Toronto, Canada: Falun Dafa Practitioners Express Gratitude to Master Li and Wish Him a Happy New Year

(Minghui.org) As the New Year approaches, Falun Dafa practitioners in Toronto, Canada, gathered at Nathan Phillips Square to send New Year’s greetings to compassionate great Master. They expressed their determination to persevere in cultivation in the new year and to be more steadfast and unwavering in the face of storms and difficulties. They vowed to remain rational and calm in the face of trials, social turmoil, and chaos.

Falun Dafa practitioners in Toronto gathered at Nathan Phillips Square and wished Master a happy New Year on December 22.Video: Falun Dafa practitioners in Toronto wish Master a happy New Year.

With gratitude to Master, practitioners shared their cultivation experiences of gaining enlightenment from Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) and overcoming hardships.

Practicing Falun Dafa Makes Life Happy and Fulfilling

Before practicing Falun Gong, Sarah said she felt life was hopeless. She suffered from several health problems and was miserable and exhausted. Sarah’s father was a captain and rarely came home. But every time he did, he cursed at and abused her mother. Her mother took out her hatred for her father on Sarah while spoiling her younger brother, who eventually dropped out of school. After she graduated from college, Sarah found a job and supportdc her mother and brother.

Sarah appreciates Master.

At that time, the burden of life made her think that death would be a relief. She often went to temples to worship Buddha, but she still felt confused. She often wondered, “Why is life so hard? Why do the people close to us hurt us more deeply?” Those scars from the past remained with her for many years—until she started practicing Falun Dafa.

In the newspaper she subscribed to, Sarah read articles about people whose lives were renewed after they started practicing Falun Dafa. She searched online and contacted a local practitioner, who invited her to come learn the exercises in the park. Sarah recalled, “In 2018, when I was still in Vietnam, I had insomnia every day because of illness. But after I went to practice the exercises for the first time, I slept soundly. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the remarkable effects of the exercises, so I went to the park to do the exercises every day, and all my ailments miraculously disappeared.”

Because Sarah was practicing Falun Dafa to cure her health issues at that time, her life focus was still on pursuing money, status, and a happy family. But the more she pursued these things, the more out of reach they became. Although she made a lot of money, her family encountered one misfortune after another, making it impossible for her to keep her wealth.

In 2019, Sarah moved to Canada. By studying the Fa in depth, she understood that Dafa far exceeded the level of curing illness and improving health. Sarah said, “I realized that the purpose of suffering is to repay karma. I let go of all the feelings of injustice and pain; cared for my father, mother, and brother from the bottom of my heart; and found inner happiness.”

Sarah is now the North American regional manager of a technology company. She also started a company. Recently, Sarah experienced the test of self-interest. In order to save money, her business partners bypassed her and worked directly with customers in ten projects. Also, out of the blue, one of the customers complained about her.

Sarah said, “I should have earned Canadian $60,000 from these transactions, but I didn’t get a penny. At first, I was upset. But then, slowly, I saw my attachments. After reading Master’s new article ‘Wake Up,’ I understood that I should always maintain a compassionate attitude and not be swayed by emotions. As my xinxing improved, I was able to handle business disputes calmly. Not only was my business not affected, but it also expanded from Canada to the United States.”

With the arrival of the new year, Sarah said, “I can’t express my gratitude to Master in words. Cultivation has given me a new life, and my family has also been bathed in the great grace of Dafa—the whole family has begun to live in harmony. Last year, my mother fell seriously ill. My brother took her to see Chinese and Western doctors, but there was no improvement. But my mother recovered quickly after reading the book Zhuan Falun and can now ride a bicycle. Interestingly, she used to need glasses to read. Now, she can see the words in the book clearly without glasses. My life has changed from being one of pain to happiness. Thank you, Master!”

Cultivating an Open Mind

Ty Chen is 23 years old and works in graphic design. He has practiced Falun Dafa with his family since he was a child. After coming to Canada, he had a physical exam along with other students. A doctor pointed at Ty Chen and said that of all the students, he was in the physical condition for this age.

