(Clearwisdom.net) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. After July 20, 1999, I was illegally arrested three times. After one of the arrests, I was sent to a labor camp and lost my personal freedom. The most painful thing for me during detention was that I had no opportunity to clarify the truth to people. To demand an unconditional release, I staged a hunger strike seven times. During each of my hunger strikes, my body remained in excellent health, because I had a correct understanding of Dafa. Dafa's extraordinariness exhibited itself during my hunger strikes. During my longest hunger strike, lasting 26 days, I did not feel hungry, but instead felt very energetic. The following is my experience in the labor camp:
Immediately after I was sent to the Wanjia Forced Labor Camp, the guards attempted to brainwash me. I had no fear at all since I had Dafa in my heart. I could recite many of Master's articles. At that time, any Falun Gong practitioner who was brought there would be sent to the brainwashing center. A group of persons who had given up their belief in Falun Gong, called monitors, would then attempt to brainwash the practitioner. Some of the guards quoted the Dafa teachings out of context in order to deceive and brainwash the practitioners. The guard leader came to talk with me only once; and after that, she never again tried to send me to the brainwashing center.
The environment was very rough. Initially, we could not get along with the guards at all. The guards always wanted to brainwash us, while we wanted to clarify the truth to them; so, arguments often happened between us practitioners and the guards. Consequently, the guards just stopped listening to what we told them. Later, Master's article, "A Suggestion," came out, in which Master told Dafa practitioners that those who do the brainwashing work and those who have been brainwashed are also among the people whom the evildoers had deceived and that Dafa practitioners should, in turn, clarify the truth to these people. Only then did we realize that many of our previous understandings about cultivation were from the perspective of personal cultivation. We recognized that we should change our mindsets and view the issues from the perspective of the Fa-rectification. Our own personal improvement and Consummation were just part of the process of Fa rectification.
Since then, our mindsets completely changed, and we understood our responsibilities. With offering people salvation being the priority, we started to actively initiate contact on a large scale with the guards, the inmates, and with those who had succumbed to brainwashing. We were no longer worried that we might get brainwashed. So, with a compassionate heart, we tried our best to talk to the people around us, particularly those former practitioners who had been brainwashed. We definitely help them make their way back to Dafa. We discussed the issues, studied the Fa, and shared our understandings with them, so as to help them realize the things that they had not done well and which resulted in their being brainwashed. We tried to help them wake up quickly.
Dafa cultivation was indeed marvelous. As we Dafa practitioners changed our mindsets and improved our xinxing, the surrounding environment changed accordingly. Gradually, those who had been brainwashed came back to Dafa. Some of the guards became our friends and we could talk with them privately and clarify the truth to them. During that period of time the environment became really good; we could study the Fa and even study Zhuan Falun.
Before I started to cultivate in Dafa, I had a strong competitive mentality. This attachment even showed up in that labor camp environment. So, whenever we experienced tribulations in the labor camp, I was always first in needing to pass them. I was the first practitioner who had conflicts with the guards. Several times I argued with a guard regarding practicing the exercises. The guard came to stop me from practicing the exercises and I said, "You cannot move me." The guard asked, "Are you a god?" I replied, "Indeed, I am a god." Because my heart was not pure, and also because I had talked on too high a level, this ordinary person could not understand me. My words exasperated the guard. She said that she would definitely want to move me, this god, away from doing the exercises. I just refused to move. The fellow practitioners helped me during this stalemate, and the guard ultimately really could not move me.
Another time, also because I practiced the exercises, the team leader called out to me and I just refused to stop. They had several persons come and still they could not move me. She later called in some male guards. The team leader was so angry that her heart disease returned and she had a relapse. The guards learned from this experience that I was very tough to deal with. This was, in fact, because I had a strong mentality of competing with others and I did not speak in a compassionate way. It was not wrong that I studied the Fa and practiced the exercises, but the problem was that my mind was sometimes not very pure and left a loophole for the evil to take advantage of.
