Happy faces of young practitioners at the Minghui School in Sydney, Australia
(Minghui.org) A child’s innocent face is like a mirror that reflects his or her pure inner world, and a child’s words of kindness are like a mirror that reveals their genuine care. When six-grade student Wengting received the Moral Intelligence Exemplary Award in 2010 at Hsinchu, Taiwan, one could see these qualities reflected in her.
Wengting (third from left), her parents, and grandmother attend an award ceremony hosted by Hsu Ming-tsai, former mayor of Hsinchu.
In the eyes of her teachers, Wengting always has a positive attitude towards people and events. When facing difficulties, instead of shirking responsibility, she demonstrates patience and conscientiousness, setting a good example for her peers. Her mother explained that Wengting had suffered from illnesses since she was very young, but Falun Dafa gave her good health and showed her how to be kind. Wengting attributes her excellent grades to her practice of Falun Dafa, especially because she follows Dafa’s guiding principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Children at a Minghui club at an elementary school in Taiwan are happy to read Hong Yin, a collection of poems written Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa.
Many children in Taiwan also enjoy such happiness, from regular schools to specialized Minghui Schools. The members of a Minghui Club in an elementary school say they feel like family. They read the Falun Dafa teachings and recite Zhuan Falun and Hong Yin. They also share their stores and watch documentaries. By following principles of Falun Dafa to be good, these children say they “truly enjoy every day.”
Such a positive attitude comes from the practice of Falun Dafa, a meditation system based on five sets of exercises and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Also known as Falun Gong, this practice was introduced to the public by Master Li in 1992 and has benefited practitioners in over 100 countries. Because of the huge benefits on mind and body, Falun Dafa has now received more than 5,000 awards from around the world. Currently available in over 40 languages, many people say that Falun Dafa’s teachings and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance brought them hope.
Minghui School in Canada
Calm and peace at the summer session of the Toronto Minghui School in Canada
Christine said her daughter had a great time when she attended summer camp at the Toronto Minghui School. There were moments of lively excitement and moments of peace and calm. Christine said her daughter also changed a lot for the better. “Hyperactive children like her sat quietly and listened in class. The teacher also showed them how to respect others while taking good care of their personal belongings,” she explained. She said that Falun Dafa’s teachings and exercises help children concentrate on their studies.
Albert, a 12-year-old student in Canada, has attended the Minghui School Summer Camp in Toronto every year. The 2022 session lasted eight weeks, from July 4 to August 25, with nearly 50 participants. In addition to reading the Falun Dafa teachings and doing the exercises, the activities also include Chinese dance, calligraphy, Chinese painting, and other subjects. The students said they had a great time because of the pure environment. They also liked the recently-added programs such as film, making signs, and flyer preparation.
Albert (first from right) and his friends in the flyer preparation team
Albert said the environment is relaxing and productive. He is especially interested in the flyer preparation team because he compiles materials that help tell people the facts about Falun Dafa and exposes the suppression in China.
Children in India Benefit From Falun Dafa
Group exercises at St. Ann’s School, a Catholic school near Bangalore, India
Bangalore is the third most populous city in India, and Verkey, the principal of Jyothi School, said he had a similar reaction to Falun Dafa’s beneficial effects on children. At a national conference for school principals on November 28, 2007, he shared the amazing results of introducing Falun Dafa in his school. He said that many once-rebellious students changed dramatically and their grades also improved significantly.
There are over 80 such schools in India. When they do the Falun Dafa exercises the students look relaxed and serene. Although the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) suppressed the practice since 1999, the regime cannot stop people from pursuing health and happiness, either inside or outside China.
Minghui School in Australia
Similar programs also exist in Australia. During an experience-sharing conference in Sydney on September 17, fourteen young practitioners told their stories of following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to be better people.
Happy faces of young practitioners at the Minghui School in Sydney, Australia
During the conference, a teacher also played a documentary on how Falun Dafa benefited practitioners around the world. Young practitioners were delighted when they saw Master Li in the video. With their hands pressed together, they called out, “Master! Master!” Such genuine happiness comes from the power of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and is testimony to the freedom of belief outside China.
