It was a fine day on September 16, 2000, and that Saturday, some practitioners came to promote Falun Dafa in Brooklyn's Chinatown.

The set-up was very simple. There were two cardboard backed posters, which were easy to carry. One was entitled "Falun Dafa Around the World", and the other was entitled "Free Exercise Teaching." There were also some free Falun Dafa materials placed on a foldable table. Many people who passed by stopped to look at our display.

A lady who seemed fairly energetic came by. She did not take the Falun Dafa introduction materials but instead said with a smile, "I want to learn the exercises." A practitioner then asked where she lived and gave her information about a practice site close to her home. There was also an old man who came up to us. A practitioner handed him some materials and said, "Please read and check it out." The old man smiled, "I have read them already and I know Falun Gong is good. Now I have come here to learn it."

Not long after this, another lady came by and picked up a copy of everything we offered. She then told us, "I am not interested in Falun Gong, but my friend wants to know about it." She looked for a Chinese site on the web but only found the English web sites. She then called a contact person at home and asked them to get some materials for her. It seems most people who live nearby know that we promote Dafa here on the weekend.

A young girl walked up to us and said, "I would like to know what Falun Gong really is. You are so good, why does the Chinese government want to persecute you? Are all the brutal tortures real?" The girl later left with some Dafa materials.

It is truly hard to imagine what kind of hideous and cruel mind makes Jiang Zemin crack down on Falun Gong so viciously. Falun Dafa practitioners cultivate Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance, improving their own morality, and that of their surroundings. It really benefits the entire country and its people without bringing any harm. However, regardless of the benefits to the country and to the people, Jiang Zemin abuses his power by persecuting good people while encouraging, even commanding, evil deeds.

Although there are lies almost everywhere, the truth is always the truth. In the midst of this extreme environment, practitioners in Mainland China will "not fight back when being beaten nor swear back when being verbally abused and insulted." They act upon everything while maintaining a peaceful mind and are sacrificing their lives to awaken people's conscience and righteousness. Everyone has an opinion when faced with the truth. More and more people are waking up and some of them are becoming Falun Dafa practitioners.

A boy whom we met at a subway station said "I would not know of Falun Gong without Jiang Zemin. Everyone around me says Falun Gong is good and I also want to read the book."

People's morality is improving, and people are becoming better. This is an inevitable upward trend. We need to contribute more and do better, to create more opportunities so that more people can become aware of the truth and get to know Falun Gong. This will help to bring happiness in their future and this is also part of our cultivation.

Practitioners in New York

September 19, 2000