Benevolent Hearts Lead to Human Greatness

[Clearwisdon net] My neighbor Zhao Hui is a very kind and honest man. We both work at the same place. He was recently arrested and incarcerated in a detention center for a month because he was involved in the Falun Dafa movement. Now he has been released, bailed out by the Institute where we work. He talked to me about his experience, stirring strong emotions and feelings in my heart.

He said, "Talking about bearing hardship and suffering torture, I don't feel so bad. But I did meet many people and saw many things that moved me very much. No matter where I went and no matter how terrible the situation was, I found that if a human being still has a little bit of kindness left, he can find great compassion in his heart and he can come to understand the meaning and value of life. I discovered the truth of the old Chinese proverb "everyone has his kindness". Even someone on death row has the opportunity to see the errors of his ways and then, only then, would he have a chance to be forgiven. When Jesus was sacrificed, wasn't there a condemned thief near him who was moved so much by Jesus that he saw the errors of his ways and then truly began living a meaningful life? Similarly, I met a lot of people who still have maintained their honesty and consciences."

"One policeman whispered to me, 'Your Falun Gong is really great! Practitioners persist without fear of death. If the Party could have learnt Falun Gong, they would never have become so corrupt. Then our society would not be in such a terrible state. People's consciences are the side of Falun Gong. Don't be disappointed. Persist to the end. The dawn is coming soon."

"One inmate found me easy to get along with, never complaining, so he liked to get close to me. Once he suddenly woke me at midnight and asked me what was the next sentence after 'With heavens clear and celestial bodies transparent, the cosmos are rectified'? [From Hongyin, Master Li's book of poems not yet published in English] I told him it was 'With the most gigantic havoc over, the universe is illuminated.' He recited it several times and lay down, feeling much better. He said, 'your teacher's poem is really great. See: 'Ancients are honest and benevolent, Minds are calm, fortune and longevity are complete.' I am so lucky to meet you and have learned so much of the Fa from you. I'm glad something worthwhile came of my being jailed here."

"It is called 'warmth-giving' when a prisoner's family member sends in clothes and money. At the beginning it was not allowed to send anything to jailed Falun Gong practitioners. Through our endeavors, it is allowed now. When it was still prohibited, I was very lucky to have received two packages of clothes. One was sent from our Institute in the name of all of my fellow workers. The other one was from an anonymous policeman though it was in the name of my sister. Inmates said, 'you are so popular, even unknown people are sending clothes. We should start to practice Falun Gong now, too."

"Leaders of our Institute went to the Police Bureau to ask for my release. They said many good things about me because they know that I have performed very well over the last 10 years I have been working there. Although I had met most of the Institute's leaders, I didn't have a close personal relationship with any of them. They dared to speak out for me even under the current difficult situation, clearly showing their desire for justice and their kindhearted nature."

"There is a Miss Wang living in our apartment building. She has been unemployed for three years so her whole family including a school-aged child all get by on only her husband's salary. Despite that, when she heard that I was arrested she immediately took a check to my mother and said, 'Please, take the money and don't let him bear too much hardship.' Aunt Li frequently came to help out my mother, comforting her and helping in taking care of my child. Aunt Li said that from the kind smile on Miss Wang's wrinkled face, you could tell how much she cared."

"My classmates frequently called in from different places, even from other countries, to express their concern about my situation and try to get me out. One classmate's spouse, who is in charge of persecuting Falun Gong in another city, said that, 'Why did your city handle it in that way? In our city, we understand about Falun Fong, so we just 'educate' practitioners. Why arrest them? They did not violate any law. When you cannot bear it, come to our city'."

"One classmate said, 'I really admire you! You have your faith! You have such courage! You live meaningfully, not like us. We are just mediocre and without ambition, attempting nothing and accomplishing nothing either. But I support you and I also worry about you, since I don't want to see you suffering hardship. You should take care of yourself very well."

"My mother used to be not interested in anything, and she only expected to live her life in peace. Before I was arrested, I told her that Falun Gong was being persecuted. She did not believe it, but said we should do whatever the government said. Now, she has changed her thinking. She knows that arresting and beating good people is not the right thing to do. So she is no longer singing the same tune as the government. My arrest shocked her very much. She really could not understand it. 'My son is a good person. He did nothing wrong. Why arrest him? Is another cultural revolution coming? The upright path is blocked...people are suffering disasters again now'."

"My mother told me, 'in the past month, I can't even remember how many people came to help or who gave us what, or who left how much money. I tried to remember at the beginning, but it turned to be way too much to remember. You had better never let them down."

"I never thought so many people would be worried about me. Whenever I thought about these people and what they did for me, I always felt grateful and encouraged. I, Zhao Hui, simply an intelligent and plain living being, not good at talking or socializing, powerless and poor. Why did all of these people step forward to help me, asking nothing in return? It is not because of how capable or how great I am. My arrest must have awoken their intuitive knowledge and the kindness and justice deep in their hearts. Their consciences became strong and the truth led them to be clearheaded. They stand on the side of justice. The benevolence in their hearts has made them great!"

Zhao Hui's talk moved me deeply and I felt warmth flowing through my heart. I felt ashamed of myself since there was a period when I did not care about Falun Gong. I just devoted myself to my research, satisfied with my middle class life. I used to believe that "ignorance is bliss", so I wasn't much concerned with saving the world. I was as happy as "a pig in a poke", as Einstein satirized. What a pitiable existence I led, living with no ambition, no hopes and dreams! Compared to people like Zhao Hui, how can I be considered a human being? Thinking about this, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. How terrible!

Zhao Hui said right that human hearts will be great when they discover the true meaning of benevolence. Only when we hold compassion and benevolence in our hearts can we understand the purpose and value of our lives.