(Minghui.org) German practitioners successively held 9-day Falun Dafa seminars in Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Mannheim and Bremen starting on May 13, World Falun Dafa Day, and ended at the end of May. The seminars were open to the public and free of charge, as are all Falun Dafa activities.

Nine-day Falun Dafa seminars in Berlin

Students are watching a video of Master Li Hongzhi’s lectures during Falun Dafa seminars in Berlin.

During the 9-day seminars, organizers played a video of the founder of Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Hongzhi, giving lectures from when he taught Falun Dafa in China in the 1990s. They also showed everyone the exercises and encouraged everyone to share their learning experiences.

Some of the participants were new to Falun Dafa, while others were relatively new students who had been practicing for a short time. Many participants said that when watching Master Li Hongzhi’s lecture videos, they felt their spiritual realm improve. Many people’s health conditions also improved significantly. They mentioned that they felt a strong energy during the learning process. They also said that they would join the local Fa study group and earnestly and diligently start to cultivate.

Bremen

Martina is a new Falun Gong practitioner who helped organize the event. She said, “I didn’t realize that participating in this event would have such an impact on me. I feel that I have entered a new stage in my practice.”

She explained that although she began practicing Falun Dafa three years ago, she had never watched a video of Master Li Hongzhi’s lectures every day as she did in the 9-day seminar. When the lectures were over and everyone was doing the exercises, she explained “I felt that there was a law wheel in every cell of my body, spinning at a very fast speed, spinning so powerfully that every cell of my body seemed to be trembling. This feeling was very strong.”

Martina also had a new understanding of compassion. She said, “I’ve always wanted to understand what compassion really means and what it is. Here (in the 9-day classes), I experienced that. My heart is filled with compassion, and everyone I come into contact with, without exception, is filled with compassion. I realized that compassion transcends the realm of the human mind and is an indescribably beautiful state. Even after returning home and being around my husband, I could still feel a state of peace.”

Susanne, another new practitioner, also attended the 9-day seminar in Bremen. A few months earlier, she had learned Falun Gong movements online. In the experience-sharing session after the lecture, she said that through the 9-day seminar, she gradually understood what is meant by “Forbearance.” For example, she used to drive impulsively. If she thought that a passerby or another vehicle was misbehaving and affecting her, she would yell at them through the car window. In the course of the 9-day seminar, she realized that she began to control her emotions and think first about others’ wellbeing before acting.

Berlin

Oya, a social education worker, had read Zhuan Falun online before attending the 9-day classes in Berlin. She says, “I grew up in a very strict Turkish family and was exposed to a lot of rules. I did not want to obey these rules. I also liked to party, and like German girls who seek personal freedom, I longed in my heart to not be tied down.”

She shared her experiences, “When reading the Fa, I felt uncomfortable once I read sentences that started with words such as ‘not allowed,’ ‘forbidden,’ and so on, I felt that these teachings were serious, and this was difficult for me to accept.” As a woman who pursues personal freedom, the stern tone she thought she heard while reading became an obstacle for her practicing Falun Dafa. After looking at videos by Master Li Hongzhi teaching the Fa her perception changed. “I felt more at ease once I heard Master speak the Fa and seeing his face in the videos,” and “I knew that Master was speaking the truth.”

After listening to the lectures for several days, Oya had a new understanding of “freedom”. She said, “I realized that if what I want is freedom. being saved is the real freedom, leaving the suffering of the human world forever. I love freedom, so Falun Dafa is the best choice for me.”

Oya said of the hindrances she felt when she began reading Zhuan Falun, “Those thoughts were holding me back from obtaining the truth.” “I knew that Master was speaking the truth, and that was something I understood right away.”

Oya also bought the main book of Falun Dafa “Zhuan Falun” when attending the 9-day seminar and said she wanted to continue cultivating. “Once I made up my mind, I didn’t find it difficult.”

Frankfurt

Binh is a 17-year-old woman of Vietnamese descent. After receiving a flier for the 9-day seminar, she signed up right away. During the nine days, she listened carefully to Master Li Hongzhi’s teachings and was deeply moved. During the experience sharing session on the last day, she said that she had suffered from insomnia for many years, but since joining the 9-day seminar, the quality of her sleep had improved significantly. Due to better sleep, she no longer felt tired during the day. Her long-standing hand and shoulder pain has also decreased greatly. Binh said that she will regularly participate in the local Fa study group in the future.

Marie-Luise, a new student, said she wanted to start practicing Falun Dafa after attending the 9-day seminar in Frankfurt. When talking about her feelings about the 9-day seminar, she said she was very touched. She realized that she had to listen attentively to every word of Fa that Master spoke. At the same time, she felt the kindness of every Falun Dafa practitioner and said that she would continue to participate in the local Fa study group.