Warm Welcome for SOS Campaign in Czech and Slovak Republics II

Experiencing Kindness in Bratislava

On Sunday we left the camp and that evening we arrived in Bratislava the capital of the Slovak republic on the river Danube. When we were on the train we realised that in this second year's camp many more people were open to hear about Falun Gong and we did not encounter any resistance from anyone. The climate has really changed.

While six of us traveled by the intercity train to the heart of the city, the four practitioners in our support car lost their way in the suburbs. They were lost until they came to a giant roadside billboard with just two words on it: Master Li. Encouraged, and clearly guided, they turned their car around and soon they came to another huge billboard with the words Master Li on it. Very quickly they found their way to the accommodation where we were waiting for them. As they stepped out of the car they heard a loud voice from a group of French tourists behind them speak out the words Master Li.

The next morning, as we had no permission to show our exercises and posters, we divided into two groups. The first group of six people stayed in the park on the riverbank reading, sending righteous thoughts and giving out leaflets. The second group of four spent the morning visiting many local government offices to get permission. It was suggested that such permission might take weeks to be processed by the various departments in the town. At the same time it was not clear which department would be responsible for this permission. We remembered: "so in clarifying the truth, don't wait, don't rely on others and don't just hope for changes in external factors" (from Master Li's article "To All Students at the Nordic Fa Conference").

Eventually we found a wonderful, kind hearted person who was willing to cut though the red tape to help us. "I will help you to find the best place that will do justice to the dignity of your meditation practice." she said. Tears came into our eyes. That afternoon we had the best place in Bratislava and the predestined people came to hear about and see the Fa. This permission put us right in the middle of a beautiful old shopping precinct bordering the main avenue of the city. Masses of people watched us exercise. It was impossible for five of us to give out fliers fast enough so that everyone could get them.

We sent an email to media from an internet café and the next day photographers, journalists and radio stations came to ask questions. The local Amnesty International came to discuss how to arrange future joint ventures. People signed our petition and many stood around watching quietly. Some important people came asking what else they could do for us and how they could help us. There was a crowd studying the huge posters. When we sat down for the meditation and to send forth righteous thoughts, people looked at us with respect and admiration and spoke in hushed tones. Over those two days we gave out all our Czech, Slovak, German, English and Chinese fliers, brochures and newspapers.

Heart Warming Experience in Brno

Having taken a bus to Brno, the capital of Moravia in the Czech republic, we followed the same routine to obtain the 'hard to get' permission for the busiest spot in town with the help of kind hearted and helpful local government officials. This time we decided against using the internet café and instead walked around media offices to tell them about us. They sent reporters, photographers and reporters from newspapers and radio stations. The next day we could see our exercises in the papers. When the nine-year Mario saw us practicing, he stayed with us the whole afternoon giving out fliers faster and better than anyone of us. Pointing at the words Falun Gong and Zhan-Shan-Ren in the fliers he was saying to everyone: "This is good!" No one refused his fliers.

As we practiced in the blistering heat the whole day, we realised that what we were doing on this SOS trip was: group reading at night, talking to people and media, giving out fliers and exercising in the baking sun during the day and sending out righteous thoughts at every opportunity. At the end of our last evening in Brno, a practitioner from another part of the country needed our help and called us on the mobile. Instantly we all sat down and sent out righteous thoughts. Nobody was giving out fliers and there were not so many people about. When we opened our eyes there was a big crowd of people silently looking at our posters and us. This happened several so we can testify to the effects of righteous thoughts. Later we received a call from the other end of the country telling us that the situation had resolved itself.

Great Media Interest in Prague

In Prague, the capital of the Czech republic in the centre of Bohemia on the river Moldau, we actually received permission to practice in the Peace Square. Also in Prague we sent an email to the Czech press Agency CTK from an internet café, describing what we were doing and why. Over the next two days the media descended on us en masse.

We were joined by two local practitioners, one Chinese and one Czech, and two German practitioners who had driven hundreds of miles from Germany to support us. This freed three of us to spent most of the next two days talking to the media. The media were most favourable, wrote well about us, were well informed about Falun Gong, treated us with respect, and asked intelligent questions. At least nine nationally distributed papers carried photographs and articles about our SOS trip and Falun Gong. Several radio stations interviewed us in Czech and English and two independent TV companies shot footage. The response of the media amazed all of us. Some of the people who came to see us exercise said they had heard us talking on the radio broadcasts throughout the night.

We spent that evening meditating in a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese embassy, where busloads of Chinese tourists coming in and out of the compound saw us, our banners, and our huge posters. Friendly, courteous and interested police officers stood by to protect us and prevent any interference. As we were sitting in our yellow shirts and sending out righteous thoughts, they watched us with interest.

That night, with the weight of the newspaper media and the radio coverage behind us, the Czech TV organised a prime time slot to show parts of our videos and invited a practitioner to discuss the situation in China with a Czech Sinologist. The practitioner was able to expose the propaganda lies and the inhuman treatment of the practitioners in China. Only afterwards we were told that this station was voted one of the five most objective news broadcasting stations in Europe. The programme was shown live that night and at breakfast time the next morning to a national audience.

