Vancouver: Celebrating World Falun Dafa Day with a Rally and Parade

(Minghui.org) Two hundred Falun Dafa practitioners participated in a rally and parade in downtown Vancouver on May 8, 2022, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. This year marks the 30^th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the public and Master Li’s birthday.

The parade traveled along Vancouver’s main streets and passed several landmark buildings, such as the Five Sails Restaurant. It attracted a large number of spectators.

Falun Dafa practitioners celebrate World Falun Dafa Day at the Vancouver Art Gallery on May 8, 2022

Vancouver Falun Dafa Association Spokesperson: Falun Gong teaches Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance as its Core Values

Zhang Su, Vancouver Falun Dafa Association spokesperson

Zhang Su, the spokesperson for the Vancouver Falun Dafa Association, gave a speech at the rally. She said that Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Gong, introduced the practice to the public on May 13, 1992. She said that Falun Gong is an ancient spiritual practice that teaches Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance as its core values.

“Over the past 30 years, hundreds of millions of people from different ethnic backgrounds around the world have practiced Falun Gong, enabling millions of practitioners to resolve family conflicts and find the true meaning of life through cultivation,” Zhang said.

She said that Falun Gong practitioners voluntarily teach the exercises and have helped thousands of Canadians in different communities improve their mental states, morals and physical health.

“It is worth mentioning that these teaching sessions are completely free, and those who are interested are welcome to participate at any time,” Ms. Zhang added.

Falun Gong practitioners parade in downtown Vancouver after holding a rally on May 8, 2022.

Ukrainian Community Rally Organizer: Falun Gong is peaceful and rational

Aryna Shyarok, a Ukrainian community rally organizer, said that people in Vancouver are not unfamiliar with information about Falun Dafa. They have been exposed to it for a long time and have learned about the persecution of Falun Gong.

Ms. Shyarok said, “I know today is World Falun Dafa Day, and the activities organized by Falun Gong have left a deep impression on me. I hope they will persevere in doing it and I wish them good luck.”

She commented that the persecution of Falun Gong was terrible. “Especially today, it’s Mother’s Day, all the women and mothers are heartbroken and don’t want to see the world like this,” she said.

A Compassionate Energy Field in Meditation

Esther Hack had been on her way to a yoga class in downtown when she took a Falun Gong flyer from a Canadian lady. She later went to a Falun Gong group practice site to learn the exercises.

“I still clearly remember the feeling I felt after meditating, which was completely different from that of yoga meditation. I felt very calm, peaceful and full of energy inside. I also felt a very peaceful, compassionate energy field around the practice site, and I felt very, very happy, but peaceful,” Esther recalled.

But her decision to practice Falun Dafa was based on something else. “Deep down in my heart, I just thought this is what I should be doing in my life. As a teenager who was growing up and pursuing progress, I realized that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very good life principles. They really help me deal with a lot of things in life. I feel like I now have a ‘moral compass’ to live by or turn to,” she said.

New Falun Dafa Practitioner: I feel great after practicing for two months

Tim Wong

Tim Wong, who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in the Netherlands, came to the rally hoping to join in the group practice team for the parade. He said, “I just learned to practice Falun Gong two months ago, and I feel very good! [It’s a] very good fitness system!”

He knows that though Falun Dafa has spread to more than 100 countries in the world, only the CCP persecutes Falun Gong in China. “The Chinese Communist Party is not only against Falun Gong. All Chinese people are persecuted by the CCP,” he said.

“I am very happy to live by Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”

Two years into practicing Falun Dafa, Ms. Wang has left behind the frequent nightmares that had troubled her since a young age. Her attitude to many other things has also changed.

She asked an accountant to file her taxes very early but the accountant didn’t schedule her an appointment. As the tax filing deadline was approaching, she called the accountant’s office. However, the accountant complained that he was very busy and hung up on her.

Wang was upset initially but then thought that being a cultivator she should do things according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, so she should be considerate. “Maybe it was because of the pandemic, the accountant was under too much pressure,” Ms. Wang thought and her resentment disappeared.

A few hours later, she sent a message to the accountant asking if they could talk at another convenient time. The accountant called her back right away and apologized. Ms. Wang thus filed her tax returns smoothly and the trouble was resolved.

In dealing with the matter, Ms. Wang was calm and things went very smoothly. Wang said, “This is one of the reasons why I feel very happy after practicing.”