(Minghui.org) My sole family members passed away in 2012 when I was imprisoned for my faith in Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong. Although I have been all alone in this world for the past decade, I don’t feel lonely because I have Master, Falun Dafa, and fellow practitioners. Together, we do the three things as we were asked to by Master. This keeps me busy and brings me happiness.
For petitioning a brainwashing center for the release of practitioners held there, I was arrested, detained, and tried in court. During the process, I looked inward to find my shortcomings and improved myself. This helped me hold righteous thoughts and clarify the truth about Dafa to those whose path I crossed. Although I was eventually sentenced to a prison term, I believe that Master was watching over me and protecting me throughout the process.
A group of local practitioners and lawyers representing detained practitioners went to a brainwashing center in 2014 to petition for the release of practitioners held there. The police arrested many petitioning practitioners and harassed the lawyers representing them. Even non-practitioner supporters were implicated. This drew the attention of the media and the authorities in China, as well as abroad. Lawyers supportive of Falun Dafa, and international human rights activists and organizations openly condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) merciless crackdown and supported the practitioners. This caused embarrassment for the CCP as its human rights violation became public.
When the local practitioners planned to petition the brainwashing center again, I became scared, “Dealing with the brainwashing center officials surely isn’t as safe as validating the Fa at home. I am all by myself—if I were arrested again, nobody would hire a lawyer to represent me in court. Should I go or not?” I thought this over but couldn’t make up my mind.
Before the day we planned to go to the brainwashing center, I heard that several practitioners I knew had already decided to go. I thought, “To disintegrate the evil brainwashing center is not just their responsibility. I am part of the one body as well and should do my part.” However, I still couldn’t completely shake my fear—it is so hard to rise above and beyond human thinking. I knew I should go, so I made up my mind to join them. My face was covered with tears as I made the decision—I was finally able to let go of self to harmonize the one body.
Two practitioners came and knocked at my door early in the morning on the day we planned to go to the brainwashing center. They had a very serious look on their faces, “Can you not go [to the brainwashing center]? Maybe someone else could go? Does it have to be you?” This was strange as both have always been very supportive of me joining the group to clarify the truth—why are they questioning me at this time? One of them saw right through me and said, “I heard a voice when I meditated, saying that this time they’d persecute you to death.”
I was surprised to hear this. To be honest, I haven’t cultivated to a level where life and death didn’t affect me. But then I thought, “This is not Master’s arrangement. I cannot acknowledge it. Don’t think too much. Just do what a Dafa practitioner is supposed to do.” I told the practitioners I was determined to go and they completely understood, “If you negate the evil’s arrangement and not acknowledge it, we will support your 100 percent, and do our best to strengthen you.”
I was arrested later that day. I believe it was a result of my human notions and attachments.
The second wave of arrests touched a nerve of the provincial authorities. They decided to double down on the persecution and put a stop to the petitioning. The case was made a provincial level case. Officials of different ranks and levels, from the county all the way up to the provincial level, took turns to interrogate us. As if a huge thick blanket fell on me, I felt enormous pressure. Practitioners that were arrested on the same day and I encouraged each other, “As long as we have Master and the Fa, we’ll get past this ordeal.” Regardless of who interrogated us, we clarified the truth and didn’t cooperate.
The officers kept asking the same questions, “Who organized the petition? Who asked you to join? Just give me a name or even just a surname.” I told them, “I’m not going to tell you anything. If I do, someone else will end up here and suffer persecution. Betraying and ratting out a friend is wrong even for ordinary people, let alone Dafa practitioners. I will not report on anybody.”
One of the officials said he’d done extensive research regarding Dafa practitioners and seemed to be interested in hearing what I had to say. I told him my story and how I benefited physically and mentally since I took up Dafa cultivation. When I told him how, instead of complaining about others when conflicts arise, I look inward to examine myself, he raised his voice, “You don’t know how to look inward at all. If you did, you wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
As if a message from Master, his words reminded me to look inward. I found many attachments deeply rooted in me, such as wanting to get things done quickly, the mentality of showing off, jealousy, and the tendency of validating myself. I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate these human notions and attachments.
Since that day, I looked inward to examine my heart after each and every interrogation session. Many times, I was often saddened because I couldn’t let go of my filthy human notions and attachments. I asked myself repeatedly, “Why can’t you just let go and take these things lightly? Why can’t you prioritize people under any circumstances?” I realized that the fear of further and worse persecution was keeping me from completely immersing myself in truth-clarification.