After reading Master's article "A Suggestion," and also through later exchanging understandings with fellow practitioners, I found my problems and changed my mindset. My compassion also came out. The fellow practitioners even told me that my state of mind at that time was what a cultivator should have, as I was able to always take hardships as joy and kept a harmonious mindset, no matter how bad the hardships I encountered were. Once a guard told me during a conversation, "You have changed a lot and you do not assume that stern face anymore. You always smile." I told her, "I gave you that impression because I used to have a strong competitive mentality and because my compassion had not yet come out. On top of that, we put up a strong mental guard against you since you had always tried to reform us, and we could not freely communicate as we are doing now." Subsequently, she asked me some questions about Dafa and cultivation. I gave her detailed explanations and she thus gained a better understanding and started to understand us Dafa disciples. We have become friends, and she has stopped trying to reform us. Sometimes when she was on night duty, she called me to her office and we could then chat for a long time. I told her my cultivation stories. Once I recited Master's articles for her and she was so moved that she cried.
There is another guard who is very kind. Seeing how we had suffered so much, she felt very sorry. She initially did not want to come to our cell, saying that she felt very bad when she saw us suffering. She said, "You are different from those inmates who have committed crimes. They should suffer for their crimes. You are such good people and you are also detained here; this is really not normal." I quickly became her good friend. I often communicated with her and clarified the truth to her, and she also showed her sympathy for us. She felt bad that she did not know how to help us. Later she often helped by going out to buy some daily necessities for us. She did this almost every day. After I got along well with the guards, the guards and I understood each other much better.
Once when the practitioners got up in the morning to send forth the righteous thoughts, it happened to be time for the guard to check the cells. I suddenly thought that I should go to talk to the guard first and told her that it is very important for us to send forth the righteous thoughts at this time. I asked her if she could intentionally come here a little late so as to prevent an impasse. She agreed. So whenever it was time for us to send forth righteous thoughts, she just went somewhere else to leave us alone for a while.
Later, my cultivation environment became better and better. I could establish contact with the guards any time, so I started to clarify the truth to them on a large scale. I persuaded them to treat every Dafa practitioner with kindness since all Dafa practitioners are good people. Through knowing the practitioners better, the guards no longer believed that the practitioners had no feelings, did not care about their families, had no affection toward their family members, and other false things they had been told.
Once I wrote a letter to my son. A guard, after reading it, was very moved, indicating that she would definitely send it out for me. They also allowed me to call my home. Some of them had changed and no longer believed the propaganda on television, as they had gotten to know the practitioners in a positive way. At the same time we felt the huge difficulties of offering salvation to many other guards. Faced with that kind of environment, many other guards stood on the side of the evildoers and sought recognition and money. I often heard them talking, "You are good persons, but we are doing our work." So many of them did bad things against their conscience, and they had no sense of justice.
I tried my best to conduct myself properly in my cultivation and paid attention to what I said and did. Our confinement room is large; it holds between fifty to sixty people, criminals and Dafa practitioners together. Every day I got up early, cleaned the room and did other duties. I got along well with the criminals there and promoted the Fa to them. I recited scripture to them, and they were interested in listening. To some extent, this suppressed the evildoing part of their nature and they no longer participated in the persecution of Dafa disciples.
One day we had an experience-sharing meeting. When we were reading Master's new article "Teaching the Fa at Washington DC Fa Conference," a criminal inmate passed by and spotted the new article. She wanted to take a look and we refused to give it to her. During the deadlock I kindly told her, "We can let you to take a look, but you must promise to return it to us." She said okay. The situation was tense, and many practitioners did not want me to let her read it. I was confident since we had good relations in our daily life and I treated her well. Now I looked at her face and said, "Ok, I trust you, so you can take a look." When she discovered the new article was written on napkins, she was surprised saying, "This kind of thing can be passed in from the outside? It is really amazing! Ok, you can take it back." Then all of us felt deeply relieved because this inmate was assigned to monitor us. She saw us, without reporting us to her supervisor; how precious her action was! I realized from this incident that I should pay more attention to my speech and conduct and do well in promoting the Fa; thus they might have righteous thoughts at a crucial moment and help Dafa disciples.
