(Clearwisdom.net) From June 11-13, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners from Arkhangelsk Oblast attended a local town festival entitled, "Dream of Paper." The practitioners set up a stand at an exhibition and displayed colorful paper lotus flowers hand-made by them. It was a great opportunity to introduce the practice to the local people. The practitioners' beautiful hand-made paper lotus flowers were praised and won an award.
 Children learn to make paper lotus flowers in front of the Falun Dafa stand |
 A basket full of beautiful colorful paper lotus flowers |
There was a concert on the stage of the Culture Palace. Practitioners displayed a basket full of elegant colorful paper lotus flowers on the table in front of the stage. They also displayed Falun Gong truth clarification materials for people to take freely.
People carefully read truth clarification pamphlets
On June 12, the practitioners also held an activity of folding paper lotus flowers entitled, "Petals of the World." The weather was perfect, and because it was also a public holiday, many people came to the fair. Many people from neighboring cities and areas also came to join the festival activities.
When practitioners started making paper lotus flowers, many children, and later adults, gathered around the table to learn how to fold the lotus flowers. As practitioners taught the interested people how to fold the paper flowers, they also explained the symbolic meaning of the lotus flower - purity and nobility.
Practitioners introduced Falun Dafa to the people, telling them that through doing the exercises and by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance, one's body and mind will improve.
With a heart of purity and kindness, practitioners informed the people of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China. The information pamphlets were placed right next to the basket full of lotus flowers and were taken by many. They cherished both the lotus flowers and the pamphlets. One child said, "I'll give the lotus flower to my mother as a present." Someone else said, "Our whole family loves the lotus flowers very much."
A small lotus flower can bring out a person's wish for goodness and kindness. Kind-hearted people will condemn the state-sanctioned terrorism of the Chinese Communist Party.