My arrest was approved a month later. A few officers delivered the approved warrant to me in person. I thought about I probably would never see them again and felt terribly sorry for these beings who didn’t know, didn’t understand, or didn’t want to know the truth. When I truly considered these officers, my fear dissolved and my compassion emerged. I told the officers, “Whether my arrest was approved or not is not important. What’s important is that you know the truth.” I wanted what’s good for them from the bottom of my heart.
I advised them not to participate in the persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners, otherwise they’d face grave consequences. I gave them the example of Zhou Yongkang, the former high ranking official of the Central Committee in charge of persecuting Falun Dafa, and how he was given a life sentence. I explained to them that whatever humans are doing, the heavens are watching. I didn’t have time to go into depth so I suggested that they find ways to bypass the Great Firewall of China and learn more about Dafa. The officers expressed sympathy and told me they were reluctant to be part of it but were pulled from their positions temporarily.
When the head of the Domestic Security Division interrogated me, he said, “I feel bad for you. You are highly competent and can enjoy a high and esteemed status in society if you choose to. You know that you will be sentenced, right?” I didn’t let it get to me because I knew he was the true victim of the persecution. Calmly, I told him, “I know you don’t want to be involved in the persecution and had no choice given your position. You’re only doing what you’re told by your superiors. I know that this is a provincial order. However, you’ll still be held accountable for it. It’s an unpardonable crime to persecute the Buddha Fa. I hope this is the last time you participate in it. Please don’t do it again.”
I put in a request to hire a lawyer to represent me in court. When I submitted my attorney’s contact information, the head of Domestic Security Division asked, “Is this a lawyer from Beijing? I can’t let you hire a lawyer from Beijing—that would cause us too much trouble to move the case forward. How about this? I’ll do something else for you and I promise to get it done regardless how difficult it is.” This very officer was known for relentless persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners and was notoriously vicious. However, I sensed kindness in him and knew there is still hope to save him.
After I submitted my appeal to the court, two officials visited me to confirm some details of the case. I seized the opportunity and clarified the truth to them. As soon I started, they reprimanded me and told me to stop. I thought, “They came here today to fulfill their predestined relationship with Dafa practitioners. They won’t have a future if they don’t learn the truth and stop persecuting Dafa practitioners.”
I asked Master for help and told the officials, “I can tell that you take your job very seriously and enjoy what you do. I also enjoy what I do. I was awarded ‘Exemplary Worker’ merely a year after entering the workforce and held that title for 18 years in a row. I was voted ‘Highest Excellence Exemplary Worker’ twice. But when I was sentenced to forced labor for my faith, that title was taken away.” Knowing that I had achieved so much in my career, the officers’ attitude changed. I told them I was sentenced because I practiced Falun Dafa and the ordeals I had gone through. They were shocked to learn all of it.
During the first hearing, my attorney asked me, “How did you get in touch with me while being incarcerated?” I told him, the court, and everybody present that I had intended to hire a lawyer since my arrest. I asked officers from the detention center and officials from the Procuratorate to help but was refused each time. Until right before the trial started, an officer from the Procuratorate finally agreed to contact the attorney on my behalf. It was a long hard journey. The members of the audience were touched by my story.
I didn’t find out until after my release just how many tests my lawyer was put through to represent me. Besides being pressured and threatened by the authorities, he was at one point beaten, arrested, and suffered a concussion for openly supporting detained practitioners. The police tried to force him into writing a statement promising to never get involved in this case again. With Master’s strengthening and fellow practitioners’ righteous thoughts, the courageous man chose to uphold a lawyer’s code of ethics and integrity and represented me in court. I knew Master helped me secure the lawyer because I had the heart to clarify the truth.
Before the hearing started, as a precautionary measure against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials keeping practitioners’ lawyers out of the courtroom, my attorney prepared for me to sign an agreement to “Under No Circumstances Would I Ever Relinquish the Power and Authority I Placed in My Attorney.” I found out later he also signed an agreement to “Under No Circumstances Would I Ever Relinquish My Responsibility to My Client.” Both agreements were submitted to the council before the hearing. My attorney kept his promise until he was groundlessly disqualified and removed from the court because his cellphone vibrated during the hearing.
