(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners from Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam gathered in Alexandra Gardens, a famous tourist destination in Melbourne, on October 28, 2023, to hold a character formation activity. They sat together to form the Chinese characters for "The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos."

Falun Dafa practitioners formed four Chinese characters that read “The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos” in Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne, on October 28, 2023.

Dafa practitioners began to hold character formations as early as 1996. That year, practitioners in Guizhou, China, formed an image of the Falun. From 1997 to 1999, practitioners in China formed characters as well as images including “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,” “Falun Dafa,” and the cover of Falun Dafa’s main book Zhuan Falun.

On February 7, 1999, practitioners in Australia took the lead in holding similar activities outside China. They formed the characters for “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance” at Sydney’s Darling Harbor to express their gratitude to Master Li, the founder of the practice, and share the beauty of Falun Dafa.

For more than two decades, practitioners in Australia of all different ethnic groups, ages, and social strata have introduced Falun Dafa all over Australia. They hold events to tell people about the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and about the persecution in China, which has been ongoing since 1999.

Practitioners from Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam did the exercises together in Alexandra Gardens early on October 28. Later that day, they held a large group character formation.

Several practitioners who took part in the character formation talked about their experiences with practicing Falun Dafa.

Learning to Be Tolerant

Gabriel Yakub from Sydney works in a technology company and began practicing Falun Dafa a year ago.

He said he benefited tremendously after practicing Falun Dafa. “I learned to be tolerant even in the smallest of things, for instance, when I drive behind a very slow driver. In the past, I got angry over something so trivial. After I began practicing [Falun Dafa], this no longer bothers me and I’m calm,” he shared.

As Gabriel has continued to practice, he has observed that his thoughts are more powerful and complex. When there are differences of opinion at work and the pressure is intense, he is able to take a step back, patiently communicate with coworkers, look at the bigger picture, evaluate the issues, and make an appropriate decision.

Illness-free after Practicing Dafa

Thanh Le, a Vietnamese practitioner who now lives Brisbane, began to practice Falun Dafa five years ago. Before that, he was mentally and physically on the brink of collapse. He had severe health problems, including issues with his liver, osteoporosis, and a skin condition.

He said, “Because of these ailments, I suffered emotional breakdowns for long periods of time. Thanks to Falun Dafa, I’m now free of illness and my life is blissful.”

Thanh Le is grateful to Falun Dafa.

Thanh Le said, “I learned to incorporate the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in my daily life. I treat people around me with sincerity, honesty, and kindness. Dafa gave me the power to calmly face challenges and difficulties in life. I try my best to be fair and sincere at work. I learned to look within for my shortcomings and let go of my attachments to fame and gain.”

After seeing his improvements, Thanh Le’s entire family now encourages him to practice. His youngest brother also began practicing Falun Dafa.

This Is What I Have Been Searching For

Diane Rowe from Melbourne recalled how she began to practice Falun Dafa. She was part of a social group in New Zealand in which everyone followed different philosophies and spiritual practices. After she read about the persecution of Falun Dafa, she decided to do a presentation and introduce Falun Dafa to her group, so she contacted Falun Dafa practitioners. She said, “In October 2000, I met several people who practiced Falun Dafa. That’s how I started on my cultivation journey.”

She said that she’d searched for a belief and the meaning of life for years. She tried various spiritual practices, but none of them explained things satisfactorily and she felt lost.

“When I read Zhuan Falun, the principles and teachings touched me deeply and shook my soul.” She knew in an instant: “This is what I’ve been searching for.”

By cultivating, Diane gradually understood how to be selfless, remain clearheaded, and not harm others. “I must conduct myself according to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance; cultivate compassion; and let it inform every aspect of my life. I need to identify my attachments and eliminate them,” she said.

A New Life after Reading Zhuan Falun

Van Pham from Western Australia always seemed to be sick. She often had headaches, her muscles were stiff, and she could not do any physical labor.

Van Pham, a practitioner from Western Australia, gained a new lease on life after practicing Dafa and wants to share the beauty of the practice.

After she married and her son was born, her health deteriorated further. She became depressed and could neither work, do household chores, or take care of her child. She slept all day, sometimes for 22 hours. She was plagued by endless nightmares. Even when she woke up, Van felt tired. “I felt useless,” she said. “I tried to kill myself several times but did not succeed.”

In 2017, Van returned to Vietnam to visit her family. Her brother saw the condition she was in and told her about Falun Dafa. He also gave her a copy of Zhuan Falun. She began to read it as soon as she returned to Australia. Van shared, “After reading Zhuan Falun for several days, my sleep improved significantly, and my nightmares stopped. When I woke up, my mind was relaxed and clear. The numbness in my body due to poor blood circulation gradually disappeared. My muscles that were tight for so many years slowly relaxed. My head no longer hurt and I was able to take care of myself.”

Van continued, “I started to do housework and stopped thinking about dying. When I read Zhuan Falun, I understood the meaning of life and no longer wanted to kill myself. My son was delighted to see the changes in me and is very supportive of my practice. I made new friends and shared the beauty of Falun Dafa as well as how extraordinary it is.

“I am grateful to Master Li for saving my life and helping me understand its meaning. I might have ended my life if I hadn’t heard about Falun Dafa.”

Tranquil after Practicing Dafa

Kim is a Vietnamese practitioner from South Australia. She became a nun at a young age and lived in a temple for 28 years. However, the Buddhist religion did not satisfy her spiritually. She often searched for books and articles on spiritual beliefs online. The author of one such article recommended several books and mentioned that one of them, Falun Gong, was a heavenly book. Out of curiosity, Kim downloaded Zhuan Falun from the Internet.

She was excited to read Zhuan Falun and experienced the opening of her celestial eye just as the book describes. She felt that an ordinary person could not have written this book. The more she read, the more she wanted to read. She searched for the Minghui website, and within six weeks, she had read all the Dafa books in Vietnamese. 

Kim said she’s more tranquil since she became a Falun Dafa practitioner. When she is treated unjustly, she reminds herself of the principle of loss and gain explained in Zhuan Falun and she puts others first. She said, “In the past, I couldn’t let go of some things. I was tired physically and mentally. I ended up with a heart condition and had to see a specialist.

“I had asthma and needed to take medication every day. After practicing Dafa, everything was fine and I no longer needed to take pills. My boss said that I never asked for sick leave, so I must be very healthy.”

In her daily life, Kim aspires to conduct herself according to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. She said, “I look at myself to see if I’ve followed truthfulness even if it is a small matter. At work, if my boss finds that something was done incorrectly and asks who did it, if it’s me, I own up to it. But some people shirk responsibility or deny that they did it. My boss knows I’m honest and trusts me.”

Kim said she often encounters situations that give her opportunities to cultivate tolerance and improve her character. Once, her boss paid her less than the hours she worked. When she pointed it out, her boss shouted at her in anger. She recalled the principles in Zhuan Falun about transformation of karma and immediately calmed down. The next day, her boss asked her if the wages she’d received the day before were correct. She told him the truth calmly, and this time, her boss discovered she was right. Kim said, “It’s wonderful to practice cultivation! The troubles you encounter in everyday life truly help us improve.”

Kim said, “I used to think compassion was having empathy or a willingness to donate money or help others. I now know that the best expression of compassion is to tell people about Dafa. It is helping them fundamentally. When I do so out of true compassion, people often thank me from the bottom of their heart.”