United States: Art Exhibit Moves Students at University of California, Berkeley

On November 15th, 2005, in order to help more students and faculty members learn about Falun Gong and the persecution in China, the Falun Gong Club at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) held a "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" art exhibit on campus. A large number of students came to appreciate the paintings. Many of them attentively listened to the practitioners' introduction about the paintings, some were moved to tears and many expressed the wish to learn Falun Gong.

Maria, a Falun Dafa practitioner, told the visitors, "As an artist, I know that art is also a language which artists use to express their emotions and hearts."

Visitors viewing the paintings	A visitor learning the Falun Gong exercises at the exhibit

Painting at the exhibition showing the torture methods forced upon Dafa practitioners	Painting at the exhibition showing Dafa practitioners peaceful appeals

Maria told the visitors that all the artists who contributed to this exhibit are Falun Gong practitioners and that these paintings are based on their personal experiences and reflection. Some of the paintings depict the elevation and purification of the spirit that come from practising Falun Gong. Other paintings depict the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brutal persecution of practitioners and the uncompromising spirit of practitioners who still compassionately clarify the truth to awaken the conscience of the public and even of the perpetrators, despite the suppression.

While a lot of students came to view these paintings out of curiosity, many of them were deeply moved by the exhibit and quite a few were moved to tears. A young student of Asian origin also came to the exhibit hall. Without stopping, he looked through the different sections of the exhibit quickly. However, he was drawn to stop when he saw paintings that depicted how practitioners are being tortured in China. He earnestly looked at the paintings and was apparently confused by the suffering of the practitioners shown in the images. A practitioner then told him that the paintings revealed some of the torture methods used by the CCP against Falun Gong practitioners in China.

The student then asked, "What is Falun Gong?"

The practitioner explained that Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese cultivation practice that teaches people to be good persons following the principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.' The practitioner said that people obtain good health and a higher standard of morality through practising Falun Gong.

The student then asked, "Why is the practice being persecuted if it is so good?" The practitioner explained that the persecution was launched by former Chinese leader, Jiang Zemin, and the CCP out of political interest and jealousy. The student commented that he had heard of some vicious things done by CCP.

"To secure its power, the CCP has killed many innocent Chinese and done countless vicious things. Before July 20, 1999, practitioners were allowed to practise Falun Gong.

Because the practice is very good, in just a few years since Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Gong in 1992, it soon attracted one hundred million people, including many high-ranking officials. Besides the fact that Falun Gong practitioners outnumbered CCP members, a major reason for the CCP to hysterically persecute Falun Gong is that the characteristics of the CCP are 'falsehood, hatred and struggle' while the practice of Falun Gong teaches 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.' If increasing numbers of Chinese choose to follow 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance,' then the CCP can't maintain its 'falsehood, hatred and struggle,'" the practitioner explained.

The student immediately came to understand the persecution. He then listened to the practitioners' introduction of all the paintings. He also asked, "Where can I learn Falun Gong?" Having realised that many students were eager to learn Falun Gong, UCB student practitioners arranged Falun Gong workshops during the last two days of the exhibit. When the practitioner gave him information about the workshops, the student was excited and thanked the practitioner.

Ben, a member of the UCB Falun Gong Club, said that he founded the club together with several UCB students. He said that many students express their wish to learn Falun Gong after they viewed the exhibit.