(Minghui.org) In 2000, a Swiss reader's letter to the editor of the Esoterik magazine caught my attention, which deeply touched me. The essay reads as follows:

I first learned from your magazine about Falun Gong in 1997, and I made contact with practitioners according to the address you provided in Switzerland. Looking back, my heart is full of gratitude for finding such a great Dafa.

The five sets of exercises which are easy to learn and produced a significant effect, as well as Mr. Li Hongzhi's book Zhuan Falun, have been a wonderful and indispensable part of my life since then.”

I could feel the author's excitement and gratitude from these simple words.

Falun Gong, Falun Gong, I felt the name seemed familiar so I must have read some articles about it. I carefully checked the magazine I ordered and found out that the reader indeed referred to the edition in 1997. That's right, I read that article as well. I remembered that not long ago there were news reports about Falun Gong. On TV many Chinese people were standing in a row outside of a high wall and between trees. What happened there? How was that related to Falun Gong? Why were they standing there? Later, I learned that it was reporting about the April 25 1999 Appeal. That day, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners went to Beijing to tell the government about their wonderful experience practicing Falun Gong to avoid misunderstandings. They requested to have a peaceful practice environment. The reason for the petition was that 45 practitioners had been arrested prior to that. It was a peaceful petition with the largest number of people in Chinese history. After they arrived in Beijing, the practitioners were directed to the location of the regime's government -- Zhongnanhai, which gave an impression to the outside world that Falun Gong practitioners were engaged in some political activities surrounding the government.

Like the above-mentioned Swiss, I also found the contact information of the Falun Gong practitioners. They introduced me to Falun Gong. They also introduced to me the principles of the practice and the five sets of simple exercises.

After my in-depth study of the major work of Mr. Li Hongzhi, Zhuan Falun, I felt that a lot of things mentioned in the book seemed very familiar, as if I had read this book. Still I was not able to immediately understand a lot of the more profound content in the book. I have sought for the value and meaning of life, but I never received a satisfactory answer. This book answered my questions in a natural way. I was able to have a good understanding through my own experience to confirm these explanations. This is what I had been looking for. I started practicing Falun Gong.

At the beginning of the practice, I was very nervous. I excitedly read Mr. Li Hongzhi's books and articles over and over again. The articles helped me open up to the heart of the practice. Gradually, I came to understand how to improve myself, become a better person and harmonize with my surrounding environment. I practiced the five sets of exercises in the park and shared experiences with other practitioners, which played a positive role in my cultivation. I felt great and a lot of positive things happened to me. I could get along with the people around me with a forgiving heart. I got rid of my bad temper. My family was no longer my punching bag and they were all happy to acknowledge it. There were some unbelievable things that happened to me as well, as gradually my diseases and pain disappeared. I threw away all of my medications.

I feel the same gratitude as the Swiss practitioner wrote about Falun Gong.

Fellow practitioners told me that Falun Gong has been spread around the world and it is only banned in China by the communist regime due to the jealousy of Jiang Zemin. In July 1999, he started the persecution, arresting, torturing and jailing practitioners. To address this situation and raise awareness, overseas practitioners have held Information Days, candlelight vigils, distributed leaflets and used other methods to encourage people to help stop the persecution.

This great practice offers only benefits and no harm, yet it is banned by the Communist Party. I would like to call for support of the persecuted practitioners in China.

In order not to get lost on my cultivation path, I must pass various tests and overcome all difficulties. I am so grateful to embark on the path of practicing Falun Gong after I saw the reader's letter in 2000. I would like to say that practicing Falun Gong is the best choice that I have made in my life.