(Clearwisdom.net) Last year, Falun Gong practitioners participated in the Chinese New Year's Parade in San Francisco for the first time since Jiang's regime began the persecution of Falun Gong in China in 1999. This year, however, under pressure from the Chinese Consulate, the parade sponsors rejected our application to participate. Practitioners tried many times to contact and initiate discussions with the sponsors but were refused.
On the day of the parade, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that another group had made a successful bid to join the parade, but Falun Gong would be notably absent. I became angry when I read the news that other groups could participate in the parade, but Falun Dafa practitioners were unreasonably rejected. I thought to myself, "If that is so, we don't need to participate in such a parade." My husband disagreed with me and said no matter what happened, practitioners should still go and we would definitely be able to participate in the parade.
It was raining outside and our child is young, so my husband decided to go to the parade by himself and join the waist drum troupe. In the afternoon while I was doing the Falun Gong exercises, I suddenly saw a ray of sunshine in my backyard. I opened the door and saw that the sun had already come out and the rain had stopped. I then thought, "This is the light of truth! How can the dark clouds block the sun forever?"
We can break through any demonic obstacle and deny the old forces' interference, because Teacher has said,
"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Before long, my husband called and told me that the waist drum troupe had participated in the parade!
Through this incident, I found my gap and shortcomings. From the beginning, I didn't treat the situation with righteous thoughts and only thought, negatively, how it did not matter much to be excluded from the parade. I do not mean that every practitioner has to clarify the facts of Falun Gong to the parade sponsors, but it is important that everyone's thoughts are positive and righteous regarding the incident. Practitioners should try their best to do what they should do and to let more people understand the facts about the persecution in China. We should also realize the solemnity and purity of Falun Dafa.
Above is my shallow understanding. I hope fellow practitioners will kindly point out anything inappropriate.
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