(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Canada held an online event on the evening of May 13, 2021, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and the birthday of Master Li, the founder of the practice.
The online event was a live broadcast between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Practitioners broadcast greetings from elected officials, performances by young practitioners, the highlights of celebrations in various cities, and some practitioners' cultivation stories.
People who registered for or attended a free online exercise instruction session were also notified of the event in advance. More than 1,000 people watched the broadcast and some left comments in the chat wishing Master Li a happy birthday!
Practitioners in Canada send greetings to Master Li
Support from Elected Officials
Celebration in Canada: raising flags, bright lights, and remarks from elected officials
Elected officials from federal, provincial, and city-level governments participated in the 2021 World Falun Dafa Day celebrations by issuing proclamations, congratulatory letters, and recording greetings on video. Over 120 such greetings were received by the Canadian Falun Dafa Association in the run up to May 13 to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and the 29th anniversary of the practice’s introduction to the world.
Some of the officials who sent greetings
Greetings from officials were replayed in the live broadcast. “Your compassion, your truthfulness, your moral [virtues], your principles … are wonderful attributes for all of you practicing Falun Dafa and part of the Falun Dafa movement. They are wonderful principles for yourself, but also for the rest of us to share,” remarked Judy Sgro, MP, co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), “We should continue to focus on the issues of freedom, respect, and love for each other as we build and continue to build an even better Canada in a better world.”
“We celebrate this amazing faith that is practiced by so many people around the world, but particularly right here in Canada,” James Bezan, MP, said in a video posted on Twitter. “The Falun Dafa principles of truth, compassion and tolerance resonate with Canadians from coast to coast to coast, and it is the one we all aspire to emulate.” He also hopes to attend the celebration in person next year instead of congratulating this event virtually from Parliament.
“I know that the Falun Gong community has been leading the way in terms of advocating for their own community, but also highlighting the plight of other communities facing challenges as well, again, from that mentality of emphasizing compassion, truthfulness, and forbearance,” said Garnett Genuis, MP.
He also added that he has been making efforts to combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking, and is working on passing legislation to make it a criminal offense for individuals to go abroad to receive an organ that was taken without the donor’s consent.
Flags carrying the words “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance” were flown in more than 10 Canadian cities on World Falun Dafa Day
Performances by Young Practitioners
During the online celebration, the Tian Guo Marching Band performing “Falun Dafa Is Good,” music and dance from New Century Films, a string trio of young practitioners, a waist drum performance from Toronto and an erhu solo were all broadcast.
Trio: “Dove High Over The Storm”
Dance from New Century Films
Erhu: “Awakening from the Dream”
Psychological Counselor: Strength and Wisdom
Donna is a mental health counselor
Donna used to work at a shelter for homeless women and her responsibilities included psychological counseling. She had to deal with all kinds of intense conflicts each day, and this made her easily emotional and agitated. She was drained of energy and her life was almost unbearable. “It was Falun Dafa and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that gave me peace and strength,” she said.
At the end of one day, she was feeling extremely tired after resolving various problems and was ready to go home. A client rushed in seeking help for a woman with suicidal tendencies. Donna’s first reaction was shock followed by hopelessness since she felt she had already reached her limit. She entered the bathroom and closed the door, with tears flowing.
“At that moment, the peaceful Falun Dafa music came to my mind,” Donna recalled, “I suddenly became calm with energy – knowing who I am and what I should do.” She approached the woman and gently told her to take it easy. Donna was no longer trapped in negative thoughts.
When encountering similar situations after that experience, Donna often remembered that moment. “I believe Dafa has given me strength and wisdom,” she said.
Pu Huailin is a practitioner from Ottawa
Pu Huailin from Ottawa was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by doctors and experienced unbearable pain. Doctors said the disease was a systematic, incurable illness. One day in June 1999, she read in an article in a Chinese newspaper that said a woman had greatly improved her health through practicing Falun Dafa. She contacted that practitioner and often went to a nearby park to do the exercises with her.
When Ms. Pu went back to her specialist for another checkup in October 1999 the doctor was stunned. “What have you done?” he asked, “The result shows you are recovering!” Shortly after that, Ms. Pu’s illness disappeared.
Oliver started to practice Falun Dafa in 2019
Oliver grew up in Gatineau in western Quebec and had been looking for a way to improve himself spiritually since he was 20. After reading Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa, in 2019, he immediately knew that this practice is special.
“When I read the book halfway through, I knew this is what I had been seeking,” he explained.
Falun Dafa is truly wonderful, Oliver said. Not only did he learn profound principles about life and the universe, but he also found ways to let go of his bad habits in daily life by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. As he continued, his physical health improved, and so did his character. “For anyone who wants to improve him or herself, Falun Dafa is the best,” he said.
Free Online Classes
The website: https://www.learnfalungong.com/
Practitioners in Canada started offering free online workshops three times a week on October 31, 2020, to help people during the global pandemic. To date, nearly 6,000 people have registered for the workshops, and 1,750 have attended the sessions.
Many people said they liked the practice a lot. Petra said the exercises helped her relieve stress. “I feel great and I will do this every day,” she said.
Vivian Luoma from Kootenays in British Columbia said she had learned Falun Dafa years ago in Calgary. She was excited to resume the exercises again and reading Zhuan Falun.
Some people found Falun Dafa has given them energy. Mirna Espinel said learning the practice of Falun Dafa is a miraculous experience. “It is like a new door was opened for me,” she said.
For more information about the online workshops that are held every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, please visit https://www.learnfalungong.com/ for details.
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