Russia: Introducing Falun Gong to the People of Tomsk

September 17th, 2006 was a fine Autumn day. As on previous weekends, Falun Gong practitioners in Russia’s Tomsk went to a park along the Tomsk River to demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises to the general public. They also distributed leaflets to expose the Chinese Communist regime’s cruel persecution of innocent people who believe in the principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.

Falun Gong practitioners in Tomsk demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises in a park

The park, in commemoration of World War II, is the place where local people usually relax at their leisure. After viewing the demonstration of the Falun Gong exercises, some elderly people approached the practitioners to ask for more information about the exercises, expressing their wishes to maintain good health. They wondered if old age might be a barrier for them to cultivate Falun Gong, whether there are specific requirements on time, place and dress when practicing the exercises. The practitioners answered their queries one after another patiently. They told them that the exercises are easy to learn without limitations on age, time, place and dress, as the exercises can be practiced any time any where, so it is very convenient for people to practice.

Out of curiosity, some male and female University students passing the park approached the practitioners, asked questions and took flyers. They asked what Falun Gong is, whether it is a religion, qigong, yoga, gymnastics, meditation, or philosophy. The practitioners briefly answered their queries and told them that Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese righteous cultivation practice, which guides people towards compassion through cultivating their bodies and character at the same time. They also invited those who were interested in Falun Gong to participate in the weekly regular group exercises and study of Falun Dafa's principles at various practice sites, so as to get more insight into Falun Gong. They advised them that the way to experience Falun Gong’s magnificence is by means of persistent self-cultivation. Some of them thus practiced the second Falun Gong exercise on the spot and managed to maintain the postures for a long period of time.

Practitioners demonstrated the exercises and distributed flyers for about four hours or so, while the sun was shining and the sky was crystal clear. As many people passed the scene one group after another, they ended up running out of flyers. Seeing so many local residents took advantage of this opportunity to learn the practice, the practitioners were very pleased, and started to plan for the promotion activities to be held the following weekend.