(Clearwisdom.net) I am a 72-year-old woman who retired from a 27-year management position with the Chinese government. I used to suffer from a myriad of illnesses that even the most prestigious hospitals in China were unable to cure although the government had paid a lot of money for my medical treatments. I always had to have my medicine on hand. In September 1996, when I was brought to the hospital for emergency resuscitation, a kindhearted doctor, who is a Falun Gong practitioner, gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun. That was when I started practicing Falun Gong, a high-level cultivation practice. It was truly a precious opportunity that comes only once in an eternity.
I couldn't put down Zhuan Falun. The more I read it, the more I was amazed by it. The three words, Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, were branded on my mind from the very beginning. Since then, I have had steadfast faith in Teacher and the Fa. I persevered in studying the Fa and hand copied from Zhuan Falun daily. After I had hand copied Zhuan Falun four times, the stubborn illnesses that had tormented me for decades disappeared completely without further medical treatment. It felt great to be healthy. While studying the Fa, I often pledged in front of Teacher's photo with tears in my eyes, "I am your disciple who is truly cultivating. I shall believe in Teacher and the Fa forever. The demonic tribulations of the worst kind will not alter my faith. I shall strictly follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance at all times to become a selfless and altruistic enlightened being and return home with Teacher."
Going to Beijing to Have the False Charges against Falun Gong Reversed
Driven by its irrational jealousy, Jiang Zemin used the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to launch its ruthless persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. Jiang mobilized the entire nation's law enforcement resources to arrest, imprison and torture Falun Gong practitioners in the cruelest and most despicable ways.
It broke my heart and I burst into tears when I saw them destroy so many precious Falun Gong books. I wrote letters to top leaders of the CCP and cited many facts to validate that Falun Gong is a righteous cultivation practice that teaches its practitioners to become better, healthy people and that Falun Gong has enriched the lives of over 100 million people all over China. I told those top leaders in the letters that it was wrong to suppress Falun Gong and that they must rectify the mistake right away.
Later I heard that Jiang's henchmen had burned all the appeal letters. On December 26, 1999, several dozen fellow Falun Gong practitioners had a meeting at my home with the practitioners from Hefei that had just returned from Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. They had a discussion about what we should do next to appeal for Falun Gong and have the false charges against Falun Gong reversed and clear Teacher's good name. The next day six practitioners went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. When the son of one of the six could not find his mother, he told the police about the meeting at my home.
On January 3, 2000, a police car from the local police station came to my home to arrest me. As soon as the police entered my home, they tried to confiscate Teacher's photo. I grabbed the photo back right away. Then I remembered Teacher's words:
"Just by staying unaffected you will be able to handle all situations." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in the Midwest-U.S.")
I humbly asked Teacher to reinforce my righteous thoughts and thought, "I am your disciple. No one will be able to harm me." In a calm manner, I asked the police to sit down and have a peaceful talk. The leading policeman asked, "Are you still practicing Falun Gong?" "Of course! I had spent lots of money on medical treatments for more than ten different illnesses, but no hospital could cure me. Now I have become completely healthy because I practice Falun Gong. How can I stop practicing Falun Gong?" Next I told them more details about how Falun Gong saved me from death's door and restored my health. The police really paid attention to my story. Then they left without saying much. Under Teacher's protection, I passed this test. The next day, a younger practitioner and I left for Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.
We took the night train to Beijing. After we arrived, we immediately left for Tiananmen Square without even eating anything first. As soon as we arrived at Tiananmen Square, a policeman stopped and questioned us: "Do you practice Falun Gong?" Then he ordered us to curse Teacher to test whether or not we practice Falun Gong. I remembered Teacher's words:
"Each and every barrier must be broken through,
And everywhere does evil lurk."
("Tempering the Will" in Hong Yin, translation A)
I told the policeman right away, "Mr. Li Hongzhi is my Teacher. He teaches us not to curse people and to be better people. Those who curse other people are bad people." He checked my ID and let us go. Under Teacher's protection, I passed another test.
We went to Beijing Army General Hospital and China People's Liberation Army General Hospital where I had repeatedly had medical treatments in the past. I went to see friends, relatives, doctors and employees at the hospitals' guesthouses to introduce Falun Gong to them and clarify the truth about Falun Gong. They were amazed when they saw that I was now a completely healthy person. I told them that my health was restored because I practiced Falun Gong. Then I told them facts about the persecution of Falun Gong. They all agreed that Falun Gong is good, but they suggested that I return home right away because the police in Beijing had arrested many Falun Gong practitioners. We stayed in Beijing for three days. We were worn out because of all the walking, so we returned home without appealing for Falun Gong. I felt remorse after I returned home and cried a few times.