I was escorted back to the detention center after the hearing, completely defeated. I wouldn’t have any legal representation for the rest of the trial. I looked inward and found my dependence on others—I had completely relied on my attorney and left my destiny in ordinary people’s hands. Even after being disqualified, my attorney figured out a way to visit me despite opposition and threats. Through several layers of thick glass on the visitation window, he waved at me and told me not to be scared. He said he posted the incident of him being disqualified without legal basis on social media and received 60,000 views.
I suddenly realized that we’re here to expose the evil and resist the persecution. Through this incident, more sentient beings will see through the CCP’s tactics and its evil nature. Isn’t this exactly what we wanted? Master arranged all this so I could breakthrough my victim mentality and see that Dafa practitioners are in charge here—we shouldn’t be scared of anything. Everything made sense now and I knew exactly what to do and how to move forward.
The CCP officials moved the next hearing to a small courtroom in a remote town, as they wanted to avoid media and public attention. During the three-plus-hour ride there, I organized my thoughts and solidified my plan on how to clarify the truth in court. As soon as the hearing started, I raised my hand and declared that my attorney’s disqualification was without legal basis and against the law. My second attorney was disqualified because he didn’t notify his law firm about taking on my case. I argued that the court’s decision was unfair to me, the defendant. I questioned why the court didn’t utilize the long break between the hearings to verify his qualifications, instead of disqualifying him on such short notice right before the hearing. It was an obvious violation of due process and infringement of my rights.
Despite my protest, the hearing proceeded. Before the presiding judge slammed his gavel, I managed to go through the indictment and argued against each accusation and explained to the court how Falun Dafa does not fit the defining qualities of a cult. A judge asked why I petitioned the brainwashing center, as it had absolutely nothing to do with me—I was not from that region nor was I ever detained there. His question suggested that most people had no basic understanding of Dafa’s teachings and practitioners as a group. When one practitioner is being wrongfully persecuted, practitioners from different countries and different races would voluntarily support him and protest against the persecution. It is precisely why I petitioned the brainwashing center and why after our arrests, many police officers received an influx of truth-clarification phone calls from practitioners outside of China.
I challenged the court to show any evidence proving the arrested practitioners and our attorneys broke the law, to which I received no response. The lawyers were not in it for the money as we, the group of retired elderly women, couldn’t pay much. They know Dafa practitioners hold themselves to high moral standards compared to society as a whole. They have witnessed the human rights atrocities against Dafa practitioners, therefore chose to uphold justice with their legal expertise.
The other three practitioners also clarified the truth from different angles and used different approaches.
It was time to give our closing defense arguments. When the presiding judge asked if we had more to add, I knew I had to use this opportunity to clarify the truth. Key officials from the provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, 610 Office, Public Security Bureau, Court of Justice and the Protectorate were upstairs watching the hearing live.
I stood up, grabbed the mic and turned to face the surveillance camera, “The opportunity to hear a Dafa practitioner’s true opinion, as you have here today, is hard to come by. During the past 16 years, like hundreds and thousands of Dafa practitioners in China, I’ve suffered multiple arrests, detention, forced labor, and torture. Facing adversity, we didn’t waver and remained resolute in our belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We’ve come a long way. It is precisely because of our determination that more people have learned the truth about Falun Dafa and are choosing to support us.”
I told the court about an officer whom I met at the detention center. After finding out I was detained for my faith in Falun Dafa, she announced to the other inmates, “Most of you have committed wrongdoing, harming others and that’s why you ended up here, with the only exception being this Falun Gong practitioner. She hasn’t done anything wrong and is innocent. Therefore, none of you should bully her.”
I told the court that I didn’t tell the story because this officer spoke up for me, but because she has a mind of her own. She thinks through things and forms her own opinion, instead of buying into what she’s told and blindly following orders from her superiors. She exercised her own judgment to figure out what kind of people Dafa practitioners truly are. There are countless ordinary people, like this officer, after learning the truth about Dafa, who choose to support practitioners in their own subtle and simply ways.
To conclude, I expressed my sincere hope that all who were present would seek out and learn the truth about Dafa and choose a bright future for themselves. My fellow practitioners and I looked forward to the day when the beautiful melody of Dafa exercise music is heard throughout China, and Dafa is practiced freely in parks, plazas, and public spaces. We hoped there would no longer be violent arrests, beatings, and forced renouncement of our spiritual belief. We believe this day will come.
