(Minghui.org) On the occasion of the 13^th World Falun Dafa Day and the 20^th anniversary of the introduction of Falun Dafa to the public, New York State Senate passed a Legislative Resolution to commemorate the 13^th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, to be observed May 11-12, 2012.

State of New York

Legislative Resolution

Senate No. 4617

By: Senators Martins, Adams, Bonacic, Breslin, DeFrancisco, Fuschillo, Griffo, Grisanti,

Johnson, Maziarz, Oppenheimer and Ranzenhofer

COMMEMORATING the 13^th Annual World Falun Dafa Day

Celebration, to be observed May 11-12, 2012

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 13^th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, to be observed May 11-12, 2012, at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and Times Square, New York, respectively; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a self-improvement practice rooted in ancient Chinese culture based on refining the body and mind through special exercises and meditation; and

WHEREAS, This special event observes the day Falun Dafa was first introduced to the general public in China in 1992, by Mr. Li Hongzhi, who now resides in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The practice of Falun Dafa is simple; it consists primarily of two components, self-improvement through study and the practice of five gentle exercises; and

WHEREAS, Practitioners of Falun Dafa strive to live by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance in order to improve their moral nature, and in turn, to experience remarkable health benefits; and

WHEREAS, The practice of Falun Dafa goes beyond the pursuit of health and fitness to the goal of greater wisdom and enlightenment; and

WHEREAS, The Falun Dafa philosophy espouses the idea that when the heart is pure, the mind balanced, and the body energized, health and happiness are a natural outcome; individuals have been empowered to leave behind addictions and bad habits; families, to live in peace together; and communities, to embrace what is virtuous and life-affirming; and

WHEREAS, The effectiveness of Falun Dafa in improving health, as well as the principles upon which it is founded, have proven to be immensely popular throughout the world and have attracted people in more than 40 countries; and

WHEREAS, To the people of China, Falun Dafa provides a source of strength in the face of oppression; although the practice is banned in the land of its origin, practitioners persevere in the pursuit of their spiritual beliefs, risking imprisonment or worse; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, Falun Dafa was introduced to New York, and has since grown to include hundreds of practitioners who can be found throughout the tri-state area offering workshops in senior centers, corporate offices, health clubs, private residences and police stations at no cost to the participants; and

WHEREAS, Today, Falun Dafa is practiced and cherished by millions of people in more than 114 countries and has received over 3, 000 awards; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa is a practice which has brought better health and inner peace to millions around the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 13^th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, to be observed May 11-12, 2012; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Falun Dafa practitioners of New York State.

ADOPTED IN SENATE ON

May 15, 2012

By order of the Senate

Francis W. Patience, Secretary