Attachments Invite Trouble

(Minghui.org) One evening many years ago, three police officers broke into my house. I hurriedly hid the bag containing my Falun Dafa books, Master's lectures, and Minghui Weekly magazines under the table. I sent righteous thoughts and asked Master to protect the Dafa materials.

The police ransacked every corner of the house while my husband watched. They shone a flashlight on the bag with the Dafa books and materials but didn’t touch it. They even checked the bed sheets but still found nothing. They eventually left the room. I knew there was a truth clarification item under the bed sheet and was pleased that they hadn’t found it. However, before I could retrieve it, the police returned to the bedroom. When they lifted the bed sheet, the item fell out. At that moment, I realized that my elation had invited this trouble.

The police told me I had to go with them. When I silently admitted my mistake to Master and asked for help, the tense atmosphere eased a bit. Just as they were about to take me away, my husband came outside. The police assured him I would be sent home the next day, so he timidly let them take me, which stirred resentment in my heart. I resisted and argued with the officers, but it was in vain. I left with them and strongly resented my husband.

They interrogated me and asked where I got the materials, but I refused to tell them anything. Instead, I told them about the beauty of Dafa and how the informational materials benefit people. After they stopped questioning me, I calmed down and looked within. I saw many attachments: zealotry, resentment, and competitiveness. I realized that these attachments caused the situation to become negative.

The next afternoon, I and another practitioner were taken to the police department. While sitting beside the police station director in the car, I felt deep pity for him and I began to cry. The evil forces exploited my loopholes, making the police officers commit crimes against Dafa. I felt a surge of compassion, and silently communicated with their knowing sides, and I sensed their suffering.

At the police department, we were taken to an interrogation room. About half an hour later, the director returned and took me to a car. He drove me back to the police station and told me to wait for my family to come pick me up. My husband and three village officials arrived shortly afterward. However, the police demanded that we pay a fine of 10,000 yuan. I refused to pay, as I did not want them to accrue more karma by committing further wrongdoing. The village officials, eager for me to return home during the harvest season, borrowed 2,000 yuan and asked my husband to sign an IOU for the remaining 8,000 yuan. He complied, and I was released.

That night, I reflected on the events of the day and realized something was amiss. The police did not give us a receipt for the 2,000 yuan we paid. Their actions didn’t follow any legal procedure. I recalled Master’s teaching:

“If you have fear, they will grab youOnce your thought is righteous, evil will collapse”(“What’s There to Fear,” Hong Yin II)

I knew I needed to let go of my fear and stand up for my rights. The next morning I decided to get the receipt from the police.

I approached two village officials and asked them to accompany me to the police station. When the director was told my request, he became furious, slammed the table and shouted. He claimed that he spoke up for me at the police department to secure my release. Despite his anger, I calmly explained that I only wanted his officers to follow proper procedure and issue a receipt. His rage persisted, and he threatened to detain me again. The village officials hurriedly pulled me out of the station, and we returned home.

I wasn’t ready to back down. I decided to expose the injustice by writing an appeal letter to the county government. In the letter, I shared how Falun Dafa transformed my life and how my family and I benefited from the practice. I concluded by affirming Dafa’s righteousness and demanding Falun Dafa’s reputation be restored. I signed the letter with my real name.

After I sent the letter, the police visited my house again, asking if I had the 8,000 yuan ready. I firmly told them that I had no money, only my life. They threatened to raid my home and seize our valuables. I requested to speak to their director and demanded to know the legal basis for their actions. Sensing that I wouldn’t waver, they left. Since then, no police officer has returned asking for the money.

A fellow practitioner who had been detained in a brainwashing center at the time later told me that my appeal letter was shown to Zhao, the director of the local 610 Office, while he was trying to brainwash practitioners and convince them that Falun Dafa was not good. When he read it, he became enraged, slammed the table, and shouted my name. The practitioner was worried for my safety, but under Master’s protection, Zhao didn’t take any action, demonstrating the magnificent power of Dafa.

Through this experience, I realized a principle: In the face of persecution, at any time, if we can truly follow Master’s teachings, the evil forces lose their power, and the persecution dissolves.

“... if your mind can be imperturbable there will be nothing you can’t handle.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s),” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)

When we let go of everything, we will see that:

“After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)