Validating Dafa in Community Centers
By a Falun Dafa practitioner from Canada
Shared at 2005 Washington DC Falun Dafa Conference
(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings to Master,
Greetings to Fellow practitioners,
I am a 63-year-old retired Vietnamese Dafa practitioner living in Montreal, Canada. I would like to share with you my path of cultivation during Fa rectification that Master arranged for me - that of validating Dafa in community centers.
Encounter with Dafa
I was lucky enough in autumn 1998 to encounter Dafa at a festival. Seeing Dafa practitioners perform the exercises on stage, I was very delighted. Later on, I asked them about the teachings. With Master's help, I came quickly to realize how precious this cultivation practice was. Then, after attending the New York experience sharing conference in March 1999 and seeing Master in person, I decided, from that day on, to cultivate in Falun Dafa and recognize Master Li as my Shifu.
My cultivation path during the Fa Rectification Period
When the evil started persecuting Dafa and Dafa disciples in Mainland China, I was only a few months into learning and practicing. I was quite a new student, but with our Master's help, I understood in my heart that this Dafa is the righteous Fa and it was under attack by demons. As a Dafa disciple, I knew that I must stand up and safeguard Dafa and support my fellow practitioners in Mainland China. Otherwise how could I consider myself a cultivator? My two children, who were not yet practitioners, understood my stance and were fully supportive. Thank you, children!
In Montreal, at the beginning of the persecution, Chinese and Western practitioners, old and young, together went out to distribute flyers on the streets, in the metro stations, and in mailboxes. We also demonstrated the exercises in parks and joined fellow practitioners for peaceful appeals at the Chinese consulate in Ottawa. During that period, it was very hard for people to understand us because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had already inundated the world with lies.
In order to reach more people, we organized activities in various shopping malls and farmers' markets, and participated in parades, festivals, etc. The general public appreciated the beauty of our lotus decorations, the Dafa music and exercises, and dances. When they came to know the evil persecution, they expressed sincere sympathy and some people even wanted to circulate the news of the persecution or organize some gatherings for us to talk about these human rights abuses. But at that time, around the year 2000 and 2001, the old forces interfered; ordinary people could not actively help us no matter how much they wanted. Everything had to be done by Dafa disciples. In Montreal, usually we had very good cooperation among fellow practitioners.
Then I was thinking of a way to make more people understand in depth Dafa and the persecution. Luckily, one day, a lady came to me and said, "I saw you meditate outside with great concentration and (then) play with children, teaching them the movements. You must have good energy. Would you like to come to my community center to set up classes for your practice? I am the coordinator for adult activities there."
That was in September 2001. I was very happy because in Canada winter comes very early and is quite harsh. It would not be possible for me to demonstrate the exercises outside. I eagerly accepted and both of us worked together for the first Falun Dafa class at the community center. A lot of predestined practitioners entered the door of Dafa there. Following this activity, I contacted other community centers to include Falun Gong in their activity programs. With Master's help, everything went smoothly, and many community centers welcomed us. On weekdays and weekends, in the four corners of Montreal, we had some place where people could come to learn the practice, daytime or evening time.
How it works
Through these classes, my intention is to validate Dafa and clarify the truth of the persecution, while helping predestined people to obtain the Fa. At the beginning of each class, I always say, "Please don't consider me as your teacher, I am only a student. Master Li is the true and only Teacher. In our school, there is no hierarchy, no money involved, no organization, no political agenda and no religious forms. Everybody is free to embrace this practice in his or her daily life, or not, after learning it. We respect your choice." Then I gradually introduce the 5 exercises, the history of Dafa, the book, and the brutal persecution.
The results
Since the sessions started, some have left, and new students have come in. Many come to learn how to relax, but they have certain reservations regarding the Fa. Therefore, I always put emphasis on studying the Fa. With Master's help, in general, our classes run very well and are beneficial to everyone. We develop a true friendship. At the end of the session, every student who expresses the wish to continue the practice is provided with a video and a cassette or CD of exercise music. Some have acquired copies of Zhuan Falun and some preferred to download it from the Internet.
At the end of each session, I invite people to write a report on how they feel about the class. Generally speaking, they feel great, relaxed, sleep well, often quit drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, become more patient with children, are happy inside, like the music, like the great energy field of the class, leg aches, back aches, shoulder aches become lighter... Some have their third eye open right away and can see light, rays of light, or even Falun. Some people are afraid of the book, but there are also people who like it very much. There are people who do not feel their 'illness' has been cured but appreciate the teachings of 'truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance' and promise to remember it in their daily life.
In these classes, sometimes I met with very special problems: handicapped people in wheelchairs, people with Alzheimer's, insomnia, stress, obesity, etc. Sometimes, there are old friends who come back and test me with questions. In general, everyone likes this qigong practice and understands the evilness of the persecution by the CCP.
