(Clearwisdom.net) June 22, 2008, was the last day of the Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival. Many local residents and tourists came to the beautiful Centre Island to take part in this grand occasion. Toronto Minghui School teachers and students came to the island to introduce Falun Dafa.
Young practitioners of Minghui School in sitting meditation
Minghui School students in meditation
People watch young practitioners and gain a deeper understanding of Falun Dafa
Young students from the Minghui School demonstrated the exercises as a way to introduce Falun Dafa. They sat on the lawn to meditate, attracting attention from many passersby. People stopped to watch and take pictures.
An elderly couple and a young man watched the children for a long time. The young man asked Ms. Jin Jin, teacher of Minghui School who was passing out materials, "Is it Falun Gong? They are being persecuted in China, aren't they?" Ms. Jin Jin said, "Yes."
They waited until the children finished doing the exercises. Hearing that the children had sat in meditation for almost 40 minutes, they were amazed. One said, "It's really remarkable! We will definitely get on the website to take a good look."
A middle-aged man pushing a baby stroller accepted materials from a practitioner and said, "I know Falun Gong, they are being persecuted in China. Today I saw it, I'm very interested in it, and I will get on the website and learn more about it."
An Indian couple videotaped the children doing the exercises and both wanted to take a flyer, but when seeing that there were not many materials left in the practitioner's hand they said, "Then, we shall only take one flyer and read it together. We both are interested and will get on the website to learn more about it. Thank you very much."
When five-year-old practitioner Beibei finished the meditation stood up, he said, "My legs are so painful, but so many aunties and uncles were watching us, and they were enjoying it so much, I'm very pleased. I feel very comfortable after doing the exercises."
On the ferry on the way back to the city, many Chinese tourists saw the words "Falun Dafa is good" written on the children's T-shirts and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" appearing on their hats. When they read the words, many commented on the fact that the children here are so free. A couple from Guangzhou, China pushed their grandson in a baby stroller and said to the reporter, "In mainland China, nobody would dare wearing clothes with those words on them. You would be taken away and put into jail on subversion charges." They took materials from a practitioner and carefully put it into a pocket and said that they will learn more about Falun Gong.
Mr. Wu, who just came to Toronto two days ago to visit his relatives, came to the Centre Island with his daughter's family of six. When the reporter asked him about his thoughts, Mr. Wu said, "Today I saw so many Falun Gong practitioners here, it seems they were everywhere. It's impossible in mainland China." Mr. Wu said that he will learn more about Falun Gong while in such a free country.
