Jan 24, 2009

(Clearwisdom.net) WESTCHESTER, New York--The Performing Arts Center at SUNY-Purchase College, on 400 acres of natural landscape half an hour from Manhattan, hosted the Divine Performing Arts "Chinese New Year Splendor" on Jan. 23.

Mr. Mawson, who was once a Buddhist monk in Thailand, was delighted with DPA's portrayal of Chinese traditional culture through classical Chinese dance and music.

"I thought the show was wonderful. I was absolutely mesmerized by it," he said.

Originally from England, Mr. Mawson now lives in Westchester, N.Y., and teaches Thai Dhammakaya meditation, nutrition, and disease prevention.

"I just loved the dancing, the singing, the costumes, and lots of very, very hard work has gone into producing such a wonderful show. It's very moving, actually."

Mr. Mawson said he was particularly touched because he realized that the two performances about the persecution of Falun Gong in the show were based on reality, and many people in the West were quite unaware that such a persecution existed.

"I understood where the show was coming from," he said, "I understood the persecution of people practising Falun Gong in China."

"Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution" and "Dignity and Compassion" tell the story of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in two very different and moving ways. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline rooted in Chinese culture whose adherents are experiencing brutal treatment at the hands of the Chinese regime.

"It was presented in such a way that it went right to my soul, if you like," said Mr. Mawson of the two pieces. "There were many moments when it was quite emotional for me to watch what was going on."

Source: http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10834/