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Toronto: Minghui School Holds Summer Camp (Photos)

Sept. 10, 2011 |   By Zhang Yun, a Clearwisdom correspondent in Toronto

(Clearwisdom.net) Close to seventy young Falun Dafa practitioners from Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and surrounding cities gather at the Minghui School in Toronto every summer. They study the Falun Dafa teachings, do the Falun Gong exercises, learn about traditional Chinese culture, and share their cultivation experiences. You won't find these kids ill-mannered or restless, because their hearts are purified and their moral quality advanced in this unique summer camp. As a fourteen-year-old practitioner said at the end of the camp, “I don't have any words to describe how great I feel at the Minghui School every summer! I don't want to leave this pure land.”

Students of Minghui School study Zhuan Falun

Students of Minghui School study Zhuan Falun

The teachers of the Minghui School summer camp are volunteers. They teach about the divine culture of China, in combination with cultivation practice. Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are the magical keys of their teaching philosophy.

Students meditate together

With pure hearts, the students solemnly study Falun Dafa and quietly do the exercises. Their earnest attitude is admirable and matchless. Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are also the magical keys to their self-discipline.

The youngest class in the camp had children from three to five years old. It was the first time for many of them to leave their homes. Some of them cried and wanted to be held and fed at the beginning. Parents all know how hard it is to take care of one child, but there were eighteen of them in the class. The teacher, Ms. Wang Hongmin, said, “I don't feel tired at all. I'm very fortunate to be here, to witness their progress and enjoy their pure hearts. They make progress every day and have memorized Hong Yin and Lunyu. They help each other and care for each other. One time one little boy cried. All the other kids came to cheer him up with their favorite toys and food. He quieted down quickly. They take care of each other before we the teachers can.”

中班学生正在炼法轮功第五套功法——神通加持法

 Children in the intermediate class do the meditation

Children in the intermediate class were doing the meditation exercise, “Strengthening Divine Powers,” when the reporter arrived. Eight-year-old Xuan Xuan sobbed, with her eyes and mouth tightly closed. Her teacher told the reporter Xuan Xuan's legs hurt during the meditation, but she wanted to sit until the end of the exercise. She'd rather bear the pain. The meditation ended after a half hour. The reporter asked Xuan Xuan how she was able to sit until the end. Xuan Xuan replied with heavy breath, “Mom said if we endure the pain, the black material will go away.” Xuan Xuan said she was very happy in the Minghui School. When asked if it was painful to do the meditation, she answered, “No, because it is so comfortable after the meditation. The black material is gone. I'm happy.”

Eight-year-old Sunny lives in a town an hour drive away from Toronto. She had been looking forward to coming to the Minghui School for years. She finally got her wish this year. She is very happy and excited. She said, “It would have been impossible to study the Fa and do the exercises every day at home. I even started to cross both of my legs during meditation. It's a little painful, but I know it is dissolving karma. It's getting easier and easier. I made big progress on my Chinese, too. I can read Zhuan Falun with my grandma in the evening.” Her grandma said Sunny could tell her a traditional Chinese story every night.

Eight-year-old Le Le has attended the Minghui School since he was three. He told the reporter, “When I sent forth righteous thoughts in the Minghui School, I felt I was flying, or floating in the air.”

It was the first time for nine-year-old Lihui to come to the Minghui School. She and her mother flew to Toronto all the way from Sendai, Japan. She said she felt very comfortable when she studied the Fa and did the exercises. She learned a lot of Chinese words. Her classmates were all very nice to her. She felt that young overseas Falun Gong practitioners were very fortunate.

Maria is a volunteer teacher and Falun Gong practitioner who has recently come to Canada from China. Seeing children do the exercises and study the Fa together made her feel like she was in another world. Before the persecution was launched in China, there was a young practitioners' group exercise site at her university. Dozens of young practitioners studied the Fa and did the exercises every weekend. However, their freedom was lost after the persecution began. She said, “Young overseas practitioners are so fortunate!”

Both the teachers and the students made progress through cultivation during the summer camp. They were immersed in the light of Falun Dafa.