(Clearwisdom.net) The annual Indy International Festival, central Indiana's largest and oldest multi-ethnic celebration, always draws tourists interested in different cultures of the world. It has become a window to the world for the locals. “We come here to tour the world,” said one of the visitors. As in previous years, Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the event, which was held this year from November 17 to 20, 2011. The peaceful practice was like a quiet stream soothing people’s uneasy hearts. A group of students waited in line to learn the exercises.

A young man passed by the Falun Dafa booth while a practitioner was teaching the exercises. It drew his attention and he sat down to learn them, too. He said that he was interested in sitting meditation. The practitioner told him about the concept of sitting meditation in traditional Chinese culture and its connection with health. He then explained the role of sitting meditation in Falun Dafa and how following the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance in our everyday lives can benefit our bodies and minds. After the young man did the exercises for a few minutes, he said he felt great. The practitioner then told him about the ongoing persecution in China and how it happened. The man took a flier so that he could get more information on the Internet. A week later, he called the practitioner, again telling him that he wanted to learn more about Falun Dafa. He learned all five exercises and said that he would go to the practice site the following week to exercise with other practitioners.

A middle school girl stopped by the booth on the last day of the event. She said that she felt really good after learning the exercises the first day, so she brought her two sisters and grandmother with her this time. The practitioner taught them the exercises and the principles of the Falun Dafa teachings. They were fascinated by the beauty of the practice. Before they left, the practitioner gave them a handmade paper lotus flower. The grandmother insisted on paying, saying, “Please take it. You can use this money to buy more materials and let people know about the practice.” Before they left, the middle school girl told the practitioners, “You are all my friends. I will come back next year and I hope to see you all.”

Another girl who stopped by the booth said that she was give a Falun Dafa flier in Washington, DC, and knew about the persecution in China. She was very interested in the practice. She learned the exercises on her own from the free materials online. She had been troubled because she could not find any other practitioners to study with. When she saw the Falun Dafa booth, she was very excited. She stayed at the booth for a long time and asked the practitioners to correct her exercise movements.