While Falun Dafa is freely practiced in over 100 countries, the CCP has severely persecuted the practice since July 1999, leaving a large number of families, including children, in dire suffering.
A child’s innocent face is like a mirror that reflects his or her pure inner world, and a child’s words of kindness are like a mirror that reveals their sincerity. However, some children in China have not been allowed to enjoy the happy childhood that is rightfully theirs.
When people are persecuted for their faith, including their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, it is a shadow on society. It harms all of us, including our children.
According to incomplete statistics, at least 5,010 Falun Dafa practitioners have been confirmed to have lost their lives due to the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as of November 2023. The number of practitioners imprisoned is in the tens of thousands while the number who were sent to forced labor camps is in the hundreds of thousands. These numbers are based on information that can be confirmed, despite the CCP’s tight censorship and Internet blockade. However, given the difficulty in getting information out of China, the real situation may be much worse, and the numbers may be much higher.
Many of these persecuted practitioners have children, who have now lost their loved ones, whether temporarily or forever. These innocent little ones live in humiliation, terror, and confusion.
Five-year-old Wang Jing asks, “Why won’t anyone play with me?”
Mr. Wang Zhihai and his wife Ms. Duan Shiqiong are Falun Dafa practitioners from Chongqing, and Wang Jing is their son. Mr. Wang was sent to the Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province in July 2001 for practicing Falun Dafa; Ms. Duan lost her life in the Chengdu Detention Center of Sichuan Province on September 17, 2003. Raised by his grandparents, Wang Jing’s childhood was filled with humiliation, discrimination, and sadness.
Zheng Xianchu, a 7-year-old girl in Changchun City, was in a similar situation and she dared not mention her parents’ names.
Ten-year-old Zhang Jiarui said, “Please don’t discriminate against me!”
If you met 10-year-old Zhang Jiarui in 2004, you might have been saddened by his sad and lonely face. His father Mr. Zhang Bin, a Falun Dafa practitioner from Daqing City in Heilongjiang Province, had been arrested again in December 2004 and tortured in Suihua Forced Labor Camp. As she spoke about her son, his mother Ms. Cheng Qinglan said, “For a long time, he has not had his father’s love. Because his classmates and teachers discriminate against him, he is depressed and has low self-esteem. His grades dropped, and his physical and mental health have been affected.”
The CCP Places Children Under Extreme Pressure
Such pressure is so immense that it could crush a person, let alone an innocent, defenseless child. Li Qingqing is a girl from Jiangjin City in Chongqing. After her mother died because of the persecution, she was continually ridiculed by her classmates. She could no longer take it and in despair she drank 100 milliliters of pesticide.
Wan Ruyi: “I’m afraid of those bad people!”
One of the CCP’s persecution policies against Falun Dafa is physical destruction. The more intense and terrifying the policies are, the more frightened these children are. Mr. Wan Liji was a police officer in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province. Because of long-term physical and mental torture, he was only 34 years old when he died on February 9, 2004. His wife was forced to become a street vendor to make a living. Their 4-year-old daughter, Wan Ruyi, often murmured by herself, “I need to call my dad.” Even when she walked in the park, she sometimes noticed she was followed by CCP officers.
Liu Xiang: “I’m afraid of the orphanage!”
Liu Xiang, an 11-year-old boy from Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, said what he feared the most was being sent to an orphanage. His parents were teachers from Nantou Middle School in Shenzhen City. His mother Ms. Wang Xiaodong died from torture at Nanshan Detention Center in July 2003. His father Mr. Liu Xifeng received a 10-year term in December 2003 and was sent to Sihui Prison. Liu Xiang had no choice but to live, with constant fear, in Shenzhen Orphanage. If he leaves there, he will be pursued by the police.
Liu Xiaotian is from Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. When he heard the police officers who persecuted his father were coming for him, the boy left school on November 23, 2001. He hid in a neighbor’s storage unit. But two or three days later, seven police officers came to harass his neighbor. Xiaotian had no choice but to go to his uncle. Several months later, police found him again. His uncle asked a friend to help and the boy stayed in another storage place in Shenzhen City for more than a year. His uncle borrowed a huge amount of money and asked someone to take Xiaotian to Denmark. It was not until he received refugee status that Xiaotian was told his mother also lost her life due to the persecution.
