(Minghui.org) Many Falun Dafa practitioners from northern Europe and other European countries who participated in the Nordic Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference held in Gothenburg, Sweden, on September 21, 2025, said that hearing other practitioners’ cultivation experiences inspired them.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Master’s lectures in Gothenburg. Gathering in Gothenburg once again, several practitioners recalled how they began practicing Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong).
Practicing Dafa Lets Me See Hope
Martin Lindell from Sweden said he became tolerant and wiser after practicing Falun Dafa.
Martin Lindell, who lives in Sweden, began practicing Falun Dafa more than 25 years ago. When he first read the book Zhuan Falun, he immediately felt, “This is what I’ve been looking for.” He discovered the answers to fundamental questions about life that had perplexed him. “Zhuan Falun gave me all the answers. It was truly astonishing.”
Whenever he encountered difficulties and pressures in his life, he learned to “strive to identify the cause, reflect on myself, and try to understand Master’s arrangements.” For example, after his wife left and divorced him, he had to raise their four children on his own and faced immense financial pressure. “That period of time was heartbreaking, but I began to look inward,” he said. “Practicing Falun Dafa taught me to be tolerant and has allowed me to find peace amidst pain.
“Cultivation has made me stronger and wiser,” Martin said. “I’ve learned to not be distracted by the outside world and I’m able to remain peaceful. Especially during the pandemic, I resumed doing the exercises and reading the Fa every day, and I feel I’m back on track.”
A practitioner’s sharing about how he looked inward and asked for Master’s blessings amidst difficulties really touched him. “I often have trouble seeing my own problems, but that sharing made me realize that cultivation is about constantly transcending oneself.” Another practitioner talked about how he lost his luggage on a train and, desperately needing to find it, realized it was an opportunity to reflect on his shortcomings and look inward. This impressed Martin: “Life is full of unexpected situations, but if we can’t remain calm, we’re more likely to make mistakes. I’m trying to learn how to remain calm in the midst of turmoil.”
Appreciating Fellow Practitioners’ Contributions
Veronica Örfelth
Veronica Örfelth learned about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong shortly after she began practicing in 1999. “I was convinced it was such a great practice. I couldn’t find any flaws, so I found it hard to understand why they persecuted practitioners.” She wrote a presentation for the Fa conference, but as she revised it repeatedly, she gradually lost herself in what she wanted to share. This made her realize: “I can better understand the challenges faced by those sharing in person. Having personally experienced it, I understand the difficulty even more. Many steps are not easy. If you only think about it without putting it into action, it may seem simple, but when you truly do it, you’ll realize how incredibly difficult each step is.”
After the conference, she said, “I gained a lot. We all have shortcomings, and it’s impossible to always be in a state of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. But being surrounded by so many fellow practitioners has given us tremendous energy—they are all such kind people.” She explained that she lives between Stockholm and Gothenburg and rarely has the opportunity to see other practitioners face-to-face. They mostly communicate online or by phone. But at the conference: “I was deeply impressed by everyone’s kindness, smiles, and pure hearts.”
Treasuring Each Sharing
Gisela Evander
Gisela Evander from Sweden also began practicing Falun Dafa in 1999. It was through her practice that, despite suffering from dyslexia, she was finally able to attend university at the age of 30, a feat that brought her great joy. Dafa also brought her blessings. Over the past seven years, despite enduring hardships, she has persevered and felt Master’s care and protection, and many amazing things have occurred: “Dafa has saved my life many times in many different ways.”
After the conference, she said, “We all have a mission: to follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. I am delighted to be able to get together again today and listen to other practitioners’ experiences.” As for her own cultivation journey, she said, “For me, it’s more about letting go of selfishness, overcoming difficulties, and cherishing and valuing cultivation itself. No matter what I encounter, I will persevere and never give up.” From her own experience, she clearly feels that by “Believing in Dafa and believing in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, you will be able to overcome danger, experience the miracles of Dafa, and ultimately have a wonderful life.”
Father and Son Practitioners Participate in the Conference
Swedish practitioners appreciate Master for coming to Gothenburg 30 years ago and teaching the Fa.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Master’s visit to Gothenburg to give lectures and teach the exercises (which is also the 30th anniversary of Dafa’s introduction to Europe), members of the Tian Guo Marching Band and waist drum team from several European countries were invited to participate in the conference and the celebration the day before.
Father and son bass drummers from Croatia were deeply impressed by the experiences of Swedish practitioners at the conference.
Ivan, a member of the Tian Guo Marching Band from Croatia, and his 19-year-old son Sven were drummers in the first row of the parade. This was the first time the pair had ever attended a large-scale Fa conference together.
At the conference, Ivan met many practitioners from different countries, including Sweden and Norway, Germany, France, and Turkey. One Swedish practitioner recalled her experience attending the first international Fa conference held in China in the 1990s. This left a deep impression on Ivan, who felt that this Nordic Fa conference was also a great opportunity for practitioners from different countries to connect and exchange experiences. The atmosphere was very peaceful.
A Norwegian practitioner talked about his conflicts with his wife and his progress in cultivation, which touched Ivan deeply. “This is very helpful. I’ve had similar experiences, but I didn’t realize at the time that marital conflict was actually an opportunity for me to uncover my attachments. She was helping me cultivate.”
Sven began practicing Falun Gong with his father when he was nine. Although he experienced periods of loss during his youth, his father didn’t force him to practice. Instead, he frequently reminded him to remember the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and forwarded Master’s new articles to him. Two years ago, Sven was deeply impressed by Master’s articles “Stay Far Away from Peril” and “Cultivation in Dafa Is Serious.” His mindset completely shifted, and he resumed cultivating.
“I felt an incredibly strong energy,” Sven said. “The most moving experience for me was when several Swedish practitioners shared their experiences of introducing the Fa in Sweden, and their efforts to clarify the truth after learning about the persecution in China. As I listened to their stories, scenes from that time seemed to appear in my mind.” He was also moved when he heard a practitioner discussing the seriousness of studying the Fa. “I felt like almost every word she said was meant for me. Although I had originally thought I was studying the Fa quite well, her sharing made me realize that I still need to improve in some areas, to truly study the Fa effectively, rather than just going through the motions.”
Revisiting Gothenburg
Gothenburg
For Finnish practitioner Sinikka, Gothenburg is a very special place. After she began practicing Falun Dafa in 2000, she frequently visited Sweden to attend events. She’s familiar with this Fa conference venue and reminisced about her first encounter with Falun Dafa.
She was at a health fair in Helsinki when a Finnish-speaking Swedish practitioner introduced her to Falun Dafa. On the way home, she told the other passengers on the bus, “I’ve found something very important,” and she began telling them about Falun Dafa. She’s usually quiet and introverted and doesn’t like to disturb anyone. After she began practicing Falun Dafa, she was filled with joy and a desire to share. She proactively approaches people and strikes up conversations.
During the conference, a Swedish practitioner shared her experience of looking inward and resolving negative emotions, which really touched her. She recalled the need to constantly expand the capacity of her heart when interacting with practitioners from China. Sometimes, she looked down on some practitioners’ behavior and was resentful. But she also knew that they were her teammates. She should understand them, open her heart, and patiently explain things to them so they could coordinate smoothly.
Many practitioners said they were extremely grateful and thankful they had attended the conference and that they planned to share the grace of Dafa and the hope brought by Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance with more people.
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