(Minghui.org) Practitioners from the greater Dallas area gathered at Celebration Park in the City of Allen on the morning of May 13, 2023, to celebrate the 31^st World Falun Dafa Day with group exercises and free exercise teaching.

Practitioners celebrate World Falun Dafa Day on May 13.

World Falun Dafa Day was first designated on May 13, 2000, to celebrate the spiritual discipline and its positive impact on the health and spirit of millions around the world. The occasion also highlights practitioners’ efforts to uphold their freedom of belief in the face of unjust persecution by the Chinese communist regime. May 13 marks both the anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction and the birthday of its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi.

Becoming a Mature Young Practitioner

Falun Dafa practitioner Jasmina

Jasmina started practicing Falun Dafa because her mother practiced it when she was 11 years old. Although she didn’t understand the benefits of meditation at such a young age, she felt very peaceful and relaxed after doing the exercises and reading Zhuan Falun.

Looking back over the years, Jasmina, a designer now, believes that she has benefited from practicing Dafa in many ways. She said that the most outstanding thing is that she can deal with changes and conflicts calmly. She used to have a short temper. By cultivating herself, she learned to be benevolent, to think about problems and handle things from the perspective of others, and to see the positive side of things. Her family has also seen the change in her.

“Life is short, and people are pursuing an ideal life they desire and worry about the future. Practicing Dafa has made me no longer worry about my future. I only need to focus on improving my mind and spirit,” she said. “Read the book Zhuan Falun, and you will definitely gain something.”

Falun Dafa Helped Me Understand the Purpose of Life

Katie, a Vietnamese-American practitioner, said that Falun Dafa helped her understand the purpose of life and helped her improve both mind and body.

Before she practiced Falun Dafa, Katie thought she was pretty good. “Although I might have had some shortcomings, I didn’t think it was a big deal. After all, who doesn’t have shortcomings?” she said. However, after she began practicing, when she looked at herself based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, she found that she was not kind at all. “Since practicing, my xinxing has improved a lot. I became calmer, more compassionate, more considerate of others, and I had better control over myself, complained less, and became better at coping with difficulties.”

Registered Nurse: Amazing Changes after Practicing Dafa

Registered nurse Sunny

Sunny heard about Falun Dafa from a friend several years ago but she didn’t want to spend time practicing because she felt her life was complicated. She was experiencing culture shock and dealing with a language barrier. When she thought about her future, she felt depressed and worried.

Then she was so severely injured in a car accident that she had to go to a chiropractor for three months, but her pain didn’t go away. She decided to practice Falun Dafa. “After practicing (Falun Dafa) for one to two months, all my pains miraculously disappeared. Not only that, my mental health also underwent tremendous improvement. I started to look inward, find my attachments, get rid of them, and try to get closer to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” Sunny recalled.

Because she did not speak English fluently, completing nursing school was a big challenge. Many times she thought she would not be able to graduate. But she always reminded herself that she was a practitioner so she had to be patient and study with all her heart no matter what her grades were.

“Amazingly, not only did I complete my degree, I passed my State Board license exam and was offered a job at a hospital. Thank you, Master, for leading me through the darkest period of my life and teaching me how to be a good person.”