2004 European Conference: People are Waiting for The Truth

Revered Master:
Honoured Guests:

Hello, everyone my name is Christian Schlegel and I am from Switzerland. In August of the year 2000 I experienced an ever-increasing, strong desire to find a true way and genuine spiritual guidance from a true master. One day I sent a heartfelt prayer into the universe, to be given directions as to what to practice and how to improve myself. Three days later I found a Falun Gong leaflet in my mailbox. I was somewhat surprised that my prayer was answered so quickly. I read the leaflet from back to front. When I finished reading it became clear to me that Falun Gong is everything I had been searching for. Another thought occurred to me – if the Jiang’s regime are persecuting Falun Gong, the practice must be something extraordinarily good!

I immediately went to my computer, to find some more information about Falun Gong. I discovered Zhuan Falun [Turning the Law Wheel - a book containing the principle teachings of Falun Gong] and read it through in a short period of time. For another two months I kept reading experience sharing articles written by people who practice Falun Gong and other information that I had found on the website. If I wasn’t doing this then I would read the other Falun Dafa books and then Zhuan Falun again. That happened before my wife and I had ever gone to a practice site to learn the Falun Gong exercises. Since then we have diligently practised Falun Dafa, so as to return to the way of truth, our origin. Soon after that, we also became involved in activities to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

At the forefront were topics such as sending forth righteous thoughts, holding peaceful sit-ins close to the Chinese Legation, which is located a mere 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) from our residence, and other pressing topics such as how best to eliminate the evil in other dimensions that lurks around the Chinese Legation. There wasn’t a suitable spot that was immediately in front of the Chinese Legation for several practitioners to sit together at one time. Sometimes I went by myself, to send righteous thoughts. Usually, when two or three of us practitioners did sit together, about five minutes later the police showed up and told us to leave. They became a bit friendlier after we had explained the facts to them, but still insisted that we leave.

A practitioner from the UK told of his experiences during a Berlin Falun Gong experience sharing conference. He told how he simply distributed handouts close to the Chinese Consulate. His experience made me realise that this could be the solution I had been searching for. I decided to put this into practice for us here in Bern. This meant that those people coming here to have their visas renewed would be told the true facts about Falun Gong!

Currently I am working at a golf course. During the three winter months of every year I am unemployed. It is difficult to find short-term work for those three months. I therefore use this time wisely and every morning I would go to stand in front of the Chinese Legation and handed out Falun Gong leaflets, CD’s and Falun Gong newspapers, to inform people about the horrendous persecution. I was a bit timid on the first day because of the police. But I knew that my righteous thoughts would dissolve such concerns and surely enough on that morning not a single police vehicle passed me, although on other days several of them would drive by on a regular basis. You see, the police precinct station is only a few houses down the road!

Two or three days had passed before the first patrol car stopped by. The driver enquired if I am a Falun Gong representative. I responded with a clear “Yes!” His response was, “Good, then you may stay here!” I handed him some information about Falun Gong and they drove off. It seemed obvious that the situation had relaxed from a year ago. Even the people working in the Legation seemed to tolerate me. Only once did a man come out and attempted to send me away, but naturally I remained and refused to leave.

On the second to last day of my planned mission, the police information officer asked me to come to the precinct. The officers wanted to be briefed about the situation of Falun Gong in China. After that we were granted a permit for two practitioners to continue this activity in front of the Legation three days a week!

We mailed letters to all citizens living within the Chinese Legation area, which included a Falun Dafa newspaper and we also let them know that we wanted them to be personally informed for the reasons of our presence in front of the Legation. The feedback was quite positive. From that moment on, the surrounding neighbours would cordially greet us when we met and they completely supported our activity. An older gentleman commented the following day that he wholeheartedly agrees with us and with what we are doing in front of the Chinese Legation. He and several others had signed a petition list and sent it with a letter to the Chinese Legation. The response of the Chinese Legation was to supply him with was a small tract, full of defamation of Falun Gong. He was unable to give credence to what it said in the little booklet given to him. What bothered him most was the realisation that their actions cannot amount to anything. He felt powerless.

Our presence in front of the Legation has renewed his and the others’ hope. The local residents who have collected signatures for the petition and have received the Dafa newspaper with our letter had already discussed our mission and us amongst themselves. They had decided that is was a good thing for us to stand there and that we should never give up, our letter had explained clearly the why and what we were doing this for. The older gentleman is not alone in his positive views – many other people also encouraged us to continue our effort, such as other local residents, passers-by, visitors to the Legation and others.

A young, petite Chinese woman came to the Legation. When she spotted us, she took the long way around, perhaps for fear that the people inside the Legation might connect her to Falun Gong, which she thought might in turn spell trouble for her. When she returned, a female Falun Gong practitioner waited until she could no longer be seen by the Legation. She then unobtrusively handed the young Chinese woman some Falun Dafa information, mentioning in a low voice what these things are. The Chinese woman swiftly put the materials into her purse and thanked our practitioner with a genuine xie xie [thank you] that truly came from her heart.

A while ago we encountered a Chinese family with a small child who needed to use a toilet. They did not want to ask the Chinese Legation, saying that those people are not very accommodating and are unfriendly. They decided to ask us Falun Gong practitioners. One of our female practitioners walked with them and showed
them the way. After a few pleasantly exchanged words about Falun Gong, the visiting woman said that they must return to China, but would tell everyone there, “Falun Dafa is Good.”

One day I thought that I should learn to speak Lunyu [foreword in Zhuan Falun] in Chinese and to read it in front of the Chinese Legation. I equipped myself with my Walkman and learned Lunyu in front of the Legation. The first part I knew by heart. I noticed that I destroyed a lot of evil in other dimensions when I recited Lunyu out loud, merely to control my pronunciation.

All in all, I had several profound experiences during my efforts to show the truth about Falun Gong..

Thank you, Master, thanks everyone

(Original text in German)