Taiwan: Report from the 2004 Falun Dafa Northern Taiwan Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference

Beginning on the 13th of August, 2004, more than 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners from Taipei, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Ilan and other places gathered at Jiantan Youth Activity Centre in Taipei to attend the three-day 2004 Northern Taiwan Group Falun Gong Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference and to read the teachings of Falun Gong.

Early morning practice of the Falun Gong exercises on the lawn of Jiantan

Many attendees were new practitioners who have practised Falun Dafa for only a few months and others who have never attended group study of the teachings of Falun Gong and group practice, though they have known Falun Gong for many years. Veteran practitioners' stories about how they cultivate themselves in their daily lives and improve themselves according to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" gave much inspiration for new practitioners.

As the number of people who learn to practice Falun Gong has rapidly increased in Taiwan, the experience sharing conference also arranged a special group study of the book Consummation Way of Falun Dafa, in the hopes that every practitioner can correctly do the five sets of exercises. Many practitioners expressed that many of their incorrect movements have been corrected through this activity.

The contents of exchanging and sharing included not only personal cultivation experiences, but also how to think of the seriousness of cultivation, how to do well the three things Master requires of us and how to coordinate and improve as a whole body among practitioners.

There was also a Minnan Dialect Fa Study Group, providing practitioners who cannot communicate with Mandarin with an environment to join group Fa [universal principle, the teachings of Falun Gong] study. Some practitioners are illiterate, but in such a harmonious atmosphere, they began from the reciting of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance and then proceeded to read most of the words in Lunyu [preface of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong], Hong Yin [a collection of Teacher Li's poems] and Zhuan Falun.

More than a hundred young practitioners attended the Fa-study group for children. Many of them regularly attended Fa study and group practice in the Taipei Minghui School, and have played an important role in introducing Falun Dafa and clarifying the truth about Falun Gong in many activities held across Taiwan. So they had a lot of experiences to share during this group Fa study.

The main hall for experience sharing is fully occupied	Practitioners listen to the experience sharing

On the afternoon of the 15th of August, the "2004 Falun Dafa Northern Taipei Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference" was held at Jingguo Hall of Jiantan Youth Activity Centre. More than 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners, along with their friends and relatives, attended this grand conference. Fifteen practitioners shared their experiences on stage. They come from all walks of life, including soldiers, university professors, middle school teachers, doctors, housewives, police officers, students and a five-year-old practitioner.

By noon, the main hall and auxiliary hall began to fill up. Veteran practitioners voluntarily took seats in the auxiliary hall, allowing new practitioners and their friends and relatives to take seats in the main hall.

At 1:10 p.m., the cultivation experience sharing conference began with two practitioners' opening speeches. The first speaker was a young man named Huang Yuting, who serves in the army. He said that he was a middle school graduate, and his family was quite worried about him before. After practising Falun Gong, his poor health improved and the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" changed him to be a person who is more disciplined and considerate of others. He also shared his experience in the army. He originally used a flashlight to read the Falun Dafa books under the blanket, afraid of being seen by others. Later he practised the exercises openly and explained to others about the popularity of Falun Dafa around the world and his cultivation experience of how he benefited from practising Falun Dafa.

A young man who serves in the army shares his experience	Director of the Graduate Institute of Journalism at the National Taiwan University Chang Jin-hua shares her experience

Another speaker was Chang Jin-hua, currently professor and director of the Graduate Institute of Journalism at the National Taiwan University. She was once at a loss between her cultivation, busy administrative work, and teaching and research work. Through peaceful studying the Fa, she found she would no longer think of "being busy," but merge cultivation into her work, treating everything she encounters from a perspective of a cultivator. She is now about to take the position as dean of a research centre of the university.

A five-year-old practitioner talked about how she gets along with other kids in her kindergarten and how she follows "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" to make herself a better person. The young practitioner's purity and tolerance touched the hearts of the audience, and everyone gave her a round of warm applause.

A young practitioner shares her experience	A visually handicapped practitioner shares his experience of making phone calls to China

A visually handicapped practitioner did not confine himself in his own world, but uses his great compassion and unselfishness to care for others, and tells people that Falun Dafa is good. He also shared how he made phone calls to China to tell the Chinese people about Falun Dafa.

During the conference, practitioners viewed a film "Journey Between Heaven and Earth." The film recounts the persecution of Falun Gong and voices of justice from governments of different countries to call for an end to the persecution.

Practitioners also shared their experiences of clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to the Chinese people through making phone calls, and using the Internet and other means. They also talked about the importance of Fa-study and the improvement of one's mind or heart nature, and reminded everyone that at the final phase of cultivation, we should more clearly get rid of our hidden attachments and shortcomings, and do well the three things that Master requires of us and live up to our historic mission.

At 6:00 p.m., the Fa conference successfully concluded after everyone sent forth righteous thoughts together.

Falun Dafa practitioners send forth righteous thoughts at 6:00p.m