(Minghui.org) On May 13, 2023, Falun Dafa practitioners in Queensland held an event at King George Square in the city center to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. They wished Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, a happy birthday.

Practitioners in Queensland celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and wish Master Li a Happy Birthday.

Practitioners in Cairns, Queensland, wish Master Li Happy Birthday.

Practitioners in Brisbane wish Master Li a Happy Birthday.

Practitioners gave performances, including dragon dances and playing the waist drums, to share the beauty of Falun Dafa.

Practitioners who participated in the event came from different ethnic groups and walks of life. Some were veteran practitioners who had practiced for more than 20 years; others had just started practicing. They shared their experiences of how they first heard about Falun Dafa and how they benefited physically and mentally. They all expressed their gratitude to Master Li.

My Life Became Meaningful

Richard Szabo: “Cultivation opened up my wisdom and intelligence.”

Richard Szabo, director of news content for a media company in Australia, has practiced Falun Dafa for 23 years. He recalled, “One Saturday morning in late 1999, my father and I were walking in Glebe Park in downtown Canberra when we saw a group of people practicing Falun Gong. We were invited to learn. I was 16 years old at that time. From that day on, I started practicing.”

Richard said, “Falun Dafa can open one’s wisdom and intelligence. My academic performance improved greatly after practicing.” He could balance his studies, work, life, and practice well when he studied at the University of Western Sydney, majoring in media. He said, “I am forever grateful to Master Li for bringing people a practice that can fit into a busy daily life. His teaching has helped me understand that the process of cultivation is to remove attachments and become better people.”

Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance encouraged him to look inward rather than blame others when facing problems. As a result, his quality of life improved a lot. He said, “I just focused on doing everything well when I was in school, at work, or at home. I tried to remove my attachments, including the attachment to competition. I was kind to everyone. After years of hard work, I was promoted to a director’s position with a media company.”

Richard helped translate Falun Dafa’s books into Hungarian in his spare time. He also worked as an associate editor for a magazine in Budapest. Richard’s wife also practices, and they enjoy a happy and fulfilling marriage. He said, “My life is more meaningful because I practice Dafa, all thanks to Falun Dafa and Master. My family and I wish Master a happy birthday as we celebrate World Falun Dafa Day!”

Husband and Wife: Thanks to Master for Everything

Mr. Xu from Brisbane, a veteran practitioner who started practicing in 1996, said, “Before I started practicing, I had many bad habits. I was a heavy smoker. I also drank a lot and often got into trouble and fights when I was drunk. My bad habits worsened my health. I suffered from severe heart rate irregularities and premature beats.”

Mr. Xu said that after practicing Falun Dafa, all of the above symptoms disappeared. He felt relaxed and happy for the first time in his life. He also quit smoking and drinking.

Mr. Xu’s wife, Ms. Li, who started practicing in 1995, witnessed Falun Dafa’s miraculous effects on healing and fitness. She said, “After I graduated from college, I got a strange disease. I had severe pain in my abdomen and a high fever. I couldn’t eat or drink for a week. The doctors couldn’t find the cause or do anything. After I was discharged from the hospital, I had a low fever daily for several years. I took all kinds of Chinese and Western medicines to no avail. This disease affected my life greatly. I couldn’t work for several years.”

At that time, qigong was prevalent in China. Ms. Li said, “My mother-in-law was practicing Falun Dafa at that time. She suggested that I read the Falun Dafa book, so I read the introductory book, Falun Gong. I read it three times in a row and decided to practice.”

Afterward, she found an exercise site nearby and joined the group exercise. Those good days before the persecution when they could practice freely are still vivid in her mind. She said, “After practicing, the low fever, which bothered me for several years, was gone. I soon resumed a normal life and found a job. My husband and I went to the park every morning to do the exercises. We read the Fa [teachings] with the other practitioners in the evening. We gradually understood that we should follow the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in our daily lives. We constantly rectified our minds and behavior to be better people.”

They changed drastically after practicing. They said, “We benefited from Falun Dafa physically and mentally. Most importantly, through cultivation, we understood the true meaning of life. We want to be good people and apply the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in every situation. We want to tell everyone about the beauty of Dafa.”

On the path of cultivation, they have experienced storms and have always deeply felt the greatness of Master’s grace. They said, “Thanks for everything given by Master. We wish Master a happy birthday!