Israel: Falun Dafa Meditation Workshops Provided for War Zone Evacuees

(Minghui.org) After the attacks on Israel began on October 7, thousands of families were evacuated from the two main fronts in the north and south. 

The evacuees don’t know when they’ll be able to return to their homes and work. The school system in Israel has been shut down since the attacks began, and people face uncertainty, pressure, and anxiety, combined with a lack of employment and income.

During this chaotic time, Falun Dafa practitioners in Israel joined the international volunteer efforts to provide relief. On October 18 and 21, groups of practitioners held workshops to introduce the Falun Dafa exercises as a way of helping them find peace and mental stability. The evacuees were very thankful to practitioners for offering them inner peace and hope, with many said they were interested in continuing to learn the exercises. 

Evacuee: You gave us peace for a couple of hours

On October 21, practitioners held a workshop for 20 families in one of the hotels they stayed in. They showed them the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises, and explained the three principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. For the children, the practitioners provided origami lotuses as well as a children’s story that teaches the values of the practice.

Zohar, a mother of five attended the practitioners’ workshop. She said she was grateful to practitioners for giving her positivity in this trying time and said Falun Dafa’s values deeply resonated with her. “I connected wholeheartedly with the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. It is very interesting to explore them and realize how I can incorporate them into my life,” she said.

She added that it was amazing that practitioners invested time and effort just to give the evacuees some comfort. “You gave us peace for a couple of hours. Falun Dafa is a 100% giving and it is touching,” she said.

Zohar said she is interested in continuing to practice. She asked practitioners to send her the link to the online Falun Dafa webinars so that she could keep learning. “I hope to participate and learn to practice,” she said.

For Olivier, a father of three, the practitioners’ workshop offered stability within the uncertainties of war. 

“It is very important that you gave us something to do and something to think about to distract us from the news and reports. It gave me a break,” he said. “When we, men, don’t have anything to do, we start talking about the war and how it will end.”

He also said that what the practitioners did was very helpful and important, “You opened a new world for me and showed me that I can think about other topics and do something else.”

Rotem thanked practitioners for holding the workshop. “The meditation enabled me to free myself a little and forget the worrying thoughts about our country,” he said. 

The values of Falun Dafa also showed Rotem a way out of this time of distress. “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are the most important values in the world. I hope that more people will know them and act according to them. Whoever tries it, will realize what it means,” he said. 

Aria, Rotem’s eight-year-old daughter, said that she finally relaxed when she did the exercises and it was great.

A Workshop for Evacuees from Southern Israel

On October 18, practitioners went to the women and children who fled their homes in a southern town. The town was repeatedly hit with artillery, and many men were drafted into the army. The women and children were evacuated to ensure their safety.

One boy brought his three-year-old sister. Both children stayed for the exercise instruction. Even though the other children called the boy to play with them, he continued doing the exercises. He said, “I want to learn all the exercises, I want to do the sitting meditation.” After he did five exercises, he was very proud of himself and said, “I fought the yezter hara (selfish desires)!”