One of the reasons why the Czech and the Slovak people were so supportive was that they had first hand experience of forty years of a totalitarian regime. So they understand and their kind hearts recognise the goodness of Falun Dafa. We were amazed that so many kindhearted people were feeling sorry for the practitioners in China. People kept asking to sign the petition. They would read every word of it and then they would sign it.

What Have We Learned?

We learned that when we were in the Fa, we could accomplish 'the impossible'. As a whole group, very often we had to send forth righteous thoughts to act as one bigger particle and to bring ourselves back into the Fa. As soon as something did not go right, we knew that our thoughts were no longer righteous. As soon as we had some human notions, for example--that it actually was truly impossible to get permission instantly (as the officials told us in the first place)--if even one of us had that thought, things would grind to a halt. That was how Master showed us that our thoughts were no longer righteous and noble. Immediately we remembered that: "In genuine cultivation practice one must cultivate one's own heart and inner self. One should search inside oneself rather than outside" (Zhuan Falun page 357).

Then we would begin sending forth righteous thoughts, saying the words and speaking out what we wanted and expected to happen and what was needed to happen. And then it would happen! If we stayed in righteous thoughts, there were no obstacles. The things that were "impossible" melted away and we could promote the Fa freely. When our thoughts were righteous about promoting Fa, we knew that nothing and no one can stand in the way of this Fa, that no one can prevent it, and that whatever we needed to happen would come about. Then we just watched the kind and helpful local people go through the steps required by their administration or circumstances to help us.

We said to one kind person in one of the cities: "Thank you for receiving us in your office, clearly we have come to the right place." The official replied: "No, you have come to the right person. I will help, because this is a good thing! I will help you to get permission, because what you are really showing is the great ancient cultural heritage of China. I am responsible for culture here. For the demonstration of a great culture I can give my permission immediately. I will also make sure that the Office of the Mayor is fully informed."

Here is another example: When we went at 1pm to apply for permission to sit that evening and for another separate authorization to sit the whole of the next week in front of the Chinese embassy in Prague, we were told that we had to give a five day's notice of application which would then go through the various appropriate departments taking whatever additional time that may take. Then we were told, "Moreover the person responsible for facilitating such applications is on holiday and anyway it is too late this afternoon for you to submit the forms."

Extremely politely and with respect the practitioner said: "I know we have not given the required notice, yet we have come to you because we need to sit in front of the embassy tonight with candles for those persecuted and tortured practitioners in China. We need to start our weeklong vigil next Monday. Right now we need your help."

The official stood up and said: "Please kindly fill in these forms now." We received the permissions twenty minutes later. When the documents were handed to us the official said: "I do not know you. I normally do not give permission like this without knowing the people and I would also want to wait to see how you behave the first time before issuing the second permit. Promise me that you will behave well and there will be no trouble. In any case I am required to inform the diplomatic core and the police."

The practitioner answered: "There will be no problems because we are peaceful. People know us for that, and you can rely on us-- we are practitioners of Falun Gong. We shall be back to you in the future for more authorizations and there will be no trouble." The official accepted our materials and put them in a Falun Gong file created in that office.

Why We Did It

We told everyone in the Czech and Slovak republics that our purpose in coming there was: Firstly, to let everyone know how good Falun Dafa is, and that they can learn it, if they wish. Secondly, the SOS Urgent Rescue the Falun Gong Practitioners in China: we told people about their immense suffering and bravery and how they needed our support and our voice. We were calling on all the kindhearted people, Czechs and Slovaks. Many responded.

The two Czech practitioners from the UK were born in Brno and Prague and lived the first twenty one years of their lives there. To make sure that the Fa is made available to Czech and Slovak people was particularly important to them. They welcomed the opportunity to spread the Fa in their home towns and to clarify the truth to their family members. Members of their families came to see us exercise and spent time with us and were happy to hear about the Fa. They were concerned about the persecution and invited seven of us to stay in one family's home for a few days. We brought righteous thoughts there and so we helped them. Moreover they were helping our SOS hongfa team in every way they could.

During the SOS trip the two practitioners had many realisations that put the meaning of their lives in focus. While they were there, they had glimpses of the incredible perfection that cannot be put into words, the perfection with which everything is already organised.

Much work still needs to be completed in the future with politicians in the Czech and Slovak republics with whom we were to meet, but could not because of the holiday season we were in. When the practitioners from London returned to UK, they found encouraging letters and e-mails from the Czech and Slovak politicians wishing to make contact. Among these letters was also a letter from the Office of the President of the Czech Republic Mr. Vaclav Havel, which expressed his wish to create intense international pressure to stop the abuses of human rights in China.

While we were on this SOS trip to the Czech and Slovak Republics, the translations of Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun in Czech and Slovak languages were posted on falundafa.org where they can be freely downloaded.

We are grateful to our Master for giving us this opportunity to "clarify the truth thoroughly, eliminate the evil with righteous thoughts, save all beings, and safeguard the Fa with determination" (from Master's article "Dafa is Indestructible").