On March 12, 2000, an elderly practitioner and I took a letter for Jiang Zemin to the State Appeals Office in Beijing. I asked the office to pass on the letter to Jiang Zemin. On the appeal sheet, I wrote that Falun Gong is a righteous cultivation practice that transcends the level of modern science. I made the following appeals in writing: 1. Withdraw the bounty on Teacher and reverse all charges against Teacher. 2. Allow Zhuan Falun to be published again. 3. Release all the unlawfully imprisoned and detained Falun Gong practitioners. 4. Allow Falun Gong practitioners to have a legal environment where we may practice Falun Gong freely. However, the State Appeals Office had become a place where the police "conveniently" arrested Falun Gong practitioners. We were arrested and imprisoned for four days in our province's branch office in Beijing. The police from our local area came to Beijing and brought four of us back to our hometown. Then we were thrown into a local detention center. At the time they charged me with "disrupting social order" and told me to sign a piece of paper, but I erased the false charge and wrote, "it is illegal to detain us." I told the police, "According to China's Constitution, each Chinese citizen has the right to appeal and the freedom of personal belief. As a retired cadre, I am speaking the truth about Falun Gong to the nation's leaders --- Falun Gong is a righteous cultivation practice. Falun Gong teaches its practitioners to be better people. Falun Gong is capable of curing the illnesses of its practitioners and giving them a healthy body. You all know the health and morality transformation I went through. It's Falun Gong that has given me a new lease on life. It is illegal to keep us in prison." The police chief said, "There is nothing I can do. I am only following orders."
Clarifying the Truth in Prison; Leaving the Evil Den through Righteous Thoughts
While I was incarcerated in the detention center, I took the opportunity to introduce Falun Gong and clarify the truth about Falun Gong to all the staff and other people I met there. They learned that Falun Gong is Buddha Fa from heaven and it surpasses modern science. They also learned that Heaven will ultimately reward kind deeds and punish wicked deeds. Therefore, those who persecute Falun Gong practitioners will ultimately meet with karmic retribution from Heaven. Except when clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to prison inmates, I spent most of my time there studying the Fa, memorizing the Fa and practicing Falun Gong exercises. I was released after 15 days.
On the evening of the "April 25" anniversary, the local police ransacked my home and took me to the police station. They threatened me, "If you don't guarantee in writing not to practice Falun Gong anymore, we will send you to a force labor camp. If you do, we will release you right away."
I kept reciting the Fa. Teacher said,
"Steadfastly cultivate Dafa, the will unflinching
The raising of levels is what's fundamental" ("True Nature Revealed" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
In a calm manner, I introduced Falun Gong and clarified the truth to them. Several policemen in management positions took turns interrogating me with both hard and soft approaches. After more than ten hours, they finally gave up seeing that nothing they said had any effect on me. They locked me up in the detention center again, but I didn't write any guarantee to stop practicing Falun Gong. The next day, the Political and Security Department of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) sent people to interrogate me. They made many threats and accused me of associating with people from other areas to disrupt the order in our county. They also claimed that I was responsible for the group hunger strike of the seventeen practitioners they had unlawfully arrested. Then the provincial PSB also sent people. They threatened to sentence me to prison if I should refuse to guarantee in writing not to practice Falun Gong anymore. I told them solemnly, "Teacher has saved my life. I owe my life to Teacher. I shall keep my faith in Falun Gong until the day I die. Nothing you say matters. Only what Teacher says matters. One righteous thought will drive away a hundred evil beings. Falun Gong is the great Buddha Law that created the universe. Falun Gong teaches practitioners to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and requires practitioners to become better and better people. Besides, what is wrong with practicing Falun Gong for good health? It is a heavenly law that Heaven will ultimately reward good deeds and punish bad deeds. Those who suppress Falun Gong or persecute Falun Gong practitioners will meet with karmic retribution eventually."
When the police saw that I was tough to persuade, they transferred me to another detention center. I had no fear. I refused to sign the guarantee statement to stop practicing Falun Gong. The daughter-in-law of a friend saw me in the office and commented, "A few years ago you were very ill. How ever did you become so healthy?" "It's because I have been practicing Falun Gong!" She said, "Can you demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises for me?" I sat down on the floor right away and started to practice Falun Gong's sitting meditation. Several of the disciplinary staff and employees were also watching me. Then I saw a Division Head named Zhang. I said to him, "Ten years ago we met in a hospital in Beijing. I was unable to climb the stairs to the third floor. You and your wife helped carry me to the third floor. I have been practicing Falun Gong, which cured more than ten illnesses. Wouldn't you call it unjust that such a wonderful cultivation practice is being suppressed?" A man commented, "It looks like Mr. Zhang is a witness of Falun Gong's miraculous power." Zhang acknowledged my statement in silence. This is Teacher's mighty virtue. The power of Falun Gong shook the evil and helped me introduce Falun Gong to the people present.