For myself, I have learned a lot through these classes. At the beginning I did not know how to answer questions, but gradually as I improved my understanding of the Fa, it became easier when I spoke with my heart. I always remind myself: put the Fa first. Do not validate yourself and everything will be okay.
Some stories
I also want to report to Master and to fellow practitioners some magical and happy stories. There is a well-known free newspaper distributed widely every day in front of many Montreal metro stations. Once I went to its office to post an ad about free Falun Gong classes in community centers. The director for ads asked: "Is it true that your Falun Gong classes are free of charge?" I said yes. After I clarified the truth to her, she said: "In that case, from now on, I will keep the ad going without any charge to you!" It has been many years that the ad continues to appear everyday in this newspaper. From this free ad, many predestined persons called me for information about Falun Gong classes. Good-hearted people are very amazing.
There is a printing company that used to make photocopies of our flyers at a very reasonable price. Once I wrote to the director, clarifying the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and our urgent need to let more people know about the situation. Afterwards, he told his employees to do the printing of our flyers at a truly exceptional price. We therefore have more materials to distribute to the public. Even now, after the company was sold to another owner, it still provides us with this exceptional service.
There are also many moving stories from distributing materials to the public. I distribute Dafa flyers when I go out on buses, the metro, and virtually everywhere. The flyer informs about the goodness of our practice, the brutal persecution, and about our practice sites. In the early period of the persecution Master said during "Teaching the Fa at the Western US Fa Conference" (in 2000): "As you already know, at that time the evil forces were really overwhelming, it was as if they eclipsed the sky and covered the earth--they were enormous." In that period of time, most people refused our flyers with an air of reluctance. Now it is truly better, more than better, the majority of them accept our flyers, and after a glance at our flyers, they look back and thank me with a clear smile. Sometimes, I met with a very rare 'ugly' person who tore the flyer and threw it on the floor in front of the public and me. As I am used to different attitudes towards our flyers, I remained calm. Once there was a serious man looking like a pastor, who told me with a clear and strong voice after watching the scene: "You must continue!" I smiled back and thanked him saying, "I will!" No matter what, I am a Dafa disciple so I must do what a Dafa disciple should do; it is my duty. I am even very eager to give flyers to Chinese people. Most of them do not take them. So I sometimes try to make friends with them first, saying: "I'm not Chinese, but Vietnamese. I'd like to tell you that Falun Gong is really great!" I say it wholeheartedly, and they laugh and then accept my flyer. I also give them the Nine Commentaries when I have them.
In the summertime, most of the community centers are closed. So usually I open a new practice site in an open area, near spring water, blue sky, green grass and multicolored flowers. This year it was along a peaceful canal beside a bridge. Many people pass by there walking or bicycling, on trolleys or in cars, even sightseeing on boats or canoes. I enjoy it very much (thank you Master!). I can practice every day there, show it to my new friends, and I also hope that some Chinese officials will see us and discover how Falun Gong is appreciated by people around the world. I also hope that fellow practitioners in China can feel comforted as our marvelous practice is now well established everywhere in the world, and nothing can stop it.
Beside these classes, I try to help with the French version of the newspaper in Montreal by distributing, translating, and looking for ads. I also work with the Vietnamese Dafa group, mostly in the translation of articles.
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you about our Vietnamese Dafa group. Under Master's guidance, many materials are already available for Vietnamese people. For instance, Zhuan Falun, the Guangzhou seminar, The Sound of Hope, The EpochTimes. There are at least 5 Vietnamese Dafa websites. They are not full reproductions of the original Chinese/Englísh websites, but we try our best to keep them up-to-date.
Thank you, Master. Along with my fellow practitioners, I, with such limited capabilities, am still allowed to participate in the Fa Rectification period of Dafa disciples validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. In many circumstances, when I think of Master, of Dafa and of our fellow practitioners inside and outside China, I can do a good job. But some other times, I am unable to see my shortcomings, so I stumble in front of a xinxing test. However, whenever a person in the street calls me saying: "Hi, are you still giving Falun Dafa courses?" I feel very lucky, as if this was a form of recognition by Master that I am a Dafa disciple, although I still have so many attachments. Whenever a new friend thanks me for introducing Falun Dafa to him or her, I sincerely correct him: "Please don't thank me, I am only a fellow practitioner. Let's thank Master Li for giving humanity this precious gift out of his immense compassion!" In my heart, I understand that we could never thank Master enough or show enough respect to Master and to Dafa. Only through day-by-day, minute-by-minute sincere efforts to improve ourselves, through tribulations, through ordeals and xinxing tests, can we express at that moment our true gratitude towards our Shifu and the Great Fa. Only when we can reach consummation could we repay our Shifu for all the hardships He is carrying for us. Thank you Shifu! Thank you fellow practitioners!
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