Austria: Falun Gong at an Information Day in Traunsee

Recently, Austrian and German Dafa practitioners held an information day in Gmunden city by Lake Traunsee in Austria. On the way there I noticed that the sky was overcast and very dark, so I sent forth righteous thoughts [using upright thoughts to purify oneself and one’s surroundings] for almost my entire three-hour journey.

When I arrived, I joined the other practitioners and we quickly set up our stand and started to practise the Falun Gong exercises and distribute leaflets. That day was a large information day in Gmunden, which only happens once a year. I gave flyers to people at every exhibition stall. Some of them talked to me, asking why we were there. I told them about the wonderful and rich inner meaning my life has had since I became a cultivator of Falun Gong, and how other practitioners have all had the same kind of experiences. I also told them how Falun Gong involves assimilating oneself to the universal principles of “Zhen-Shan-Ren” [Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance]. I then asked them how I could possibly sit at home watching TV, when I know that people who share my belief in “Zhen-Shan-Ren” are being persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and killed in China. If I did that, could I then say that I am a Falun Gong practitioner? All Falun Gong practitioners are close to my heart, like my brothers and sisters. Shouldn’t I do my best for them? The answer is definitely yes. The people I spoke to in Gmunden were deeply touched and told me they hoped that everything would go well and that the persecution in China would end soon.

A lady talked to me about the deterioration of human morality and society. She was so happy and surprised to meet someone who follows the principles of Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance that she almost cried. When I told her about the cruel torture that the Jiang regime has inflicted on Chinese Falun Gong practitioners, she was shocked. She expressed her thanks for our conversation and wished us a successful day, hoping that conditions in China will improve quickly.

When I distributed leaflets next to our stall, most people smiled at me and showed their gratefulness. The weather seemed to test us for the whole day. I sent forth righteous thoughts frequently and felt that we were surrounded by a very benevolent field.

Later in the day, practitioners began to chat because they do not get the chance to see one another very often. This left only two practitioners distributing flyers. It then became windy and started to drizzle. I realised that we should concentrate on what we were doing and not be distracted, so I started sending forth righteous thoughts and also talking to the passers by. My quiet behaviour seemed to affect the other practitioners and soon everybody started to distribute flyers and practise the exercises. The wind and rain soon stopped.

After this day, I understood more deeply that it is very important to maintain righteous thoughts when we do anything. I think that this is a manifestation of being free of attachments; we should do what we are supposed to do, and say what we are supposed to say. On this day, we were not there to share our experiences; our mission was to clarify the truth and expose the evil persecution. We could find another time to share experiences.

We met many people; I could see that everything we did together amounted to a holistic upgrade. If we keep righteous thoughts, we can work more like one body and everything can come from our hearts.

This is my experience. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share with you.

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200303/18852.html