At the detention center, the police tried many different hard approaches to make me renounce Falun Gong in writing. They threatened to put me in a forced labor camp or a prison and to stop my retirement pension, but nothing could alter my faith. They also asked my friends to talk to me. Each time they sent someone to talk to me about giving up the practice, I saw it as an opportunity Teacher had arranged for me to clarify the truth and to introduce Falun Gong to him or her. Finally, they were at their wits' end and told my daughter that they would release me if she would pay them 5,000 yuan. But my daughter refused to be coerced. She said, "I don't have a penny. My mother did not commit any crime. You may do whatever you like, but I will not pay you a dime!" The next day they released me unconditionally. I was unlawfully detained for a total of 46 days.
After I was released, I immediately wrote an letter that I intended to share with all kindhearted people in China. In this letter, I talked about what Falun Gong is and facts about the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong. I made many copies and mailed them to relevant departments of the provincial and county governments.
With the Help of Our Most Compassionate Teacher, I Passed More Tests
After the New Year of 2001, more and more practitioners from our county went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. The county's 610 Office set up brainwashing centers and gave orders to all the police stations, neighborhood administration offices, administration districts and residence committees to control the Falun Gong practitioners in their areas that had gone to Beijing. As a result, the staff from these organizations frequently threatened to send me to a brainwashing center if I should refuse to renounce Falun Gong in writing. Each time they came, I patiently clarified the truth about Falun Gong to them. They all said, "We know that Falun Gong is good and that Falun Gong practitioners are good people. However, we will face punishment at work if you don't renounce Falun Gong in writing." Later the 610 Office repeatedly pressured my work organization to send me to a brainwashing center. My former boss knew that Falun Gong had cured me of more than ten illnesses and, thus, had saved the organization tons in medical expenses. Hence, my former boss and colleagues knew very well that Falun Gong is very good. They didn't have the heart to send me to the brainwashing center, so they kept procrastinating. Eventually the 610 Office focused on pressuring my boss.
On April 24, 2001, the Chairman of the local 610 Office came in a police car with my former boss to take me to a brainwashing center. At first, they talked to my daughter and asked her to escort me to the brainwashing center. But my daughter told them, "If you forcibly take my mother to the brainwashing center, you must guarantee to take full responsibility if anything should happen to her. It is because of Falun Gong that she is free of illness. She will never betray her Teacher even at the threat of death." My daughter's words reminded me of Teacher's words. Teacher said,
"If a cultivator can let go of the thought of life and death under any circumstance, evil is sure to be afraid of him. If every student is able to do this, evil will of itself no longer exist." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I decided that this would be a good opportunity to spread Falun Gong and clarify the truth to them. So I started to share my experience of restoring my health and improving my morality by practicing Falun Gong. I also cited some real cases that prove Falun Gong surpasses modern science and has hundreds of benefits to every nation and society. They became silent. They didn't write anything in their books, order me to go to the brainwashing center or ask me to give up practicing Falun Gong. I told them when I saw them off, "Allow me to speak my mind. Heaven shall ultimately reward good deeds and punish bad deeds. Do not sell your soul to the wicked people that launched the persecution of Falun Gong. For the sake of your children, do not be involved in wrongdoing." My former boss was the last to leave. He said, "Well said! Well said! I will protect you from the brainwashing center!" Since then, the local authorities have never tried to put me in a forced brainwashing center or asked me to renounce Falun Gong in writing.
One evening at around 10:00 p.m. in July 2002, the police and the neighborhood office in the area where my daughter's parents live came to my home in an attempt to arrest my son-in-law. My son-in-law was not at home at the time, but they came in when I was offering incense to Teacher's photo. They went to the PSB and reported what they saw. The PSB's police chief came with a few policemen to arrest me. I refused to open the door and began to send forth righteous thoughts on my bed to eliminate all the evil beings and elements manipulating the police. I also humbly asked Teacher to reinforce my righteous thoughts --- no one can harm me. But the police climbed over the wall and broke into my home. They shouted, "Get up! Come to the PSB with us!" I responded, "No! I won't!" They didn't know what to do, so they left two policemen to watch me. I decided that Teacher wanted me to save them, so I started to clarify the truth to them. I told them how I had benefited physically and morally from practicing Falun Gong, how Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan and their henchmen broadcast false propaganda against Falun Gong to instigate people's hatred towards Falun Gong, how they persecute Falun Gong practitioners in the most despicable, cruelest ways, how we Falun Gong practitioners insist on appealing for Falun Gong to have the false charges reversed and why we have been distributing materials containing important facts about Falun Gong. The two policemen said, "We knew Falun Gong is good and Falun Gong practitioners are good people. Our instructor's younger brother's illness disappeared because he practices Falun Gong. We believe everything you told us. In fact, many of my colleagues at the police station are opposed to arresting Falun Gong practitioners. Our police chief was just outside the door. He took off when you challenged him to carry you away. It looks like he is afraid of you." I was very pleased to know that they know that Falun Gong is good.