After each of us gave heartfelt closing statements, the court clerk asked us to sign the hearing minutes, but we didn’t comply. On our way out, one of the court marshals revealed to us, “I was so nervous for you guys when we arrived this morning. None of your attorneys showed up—wouldn’t you all be intimidated? I would have never imagined that you, a group of retired ladies, would be so brave facing the judges. You did such a great job defending yourselves.”
He turned to me, “What school did you go to? How are you so good with words? Your speech was flawless.” Another marshal told him that I was a sales person, “Naturally, she’s got people skills and is good with words.” I told them, “Making sales is different from defending myself in court. It is all because of the wisdom bestowed by Dafa.”
We were sentenced to two years in prison. A cellmate commented, “Why aren’t there any standards for Falun Gong cases? One of you only gave out a few [truth-clarification] fliers at the market and was sentenced to four years. Another one distributed one single [truth-clarification] DVD and was sentenced to five years. This case has made such a large impact, yet you only got two years?” I told her, “We definitely benefited from the public attention this case has drawn. Many people have worked tirelessly to rescue us and put in a tremendous amount of effort.”
Throughout the process, the local practitioners contacted and hired four attorneys for us. I somehow predicted it each time that an attorney was coming onboard. The practitioners thought I had supernatural powers, but that was not the case. I simply knew it because each time I could feel a tremendous righteous energy field enveloping me. This field was created by all the practitioners’ righteous thoughts and working together as one body, alongside attorneys supportive of the cause. I cherished each and every visit with the attorneys as I knew the practitioners had sacrificed so much money, time, and energy to make it happen. One particular meeting with an attorney lasted six hours before the officers intervened.
To prevent fellow practitioners from attending the first hearing, the CCP officials deployed police to set up many check points along the main routes to the courthouse. It was during the coldest time of winter in northern China—the temperature dropped to 30 degrees below zero Celsius that day. Despite having to go through multiple check points, fellow practitioners showed up to support us. Some drove, some took the bus, and some took a taxi.
Numerous practitioners from the surrounding cities, townships, and villages gathered near the courtroom to send righteous thoughts for us. Many were taken into the local police station for an ID check. Their local authorities were notified and followed up with harassment and threats. Even more practitioners throughout the entire province sent righteous thoughts during the time of the hearing. A couple of practitioners with their celestial eyes opened saw Master eliminating evil in other dimensions and the characters “Fa Rectification” appearing in the sky.
After our sentences were determined, the detention center authorities were in charge of transferring us to the respective prisons. Working together as a one body, the practitioners eliminated the evil’s plans with righteous thoughts. The first three attempts to transfer us failed. By looking inward to examine myself during that time, I found that I still held fear. I was afraid of being imprisoned, suffering torture, and being forced to renounce my belief. I was overly worried about deviating from the path arranged by Master and leaving regrets in my cultivation.
Just then, we got a copy of Master’s new lecture “Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference.” I used all my free time to memorize this lecture and soon was able to recite the first half fluently. I sent righteous thoughts for long periods of time each night to eliminate fear. I decided that regardless of where I am, I will always focus on validating the Fa, resisting the persecution and saving sentient beings, and not worry about anything else.
Slowly, my fear diminished. When the detention center officers scheduled a new date to take us to prison, it didn’t seem to bother the other two practitioners. Seeing how relaxed they were, I realized we’ve elevated our realms as a whole. On the day of the transfer, the officer in charge of escorting us received a phone call. There was a snowstorm and the road was closed. Once again, the evil’s plan fell through. In fact, we didn’t get much snow that day and it barely accumulated. Master saved us once again.
During the two years from when we were arrested and eventually released, Master was always watching over us and protecting us. Master strengthened and gave me wisdom when I validated the Fa. Master pointed me in the right direction with Fa principles when I was lost and didn’t know what to do. Master picked me up and gave me a nudge forward when I was feeling down and defeated.
I had a dream after my arrest was approved that my home was three, four times bigger than what it was, beautifully decorated and shimmering in gold. After the trial started, I dreamed of taking an oral test in front of many interviewers and was accepted by a college. It was made clear to me in my dream that even though I was accepted, to graduate from college I still had to put in the effort and work hard.
I am so grateful for our compassionate Master who painstakingly saves and guides me. I am grateful to fellow practitioners’ for sending righteous thoughts and helping during the entire process.