Puerto Rico's Principal Newspaper Publishes a 3-page Interview with a European Practitioner (Photos)
By Jos¨¦ R. Pag¨¢n S¨¢nchez / Photos by Lino M. Prieto
(Clearwisdom.net) On Sunday the 10th of October 2004 the main
newspaper of Puerto Rico -- El Nuevo Dia -- published a three-page article about
Falun Dafa and the five years of persecution that those who practice it have
been subjected to. The article focused on an interview with a European
practitioner who was visiting Puerto Rico and was featured on the cover of their
Sunday supplement 'Por Dentro.' If one hundred million people are practicing the "art of
cultivation," an oriental discipline that aspires to improve the quality of
the body and the spirit, the big question mark is why the Chinese Government
maintains a policy of persecution against its followers. We are talking about
Falun Dafa, a discipline that originated in ancient China with the aim to
improve every aspect of the human being: the body, the mind and the spirit. It is not considered a religion nor a [slanderous term omitted],
neither is it a hierarchical organization, even less so an organization looking
for profit. "It is apolitical; it does not violate any structure
whatsoever," says Pia-Maria Sandas, a former model from Finland who has
practiced this discipline for five years and who was visiting our island last
week. Also known as Falun Gong, this art promotes the use of exercises and
meditation in order to improve the quality of a human being's life. As well as
the five basic exercises that should be practiced, this practice is not complete
without integrating the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and
Tolerance. Its resemblance to Tai-chi or yoga is evident, but only in terms of observing
the practice of the exercises, Pia-Maria assures: "The essence of Falun
Dafa goes far beyond." "Starting to practice this discipline is like taking a shower to cleanse
the body, the mind and the spirit. It influences the whole being in a very
powerful way. Today I relate so much better with others, and my family has
perceived my inner peace," affirms this young lady of thirty six years who
currently resides between Madrid and New York. Universal Principles The principles of Falun Dafa are universal. They have nothing to do with
race, age, ethnic group or culture. This form of "cultivation" has
spread through the world in a silent but consistent way, and is now practiced in
between forty and sixty countries after having been introduced to the public by
Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992. Falun Dafa was practiced in private for centuries in remote parts of China,
where the technique was transmitted from Master to disciple, perpetuating
through many generations. The practitioners of this discipline claim immediate
improvements in their health, the purification of their minds, and an increased
capacity to understand the world that surrounds us. Falun Dafa has also helped many people to get away from bad habits such as
addiction to cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, Sandas assures. "There are
scientific proofs to support the benefits, the reason why also many doctors and
psychiatrist have opted for this practice," adds the executive, who after
having left a career in fashion modeling and television, currently works at an
international level as the PR and Product Training Manager for an international
cosmetic company. "As a fashion model I constantly traveled, and with each passing day I
found myself in a more and more superficial world, and I truly lacked internal
peace. It was through my karate teacher that I discovered Falun Dafa, and I
noticed that it was something very special that could be very good for me as
well for humanity," she continues in a convincing voice. Inner Strength The positive change that Sandas says she experienced was not something
"magical," or the product of a "trance state" while doing
the five basic exercises. "I suffered from a lot of depression and was very
egocentric. My problems began to resolve little by little when I started
incorporating the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance into my
daily life, and later I started sharing this with others as well," she
explains. It was in this way she says she discovered an inner strength that she was not
aware of. It fulfilled a need that she had not been able to fulfil before, and
all this without having to pay a single cent. "The fact that it was free
also caught my attention. It is something so beautiful that it does not have a
price," she emphasizes. Sandas also states that there is no special ritual. One session of exercises
can last about 1 hour and fifteen minutes or more. They can be practiced any
time of the day and in any place, including your home or your work environment. The teachings of Falun Dafa are available on the Internet by visiting the
webpage www.falundafa.org, where one can download the teachings, the
explanations of the exercises and the music for the exercises and the meditation
for free. Double
page article spread The Persecution Has No Limits July 22nd 1999 is a historical date for the followers of Falun Dafa. The
Chinese authorities of the Communist Party outlawed the practice on that day,
labeling it as "superstitious" and "bad." A group of analysts and China specialists agree that there may be three main
reasons for the persecution against the followers of the practice. Six years after it began spreading there were 100 million practitioners in
the country, becoming in this way the largest voluntary organization in China,
even larger than the Communist Party. On the other hand, it is believed that that many government leaders who
specialize in ideological battles want to generate social unrest to therefore
create a cause which can later serve them to gain political power. In addition,
it is also believed that the central government maintains the belief that some
sort of political rival or a "brain" that disapproves of Communism is
behind Falun Dafa. What is certain is that China, a leader in technology and industrialization
but very poor when it comes to recognizing human rights, has taken this
situation to a dangerous extreme. Sandas states that around one thousand people
have been confirmed dead by torture while under police custody, although
officially it was declared they died of natural causes or suicide. The followers of Falun Dafa, when detained by the authorities, are exposed to
tortures that include beatings, mutilation, rape, and injections with drugs that
damage the nervous system, among other practices. "Amnesty International has documented some cases and right now there are
around one hundred thousand people in jails. This is the reason why a global
effort is needed to support the cause," Sandas affirms, with the hope to
generate awareness among the Puerto Ricans. "There are so many who have
benefited and now we want to promote it. And it would be a crime not to say what
is happening to these people." Among the cases that the ex-model emphasizes most is that of Jane Dai, one of
her best friends, whose husband died after being tortured for his spiritual
beliefs. In a mission similar to that of Sandas's, now the woman travels the
world with her small daughter Fadu Chen to tell her story. "I know that it is possible to live without suffering so much. The key
is in finding inner peace and wanting to share it with others. That is all we
want to achieve with Falun Dafa," she said about the practice which has
been praised by governments in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200410/22813.html
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