People in Switzerland Benefit from Reading Zhuan Falun (Part 1)

(Minghui.org) Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa, was published on January 4, 1995. Over the past 30 years, the book has been translated into 50 languages and read by over 100 million people all over the world. Many people in Switzerland have read the book repeatedly over the past 20 years and say they are still drawn to it.

“This Book Guides Our Lives”

One day in the summer of 2000, Simone looked at a light yellow flyer she found in her mailbox and decided to give it to her husband Christian. The flyer described a practice from China, and they were both interested in spiritual practices.

When Christian read the flyer and saw the words, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” and that this practice was being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), he immediately thought, “This must be a very good practice.” He later explained, “When evil feels threatened, it will spare no effort to persecute people.”

He searched for the practice—Falun Dafa—on the Internet and found the book Zhuan Falun, which he immediately started reading online. Because it was a holiday and he had time off from work, he read it non-stop, except for when he had to eat and sleep.

Christian had searched for the meaning of life since he was a teenager. He’d read many books on religion and spiritual practices but always felt like he was scratching the surface and unable to grasp the real meaning, so he had many questions. In the months before he learned about Falun Dafa, he often found himself thinking strange, bad thoughts. He was distressed, because he was a good person, but he couldn’t seem to stop these bad thoughts.

When he was at his wits’ end, he asked heaven to help him. Just three days later, his wife gave him the flyer about Falun Dafa, and he began reading Zhuan Falun.

After he finished reading it, he was certain: “This is exactly what I was looking for. I found it. Everything in Zhuan Falun is true.” He also found there were deeper and more connotations in the book, so he started reading it from the beginning again.

While Christian was reading Zhuan Falun, Simone caught a glimpse of one sentence: “Eating meat or not isn’t itself the purpose—the key is to give up that attachment.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun) She said, “This is exactly what I am looking for—to cultivate my mind and improve my character.”

After they contacted a local Falun Dafa practitioner, they got several videotapes, truth-clarification materials, and, of course, a copy of Zhuan Falun. Simone, who was busy with housework and taking care of her two-year-old daughter during the day, only had time to read the book at night. Three nights later, when she’d finished the last page, she was also sure that everything the book said was true.

She was particularly impressed when she read: “If you always maintain a heart of benevolence and compassion, when a problem arises suddenly, you will have a buffer and room to think.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

Simone explained that, as a new mother, “It was really difficult to control myself and not scold my child when I disciplined her, especially when I was in a bad mood.” But after she read Zhuan Falun, she understood that when children do something wrong, they should be disciplined, but she should not be emotional.

Simone and Christian embarked on the path of cultivation. The bad thoughts that troubled Christian gradually disappeared after he read Zhuan Falun, and the teachings in the book guided their lives.

Simone still recalls an experience with a neighbor 20 years ago. The old woman who lived downstairs from them frequently complained. She knocked on the ceiling with her cane to express her dissatisfaction. She also opened the window and cursed or called the police. The neighbors said she was unbearable. They even signed a joint letter asking her to move because they couldn’t stand living near her. When Simone met her in the corridor one day, she scolded Simone and the child again and complained. Simone told her calmly, “You can treat me any way you want, but I won’t fight back. I will always treat you with kindness and goodwill.”

Simone lamented that, although she’d always tried to be a good person, “If I hadn’t practiced Falun Dafa and hadn’t learned from Zhuan Falun that we should not fight back when hit and not talk back when scolded, I really couldn’t have treated her like that.”

Unexpectedly, from then on, the old woman started being friendly to everyone and no longer made up stories or complained. Simone said she was amazed and truly sensed the power of kindness Zhuan Falun had kindled.

Simone and Christian said they thought they were happy with their lives. They shared the same ideals, treated each other with respect, and got along well with their relatives and friends. But after they read Zhuan Falun and began practicing Falun Dafa, they experienced true happiness.

Simone said, “When I read Zhuan Falun and share the grace of practicing Falun Dafa with others, especially when I know it will help them, I feel a kind of happiness, a very relaxed and bright feeling, and everything is wonderful.” She said if she conducts herself according to what is written in Zhuan Falun, her life improves. Life becomes simple, because she uses Falun Dafa’s principles—Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance—to judge good and bad, right and wrong. She’s able to give up her attachments to fame and fortune and is able to check herself for her own shortcomings whenever there is a conflict.

Christian said, “Zhuan Falun is an important guide for our lives, not only in the secular world, but also in our spiritual life. Although I encountered some difficulties after I began practicing, often when it seemed that there was no solution and I didn’t know what to do, I suddenly understood the profound principles of Zhuan Falun in my mind, and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

(To be continued)