Sun Mingyuan: “Please help rescue my parents!”
Sun Mingyuan is a boy from Dehui City, Jilin Province. Because they practice Falun Dafa, his father Mr. Sun Qian was sentenced to 11 years in prison. His mother Ms. Ma Chunli was sent to the Dehui Detention Center in December 2004 where she was in a life-threatening condition. Mingyuan had to live with his grandmother. Because he thought of his parents very much, he wrote the message on a board and stood in front of the Dehui Shopping Center in 2005 during Chinese New Year, as a call for help.
Yang Shengwei and his sister: “We want our mother even if you beat us to death!”
Yang Shengwei is from Baishan City, Jilin Province. Although an officer from the Fusong County Police Department kicked him in the face the day before, 13-year-old Shengwei carried his three-year-old sister and they went to the police department asking for their mother’s release. Shengwei’s mother is Yang Zhonghong. Because she told people about Falun Dafa, she was arrested on September 19, 2006. While she was detained, she was tied to an iron chair, tortured and threatened.
Twelve-year-old Liu Qian lived in Xiong County, Hebei Province. She was diagnosed with acute leukemia on November 15, 2003. There was no cure and her parents were told to prepare for her funeral. Her parents helped her learn Falun Dafa. Within seven days, this bedridden girl was fully cured. A doctor’s examination showed that she was totally fine.
Two months after school started, because of pressure from higher-ups, the school principal threatened to expel Qian from school unless she signed a document giving up her belief. Due to the huge mental stress and ensuing depression, Liu Qian died five days later. She simply could not understand: Why did the principal disregard a student’s life? Why did the CCP suppress Falun Dafa?
Liu Mohan: “Why?”
There are so many similar stories. Liu Mohan, a fifth-grade student from Nong’an County, Jilin Province, asked, “Why did officials torture and kill my father Liu Chengjun? He only told people the facts about the persecution.”
Xu Shuai: “Why can’t I practice Falun Dafa?”
Xu Shuai from Jilin Province started to practice Falun Dafa when he was six. He has many questions: “Why did officials kill my father? Why did officials kill my grandfather? Why can’t I practice Falun Dafa?”
Some of these children are only two years old, and some are in their teens. Because of the CCP’s ruthless persecution, they have all suffered tremendously, far beyond what anyone their young age should bear. The happy childhood that should be theirs was taken away by the CCP, leaving them living in fear and darkness.
A child’s innocent face is like a mirror that reflects his or her pure inner world, and a child’s words of kindness are like a mirror that reveals their sincerity. However, some children in China have not been allowed to enjoy the happy childhood that is rightfully theirs.
When people are persecuted for their faith in righteous principles such as Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, it is a shadow on society. It harms all of us, including our children. We know this because of the stories below.
(Continued from Part 2)
When Qingqing came to the United States, she was finally able to smile.
When flight CA981 left China and arrived at JFK airport in New York on January 27, 2011, one of the passengers on the plane was a 7-year-old girl who had not smiled for three years. Her name is Qingqing and her parents, Mr. Niu Jinping and Ms. Zhang Lianying, were Falun Dafa practitioners from Dongcheng District, Beijing.
Because of persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officials arrested a large number of practitioners before the Olympics were held in Beijing in early 2008. When agents from local Domestic Security Division arrested her parents on April 20, 2008, four-year-old Qingqing was standing behind her mother. After the police entered their apartment, an officer grabbed her mother’s neck from behind and pulled it backward hard; the umbrella and bag in her hand dropped to the floor, and the eggs she was holding were smashed. Seeing the officer cover her mother’s head with a black hood and drag her upstairs, Qingqing was terrified.
Traumatized, little Qinging spoke in whispers afterwards, and never smiled. After her parents were abducted, her relatives took care of her. She often asked, “When will my parents come back?” Seeing the other children being picked up by their parents at kindergarten was a sad reminder that her parents were gone.
Fortunately, when Qingqing was 7 years old she was able to flee China and arrive in the United States. On her face there was a sweet, worry-free smile of freedom, something her mother had not seen for four years.
