Senate Resolution No. 821

BY: Senator MURRAY

COMMEMORATING the 24th Annual World Falun Dafa Day
Celebration, to be observed May 13, 2023

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the
24th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, to be observed May 13,
2023; and

WHEREAS, Many of those who participate in World Falun Dafa Day
celebrate the teachings which have brought physical health, joy, and
peace of mind to millions of people across the globe throughout the
entire week; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a self-improvement
practice rooted in ancient Chinese culture based on refining the body
and mind through special exercises and meditation; and

WHEREAS, This special event observes the day Falun Dafa was first
introduced to the general public in May of 1992, in Changchun, China, by
Mr. Li Hongzhi; he then traveled around China lecturing to the public;
and

WHEREAS, The impact his lectures had on the society was so profound,
that the practice spread very rapidly by word of mouth alone; by 1998,
it was estimated that 100 million people had taken up the practice in
China; and

WHEREAS, The practice of Falun Dafa is simple; it consists primarily
of two components, self-improvement through study and the practice of
five gentle exercises; and

WHEREAS, Practitioners of Falun Dafa strive to live by the
principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance in order to
improve their moral nature, and in turn, to experience remarkable health
benefits; and

WHEREAS, The practice of Falun Dafa goes beyond the pursuit of
health and fitness to the goal of greater wisdom and enlightenment; and

WHEREAS, The Falun Dafa philosophy espouses the idea that when the
heart is pure, the mind balanced, and the body energized, health and
happiness are a natural outcome; individuals have been empowered to
leave behind addictions and bad habits; families, to live in peace
together; and communities, to embrace what is virtuous and
life-affirming; and

WHEREAS, The effectiveness of Falun Dafa in improving health, as
well as the principles upon which it is founded, have proven to be
immensely popular throughout the world and have attracted people in more
than 114 countries; and

WHEREAS, To the people of China, Falun Dafa provides a source of
strength in the face of oppression; although the practice is banned in

the land of its origin, practitioners persevere in the pursuit of their
spiritual beliefs, risking imprisonment or worse; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, Falun Dafa was introduced to New York, and has
since grown to include hundreds of practitioners who can be found
throughout the tri-state area offering workshops in senior centers,
corporate offices, health clubs, private residences and police stations
at no cost to the participants; and

WHEREAS, Today, Falun Dafa is practiced and cherished by millions of
people and has received over 3,000 awards; and

WHEREAS, Falun Dafa is a practice which has brought better health
and inner peace to millions around the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 24th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, to be
observed May 13, 2023; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Falun Dafa practitioners of New York State.