(Minghui.org) As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Falun Dafa practitioners in Quebec gathered to convey their greetings and gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi. They said practicing Falun Dafa brought optimism, light and hope to their lives.

Falun Dafa practitioners in Montreal wish Falun Dafa’s founder Master Li Hongzhi a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Practitioners in Sherbrooke, Canada wish Master Li Hongzhi a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Western Practitioner: Falun Dafa Completely Changed My Life

Virginia Neville, who lives in Sherbrooke, said she experienced a complete turnaround in her life after she started practicing Falun Dafa. She wished to thank Master Li Hongzhi.

Before she began practicing Falun Dafa, Virginia Neville from Sherbrooke used to drink, smoke and take marijuana. Her life revolved around joining parties and having fun. However soon after giving birth to her child at the age of 30, her child’s father drank too much and passed away in an unexpected accident. This incident led Virginia to realize that her life was a mess.

Virginia’s father started practicing Falun Dafa in 2000. For years, he tried persuading his daughter to join him, but Virginia felt she had too many problems and was far below the standard required to learn Falun Dafa. After the fatal accident, she resolved to turn her life around and started practicing when her child was nine months old.

Following her father’s advice, Virginia studied the Fa and practiced the exercises every day. She started off by reading the book Falun Gong, before moving on to Zhuan Falun. Within a short span of time and through an amazing natural process, Virginia gave up her previous addictions, including smoking, drinking and marijuana.

“At first, I still smoked marijuana every day. About a month after I started practicing Falun Dafa, I decided to stop smoking marijuana and instead meditate. Previously, I only practiced the standing exercises but I did not meditate. The day I started meditating was the day my marijuana addiction disappeared.”

Cultivation also allowed Virginia to experience spiritual improvements. “The whole process was very magical. At the beginning, a huge force swept through me and pushed me up a big step. I did not do anything and it was this external force that changed me.

“I worked hard to adhere to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in my daily life. I do my best to meet this standard, so as to become a better person.”

After she began practicing, Virginia’s life changed for the better. She distanced herself from her circle of marijuana addicted, alcoholic friends, met her current husband, got married and had two children.

Virginia hopes more people will come to understand the greatness of Falun Dafa. “Before, I didn’t know my purpose in life. I lived day to day, enjoying fun and excitement at a very low spiritual level. Dafa elevated me to a higher level and strengthened my mental fortitude. Falun Dafa completely changed my life, and I am extremely grateful to Master Li.”

New Practitioner: Falun Dafa Helped Me Understand the Meaning of Life

Hien from Montreal thanks Master Li Hongzhi for introducing Falun Dafa to the world, and for enlightening her to the meaning and purpose in life.

Originally from Vietnam, Hien from Montreal immigrated to Canada in hopes of establishing her career and achieving financial freedom at an early age. She devoted herself to her studies, worked two or sometimes even three jobs at the same time, and even applied for loans to invest in real estate and the stock market.

Her health unexpectedly began to deteriorate, exacerbated by constant worries over work and daily life. By the end of July 2023, she lost a significant amount of weight, suffered a relapse of her hyperthyroidism and had to be hospitalized for a week. When her doctor suggested that she stop working for more than two months to rest, she fell into a state of depression.

Hien’s mother suggested that she use this convalescent break to learn Falun Dafa. Her mother used to suffer from many diseases, but after she began practicing Falun Dafa she recovered her health and youthful looks. In fact, Hien’s mother recommended Falun Dafa to her in 2020, but Hien had decided to postpone learning the cultivation practice until she was financially independent—she believed that she needed to make money while she was young.

This bout of illness allowed Hien to experience firsthand what people meant when they said, “Trade your health for money, before using money to buy back your health.” She decided to start practicing Falun Dafa.

After practicing for a while, Hien found that she no longer needed to take medicine or visit the hospital. Her quality of sleep improved, and where she previously needed one to several hours to fall asleep, she now fell asleep quickly. She stopped suffering frequent headaches, and even when they did occur, they were not as severe as before. Hien said she felt relaxed and healthy.

As her cultivation level improved, Hien noticed a reduction in her anxiety level—she calmed down and stopped focusing on money. This new page in her life was exactly what she had desired as a child, to possess inner peace and live a peaceful life.

Hien used to subscribe to society’s materialistic aspirations, much of which was beyond her abilities. After practicing Falun Dafa, she discovered why we are here and the essence of true happiness. Now, she cherishes her life and rejoices in her good fortune in obtaining Falun Dafa.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near, Hien wishes to express her gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi, “Thank you, Master, for introducing Dafa to the world. Through the teachings of Zhuan Falun, I strive to be a good person, adhere to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and be considerate of others. I am grateful to Master for showing me who I really am, for telling me where I originally came from and for letting me know what my purpose in life is.”