(Minghui.org) Practitioners in Athens celebrated World Falun Dafa Day on a commercial street at the foot of the Acropolis on May 11, 2024. The 25^th World Falun Dafa Day was officially on May 13, 2024, and was the 32nd anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction. 

Practitioners performed the Falun Dafa exercises together during World Falun Dafa Day celebration activities in Athens on May 11, 2024. 

Passersby learn about Falun Dafa from practitioners. 

A woman tries the third set of exercises by following the practitioners’ movements. 

Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Leads You to a Righteous Direction

Vagelis Nasio is very interested in spiritual practice and has participated in several meditation practices since the age of 19. After getting married, he stopped meditating and devoted himself to his family life. Now that his child has grown up, he once again has the desire to practice meditation.

Vagelis commends Falun Dafa.

While searching on the Internet Vagelis came across Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) and said he believed it was a practice that could change one’s spiritual state and thus could also change one’s body. “It’s very good, very profound,” he said. However, since there were no Falun Dafa practitioners where he lived, he did not understand the practice in depth or try it.

On May 11, Vagelis went to Athens with his family and saw Falun Dafa practitioners meditating. He picked up some information and made an appointment with a practitioner to learn the exercises for free online.

“I was telling my wife when we came out of the subway that I would meet something on this path. I didn’t know what, but something spoke to me, without me knowing what it was. And it’s you.” 

He talked with a practitioner for quite a while and said the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are righteous. “These are very important and lead you to a higher place,” he said. 

Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Benefits the Society

Christina and Dimitris had seen Falun Dafa practitioners doing the exercises before and had thought it was a kind of qigong similar to Tai Chi. This time they encountered Falun Dafa activities. A practitioner told them that Falun Dafa not only involves practicing exercises but also requires one to improve one’s character according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Christina agreed and said that these principles are beneficial to society.

“Our society is multicultural and multiracial and has different types of people,” Christina said. “So in order to survive we have to be true to ourselves. We have to be kind to others and accept others as they are.”

Christina and Dimitris support Falun Dafa practitioners.

When they learned that Falun Dafa was practiced by a hundred million people in China within seven years in the 1990s, Christina and Dimitris were surprised and quickly understood how popular the practice had been in China.

Learning about the persecution, Christina said, “Unfortunately. It’s really bad. It’s really hard. In a political dictatorship situation, people cannot be free. They cannot act freely and be themselves.”

Christina and Dimitris accepted a flier from a practitioner and wished the practitioner good luck. 

Learning the Falun Gong Exercises

Greek Grigoris Pilios practiced the first four Falun Dafa exercises at the event site on May 11 by following the practitioners’ movements. The next day, he went to a practice site and learned the fifth exercises. He told a practitioner, “I feel harmony of mind and body.”

Grigoris Pilios likes Falun Dafa’s exercises.

“With the application of kinesiology, you immediately feel energy on you, and after the exercises, you leave as a different person,” Grigoris said.

He said he would continue the practice and would buy the book Zhuan Falun. 

A girl walking in a hurry took a flyer and said as she walked: “I saw your [Falun Dafa activities] in London. You are doing a good job. Keep it up. I wish you success!”