By Li Zhiqing

(Clearwisdom.net) There are many memorable days in one's life, but some of them carry special, outstanding meaning. May 13 is that kind of a day to Falun Dafa practitioners around the globe.

On May 13, 1992, the founder of Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Hongzhi, first introduced Falun Gong to the public. He did so in northeastern China, in Changchun City, Jilin Province. During the following two years, Mr. Li Hongzhi held 61 classes all over China and endured numerous hardships. Students were widely benefited in both mind and body and they upgraded their virtue and moral character. Through word of mouth, in just seven years Falun Gong had spread to more than thirty countries, and by 1999, had attracted a hundred million cultivators in China alone. The first year after Falun Gong was persecuted, in 2000, Falun Dafa practitioners around the world decided to establish May 13 as "World Falun Dafa Day," in commemoration of the spread of Falun Dafa and to clarify the truth to more people, proclaiming that Falun Gong is freely practiced all over the world.

Speaking from another angle, Falun Dafa Day does not only belong to Falun Dafa practitioners. With Falun Gong's profound principles, its positive impact on health, the way it encourages practitioners to become better people, and the deep influence of the spirit of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance on people throughout the world, mankind in the future will certainly appreciate the meaning of Falun Dafa Day.

In the thousands of years that the Chinese have had a cultivation culture, all sorts of supernormal phenomena, theories, and techniques have manifested. However, the essence of what cultivation practice truly is, its purpose, how to ascend, and the ability to explain the supernormal capabilities that manifest, remain an enigma to most people. Most of the world has forgotten about cultivation practice just as Mr. Li Hongzhi introduces Falun Gong. He tells about the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, and reveals secrets that cultivators have pursued for thousands of years but could not obtain. Because of all this, Falun Gong has developed very quickly, and Falun Gong students can be so firm in the face of huge tribulations. Falun Gong is the way by which humanity can recognize the truth of the cosmos, the potential of the human body, and the value of cultivation.

In the past fourteen years, Falun Gong has spread around the world. No matter how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) defames Falun Gong, the fact that the practice has widely helped people improve their health and become better people is undeniable. According to a health survey conducted in Beijing in 1998, among 12,731 Falun Gong practitioners, 93.4% had sickness before cultivation, and 99.1 0reatly improved their health after cultivating. When the world's people are facing unbearable medical costs, and seeking alternative ways of maintaining health, the dramatic effect of Falun Gong's healing illness and keeping people fit seems to be telling the world of a good solution with great potential.

Modern people place increasing emphasis on material things while ignoring spiritual pursuits. Their morals are becoming more and more corrupt, society is demoralizing, and crimes and corruption are common phenomena. People are lacking a sense of security more and more, and societal conflicts and instability are creating more and more problems. Countless advanced civilizations became feeble and deteriorated due to moral corruption, but in some cases, highly virtuous people would come and rectify people's thoughts and re-develop society. People who truly understand the present Chinese society are all aware that the declining moral standard has led China to a very dangerous state. Any civilization can disintegrate when their morals have collapsed. Falun Gong is spread at this moment as a magnificent truth. The China Physical Education Committee (under the Department of Civil Ministry) issued a survey report in 1998 saying that said Falun Gong "has hundreds of benefits but no single harm" regarding spiritual civilization, general health, and social stability. When people were worried so much about morality declining and social corruptions, Falun Gong pointed out the only possible solution: upgrading virtue through cultivation.

In the past seven years of persecution, practitioners have clarified the truth without any violence. It is such a cruel persecution, such a large group of people are being persecuted, and there has been such a long resistance with such a peaceful method; this is unprecedented in history, especially in the long history of armed rebellion of the Chinese people. This is the only major peaceful resistance. People will see this historical monument more and more clearly, How marvelous is Falun Gong's peaceful resistance!

The short account above may help people understand Falun Gong and the meaningful value of its worldwide spread, and help them understand why Falun Dafa practitioners celebrate May 13, World Falun Dafa Day. We believe that after walking through this history of persecution, more and more people will find the true profound inner meaning of Falun Gong. On that day, people will say, "This is a memorable day for the whole world, let us remember it."

Posting date: 5/16/2006
Original article date: 5/16/2006
Category: Open Forum
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/5/14/127682.html

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