(Clearwisdom.net) During the Chinese New Year holiday I went to see an old friend I used to serve with in the army. He was most recently the chief of a police station. He is now retired. I was greatly surprised when I saw him. Two years ago he was always frowning because of atrophic gastritis and stooped over from a lumbar disc problem. But now his formerly sullen face glows with health. He talks cheerfully and humorously and his back is straight.
Seeing my astonishment, he gladly pushed me into his study and then pointed at a copy of Zhuan Falun and a tape recorder on his desk. Suddenly I understood everything and happily shook his hands firmly.
When the persecution of Falun Gong officially began on July 20, 1999, he, as a police station chief following instructions from above, had ordered his men to arrest, detain, and fine Falun Gong practitioners, as well as to ransack their homes. However, the arrested practitioners kept telling him the truth about Falun Gong, and those explanations kept popping up in his head. When I met him two years ago I once made it a point to ask him, "Why did you arrest Falun Gong practitioners? Look at the truly bad things going on in society today, such as embezzling public funds, whoring and gambling, bribery, theft, robbery, fights, and disturbing the social order. Did you ever see any Falun Gong practitioners doing things like that? What law did they break that is within your range of duty? What on earth did Falun Gong practitioners do wrong?" My friend was then speechless for a while. It is quite true--what wrong have Falun Gong practitioners done? Amid persecution they have never fought back when beaten or sworn at; instead, they just keep clarifying the truth compassionately. They strive to be good persons in any circumstances, whether in society, at a workplace, or at home.
He recalled that when he was instructed to capture Falun Gong practitioners and search their homes, the police were required to not wear uniforms and the police car had to be parked away from the site. It was like committing a secret crime. When practitioners asked the police the reason of their arrest, the police could not give an answer except to say, "We are just following orders from above." In retrospect, he felt it a shameful business.
After retirement last year he carefully read the book Zhuan Falun I had given him several years ago and was deeply shocked. Now he could really understand why practitioners have been able to be so steadfast in their belief. He regretted that although he had been in possession of the precious book for several years, he had only recently begun studying the Fa. And now--after less than a year of cultivation--he has experienced such great improvements in mind and body.
March 31, 2007