There were different levels of comprehension regarding the Fa among the practitioners. Some practitioners had differing opinions and misunderstandings among them. After several practitioners and I organized it, we held several successful, relatively large experience sharing meetings. Everyone spoke out her personal understanding of the Fa and her experiences, which was quite beneficial in raising everyone's xinxing. Regarding the special environment of the labor camp, we discussed how we should promote the Fa and clarify the facts to people; how we should do well in our personal cultivation by having a great goal, yet minding the details; and how each of our thoughts should show great kindness and compassion. We also discussed how to deal with the differences among practitioners and how we should understand each other. Dafa disciples are one body, and everyone has their own role. As long as our intention is right and is for the purpose of offering salvation to sentient beings, the differences can be viewed as being on a different level on one's cultivation path and as different methods of promoting the Fa. We had a mutual understanding on many issues. The atmosphere among practitioners became better, and the surrounding environment also improved. Prior to these meetings, the criminal inmates often fought with each other. I thought then, "Why do they fight each other?" and "Why was I able to see the fights and why did they happen in my cell?" Now I understand that it was because our Dafa disciples did not project a peaceful energy field.
Through Fa study I also realized our Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts can affect ordinary people. One day I thought of promoting the Fa to a guard. After my thought came out, she came to look for me the next day. We had a long private conversation. I corrected some of her language and conduct, pointed out her shortcomings and persuaded her to treat Dafa disciples well. On another occasion I wanted to promote the Fa to our team leader. During the daytime line-up she asked me to go to the team office and asked me some questions, since she could not understand the conduct of certain practitioners. I explained that the things they did were part of their cultivation process and I understood what they were doing. I told her that it was necessary for them to improve in the Fa, and that I also had similar experiences. I also told her that I would like to tell her some cultivation stories when the opportunity presented itself. Our conversation was pleasant and friendly.
Before I left her, I requested permission to chat with other practitioners in the labor camp. Controls in the labor camp had started to get tight by then; the second floor was tightly controlled and nobody was allowed to enter. She agreed and let me look for them in each room. Ten of us gathered together. We discussed and looked for reasons within ourselves on the current situation. We felt we should raise our xinxing level and not allow the evildoers to make use of any loophole.
On another occasion, some newly arrived practitioners were sealed off from us and did not have Master's new articles. Several of us suddenly had a great idea. We went to see the guard, saying we wanted to see those practitioners. The guard surprisingly approved our request saying, "You should persuade them to give up practice." In fact, we just wanted to have contact with them, telling them of the labor camp circumstances and bring articles to them. We visited them several times and successfully brought in Master's articles.
Later we discovered that newly arrived practitioners were suffering from the persecution because of their isolation. We began to look for a solution. We went to talk with the team leader, asking to send them to different rooms so that we could communicate with them. We achieved our goal again, and they were soon sent to our rooms and were able to stay with us.
Many Dafa practitioners in the camp had scabies, including me. It's extremely itchy, and I couldn't go to sleep. There were many days I couldn't fall asleep and I was very tired. Master's article already told us to send forth righteous thoughts. I believed in what Master said and kept sending forth righteous thoughts. I didn't scratch, since scratching only relieves itching, but leads to bleeding, making it itch more. It is also not a practitioner's way of handling it. Whenever I sent forth righteous thoughts, the scabies began to interfere. My entire body became extremely itchy, and it felt like my body was being pricked with needles. But I kept sending forth righteous thoughts until I was done. Many evil factors were eliminated.
Some fellow practitioners stopped sending forth righteous thoughts due to the extreme itchiness. They fell into the trap the evil made, since they didn't want us to eliminate them. Some practitioners completely stopped sending righteous thoughts, and some were depressed due to scabies. They didn't study the Fa, didn't send forth righteous thoughts, and didn't even want to eat, letting fellow practitioners feed them. After I noticed what happened, some practitioners and I began to help them. We did the laundry for them, held discussions with them and told them to become stronger, as with Master, the Fa, and with strong righteous thoughts, the evil would naturally be eliminated.
