Bulgaria: Presenting Zhuan Falun at the Biggest National Book Fair in Sofia

Bulgarian Falun Gong practitioners presented the book Zhuan Falun to the public at the biggest book forum in Bulgaria – Book Fair 2005. The main text of Falun Gong was published for the first time in Bulgarian language on the 13th of May, World Falun Dafa Day.

On 28th and 29th of May, the visitors at the fair had the opportunity to learn about Zhuan Falun in a special hall for the presentation of new books. During the presentation, the practitioners demonstrated the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. Interested in the effect of the exercises and impressed by how easy they are to learn, some of the spectators stood up to have a go. Later, one of them said she felt refreshed and delighted from practising the exercises.

A small exhibition was arranged with photos showing the history of Falun Gong and some of the large-scale practices in Chinese cities where thousands of people met each morning to do the exercises in a group. The photos also detailed the human rights abuses that the Chinese Communist Party has committed against Falun Gong practitioners under the initiation of former leader Jiang Zemin. Practitioners told people about the principles of Falun Gong, the human rights situation in China and the physical and spiritual benefits they have received from taking up the practice.

People came to find out more about Falun Gong

Falun Gong books and photo display

One practitioner told the visitors that Falun Gong has revealed to her unsuspected things about life and the world and gave her answers to questions she asked herself but couldn’t answer before about the universe, compassion, truth and the meaning of life.

Another practitioner explained about the history of Falun Gong and its persecution, as well as the lawsuits filed in numerous countries around the world against the former leader of the Chinese Communist Party Jiang Zemin. A practitioner narrated in great detail about the labour camps in China and the international efforts to stop the brutal repression of innocent Falun Gong practitioners.

One of the participants asked why Falun Gong is banned, even though it improves morale and health, and is beneficial to society. Others asked how much time it takes to practice the exercises and to do the lotus position and how to achieve being awake but achieve an empty consciousness during meditation.

Many of those attending had read other Eastern philosophies and wanted to know about the main differences between Falun Gong and the rest of the methods like Buddhism and Yoga. Practitioners explained that Falun Gong acts on the mind and body simultaneously, that the practice leads to the development of cultivation energy and that this method can be practised regardless of time, place, etc.

According to some of the guests, the three main principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance should be practised not only by practitioners but by everyone. Many of the visitors expressed the opinion that the world has become ever worse with the morale ever lower, and that something needs to happen to change the situation.

The book Zhuan Falun attracted people’s interest. They reached out instinctively towards the book, impressed by its shining cover. Practitioners received invitations to present the practice of Falun Gong, show the exhibition and demonstrate the exercises by the Union of Disabled Persons, and by an NGO dealing with presentations from various cultivation practices in Sofia.

Many people signed the petition calling for end to the persecution. After the end of the presentation, practitioners stood before the National Palace of Culture in the centre of the city, where the Book Fair was held, and distributed thousands of flyers to people passing by.