(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners gathered near picturesque Lake Michigan on May 8, 2021, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and wish Master Li a Happy Birthday.

Practitioners in the greater Chicago area celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and wish Master Li Happy Birthday.

Practitioners do the Falun Dafa exercises by Lake Michigan on May 8, 2021, to celebrate “World Falun Dafa Day” and wish Master Li Happy Birthday.

Practitioners do the Falun Dafa exercises by Lake Michigan.

The day’s activities kicked off with practitioners doing the sitting meditation amid blue skies and dressed in yellow costumes. Many locals and tourists came out to enjoy the warm spring weather and stopped to watch practitioners as they gracefully did the exercises under the bright sun. Several people asked about Falun Dafa, or took photos and video recordings.

Passersby stopped to read the information about Falun Dafa.

After the exercises, practitioners recited poems written by Master Li, sang songs written by practitioners and read some of the awards given to Falun Dafa by cities across America. Seven cities in the state of Illinois issued awards and declared May 10 – 16 “Falun Dafa Week.”

Seven cities in the state of Illinois gave awards to Falun Dafa and declared May 10 – 16 “Falun Dafa week”.

Derrell, Carol, and Paula who live nearby saw practitioners doing the exercises from a distance. Curious, they walked over and asked about Falun Dafa and a practitioner showed them a short clip introducing the spiritual discipline. The practitioner also told them about the persecution in China. They said they were delighted to finally know about the practice and are interested in learning it.

Derrell, Carol, and Paula (left to right) said they were delighted to learn about Falun Dafa.

Positive Physical and Mental Changes

Angela Moy has practiced Falun Dafa for 12 years.

Angela Moy is the deputy CEO of a multinational manufacturing company in the U.S. Prior to practicing Falun Dafa, she was tormented by insomnia, anxiety, and depression for years. Taking medication did not help. She learned about the practice from the Internet, and read the main book Zhuan Falun. Within one year all of her health problems disappeared. She said, “I have been practicing for 12 years now. My health is even better than when I was young. I don’t have any illnesses at all.”

Ms. Moy said what’s even more amazing is that she knows the purpose of life, and what causes people's illnesses and hardships. She said, “There are so many things to worry about every day, personal gain and family relationships. The teachings of Falun Dafa that are based on the principles of ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance’ teach one how to be a good person. You no longer fight for petty gains and consequently you feel very relaxed. After I began to practice, I found that things in life whether it is work or family go more smoothly for me.”

Fortunate to Have Found Dafa

Ms. O’Donnell accompanied her mother to attend a free nine-day introductory Falun Dafa class. She did not expect to become a practitioner. What left her with the deepest impression was when she heard Master talk about the inner eye, she felt her forehead become tight and the muscles drilling inward. She thought, “I feel such a great force just sitting there watching the television and listening to the lecture.” She found it extraordinary and decided to learn the exercises. In 2009 she joined a small Fa study group and officially began to practice it.

She said, “Dafa has benefited me physically and spiritually. I was always timid and weak. But since I started to practice, Master has been protecting me. I grasped the profound meaning of the teachings and became stronger physically and mentally. I work in the IT industry. The workload is heavy, there is a lot of pressure and it is demanding. At times I work continuously for more than 10 hours or have to solve a problem within a certain deadline. However, no matter how hectic it is, as long as I do the sitting meditation afterward, I would quickly regain my energy. My supervisor said he cannot remember if I ever took sick leave after working for so many years.”

“Not only is my health better, but my character has also improved too. I am more open-minded and dare to take responsibility. When there is a conflict with others, I often recall what Master said and first examine myself to see if there is anything I did wrong. I gladly share all my knowledge at work guided by the principles of ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance’. I help my team and new members unconditionally. My coworkers and manager praise and trust me. I've even won awards and promotions. At home, I no longer take small things to heart and avoid conflicts. Master and Dafa have given me so much. I feel very fortunate and grateful to have found Dafa in this life. Thank you, Master.”

Devoted to Falun Dafa

Si Qi, a Ph.D. student at Northwestern University (first right) is grateful to Master for protecting her.

Si Qi was two years old when her mother began practicing Falun Dafa, and she grew up immersed in the teachings. But when she was in high school and the university, she felt lost. She did not understand why she should study the Fa and she had doubts in her belief.

She said, “Since I was 3 or 4 years old, I kept having the same dream. I was in a dark corridor carrying a fire extinguisher. I dashed into a room that was engulfed in flames to save people. Some of them I knew while others were strangers. Some people did not seem to realize they were in danger and did not want me to help them. I kept remembering this dream when I grew up. One day, I suddenly realized, the scene in my dreams is similar to Dafa disciples saving people! I came to this world to save people!

“When I was in primary school, my classmates voted me the leader of the Young Pioneers. I was not clear about the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) then but in my heart I disliked the Young Pioneers and did not want to be part of it. I was usually obedient and did whatever the teachers asked. This was the only time when, no matter what my teacher or classmates said, I refused. This was also during the time when the quit the CCP movement began. My mother and I quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.”

Ms. Tong who is now a creative designer also began to practice Falun Dafa with her mother. Due to the brutal persecution and because she was busy with her studies, she nearly stopped practicing during high school and the university. Dafa was deeply ingrained in her heart though, and she thought she would resume practicing one day. In 2012, she dreamed of a great flood. She got everyone to shout “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance is good and they escaped danger. Then, she and her mother rose to heaven. She saw many people in heaven. Everyone had a book in their hand except for her. She saw the words in the book clearly but she did not recognize any of them. Upon waking up, she knew she could not wait anymore and decided to resume practicing.

The first morning after she came to Chicago in 2013, she woke up and heard the Falun Dafa exercise music. She was quite surprised. Many practitioners from the central U.S had come to Chinatown in Chicago for a parade that day.

Practitioners from Various Practice Sites Thank Master

That night, everyone reminisced and talked about how they started to practice and their cultivation experiences. They also expressed their gratitude to Master and wished him a Happy 70^th birthday.

The next day, practitioners continued to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day at various practice sites including the one in Chinatown, and the suburbs north and west of Chicago.

On Sunday, May 9, practitioners hung banners with the message: “World Falun Dafa Day,” “Falun Dafa Is Wonderful” at the practice site in Chinatown and also displayed beautiful lotus flowers.

Practitioners do the exercises in Chinatown and raise awareness on the persecution.

Practitioners in Chicago's western suburbs do the exercises, celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. and wish Master a happy birthday.