[Clearwisdom.Net] Originally I wanted to wait until I could take a break from work to go to Beijing to safeguard Dafa (the great law and universal principle). However the police were coming again to arrest people in their homes, forcing me to step forward and put down my attachment to work and human sentiment.

On December 10th, I arrived at Tiananmen Square at around 1pm . Falun Dafa banners were raised one after another in waves, and the public security forces were running around in circles arresting people. I unfurled a banner that said "Return the Innocence of Falun Dafa" near the Jinshui Bridge, which is a relatively more populated area. I walked toward people face to face, without fear, only wanting to stay like this for a little longer. Two public security officers ran towards me. I turned around and ran in the opposite direction with the banner unfurled. Soon, four or five public security guards caught up with me and started to drag me over to the police van. I said very loudly, "Return the Innocence of Falun Dafa" while trying to escape. Outside the police van they did not beat me-- maybe they were afraid of their evil actions being exposed in public. Once in the van, a big policeman pulled down the curtain and punched me in the face three times. Another thin and weak female practitioner was thrown into the van, and the policeman kept his foot on her head, while grinding it into the floor.

We were led to the Tiananmen branch office, and locked in steel mesh cage in the basement. When we arrived, there were already about 100 people locked inside. Gradually more and more practitioners came in, so the cage filled up very soon. Then the male practitioners were led away. During the time I was there, about 200 people were being detained. The female practitioners, who led the shouting, were considered to be core members and were dragged into another room where they were beaten in the face and kicked in their stomachs.

In the evening we were escorted away in batches. I was sent to a county branch police office less than 30 miles away. Due to the endless efforts of previous detained practitioners, this branch office did not immediately stop our practicing or our sharing experiences and reading. When I practiced in the cell I felt an unprecedented serenity. As soon as I put my hands together, a hot current came from the top of my head throughout my entire body. When the local officials came and singled out those of us who refused to tell our names and addresses, they were just going through the motions. If nobody answered their call, they would just turn back and leave, knowing that their efforts would be in vain.

The police differed in their levels of goodness and evil. The one who questioned me was not that mean, and the others ridiculed him because of this. On the third day we started a hunger strike. The county hospital provided several doctors and nurses. In their eyes I could see their carefully hidden sympathy and frustration. The police heavily cursed a doctor, because he showed his benevolence toward us while persuading us to eat. Forced feeding was carried out in the labor cell. During forced feeding, they would lay a practitioner on the floor and directly force-feed the practitioner. Some practitioners had their noses broken because of being forcibly fed, and some others vomited badly. Those who refused to be force-fed were shackled and handcuffed. One female practitioner who had shackles and handcuffs on was forced to take off her shoes and socks to walk on the frozen floor in the winter. Yet she always had a smile on her face, and looked at her persecutors with benevolence. In the end, two policemen could no longer bear to look at this and turned away. Five days after our hunger strike, we were gradually released. At the last minute some policemen took away the practitioners' money, saying it was for their ticket. During the five days they tried three times to take pictures of us, but were never successful.

This time, I came with the wish to validate and safeguard Dafa with my life. Even though it was not for a long time, I realized that what I have been putting out is really too little, and better understood the experience sharing articles I read before on the Internet. Do not be afraid of brutality and cruelty. As long as we have righteous minds, we will be even firmer in our beliefs during the tribulation. At the same time I also saw some aspects we need to improve in spreading Dafa. Some practitioners heard other people's experiences in safeguarding Dafa, and mechanically duplicated those efforts rather than acting according to their own particular situation. The result was not as good as expected. I feel that when helping others to obtain Dafa, we have to use methods understandable by ordinary people and start with the basic things. Otherwise the result is often not very good, and demonic interference can find an opportunity. We have to remember clearly what Teacher has said, clear-mindedly finish the last step, and use our wisdom as cultivators to suffocate the evil.

Another thing I found through this experience was that there are many new practitioners. Their steadfast heart for Dafa was really touching. They said that the purpose of coming out was to validate Dafa. After being released they would go right back to Tiananmen Square. Among these practitioners, some have only been practicing for several months. They did not take safeguarding Dafa as a task, and have put down their selfishness, without any attachment of pursuit, which made me feel like I have not been cultivating enough. Some of the inmates in the detention center also obtained Dafa. When we were there they recited "Hong Yin" (Note: the "Grand Poem") together with us. According to an inmate who has been there for 7 months, he has seen more than 2000 Dafa practitioners coming in and out of that place.

A Falun Dafa practitioner from China

December 18th, 2000