Teacher has always helped me escape from danger each time I faced a demonic tribulation. At dawn, the police chief removed the two policemen from my home. Since that day, the two policemen are very polite to me and show a lot of respect for me when they see me. Since that day, no one comes to my home to harass me. The environment has been rectified. Larger scale Fa conferences were held at my home several times safely under Teacher's protection. The practitioners in my area upgraded our understandings of the Fa as a result of these Fa conferences. Since then, I have been distributing truth-clarification materials to fellow practitioners. This is a cultivation path that Teacher has arranged for me, so I must do it well while doing the three things Teacher expects of us at the same time.
With Steadfast Faith in Teacher and the Fa, I Exhibit Righteous Thoughts and Actions at All Times
The most valuable lesson I have learned in the past ten years of cultivation practice is to have steadfast faith in Teacher and the Fa, to be diligent in my cultivation practice and exhibit righteous thoughts and actions at all times. I have never attended Teacher's Falun Gong classes, nor have I met Teacher in person. Yet I strongly believe that Teacher is beside me at each and every moment, giving me hints for my cultivation practice, protecting me, guiding me to pass one test after another and leading me on the righteous cultivation path of Falun Gong.
In September 2003, my parents had a banquet and invited over 200 guests. I took 110 copies of Falun Gong truth-clarification materials with me to the banquet. I clarified the truth about Falun Gong to some of the guests face-to-face. A local thug told me menacingly, "If you continue to promote Falun Gong, I will send you to the county PSB!" I immediately sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all the evil elements behind him and he left the banquet right away. Then I resumed my conversation. Many people asked for truth-clarification materials. In fact, I didn't have enough materials to oblige everyone.
From the autumn of 2002 to the present, three fellow practitioners who picked up Falun Gong materials from me were arrested. They all suffered from the cruelest persecution. The Chinese authorities asked them whom they obtained the materials from, but they refused to sell me out. They have shown their faith solid as diamond, which shattered the evil beings.
Because a fellow practitioner betrayed practitioner A, the police unlawfully arrested practitioner A at home in May 2002. The police hung her in the air and beat her for three days, around the clock. While practitioner A was on a hunger strike to protest the persecution, prison guards force-fed her with hot pepper juice. Practitioner A died as a result of torture in November 2003.
Practitioner B was unlawfully arrested when she was distributing truth-clarification materials on Chinese New Year's Eve of 2004. She was hung in the air and beaten for seven days straight. The torturers hit her head, which caused her to bleed profusely. Practitioner B was unlawfully sentenced to three years in prison, but she has never signed anything or renounced Falun Gong in writing.
A bad man reported practitioner C to the police when he was distributing Teacher's articles to fellow practitioners in a rural area on August 16, 2006. The police repeatedly beat him until his body was injured all over. The police broke three ribs and knocked out two teeth. In addition, practitioner C was tied to the Tiger Bench for over 20 days. He was deprived of sleep and was burned with lit cigarettes. Yet he had very strong righteous thoughts. Fellow practitioners in our area kept sending forth righteous thoughts in order to rescue him. His family repeatedly went to relevant government agencies to demand his release. Under Teacher's protection, practitioner C was released unconditionally after 41 days of incarceration. When the police were arresting fellow practitioners, my family and some fellow practitioners suggested that I go into hiding. I said to them, "There is nothing to be afraid of because there is Teacher and there is the Fa. As long as we all send forth righteous thoughts more often to eliminate the evil beings from other dimensions, we will all be fine." Meanwhile, I wrote about the arrests and had them published on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website right away to expose the evil persecution. I didn't leave home to go into hiding. Instead, I distributed truth-clarification materials as usual.
However, I know I still have many human thoughts and notions to be purged. I know I have many attachments to let go of, whether I realize them or not. These are obstacles to higher levels of cultivation. I must study the Fa more seriously, study the Fa well, eliminate all the human thoughts and attachments, complete the three things Teacher requires of me, walk well the cultivation path Teacher has arranged for me and complete my prehistoric grand pledge before I can return to my true home with Teacher.
I am merely sharing my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything that does not accord with the Fa.