(Minghui.org) Cabramatta (Sydney) held one of the largest annual traditional festivals of the Vietnamese community in Australia, the Cabramatta Moon Festival, on September 17, 2023, in the warm spring weather. Falun Gong practitioners participated in the event to spread Falun Dafa to the public. Their activities were appreciated and welcomed.
The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration featured a variety of activities, including food and market stalls, musical performances, and traditional lion dances. It attracted approximately 80,000 people this year. An endless stream of people visited the Falun Gong and watched demonstrations of the exercises. Many people tried the exercises for the first time and said that they felt the pure energy of peace and relaxation and immediately liked it. Many people told practitioners that they wished to learn more about Falun Gong.
Many people said they wanted to learn Falun Gong or planned to go to the local group practice site in Cabravale Park. When some people took lotus flowers and flyers, they sincerely recited the two phrases “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” expressing their respect for Falun Dafa.
Visitors Commend Falun Gong
Eloise and Abbi stopped in front of the booth to offer encouragement to the practitioners.
Eloise said, “I think I’ve seen a lot of Falun Gong activities in the city, and in particular, I remember a woman giving me a leaflet on the train. And I was really interested in what it was all about.”
“I feel like there aren’t a lot of people, especially like my age group, we’re not really exposed to that. And it’s good to see you spreading the word and trying to be positive at the same time,” she said.
Eloise and Abbi expressed their appreciation for the universal values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Abbi said, “I think it’s a beautiful thing. Everyone should live a life with compassion, practicing mindfulness, taking care of their health, and respecting and taking care of each other.”
Eloise said, “I think more people need to embody the values in their day-to-day lives. And I think it’s not really a message that you see in media. I feel like there’s a lot of negativity that’s put out there, but the message that I’ve seen from Falun Dafa is always positive.”
A Falun Gong practitioner showed Raymonde Pitchen the first set of exercises, and Raymonde said she was very interested in learning Falun Gong. She smiled happily and said, “In the beginning, I didn’t know the steps. But as long as I watched him, I started to get the rhythm of it and I really enjoyed it. I can feel when your body needs to relax and your body has to be stretched. It’s really helping your muscles and everything.”
Raymonde said she recommends the practice and will try to learn it herself. She wished the Falun Gong practitioners a good day.
Children and Parents Benefit from the Origami Lotus Flower Workshop
The Falun Gong booth was busy from morning to night. Some practitioners introduced Falun Gong to people, and some taught parents and children how to fold origami lotus flowers. While folding lotus flowers, practitioners introduced the values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to the children and parents and explained the important impact these principles have in daily life.
Zarita Heng said she learned a lot from folding lotus flowers, especially patience and meticulousness. She also said, “The more patient you are, the more beautiful the bloom of the lotus will be.”
Zarita also learned about Falun Dafa and the universal values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. “I think it’s definitely something in our everyday lives that needs to be practiced a little bit more,” she said. “You know, with the hustle and bustle and that constant go-go-go in our lives, it’s definitely something to take a moment to reflect on and apply to our everyday lives.”
“Truthfulness, it’s being truthful to yourself, as well as, kind of not living in denial. Compassion, everyone needs to show more compassion. It’s very much a world that lacks compassion. I feel everyone’s in their own little circle and worrying about themselves and we’ve lost that compassion for each other. Tolerance, is again, very, very influenced by the belief that if it doesn’t benefit me, then I don’t want to do it. So I guess, in humanity itself, it’s definitely something that reminds us to reflect on.”
Kayla, one of three siblings, joined in folding origami lotus flowers. Kayla said she felt calm and relaxed. From the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, she learned that she should never lie or do anything rude to others.
Kayla’s mother said, “I felt that the kids were thoroughly engaged with the workshop assistant [a practitioner] who taught them how to use and make the lotus flowers, especially my girls, who really thoroughly enjoy arts and crafts. So for them to sit down and listen, it was just something worthwhile for them to understand the step-by-step process.”
Hemasree Subramaniam is the mother of two sons who joined the lotus flower origami workshop. She was amased that her sons could sit still for a long time to fold the lotus flowers.
Hermasree said that the message of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is needed, and she wanted her boys to learn these principles and live by them.
“I need them to be truthful, always, to continue to have compassion every day, whatever else they follow for the rest of their life,” she said.
She said she had a low tolerance level and her sons might copy her, but after being introduced to the Falun Dafa practice, she was interested and said she would go home and read the book Zhuan Falun when she was free and relaxed.
Chinese version available
(Clearwisdom)
