(Minghui.org) I have been practicing Falun Dafa since 1998. Like many practitioners in China, I was persecuted by the Communist regime. In July 2015, I filed a criminal lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who was responsible for launching the brutal persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners.
When the newly appointed director of a local 610 Office ordered another round of harassment, intimidation, and persecution against practitioners in early December 2015, I became one of the key targets.
At first, I was afraid and did not know what to do. Later I was able to find pertinent laws and regulations to resist the persecution. I strengthened my righteous thoughts and denied the old forces' arrangement. With a firm belief in Dafa and Master, a seemingly impossible tribulation was dissolved. The process of resisting the persecution was also a process of improving my xinxing.
This is how I denied the persecution with righteous thoughts.
Onset of Tribulation
One day in December 2015, my husband received a phone call from someone at my workplace. He was told that I needed to write a guarantee statement stating that “I will not participate in any illegal organization or activities.” My husband was made to believe that I would lose my job if I refused. He was under pressure to persuade me.
Other managers at my workplace told me that there was a plan to set up a brainwashing session for practitioners who refuse to write the guarantee statements, and their salaries would be withheld. They warned me that another practitioner in a similar situation had been fired a few years ago.
My husband was repeatedly urged to “help” me; my friends and coworkers suggested that I should cooperate. I asked my husband to contact the newly appointed 610 Office director, as he was once my husband's boss. I didn't have enough righteous thoughts at the time and had many concerns and fears, yet I felt that I could clarify the truth about Falun Dafa to him.
My husband decided to visit the 610 Office director alone. After his visit, I felt that he was even more afraid than before. In the days after, the director called my husband several times to pressure him. He told my husband that there were more people suing Jiang Zemin in our area compared to other areas, the government would really crack down, etc. “You ought to talk to your wife more,” he advised my husband, sounding concerned. “How is your whole family going to live on only your salary?”
My husband knew that I would not cooperate with the evil, but he was very worried. Under the immense pressure, he fell ill. I was at a loss as to how to negate the persecution so that my family and friends would not have a negative impression of Dafa. I was worried about how my family would think of me as a practitioner.
A friend of my husband heard about our situation and came to visit. In front of my mother-in-law and daughter, he accused me of being selfish and having no regard for my family. I knew I could not give in to the evil and tried to explain things to my husband's friend. I also felt resentful and argued with him. After he left, I felt very badly that I hadn't clarified the truth to him well. I blamed myself for not having a high enough enlightenment quality.
Suddenly Master's words came to mind,
“A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces.” (“Dafa is Indestructible” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
“'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them' --then they won't dare to do that. So it can all be resolved.” (“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
At that moment I decided, “I will let go all of human qing (sentiment) and negate the old forces' arrangement completely. I only walk the path Master has arranged for me.”
Looking Within
I started to look within and found many attachments. For example, about two years ago, I decided to spend less time clarifying the truth because I thought I didn't spend enough time studying the Fa and my daughter was spending a lot of time on the Internet playing games. I thought I should spend more time studying the Fa, teaching my daughter and harmonizing my family environment first. As a result, I was not able to send forth righteous thoughts four times a day, I did not do all five exercises every day, and I did not do well in the three things.
I was afraid of losing my job. This attachment had interfered with me on and off for the past 18 years. I also realized that I still carried resentment and a competitive mentality. I started sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate these thoughts and notions, asking for Master's help to eliminate all sorts of negative thoughts that came up. I also talked to other practitioners and we exchanged our understandings.
With other practitioners' help, I mailed Dafa truth-clarifying materials to the authorities. Practitioners also clarified the truth about Dafa to these people through other methods.
Exercising My Legal Rights
I considered how I could have people understand Dafa and help them make the right choice in relation to Dafa. I thought and thought about this, and finally the answer came to me from Master's Fa.
“Human history does not exist for [people] to take being human as its final goal, nor is human history a recreation ground created for the evil to display its viciousness.” (“To the 2005 European Experience Sharing Conference” from The Essentials of Diligent Progress, vol. III)
“Since all these were created by the Fa, why can't they be used by Dafa in validating the Fa? They can. But we choose those that are upright and good, and serve a positive role.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference”)
I remembered that the Chinese Civil Servant Law had a regulation that allows a public servant to propose corrections to erroneous orders. I did additional research to find relevant laws and regulations.
According to Article 54 of the Chinese Civil Servant Law, “If a public servant, when performing official duties, deems that a decision or an order made by higher authorities is erroneous, he may put forward a proposal to the higher authorities for correcting or revoking the decision or order.” The same article also stated that “if he implements a decision or an order which is obviously against the law, he shall bear due responsibility according to law.”
I decided to use this regulation to protect my rights and also point out a legal solution to my managers and co-workers. I enlightened that Master had given me this wisdom because I had strong righteous thoughts and really cared about the sentient beings.
I spent several nights and a weekend writing letters suggesting that the decision to send me to a brainwashing center or terminate my job for not writing a guarantee statement was illegal and should be revoked. With a desire to save people and to inspire their conscience, I wrote in detail about what Falun Dafa is, the facts of the persecution that I suffered, why I decided to sue Jiang Zemin, and how the orders from the 610 Office were against the law.
I showed my letters to my husband and then showed them to people at work before I submitted them to relevant personnel. A few days later, the head of my workplace told my husband about the letters. He told him that “it would not be good for me” if the letters were sent to higher authorities.
I firmly and resolutely believed that the path I took was the righteous one and that it complied with ordinary society. I did not waver in my decision. The original deadline of December 24 for submitting a guarantee statement passed.
Negating the Persecution
After the New Year holiday, a manager came to me and pleaded with me to follow the 610 Office's order because he was under pressure from higher-ups. I explained to him that my actions also took their futures into account, and I was confident that I would not suffer any negative consequences.
A few days later several managers and other staff involved in my situation held a meeting. I was asked to attend. During the meeting, they threatened to give me a failing score in the annual assessment, which meant that I would lose my job. I told them that I have the right to freedom of religion, and I also have the right to sue Jiang Zemin. I said that all my actions conformed to the laws and regulations as a civil servant. I told them that the 610 Office's order was illegal and in violation of the regulations that prevent managers from interfering with legal activities and specific cases.
In the next several days after the meeting, negative thoughts came up from time to time. I continued to strengthen my righteous thoughts, consistently studied the Fa, and sent forth righteous thoughts every hour.
After the Chinese New Year, when I went back to work, my manager told me that everything was okay. The managers had all agreed to let me pass the annual assessment despite the fact that I did not comply with the 610 Office's order.
I am so grateful for Master's protection and for practitioners' righteous thoughts and support.
Please point out anything inappropriate in my sharing.
Category: Improving Oneself