From 11:30AM to 1:30PM on October 4th, Falun Dafa practitioners of Washington DC held a group practice in front of Capitol Hill, to clarify the true facts regarding the suppression of Falun Dafa in China, to visitors and government staff on their lunch break. Their practice gathered more support for justice from kindhearted people.
The exhibit boards displaying photographs and commentary in both Chinese and English, the striking banners, and the practitioners' peaceful group practice attracted many passers-by.
One teacher passed by with dozens of middle school students on tour from the state of California. The teacher and students, having a strong sense of justice, could not imagine that the beautiful and peaceful practice and kind Falun Gong practitioners were being persecuted so harshly in China. They crowded around the practitioners, eager to know the more information about Falun Dafa. After talking with us for a long time, these students were very interested in learning the Falun Dafa exercises. They intently studied the practitioners' movements and also took some photos of the group practice. The students sat there attentively, in the harmonious field created around the practice.
The teacher who led these students told practitioners that this was his second trip to Capitol Hill over the past several decades. During this trip he "accidentally encountered" the practice of Falun Dafa. When the teacher and his students left, they asked for more materials about Falun Dafa and said they wanted to bring these materials back to their friends in California.
Some staff members from the government offices also came to see the practice. These people, dressed in business attire, read the exhibit boards with great interest and talked with Falun Dafa practitioners. Almost all of them expressed their admiration and support for the practitioners.
An official-looking person standing far away raised his hand high to Falun Dafa practitioners who were distributing Falun Dafa materials, and said, "I agree with you." One staff member from Capitol Hill walked up to a practitioner standing by the curb, and after warmly shaking hands with this practitioner, said, "I appreciate your work." Witnessing these moving scenes, Falun Dafa practitioners felt deeply how important it has been in the past year to solidly take every step and persistently promote Dafa to the people of the world.
Hearing the melodious exercise music of Falun Dafa, many visitors from China and other countries also came over to see the practice. Many of them (including many visitors from Mainland China) could clearly discern the true facts from lies. They all expressed their concern and sympathy about the suffering of Falun Gong practitioners in China. One Chinese visitor said indignantly, "(Chinese) news reports are apparently fabricated." One American tourist encouraged us, "You should stick to it." Right! What an effect the perseverance and willpower can have on the people of the world.
One tourist from Indiana State said she would like to put these materials explaining the truth facts of the persecution against Falun Dafa in her office so that more people could learn about this struggle between faith and suppression. She also offered to ask her local government to provide support to Falun Gong practitioners in their great effort to educate the public about the practice of Falun Dafa.
Falun Dafa practitioners were deeply touched by these caring people and further understood the importance of spending time to help more people know about the practice of Falun Dafa and the current situation in China. The path to awaken compassion in people also is the same path that will disclose the evil actions by others and provide salvation to those all over the world. As Master Li teaches us, "The students outside of China are just like the students inside of Chinathey are one body." Chinese Falun Dafa practitioners let go of life and death and melt into this great movement of Fa rectification. Only if we overseas practitioners can step forward with the same mind to let go of life and death, can we genuinely understand the requirements of Fa rectification for us, assimilate into the Fa and deserve to be one particle inside Dafa.
Written by Falun Dafa practitioners of Washington DC
October 15th, 2000