My scabies was cured in less a month, but some practitioners' scabies lasted for over a year. I shared my experiences with them. During that time, I sent forth righteous thoughts every day in addition to studying the Fa. No matter the time of day or night, I closed my eyes and sent forth righteous thoughts whenever it itched. Sometimes it was so itchy that I had to walk around in the room while sending forth righteous thoughts, but I resisted the temptation to scratch. In the meantime I paid special attention to my personal hygiene and took a cold shower every day. I looked into my xinxing to find my omissions and didn't give the evil any excuses to persecute me in my personal cultivation. Great amounts of evil were eliminated. Through experience sharing we found that practitioners who had serious scabies somehow accepted the old forces' persecution and regarded having scabies as repaying karma. They believed that they should endure their own karma. This belief was in line with the old forces' arrangements and worsened the persecution. After experience sharing, our xinxing was upgraded and we understood that having scabies was part of the old forces' persecution. We began to expose the evil and removed it completely.
In my contact with fellow practitioners, I also noticed that some practitioners didn't understand how to completely reject the old forces' arrangements, particularly in their personal cultivation. Some of them had strong attachments, argued with others all the time, and didn't try to find the problems within themselves. Some of them could not even reach an agreement with other practitioners over some issues.
I sometimes spoke with them based on the Fa. Some of them could realize it, and some of them couldn't. When promoting the Fa to everyday people, some practitioners didn't pay attention to the method in which they did it, and they didn't pick the right time, place and situation. Sometimes the listeners felt that they were forced to listen, so the effect was not very good. Some practitioners didn't learn quickly from their lessons. Instead, they looked for excuses and claimed that some individuals were not savable. When an everyday person didn't accept the Fa, the practitioner was impatient, lost her confidence, and stopped trying with him. Some practitioners had strong postnatally formed notions, constrained themselves with their own thoughts and couldn't get out of it. Some practitioners went on hunger strike to request to be released unconditionally. A few days later they would eat. After a few days they went on hunger strike again. Then they would eat again when they couldn't take it anymore. Then they went on hunger strike again several days later.
People didn't understand them, and felt that they were using the hunger strike and were not serious. Some practitioners didn't understand what I was doing. It was during the time when Dafa disciples were not allowed to walk freely and couldn't go to the 2nd and 3rd floors. But I had free access and delivered Master's new articles to fellow practitioners on time. I could talk to any practitioner to share experiences. I knew the guards pretty well and nobody was really watching me, but I couldn't explain it to every fellow practitioner in detail. Of course what I am talking about was the last period of my labor camp life, and it was a special experience.
The persecution of Dafa practitioners at the Wanjia Forced Labor Camp was extremely serious due to the large amount of evildoers there. The police and criminal inmates were also controlled by the evil. Some of the completely reformed individuals seriously damaged the Fa, too. Some of them even helped guards persecute Dafa disciples and committed irredeemable crimes. As Dafa practitioners, how can we not be affected by such an evil environment and keep our righteous thoughts and conduct? Those are problems worth our contemplation and thinking based on the Fa.
In the days I was in the labor camp, I constantly reminded myself that I was a Dafa practitioner and steadfastly performed the three things that Master instructed us to do. Fellow practitioners didn't have the opportunity to study the Fa, but I could recite many of Master's articles. So I recited the articles in front of fellow practitioners and thus we studied the Fa together. I also wrote down Master's articles on paper and shared them with fellow practitioners. It was amazing that we could obtain a copy of Master's new articles every time they were first published. There was no way that everyday people could prevent this. It was not easy at all to have the opportunity to study the Fa in that kind of environment. Our benevolent and magnificent Master was looking after us constantly, and helped us to improve based on the Fa. We didn't have any reason not to cultivate well.
While in the labor camp, we wrote to our family members, relatives and friends to clarify the truth in spite of the labor camp's blockade. It was a different world inside the labor camp. We keenly hoped to get out of there and join the task of validating the Fa in society.
I was eventually released ahead of schedule and gained more time to do the work of validating the Fa. In the last few years I have improved myself continuously based on the Fa, and completely rejected the arrangements made by the old forces. I persistently walked on the road of Fa validation. The more I walk, the more confident I become and the wider the road is. Now the surrounding environment is improving quickly. Many of my relatives and friends have obtained the Fa, and a lot of people know the truth. I remain very busy but fulfilled.