Ty Chen wishes Master a happy New Year.

Ty Chen was surprised, “I don’t like sports and I don’t like to exercise. After I came to a free country, I went to the park with my father to practice Falun Dafa on weekends. My classmates practiced martial arts and played ball, but I was the healthiest. I suddenly realized that practicing Falun Dafa adjusted my body.”

He listened to his father reading Zhuan Falun since he was a child, and he could recite Hong Yin. He knew that Falun Gong taught people to be good, but he didn’t quite understand the practice. When he grew up, he began to read Zhuan Falun on his own, no longer with his father. He had the desire to practice and began to work hard to follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in his words and deeds.

“When I was a child, my friends said unpleasant things, and I glared at them and got angry at them. Afterwards, I was still upset and furious. After I made up my mind to practice, when I encountered something unpleasant again, I told myself: ‘I am a good person, I must be tolerant, and I must be kind to others.’ I gradually got used to thinking about problems from other people’s perspectives first. Now, I can deal with conflicts calmly and patiently and truly resolve them.

He was inspired by the legend of Princess Miaoshan’s cultivation. Miaoshan was the daughter of King Miaozhuang. Her family treated her unfairly and made her suffer. When her father was sick, Miaoshan saved him regardless of past grudges. Ty Chen said, “I cried when I read this story. I thought, ‘No matter how others treat me, I should treat everyone kindly.’ When I was treated unfairly again, I thought of Miaoshan’s behavior and I immediately calmed down.”

After his heart became peaceful and stable, his grades improved. In college, his average score was over 90, and the school awarded him the Principal’s Honor Award. He took two more courses than the normal schedule and also worked part-time. He not only submitted excellent homework, but also kept up with his personal cultivation by studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. His classmates were exhausted even if they followed the normal course schedule. They could not concentrate when they studied and fell asleep in class due to exhaustion. Ty Chen said, “I am a cultivator. I can calm down and concentrate for a long time. I am also energized and can be full of energy even after a busy day.”

As the New Year approaches, Ty Chen wishes Master a happy New Year. He said, “Thank you, Master, for giving me every opportunity to cultivate and improve. I will cherish it and do it well.”

Life Is Now Peaceful and Tranquil

Judith is a creative marketing director. When she was 18, her father suddenly passed away, which made Judith extremely sad and at a loss. Judith began to wonder why the world was full of suffering and where people went after death. She began to think about and explore the meaning of life.

Judith appreciates Master.

When she entered college, Judith’s mother suggested she read Zhuan Falun to heal her inner wounds. Judith decided to read it because she’d witnessed how her mother recovered from severe allergies after practicing Falun Dafa. She recalled, “When I read Zhuan Falun, my long-standing questions were answered. I began to practice Falun Dafa.”

Judith said that Falun Dafa accompanied her through the difficult stage of her life after losing her father, and she was able to overcome the pain and graduate from college successfully.

After practicing, Judith said Falun Dafa gave her wisdom and her grades improved. She was awared the school’s highest honor, the gold medal. She said, “My major is environmental design. The professor said that when the ancients designed buildings, their inspiration came from their reverence for God, so the content of my major exam covered a wide range, involving theology, philosophy, and spiritual fields. I understood the profound Fa principles from the Dafa books and integrated them into the subject knowledge and answered all the test questions and bonus questions correctly. The professor smiled and said that when he calculated my score, it was over 100 points, and he thought the calculator was broken.”

Judith is not only good at studying, but is also easygoing. Before she began practicing, she evaluated things based on how she would benefit. After she began practicing, she learned to be considerate. She said, “When I follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, I am more popular among the people around me. I am closer to my mother and I have more friends.

“For over ten years, from college, to starting my first job, to getting married and having children, Master’s teachings have always inspired me to move forward. I can overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties step by step by thinking of Master’s teachings. Cultivation brought peace and tranquility to my life, which is really precious.”