(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public in Changchun in China's northeastern Jilin Province 27 years ago, in 1992. The practice has since spread to more than 100 countries and regions.
More than 6,000 practitioners from all over Asia gather in the Waipu District of Taichung City, Taiwan, on November 21, 2009, to form an image of the book Zhuan Falun.
A ceremony celebrating the publication of the Chinese language version of Zhuan Falun, the main book on the teachings of Falun Dafa, was held in Beijing on January 4, 1995. In the 25 years since, the book has been translated into 39 languages. People from many different ethnic groups have read the book, and more than 100 million people around the world refer to its teachings daily to guide them in following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
Several Melbourne practitioners shared some of the benefits they have experienced by reading the book.
Approximately 500 practitioners participate in a parade in Melbourne's Central Business District on October 11, 2019, to show people how amazing Falun Dafa is. Practitioners are pushing a large replica of “Zhuan Falun.”
Understanding the Meaning of Life
Ms. Wang Youfeng, 81, is half Russian and half Chinese. She looks very young compared with other people her age. She remembers that her search for a spiritual way started in early 1995, and she tried many different religions.
She said that a friend in Sydney brought her a copy of Zhuan Falun in July 1996. She remembers opening the book and seeing a photo of Master Li, the founder of the practice. She thought he looked especially familiar, as if she had known him for a long time.
Ms. Wang read the entire book in two days. After doing the exercises, she felt energy flowing through her body. She set up Melbourne's first Fa study group and exercise site in late 1996. People gathered every week to read the teachings and do the exercises in her home. Many of them are still practitioners today, and the group study sessions at her house are still going strong. She was also the person in charge of the first outdoor exercise site and study group in Melbourne.
Ms. Wang started the first Falun Gong study group in Melbourne. This photo of the group was taken in her home more than 20 years ago.
Looking back, Ms. Wang is extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn the meditation practice. Through studying the teachings in Zhuan Falun regularly, she has been more and more at peace. She has learned to let go of many attachments and given up desires that had seemed impossible to relinquish. She is also much less impatient than she used to be.
Husband Quits Smoking Easily after Reading Zhuan Falun
Ms. Zhang first read Zhuan Falun in 2001, two years after China's communist regime launched its nationwide persecution campaign. A former high school classmate had been imprisoned for her belief, and Ms. Zhang decided to go visit her old friend after she was released.
Her classmate told her how Falun Dafa had helped her become a better person. Out of curiosity, Ms. Zhang borrowed the book from her and read it very quickly. She concluded that it taught people to be good, in simple language. However, she only took up the practice after she moved to Australia.
Ms. Zhang's husband used to smoke and had tried to quit but couldn't. She got upset whenever she saw him smoking. After he started to read Zhuan Falun, he told her that he felt ill when he picked up a cigarette. He got rid of his addiction just like that.
Ms. Zhang suffered from depression prior to practicing Falun Gong and wasn’t able to sleep when it was bad. After reading Zhuan Falun, she started to feel more optimistic. “Why do people suffer? How do you deal with conflicts? All these questions that had bothered me were answered by reading the book. I became cheerful and found hope,” she said.
Touched by the Teachings
Mr. Sun first read Zhuan Falun in 1997. He was a young man at the time and was curious about life, the universe, and other dimensions. He remembers being immediately drawn to the teachings about becoming a person with high standards, and decided to learn it.
Something that happened when he first started to practice strengthened his faith in Falun Dafa.
“One night, while riding home in a car,” he recalled, “there was a big truck in front of us. The truck seemed overloaded and very dangerous.” Mr. Sun asked their driver to stop for a bathroom break. After they got back on the road, they saw cars slowing down in front of them. The overloaded truck had overturned. If it wasn't for Master's protection, they would have been in an accident.
Worries Disappear as I Read the Book
Ms. Li experienced something similar.
“I read a Falun Dafa book for the first time in 1994. It was called Falun Gong. I remember feeling as if I had found a treasure,” she recalled.
“I was hit by a taxi soon after I began to practice. The car's front bumper was crushed, but I was fine. I knew that Master had protected me. Master taught us to be considerate of others, so I did not blame the taxi driver.”
Ms. Li said that she reads Zhuan Falun every day. “It makes me calm and clear,” she said. “Whenever I run into problems or feel unwell, I pick up the book, start to read, and my troubles go away.”
