(Minghui.org) With the arrival of summer, many community activities are held in Ontario. On June 15 and 16, 2024, Falun Dafa practitioners from Toronto participated in the Burlington Music Festival and the Welland Rose Festival parades. Many people praised their performances.
Burlington Music Festival Parade
The Tian Guo Marching Band and waist drum team traveled from Toronto and participated in the Burlington Music Festival parade. Invited by the host, the band performed for the public for 15 minutes after the parade ended. The uplifting melodies and the band members’ costumes drew many local people to watch, and they took photos and videos of the performance.
Bellary, who now lives in Burlington, asked about the Falun Dafa website after seeing the band’s scheduled performance. She also shared her previous experience of seeing the band. She recalled, “More than ten years ago, I saw a Falun Dafa parade in Toronto, which included a performance by the band.” She recounted that the band members were talented and she likes the energy they convey. She said that Falun Dafa focuses on improving people’s spirituality.
“I really like Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, which resonates with my philosophy of life. These are simple and clear.” She said that Truthfulness and Compassion can bring people a better life, but if people do not learn to be patient and tenacious, it’s difficult to achieve anything. Today’s society needs Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
Regarding the current situation of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted in China, Bellary said with emotion that 20 years ago, she knew that practitioners faced pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). She said some practitioners could not emigrate to Canada, and they did not have personal or religious freedom. This is very regrettable.
Mohcine is from Oakville and took advantage of the weekend to go cycling and happened to come across the parade when he passed by Burlington. He said this was the first time he saw the Tian Guo Marching Band perform, “The band members cooperated perfectly, and the music was wonderful. They did a great job. Their costumes are bright and beautiful.”
A practitioner told Mohcine that the band members practice Falun Dafa and that Falun Dafa can help people improve their physical and mental health. Practitioners correct themselves according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Mohcine said, “I learned that Chinese culture is famous for its focus on the mind and spirit. When I saw the three words Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, the first thing that came to my mind was to have a harmonious life and a healthy body, and at the same time to be tolerant of others, respect, and listen to others’ ideas. The pandemic that just passed reminded us to pay attention to our physical and mental health, rather than just being busy with work.”
Kaylarose is a young mother whose baby just turned one. When the band passed by, Kaylarose held her child and danced to the beat of the music, and the baby also sang. She said, “I like the music very much, so I danced with my child. The band members were in perfect harmony, and the music made me happy. My child was also happy and sang.”
Welland Rose Festival Parade
On June 16, the Tian Guo Marching Band participated in the Welland Rose Festival parade, a two-hour drive from Toronto. When the band passed, the attendees on both sides applauded and clapped in time to the music.
Sandra lives in Welland and said she’s seen the band perform several times. She said, “Of all the parade groups, I like the Tian Guo Marching Band the most. I look forward to their presence every time. I like their neat steps and their drum beats are never wrong. I enjoy the music and energy brought by the band, which always makes me smile.” She added, “Their costumes are bright and everyone is full of joy.”
Sandra asked about the band members, and a practitioner told her that the band was composed of Falun Dafa practitioners who follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. After hearing this, Sandra said she could feel the power of the principles from the practitioners’ appearance. She said that their performance made people open-minded and that the principles could bring cohesion and allow people to treat others kindly.
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