa from China to every corner of the world, and the number of beneficiaries continues to grow.”

He mentioned that in Los Angeles, many practitioners say that as long as they sincerely practice Falun Dafa and follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, they can feel changes and improvements in themselves. Over the years, he has also seen many people’s morality rise and their physical and mental health improve through practicing Dafa.

Before July 1999, Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) attracted nearly 100 million people in China due to its effects in improving health. However, the growing popularity of Falun Gong provoked jealousy from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders, who began to fabricate rumors through state-controlled media and launched a brutal persecution of practitioners. The CCP has also exported lies and attacks against Falun Gong abroad to deceive the international community.

“In the face of any stigmatization, we must maintain a great forbearance and be able to explain things in a simple and approachable manner. We are not afraid of difficulties; we will act with utmost kindness and treat everyone well,” Li Youfu said. He emphasized that Falun Gong has made it through to today without any violence or hatred. “We just adhere to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. It’s like sunlight—if you are illuminated by it, you will feel the brightness.”

Finding Inner Peace Through Practicing Dafa

Cai Yahui, who has lived in the U.S. for decades and runs a family business with her relatives, found that career achievements did not bring her inner peace.

“At my age, many friends around me are successful and spend their days in enjoyment, which I used to do too, thinking that only this could make life feel complete. But this is not fulfillment; it’s emptiness,” Cai Yahui said. “We try to fill our minds with external things, but it can never be enough.”

It wasn’t until she began practicing Falun Dafa in 2011 that Cai Yahui truly experienced inner peace and fulfillment.

She said she had many questions about life and sought meaning through various religious teachings, but never found answers until she came across Falun Dafa and Master Li’s main work, Zhuan Falun.

“I found answers to all the questions in my life,” Cai said. Since then, she has lived by Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and discovered that she was no longer easily swayed by events in society and no longer needed to pass time in pleasure-seeking activities. “My heart is no longer empty; every day is full and joyful.”

Moreover, she noted that her bad temper had disappeared and that practicing Falun Dafa has also improved her health and energy levels.

On this Mid-Autumn Festival, she expressed her profound gratitude to Master: “I sincerely thank Master for giving me direction in life and for spreading Dafa to the entire world.”

A Non-Rebellious Teenager

Luby Zhang, 15, shared the joy she experiences from practicing Falun Dafa and wishes Master Li a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Luby Zhang, 15, who grew up in a family of practitioners, shared the joy she experiences from practicing Falun Dafa.

“Falun Dafa has made me healthy and helps me learn things more quickly,” Luby said. “In daily life, I don’t lie. I tell the truth, and when there are conflicts, I look at my own shortcomings. I have had conflicts with classmates, and I felt very wronged at the time, but after talking it over with my mother, I realized it was my own problem. Once I identified the issue, the conflict was resolved.”

After practicing, Luby feels she can resist societal pollution, avoid using foul language, and stay away from being addicted to games and the internet. She also completes her homework with great discipline. Recently, she gained admission to the highly competitive Orange County School of the Arts with excellent grades.

Luby mentioned that her easygoing personality makes her get along well with classmates. “Adults think I am different from many children; many kids are rebellious during their teenage years, but I am not.” She also seldom has conflicts with her parents. “Because both my mother and I practice Falun Dafa, when facing problems, I look inward, and she does, too.”

Luby’s mother is grateful that Falun Dafa has made her daughter’s growth so smooth: “She really didn’t go through a rebellious phase, and she knows how to get along well with people at school.”

Luby said, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Master! Thank you, Master, for giving me such a great opportunity. I want to cultivate myself into an even better person.”

Truth Wall and Car Parade

On September 15, 2024, Los Angeles practitioners demonstrate the beauty of Falun Dafa with banners.

In the afternoon, some practitioners went to the intersection of Valley Blvd and Del Mar Ave, where they set up banners to display the information to passing vehicles and pedestrians, and introduced the beauty of Falun Dafa to people.

“The CCP has fabricated many lies to deceive the public and attack Falun Dafa. We aim to let everyone know about the beauty and truth of Falun Dafa”, said Li Hailun, the coordinator of the event. She explained that despite the CCP’s suppression, Falun Dafa has spread to over a hundred countries and regions worldwide.

Ms. Wang, who started practicing Falun Dafa with her mother in 1999, shared her experiences. Before leaving China, she and her mother endured over twenty years of persecution by the CCP. Ms. Wang said, “The greatest benefit over these years is that Falun Dafa has provided me with a path to improve my mind and body.” She added that she has stayed healthy throughout the years. “Sometimes when I am tired, practicing [Dafa exercises] helps me regain energy quickly. By looking inward during cultivation, I can continuously balance my mindset, and my condition keeps improving.”

That day, a dozen practitioners also drove vehicles with Falun Dafa banners through nearby communities, putting on a striking mobile display.

Robert, the leader of the vehicle team, said that practicing Falun Dafa has made him feel physically lighter, with better sleep, more mental clarity, and a sense of fulfillment. “Cultivating Dafa has taught me many principles about being a good person; it makes one more peaceful, kind, tolerant, and patient,” he said. “I am grateful to Master for giving our lives such meaning and vibrancy.”