(Minghui.org) Over 100,000 people attended the 34th Deventer Book Market on August 4. Located next to River Ijssel, this is the one of the largest book fairs in Europe. Falun Dafa practitioners participated, and displayed Zhuan Falun, the main teachings of the practice, and introduced the book and the practice to attendees.
Soon after the Chinese language version of Zhuan Falun was published in Beijing on January 4, 1995, the book and Falun Dafa quickly attracted a large number of practitioners. Many people said their physical and mental health improved. Even though the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to suppress the practice in July 1999, the book has been translated into about 50 languages and benefits people from around the world.
Impressed by the information about Falun Dafa especially the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, some people picked up the book, began reading and bought a copy. Some read the pamphlets practitioners distributed and asked where they could learn the practice.
When they heard such a great book cannot be published in China, many people were surprised and asked why. Practitioners explained how the CCP detained, tortured, and imprisoned practitioners for their belief. Many practitioners were sent to brainwashing centres and some became victims of forced organ harvesting. Many people signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution.
Petya Poroshenko and his friend Hoy stopped at the booth and talked with practitioners. They said because they were from Ukraine, so they know how vicious communism is and signed the petition.
One young man stood at the booth for about one minute reading the information before he bought a copy of Zhuan Falun. He said he planned to send the book to a friend as a gift and he’s sure his friend will be happy.
Dinie and Marleen talked with a practitioner. They began reading Zhuan Falun and were immediately interested. They both purchased a copy.
One woman took a flyer from a practitioner and read it. She said she was sorry to hear how practitioners are mistreated in China for their belief and signed a petition to help them. She then purchased a copy of Zhuan Falun.
A businessman said he was an atheist. While talking with a practitioner, he was curious how the practice could help a person look at things with a calm mind and reduce stress. He bought the book and said he would read more.
Another person said he’s seen Falun Dafa practitioners’ activities in the Netherlands and liked them very much. One woman said she watched a grand march of practitioners in New York and it was spectacular.
Introducing the Falun Dafa Exercises
As part of the event, practitioners also set up a booth at De Heoven Quay on the other side of River Ijssel. Besides doing the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises, they distributed information and collected signatures. Many people signed the petition to help stop the persecution in China.
One woman and her friend directly came to the booth to sign the petition. Having heard about the suppression in China from television previously, she said no one should force another person to live a certain lifestyle. Instead, people should be kind to each other.
The woman later returned wearing the hand-made lotus flower a practitioner gave her. She explained that she lived in a small town, so this was the first time she met Falun Dafa practitioners. She was happy to learn about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. A practitioner told her there was a Falun Dafa booth at the book fair across the river and one could also download the book Zhuan Falun for free from the Internet. The woman was glad to hear that and said she would check it out.
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