Germany: “It is such a wonderful cultivation method, where can I learn it?”

The Lindenau district in the west of renowned German city Leipzig is an economic centre with great history. Many businesses are located here, with buildings standing row after row. In June every year, the district organises a large-scale community celebration activity. The activity not only attracts the participation of many local residents, it also attracts large number of people from other areas. Every year Falun Gong practitioners set up an information stall, providing people in the community the important information about the beauty of Falun Gong and the human rights violations committed by the Chinese Communist regime.

The 2007 celebration activity is more attractive than previous years because the Mayor of Leipzig would make a speech. Falun Gong practitioners not only have an information stall as before, they also have permission to have large performances on the stage and outdoor “truthfulness, compassion and forbearance” art exhibition. They hoped that the Mayor and all the visitors would be able to personally witness and feel the beauty and peacefulness of Falun Gong. Practitioners also wanted to show people that even though Falun Gong cultivation group has been brutally persecuted by the Chinese Communist regime for eight years and the persecution is still continuing, they still bring the benefits of the practice to the people.

Because some officials were misled by the Chinese Communist regime’s defamatory propaganda against Falun Gong, Falun Gong’s application for attending the celebration encountered some difficulties initially. This sudden event became an excellent opportunity for the Falun Gong practitioners in Leipzig to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to government officials. In the letter to government officials, practitioners not only exposed the brutal persecution encountered by Falun Gong practitioners in the past eight years, they also explained what Falun Gong is and the spiritual and physical benefits the cultivation brings to the people.

In this year’s community celebration activity, using the beautiful traditional Chinese dancing, the heart-felt singing, and peaceful Falun Gong exercise demonstration, Falun Gong practitioners brought the beauty of Falun Gong to the people and won the warm welcome by the participated audiences. At the end of the activity, some people, who were misled by the Chinese Communist Party’s lies, had misunderstandings about Falun Gong and were against Falun Gong practitioners’ participation in the activity as a result, changed their view about Falun Gong and happily accepted materials about Falun Gong and chatted with Falun Gong practitioners.

There were many touching stories during the celebration activity:

A German lady came to read the display boards. After learned the inhuman treatment of the Chinese police against innocent Falun Gong practitioners, she felt very sad that so many good people in China who believe in the “truthfulness, compassion and forbearance” could not live freely like her. She said, “These policemen are worse than animals. Animals hunt out of their natural response. However these policemen are worse than them.”

During the Falun Gong exercise demonstration, a middle-aged lady came on the stage and stayed to learn the movements from the beginning to the end. After the demonstration, a gentleman grabbed a practitioner’s hand and said excitedly, “It is such a wonderful cultivation method, where can I learn it?”

The organising committee gave all the best periods of the stage performances to Falun Gong practitioners. Practitioners did the starting and ending performances. At the end of the celebration activity, the person in charge of the activity walked on to the stage holding practitioner’s hand. He explained to the people the unhappy incident (the difficulty encountered during the application by Falun Gong practitioners), and apologised to practitioners. He jokingly asked the age of the practitioner and said to audiences approvingly, “Have a look. He is so young and healthy. It seems Falun Gong is indeed an excellent cultivation method. It is truly beneficial to health.”