Young Practitioners Outside China Strive to End the Persecution
Liu Xiaotian said, “I hope more kind-hearted people join the efforts to end the persecution.”
Liu Xiaotian, the boy mentioned in Part 2 of this series, started to help expose the suppression after he arrived in Denmark. When practitioners from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark gathered at the The King’s New Square (Kongens Nytorv) on July 11, 2009, Liu spoke during the event to expose and end the persecution.
“Because they practiced Falun Dafa, my parents were arrested; in five short months they lost their lives while they were detained,” he said. “There are many cases like mine since 1999. Because of their faith in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, parents are detained and tortured, or forced to stay away from home. Like me, their children can no longer live and study normally. I hope more kind-hearted people join the effort to end the persecution, so that children can receive the care that they deserve.”
Some children grow up in the land of freedom. Although they and their families did not experience the suppression directly, they stepped forward to end the atrocities in China.
Six-year-old Katharina from Switzerland: “Please help stop the persecution against Falun Dafa in China.”
Katharina is a first-grade student in Switzerland, and she is liked by her teachers and classmates. She began practicing Falun Dafa at age 2, and likes to read Hong Yin, a collection of poems written by Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa. When she got older Katharina began reading Falun Dafa’s main book, Zhuan Falunand followed the teachings to be a better person.
Despite her happy childhood, Katharina was sad when she heard how innocent practitioners – and their children – suffered horribly in China for practicing Falun Dafa. She joined her mother when events were held in Switzerland, Czechia, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, and Germany. The photo above was taken during an anti-torture exhibition event when Katharina was six. Her young face is pure and serious.
First-grade student Meiyun gave a speech at an event in Japan.
When Japanese practitioners held an event in Tokyo calling to stop the persecution in China on July 17, 2022, first-grade student Meiyun also spoke and described how the CCP persecutes practitioners. “Falun Dafa is good and the suppression is bad,” she explained. “I hope the persecution ends soon.”
Falun Dafa practitioners around the world have held many similar events. Although they speak different languages, these children all have the same plea: “Please help stop the persecution.”
A young boy participates in the candlelight vigil in Washington D.C.
During a candlelight vigil in Washington D.C. on July 22, 2020, practitioners formed the words, “Falun Dafa” with candles. Many children participated in the activity because they wanted to let people know Falun Dafa is good.
Seventeen-year-old Xuanxuan
Canadian practitioners in Toronto held a major event on July 17, 2020, to tell people about the tragedies in China. They displayed banners at more than 40 intersections at city centers, including Mississauga, Scarborough, and Markham. Xuanxuan, 17, also attended the activity and gave a speech. “Falun Dafa has taught me to be a good person and a better person – someone who is always considerate of others,” she said. “That is why I often tell people how great Falun Dafa is. I also hope to help stop the persecution.”
A 10-year-old practitioner sang at an event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When practitioners held a rally at the Liberty Bell tourist attraction in Philadelphia on May 11, 2024, practitioners drew attention to the persecution through holding group exercises and displaying posters and banners. A 10-year-old practitioner performed a song,“Making Lotus Flowers” to raise awareness about Falun Dafa and the tragedies in China.
Young practitioners’ performance in Brisbane, Australia, on May 12, 2024
Australian practitioners in Queensland held an event at King George Square in Brisbane to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day on May 12, 2024. They demonstrated the exercises, and gave waist drum, dragon dance, and fan dance performances. Mark said he really liked these programs, especially those performed by children. “We should cherish the universal values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” he said. “It is terrible that the CCP persecutes Falun Dafa.”
The children’s faces are like mirrors and they show us what is happening. From sixth grade student Wengting, we saw how the practice of Falun Dafa has benefited people from around the world physically and spiritually. Following the five sets of exercises and principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, practitioners gained good health and raised moral character—this benefits themselves, their families, and their communities.
From 10-year-old Zhang Jiarui, we saw the tragic consequences of the persecution. Not only have practitioners lost their good health and their freedom, their lives were disrupted, and their family members including children, are discriminated against and live in fear and darkness.
In six-year-old Katharina, we see hope. As more kindhearted people from around the world learn about the brutalities in China and support basic human rights, including freedom of belief, practitioners will one day be able to freely practice their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
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