Interviews with Participants of the Grand Parade in New York (Photos)
By Suqing, Kelly Huang in New York
(Clearwisdom.net) On June 6th, 2009, approximately 6,000 practitioners of
Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) took part in a parade with the theme
"Call to conscience, stop the persecution," held in Manhattan, New
York. Who are these people? Why have they chosen to practice Falun Gong, and why
did they take part in this great parade? What did they want to tell people? Quentin said, "The persecution must stop." Quentin Bellow is a Falun Gong practitioner residing in New York. He told the
reporter that the practice helped to improve his health remarkably. Quentin
said, "Practicing Falun Gong gave me more comfort in life," and that
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are great cultivation principles that
everyone should know of. "Today I have come to join the parade in hopes
that more people will understand the persecution that is happening in China.
This calamity has taken place for ten years, it must be stopped!" Loren from Iowa, "It is shameful that the persecution
continues today." Loren McCune from the US state of Iowa has practiced Falun Dafa for two and a
half years. A friend told him about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in
China, which caught his attention. "I had been continuously searching, and
had studied Eastern philosophy and Taichi for many years. I discovered that
Falun Dafa is a teaching of a very high level, and I very much like
Truthfulness- Compassion-Forbearance. Practicing Falun Gong gives me physical
health, and I'm filled with energy." Loren also said, "The persecution
that is taking place in China is very vicious, and it is shameful that it
continues today. The world should be more attentive on this issue." Warren (left) and David (right) are new practitioners of Falun
Gong from the state of Virginia. Warren Woodson and David Jaroneski are new practitioners of Falun Gong from
Richmond, Virginia. Warren has been practicing for two and a half years, while
David began to practice eleven months ago. When speaking of the physical and
spiritual changes that Falun Gong has brought to him, David said, "It is
difficult to express with a few words. I cannot even remember what I was like
eleven months ago. Back then, I had many conflicts with different people, but
now I have let a lot of it go. The changes are hard to explain in words. After
practicing, my health also greatly improved. In the past, I had back pain and
side pain, now it's all cured." Warren and David were both very happy to
join the parade in New York. Warren said, "To be together with so many
practitioners of Falun Dafa, so much righteous and positive energy, and such
power of the uplifting spirit, it is truly great." Regarding the
persecution in China, Warren said, "The persecution is so terrible. Because
of the Chinese Communist regime's external appearance of financial power, many
people have turned a blind eye to the persecution that is happening there,
because they want to make money. But no matter what, the Chinese Communist
Party's persecution of people based on their belief is absolutely wrong. Falun
Gong practitioners are not involved with politics, but are exposing the
Communist regime's brutal crimes, and standing up against the persecution." Kathy from Ottawa (second left, front) says tragedies should
not be repeated. Kathy Gillis from Ottawa, Canada, has practiced Falun Gong for eleven years.
She said, "Practicing Falun Dafa not only gave me physical health, but my
life became full of meaning. In the past, I always felt I should have
achievements, but did not know what to do. After practicing Falun Dafa, I found
it." Kathy held a banner which called on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
to end the persecution of Falun Gong. She said, "In World War II, the
holocaust that took place in the concentration camps was mind chilling. At that
time I was a child. I was shocked that people did not do more to put a stop to
those tragedies, and I was shocked that the adults did not tell me what had
happened. I vowed never to let those events repeat." Amongst the parading
crowd, Kathy called for people's attention to the persecution, to bring an
immediate end to the CCP's brutal crimes. Tatina from Ukraine was very glad to be with so many
practitioners of Falun Gong from around the world. Tatina Skulkinia from Ukraine has practiced Falun Gong since 2001. She said,
"Since cultivating I have become more peaceful and compassionate. In the
past I had a very bad temper. Before I practiced I drank a lot of alcohol quite
often, you know many young people in Russia are like that. After learning Falun
Gong, I no longer liked to drink, and the illnesses in my body disappeared. My
husband also practices Falun Gong, and it has helped improve our family life
greatly, because by following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, we know how
to resolve conflicts." When asked why she took part in the parade, Tatina
said, "I know Falun Dafa is great, it has brought all kinds of benefits to
people. I am very honored to be able to join this parade, to be with so many
practitioners from all over the world. This is so wonderful, I cannot describe
with words how great it is." Anna from Finland, "After practicing, everything in my
life improved." Anna Kokkomen is from Finland. Three years ago, her partner (now her husband)
saw a lady practicing Falun Gong exercises. His curiosity brought him to ask the
lady what practice it was. After he returned home, he told Anna what he saw.
Even though she did not know much about the practice at that time, Anna
immediately said she would also like to practice those exercises. Since then,
she has walked on the path of cultivation in Falun Gong. She said, "I love
Falun Gong. After practicing, everything in my life improved. My spirit and
physical health all became great." 70-year-old Zoya from Moscow condemned the CCP's ten-year
persecution of Falun Gong. Zoya, a 70-year-old woman from Moscow, has practiced Falun Gong for seven
years. She said she had been searching all her life, and when she came across
Falun Dafa, she knew that was what she was looking for. She said, after
practicing, "My family was more harmonious, and the relationship between
myself and my daughter-in-law improved." Even though she was 70, Zoya was
still working. She had once considered retiring to spend more time spreading the
facts and truth of Falun Gong; however, her supervisor asked her to stay on the
job, even if she worked half days. Because Zoya was a practitioner of Falun Gong
and worked responsibly with compassion, her supervisor and colleagues all liked
her very much and did not want her to leave. Every day, Zoya brought banners to
the front of the Chinese Consulate in Moscow to protest the CCP's persecution.
In the beginning, her colleagues made jokes about her, but upon learning the
facts and truth, they all supported her righteous actions very much. On the
topic of this great parade in New York, Zoya said, "The persecution has
taken place for ten years. I want to be with fellow practitioners of Falun Gong,
and together condemn the CCP's persecution and brutal crimes." Yuetian Jingzi from Japan said, "We cannot let the CCP
continue to persecute these benevolent practitioners of Falun Gong." Yuetian Jingzi, who has traveled here from Japan, began to practice Falun
Gong 12 years ago. Even though she lived in Japan, in an environment of comfort,
whenever there have been large scale activities in other parts of the world
calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong, she would participate with
her own finances, when circumstances allowed. She said this was because,
"We cannot let the CCP continue to persecute these benevolent practitioners
of Falun Gong." Vasudha Samathula said, "After practicing Falun Dafa, I
became even-tempered." Residing in the city of St Louis, Vasudha Samathula is an Indian
practitioner. She began to practice in 2001 when her colleague introduced her to
Falun Dafa. Vasudha felt this colleague was a very compassionate person, so upon
learning of the profoundness of Falun Dafa, she began to practice. She said,
"Before practicing, I had a very bad temper that was easily set off; but
after practicing Falun Dafa, I became even-tempered." 17-year-old Zhao Yingyi from Korea said, "Having
practiced for so long, I know the beauty of Falun Dafa." Zhao Yingyi from Korea turns 17 this year. She began to practice Falun Dafa
with her mother at the age of seven. She said, "Having practiced for so
long, I know the beauty of Falun Dafa. I gained good health, good academic
results, and have good relationships with my classmates, all the kids like
me." When asked why she came to the parade, she said, "I feel this
activity is very important. So many Falun Dafa practitioners have come here from
all around the world, so I thought this was a great opportunity for us to strive
forward diligently together."
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/7/202352.html
Yearly Archive
Printer Version
feedback@clearwisdom.net