A Chinese Restaurant Owner Learns Falun Gong

One day as my father and I drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles, we stopped at a Chinese fast food restaurant to eat. The restaurant was clean, elegant, and its authentic Northern Chinese cuisine was very rich and delicious. The owner was over 50 years old. He was warmhearted and friendly.

During our talk, we learned that we were from the same hometown in China and that he had lived in the United States for many years. My father had a very good talk with him and they got along very well. Gradually, my father brought up the topic of Falun Gong. The owner right away said, "Who would believe what they say? More and more people are practising Falun Gong. Is it really good?" My father replied, "Of course it's good! I have done research on qigong [a form of traditional Chinese exercise which at a low level is intended for healing illnesses and keeping fit] and martial arts for so many years. I can clearly judge whether it's good or not." He used some examples from medical and scientific points of view. He thoughtfully shared with him that Falun Gong is a righteous practice and that it mainly focuses on cultivating xinxing [Mind/Heart nature, moral character] through following "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance." It teaches one to always think of others first. The restaurant owner nodded his head and said, "Falun Gong sounds really good, but how can I learn it?

My father demonstrated the first set of exercises in the restaurant. The owner asked his wife and the chef to learn together with him. After they finished following my father's instruction, they all said that they felt very good. They also took some truth-clarifying materials. The owner said happily, "I have followed the Communist Party since I was 12 years old. I am a typical atheist that is very skeptical towards spiritual things. But, today after practising this exercise, I can feel the energy. I believe it! Falun Gong is really miraculous!" When we heard his sincere response, my father and I both smiled -- he is indeed a person with a predestined relationship [this is similar to the concept of fate in western society].