And the rain poured down....
Before the stage was ready, some sought shelter under a cinema awning to preserve the theatrical face paint and pretty hairdos a Scottish practitioner had worked on early that morning. She had missed a lot of sleep travelling overnight from Edinburgh just to do our make up for the performance...but she didn’t mind....
The sound equipment was wrapped in plastic against the weather. The sound engineer was in sandals as usual, paying attention not to himself, but to his microphones and amplifiers - precious means to reveal the truth...feet soaking wet but he didn’t mind....
Each part of the presentation was introduced in English and Chinese and so we began with, “ Good morning, everyone, we are Falun Gong practitioners. Welcome to Leicester Square! We bring to you a celebration of the Spring Festival. Happy Chinese New Year to the people of London and to everyone of every nationality.”
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We first performed the beautiful and peaceful Falun Dafa exercises explaining that they are suitable for anyone of any age to practise. Following the exercises, we explained, would be many pieces composed and arranged by practitioners themselves. The first of them was a traditional oriental Fan Dance choreographed to the lovely music of “Falun Dafa Hao” [“Falun Dafa is good”].
And so we commenced!
And the rain poured down...but we didn’t mind....
A lady practitioner performed a piece she composed herself for the Pi Pa or traditional Chinese lute. It was called “Praise the Cosmic Law” and sounded into the square, hallowed and profound.
Faces in the crowd stood out from time to time. One person I seemed to recognise but had never seen before. His face was pure and his eyes were fixed on mine for a long time with a look of predestination. He was so familiar, I was almost convinced he was my brother; he smiled and taking a leaflet he walked off into the London throng.
We told the people that we were celebrating with some of our friends but that some others were missing. We told them that those missing are sadly imprisoned in China only for practising Falun Dafa and believing in the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance. One, we went on, is Yongjie, the fiancée of a Manchester practitioner appealing for her that day. Another, we said, is Bao Lian the sister of a London practitioner who was also with us. We said that our hearts go out to them in their suffering as we keep their dear faces in mind. Then we performed a piece especially for them. One practitioner sang with Bao Lian’s brother a song about his sister missing in a Chinese jail of unknown location. One practitioner sang a song with Bao Lian's brother about his sister who is missing in a Chinese jail of unknown location. Next a play was acted about Yongjie and Bao Lian's story in both Chinese and English. It told of how Yongjie and her fiancé Weiguo grew up together, of their amazing good fortune to begin practising Dafa together and of their diligent studies separating them temporarily prior to fulfilling a wish to marry when Weiguo went to study in England. Then came the awful news to Weiguo that Yongjie had been arrested and could not be located. We spoke of his broken heart and his appeal to the UK government and to all good people to help find and free her.
Their story was reiterated in a dance performed by a Chinese female practitioner and a young Western man. Handsome, beautiful and dancing gracefully in the rain, they reminded us of the innocence that had been violated at Yongjie’s arrest. The girl’s long dress and delicate steps remained lovely despite her wet and muddy dancing slippers….her face serene, she did not mind....
It was so cold, and the Western practitioner presenting had forgotten to put on her thermals under her thin Chinese dress but she didn’t mind....
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A solo on Er Hu (traditional Chinese violin) was followed by a rendition in Chinese and English by two Western lady practitioners of “De Du” (“Be saved”). This moving and plaintive call to the people to awake to the goodness of Falun Gong and therefore to the false slanders of the cruel persecutors was later echoed on solo flute.
More fan dancing followed more exercises, more fliers being handed out and more signatures added to the Family Rescue petition for Yongjie, Bao Lian and others.
A short play written by an accomplished playwright called Tinch Minter brought to life the story of Yongjie and Bao Lian, our practitioners’ family members awaiting rescue in China. It showed their innocent defence of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance as they unfurled a banner with only these three words on it. It showed their violent arrest and the sabotage of communication via post, phone and email between Weiguo and Bao in the West and their fiancée and sister in the East. It showed the cruel pressure and intimidation their families were subjected to. The public were really attracted by the scene and seemed fascinated and moved by this play. They studied it closely. The author had gone without much sleep the night before as she threw her lot in with us and donned her sleeping bag on the scout centre floor! We thank her very much for her kind and sympathetic support.
And we held umbrellas over each other as we addressed the gathered public and over the keyboard player as she accompanied Bao Lian’s brother who sang with a lady practitioner “How are you, Bao Lian?”
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A Chinese lady practitioner, leading a chorus of Western and Chinese singers, sang two songs. The songs had been written especially for the Chinese people who have been deceived by Jiang Zemin’s propaganda campaign. To be a Dafa practitioner, we explained, is to open only to ever deepening levels of goodness like the opening petals of the subject of the second song, the Lotus Flower. We told the audience we hoped the people would come to know the truth as soon as possible.
One of the singers was happy to offer her thermals to another, her body hardened, but not her generous heart, by the countless days she and a small team have kept vigil in front of the Chinese embassy, appealing for their fellows suffering persecution.
The children then moved us with 3 songs. One was to our revered teacher and founder of Falun Gong, Li Hongzhi. Another, the sad call of a child to her mother who is imprisoned for following and defending Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance. Yet another told the heart rending bravery of a little child whose family was torn apart by the wicked persecution of his parents for standing up for the universal and humanitarian principles upheld by Falun Gong.
Many fliers were given out by practitioners, each one a gift of truth given compassionately and from their hearts.
And as we announced that the young practitioners would dance a piece called “After the rain”, we suddenly noticed the rain had stopped. Two practitioners, the father and daughter of a peaceful family harmonised by Falun Dafa recited “Be Saved” on both Western and Chinese violins.
And we put on each other’s coats against the cold and smiled inner smiles from our hearts as we sang the wonderful Dafa songs together for the public who clapped after each one. Before the final group performance of a joyful “Falun Dafa Hao” we expressed a hope that they had enjoyed our presentation and that it had helped them feel the grace and peace of this traditional and spiritual meditation practice. On behalf of all Falun Gong practitioners everywhere, we wished them a Happy Chinese New Year and a bright and happy future!
And we were cold and the wind bit, but not into our hearts made steadfast by Falun Dafa.
And our feet were wet but we did not mind because Falun Dafa has taught us to think of others first and always devote our hearts to the things we do.
Chinese version available at
http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200302/17456.html
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