"My Autumn Journey" by a Western Dafa Practitioner

By Peter Recknagel

I am one of many practitioners from the ten different countries who, with today’s peaceful protest, wish to pass judgment on the Chinese government authorities for their treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. All participants are friends who had agreed among themselves to the following: With our appearance [in Beijing], to bring hope to those fellow practitioners who have been accused, tortured and humiliated, been subjected to the evil deeds; to encourage fellow practitioners to never give up their faith in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

Society’s biggest legacy is her virtue, this raw material for peace and human happiness, an inheritance that must not be neglected or suppressed.

Falun Gong is the purest and most upright of these movements in the world today, an opinion I am confident I am entitled to express, after having intensively learned and practised this system for four-and-a-half years.

Many journalists have not yet grasped the meaning of Falun Gong. Some so-called experts in matters of religious study, whose attempt to integrate Falun Gong into one of several historical Chinese systems, have yet to read “Zhuan Falun,” calmly and without prejudice, speak of “sects” and politics, and completely misunderstand the inner meaning. They therefore publicly debate and insult [Falun Gong], again and again. A pity! Other journalists delved into Falun Gong’s background, though, and gained insights into practitioners’ attitudes toward life and have then pronounced responsible but critical comments, thereby expressing their prior misunderstandings of the bloody persecution against practitioners and at the same time expressed their admiration for Falun Gong people.

I hope that with this act [at Tiananmen Square] practitioners again can peacefully and calmly proclaim and express the world’s intent to stop the suppression of Falun Gong in China. I personally appeal to the Chinese government to finally end this senseless murdering and persecution. I also want to again expressively state that all propaganda material [broadcast] against Falun Gong is irresponsible and concocted, something that becomes obvious under scrutiny.

Falun Gong acquainted me with highly moral, high-caliber men and women, the most charming and best-looking children. It was Falun Gong that led me to the elite Chinese Language Studies programme at Johann Wolfgang von Goethe University in Frankfurt. It was Falun Gong that transformed me into calm, compassionate young man who has never been sick in the past 4-1/2 years. It was Falun Gong that made me into a responsible and prudent boss in the company where I have worked for the past ten years. Please understand, therefore, that I wish to protect this “precious pearl of the Universe,” until its purity and innocence will once more be recognized. How can I sanction and watch any longer the deeds of the Chinese government, when 312 practitioners have already died [due to government-ordered circumstances], when countless have been arrested, thousands are physically and psychologically tormented in forced labour camps?

It is now clear to me that the Chinese government is using beatings, brutality and force even against us. Because Falun Gong gave me a new life, I am prepared to protect Falun Gong with my life, although I hope that it won’t come to that. The persecution, however, has escalated to such an extent at the moment, that anything these rabid foxes can think of is possible.

Finally, I hope that news of this appeal will reach people around the world in an unedited and unadulterated manner. Wake up, protect the good and condemn the evil, look into your hearts and into the hearts of those where the indescribable brightness of Truth, Compassion and Forbearance is reflected.

Peter Recknagel
German Practitioner