(Clearwisdom.net) The persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999. It has now been going on for five years. Looking back, this period of time passed in just a blink of an eye. It feels like July 20th, 1999 was just yesterday.
I have such a feeling because in the past five years we Falun Gong practitioners have been persistently doing one thing: following "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance", resisting the persecution, and clarifying the truth to people.
Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong is completely built upon lies. After July 20, 1999, the Chinese media continuously published fabricated accusations against Falun Gong. They kept on cooking up various lies to instigate people's hatred towards Falun Gong. This propaganda campaign against Falun Gong has caused immeasurable damage to the Chinese people. Under such circumstances, Falun Gong practitioners try their best to clarify the truth to the people using various means. They print large amounts of truth-clarification materials at their own expense and distribute them to the public. Telling the truth is essential to the health of a society. Last year during the SARS epidemic, it was a brave doctor who told the truth and helped prevent the situation from becoming even worse. Falun Gong practitioners' insisting on telling the truth also helps most people awaken from the lies fabricated by the mouthpiece media of Jiang's group.
Deceived by Jiang's lies, many people develop hatred toward Falun Gong. Some of them even help Jiang's group persecute Falun Gong. Even though many people understand this persecution is politically motivated, they dare not speak a just word for Falun Gong because they want to protect themselves. However, Falun Gong practitioners do not hold any hatred towards these people. Practitioners' benevolent behavior make people realize that what's said on TV is all lies. Practitioners also take the initiative to contact people from all walks of life, telling them the truth about Falun Gong. Moreover, practitioners do not hold any hatred towards those who helped the evil persecute them. What practitioners do is to clarify the truth to them with compassion. Practitioners' acts are melting people's hatred towards Falun Gong.
The Jiang group's persecution of Falun Gong is extreme, bloody and cruel. As of today, at least 1,000 people have been persecuted to death. Countless innocent people have been sent to detention centers, labor camps, prisons, brainwashing classes, or even mental hospitals, where they suffer appalling tortures. However, practitioners still persist in their cultivation. Even if some practitioners were forced to give up under pressure, they later issued solemn statements declaring their intention to resume cultivation. Faced with such persecution, practitioners do not harbor any hatred; they are simply resisting the persecution with peace and reason. Practitioners are indestructible when faced with violence, but they are taught not to resort to violence to combat violence. Practitioners strive to truly practice forbearance.
Following "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance", we have walked our path until today. We have confidence and perseverance and we will keep doing what we've been doing until the persecution stops and the evil is completely eliminated.
2004-7-17
