(Minghui.org) It was a beautiful sunny day in New York on May 12, 2012. Seven thousand Falun Gong practitioners from all over the world gathered in New York and held a grand parade to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Falun Dafa's public introduction and Master Li's birthday. Though with different backgrounds, they had a common wish: to validate Falun Dafa with their own experience and to stop the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of the practice.
Ms. Yang used to be an associate professor of math at Dalian University of Technology in China. She recounted the unforgettable experience of how she obtained the Fa. Her son in college wrote her a long letter in 1996, telling her he was very sick. He was in pain all over and couldn't sleep. He felt like his life was ending. Ms. Yang said, “I was so worried he wouldn't be able to bear it much longer. I cried a lot and the only thing on my mind was to find a way out for my son.” She tried practicing Falun Gong and experienced miraculous changes after twenty days. All of her own diseases were gone. She told her son she had found a solution for him. Her son replied to her letter saying he had already started practicing Falun Gong in his university. Her son ended up graduating college with honors and received a scholarship from a university overseas. “Master saved my whole family! No matter how many lies the CCP told about Falun Gong, no matter how much suffering I have to go through, my faith in Dafa is unshakable. It has become stronger and stronger in the past sixteen years.”
Oksana started practicing Falun Gong in 2009. She used to be tired and desperate. Falun Dafa brought huge changes to her health and spirit. She followed Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, tried to get rid of jealousy and other bad attachments, and became tolerant and considerate. Her difficult family life became harmonious. Her husband told his family and friends, “She used to depend on me. Now I have to look up to her for her spiritual guidance and moral support.”
Mai, in her seventies, used to feel lost even though she went to church regularly. One day in the spring of 1992, Mai clearly saw a colorful Falun rotating on her wall. After that, Mai and her husband spent eight long years hoping and searching. She saw a group of Falun Gong practitioners teaching exercises in a bookstore one day. Mai felt touched. When she opened the book Zhuan Falun, she saw the Falun she had been looking for for eight years. Thinking of the past twelve years of cultivation in Falun Dafa, she was very happy the meaning of life had become more and more clear to her.
Fashion designer Lozio
Fashion designer Lozio has been practicing Falun Gong for almost five years. She is very grateful to Falun Dafa for clearing away her confusion about life. She said she used to be very moody to her family and friends. After she started practicing Falun Gong, things calmed down. Lozio thought following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance was how life should be.
Amy, a musician
Amy is a musician and Ph.D. student from Toronto. She obtained Dafa through her husband ten years ago. She said she was attracted to Falun Dafa because it taught people to be good. Goodness isn't valued in people in today's society. In the fine arts, too, it has become difficult to distinguish the good from the bad. Reading Zhuan Falun helped her to focus on the good in her work and daily life. She added, “I was ill for several years when I was younger. Pain used to be a normal part of my life. Practicing Falun Gong made me stronger and healthier.”
Al and his son Ben
Al and his eight-year-old son Ben came to New York from North Carolina. When asked why they came to join the parade, Ben pointed to the three words “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.” Al explained they came to voice their call for justice and to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong.
Al started practicing Falun Gong in 1998. The biggest change in him was that he became tolerant. He used to be pessimistic and wished to be cut off from the rest of the world. Falun Dafa helped him return to society with a positive attitude. He thought any government should value practitioners of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. These principles should be practiced by all people. This would create a wonderful chain reaction in society.
Renowned choreographer Rebecca Kelly and her husband Graig Brashear
Renowned choreographer Rebecca Kelly and her husband Graig Brashear were excited to watch the parade. They are familiar with Falun Gong because they had seen Falun Gong practitioners do the exercises in the park pretty often. But they were still fascinated by the grand parade in New York.
Ms. Kelly said, “It is magnificent! Beautiful! I can feel the strong but peaceful, graceful and happy energy!” She was happy to see Falun Gong practitioners of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds gathered in New York to show how the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance have spread.
Mr. Brashear thought the persecution of Falun Gong was irrational. He admired Falun Gong practitioners' steadfastness in facing such huge pressure. He said, “We are happy to see Falun Gong practitioners promote Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance with such a grand parade. These principles are very beneficial and important.”
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