Japan: Practitioners Hold New Year's Group Study and Experience Sharing

Every New Year's Eve, practitioners go to the Chinese Embassy in Japan to peacefully appeal for the end of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. On January 2nd and 3rd, Falun Gong practitioners from different areas of Japan gathered to have a group study and experience-sharing meeting. After studying two lectures of Zhuan Falun [the principle book of Falun Dafa] and "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York," practitioners began to talk warmly and enthusiastically, sharing their experiences.

A practitioner from Shanghai was visiting her daughter in Japan. She discussed the cruel torture that Mainland Falun Dafa practitioners have endured and how they continued to let the people around them know the truth in such an evil environment. She was once illegally jailed in the Shanghai Women's Forced Labour Institution. She brought a winter coat worn by inmates in the labour camp. It was very thin, like a light sports jacket. She said they were only allowed to wear this thin coat in winter, and they were forced to work. She was assigned to string small beads to make adornments. Her eyes were very stressed by the painstaking work. In the forced labour institute, she witnessed many tortures applied to Falun Gong practitioners. After this practitioner was released, she wisely used every opportunity in daily life to clarify the truth to people who were deceived by the lies and propaganda of Jiang's faction. On the night before her trip to Japan, she sincerely talked to a former practitioner who had stopped cultivation as a result of the persecution. The heartfelt sharing led the person to decide to practice again. The experiences shared were very moving.

Adornments made of small beads produced in the labour camp

Another practitioner shared a story about her son who had toured China recently. Her son had met up with practitioners in China running a small shop. They told him the truth about the persecution. He said he could see the truth and honesty in their eyes. He was very moved that they took the risk to tell him the truth. So he understood why his mother worked so hard to explain the truth to people, appealing for the end of the persecution. He realized that practitioners were such good people. After he returned to Japan, he wanted to read the Zhuan Falun.

A few practitioners shared their thoughts with regard to cultivation during the Fa-rectification period and how to eliminate selfishness. Practitioners also discussed a few points of not doing well while applying for political asylum. They realized that it was a question of validating Dafa or validating oneself. The discussion changed to a few problems in some practitioners' cultivation. The practitioners all felt that cultivation was a very serious thing, just as Master reminded us.

In the past months, many Japanese practitioners have taken turns to let people know the facts in New York City. They shared their experiences about explaining the facts to New Yorkers and policemen. At the same time, practitioners in Japan also clarified the truth to Japanese and visiting Chinese in Japan - on the streets, in electronic appliance stores, Chinese groceries and the immigration office. One practitioner said that many Chinese people learned the truth and wanted to read Zhuan Falun. He always tried his best to personally send the book by mail, so as not to miss a chance for a predestined person to learn about Falun Gong.

After two days of studying and sharing, practitioners generally felt that they understood better about the Fa and that other practitioner's experiences had encouraged them. Group study can refine practitioners. Practitioners make progress by sharing and studying together.