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Being Steadfast on the Path of Cultivation During the Fa-Rectification Period

March 11, 2005 |   By a Falun Dafa practitioner from China

(Clearwisdom.net)Before becoming a Falun Dafa practitioner, I once thought of committing suicide, as I suffered intense pain from various diseases and torment from ordinary people. Our esteemed Teacher gave me the courage to live and showed me the reason for our being human. Alas, on July 20, 1999, the Jiang clique began to recklessly persecute Falun Dafa. It has changed our cultivation environment to one of inhuman terror. Dafa gave me new life and I must let go of everything to safeguard Dafa.

During the past five years I experienced many tribulations. I went to Beijing three times, was arrested four times, detained for 571 days, and spent some of this time in a forced labor camp. My house was ransacked twice and ten thousand yuan were deducted from my salary. I have suffered from all kinds of tortures, including beatings, verbal abuse, standing upright for a long time (1), being dragged backwards by the legs, carrying a sword on the back (2), sleep deprivation, taking my human dignity and forced labor. My eyes were injured as a result of severe beatings, and were swollen and inflamed for more than two weeks. My left arm was injured and did not heal for more than six months. I went on a hunger strike eight times and was force fed many times. The barbaric force feeding always led to bleeding.

During these years of difficulties and hardships I witnessed the evil machinations by Jiang's clique and also experienced the supernormal power and miracles of Dafa. All those who were tempered by this process were maturing and becoming more rational and sober-minded. No matter how grueling the environment, we didn't forget the historic mission bestowed upon us. We validated the Fa, clarified the truth, worked diligently on saving sentient beings and lived up to the vows we had made in prehistoric times. Every improvement was achieved through the life-and-death test. I believe that my highest achievement was to achieve firm belief in Teacher and Dafa. If we can follow what Teacher told us, we will pass all tests.

Teacher Gave Me New Life

Before practicing Falun Dafa I was rather sickly. Other people described me as frail and much too young to suffer like I did. The illnesses I suffered included hepatitis B, various kidney disorders, including kidney infections, renal cyst, cystitis, vaginitis, hemorrhoids, dry burning eyes, corneal ulceration, infections and swellings of both ear cavities, and inflammation of the nasal passages. Even though I was on daily doses of medication and injections I found neither cure nor relief. I worked at a hospital, yet, I could not treat my own illnesses. I had practiced Qigong, which had not improved my dismal health conditions. I just kept suffering illnesses without any relief in sight. My entire family not only suffered constant stress, but also an economic burden that could not be sustained. There was never a time when my family was not in a state of economic crisis. To have part of my medical expenses paid, I encountered strong resistance by my work unit and the public health services. In 1991 my health was going downhill and I was sent to the county hospital for treatment. However, they not only refused to reimburse me for medical expenses, they tried to put me on administrative leave. The public health services even asked for money from my doctor, in an effort to incite the doctor's hatred toward me. During all these years of suffering from diseases, ordinary people also tormented me cruelly. At that time I was close to committing suicide. But, what stopped me was the thought of my close to seven year old son. I reasoned that my children should not have to suffer such painful memories.

"Each connected by the thread of Dafa/ Through hardships the body of gold is tempered" ("The Difficult Path to Godhood")

In June 1996, I began to practice Falun Dafa. After watching the nine-lecture video, I became very cheerful, because I came to understand the true meaning of life. After diligent Fa study I was able let go my feelings of inferiority, the wish to be famous and achieve personal gain, and look within whenever there was a problem. My heart and soul were purified and I became stress-free and energetic. Two months after I began to practice Falun Gong, all my illnesses disappeared and I no longer needed medication. People who knew me said that I looked younger every day. It was Teacher and Dafa that gave me this new life. Therefore, my belief in Teacher and Dafa was further solidified, and I became even more steadfast. Dafa changed me and changed my family environment. My gratitude toward merciful Teacher who saved my life is beyond description.

Believing in Teacher and Dafa and attaining greater steadfastness during unprecedented hardship

Since July 20, 1999, Jiang's wicked followers began to feverishly persecute Falun Gong. I felt that since I benefited from Dafa and Teacher had given me a second life, that I must validate Dafa, talk of my personal experiences and clear Teacher's name. At that time I was unable to obtain Teacher's new articles. However, I still firmly believed in Teacher and Dafa. The article "True Nature Revealed" resonated in my mind and I decided to go to Beijing to validate and safeguard the Fa.

On September 15, 1999, I took a Beijing bound train. This action was my first step from humanness toward godhood. I shared experiences with practitioners from Beijing, Chaoyang, Jilin, Changchun and other places. It only took a very short time, just a few days for me to improve my understanding of the Fa principles. My xinxing rose rapidly and I gained a better understanding of "helping Teacher in Fa-rectification." After returning home I shared with local practitioners what I heard from practitioners in Beijing. This strengthened their resolve to steadfastly cultivate in Dafa, and encouraged them to firmly believe in Dafa. They became unwavering in their resolve to validate Dafa.

At 9 o'clock on January 23, 2000, I left for Beijing for the second time. At the time I was faced with the possibility of losing my family and my job with the government. However, my mission to assist Teacher and rectify the Fa was more important than my family and job. I was arrested at Tiananmen Square and detained at the Square Police Station. The police beat me and switched the electric fan to the highest speed to blow cold air at the group of Dafa practitioners. (January is the coldest weather in Beijing.) Miraculously, the electric fan became a Falun, turning clockwise and counter-clockwise, and the air became warm. This lasted for two hours. The police did not give us anything to eat or drink during our detention. In the evening we were transferred to the office of our local government stationed in Beijing, where we were beaten up again. Eighteen practitioners, including two over 80-year old, were locked up in an office. We slept on the bare floor for three nights. Outside the snow was more than 13 inches deep. We were not given any warm bedding.

On January 27, 2000 we were escorted back from Beijing and detained at the county Detention Center for 33 days. After the detention center issued us the "Certificate of Release," policeman Zhang Liang sent me to the County House of Detention and unlawfully detained me for another 85 days. My house was ransacked and the evildoers confiscated four Dafa books I had kept for new practitioners. I felt extremely grieved for failing to protect Teachers books. On January 24, Zhang Liang extorted 6,000 "yuan" from my work unit as fee for escorting me back from Beijing. However, on the train he already had forced us to pay him. On May 23 of 2000, when I was released, policeman Zhang Liang forced my family to pay 1,000 yuan in bail.

The persecution could not shake my determination to cultivate Dafa, and allowed me to see through their evil nature and gained a better understanding of the difference between right and wrong. I became even more steadfast in the Fa taught by Teacher.

Through hardships the body of gold is tempered

On July 9, 2000, I went to Beijing for the third time and returned safely on July 27. At 9 o'clock of August 3, policeman Zhang Liang tricked me into coming to the police station and accused me of posting Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials. In the evening, I was locked up in the same cell with male inmates at the county detention center. The prison guards denied me the right to sleep for 4 days and 3 nights. August 6, at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, policeman Zhang Liang sent me to the County House of Detention where Dafa practitioners recited Lunyu (3), Hongyin and "Expounding on the Fa" (Essentials for Further Advancement) together. We also took the opportunity to validate the Fa and clarify the truth to the policemen. They all said that we were good and innocent people and persecuted for no legal reason. To protest the illegal persecution I began my first hunger strike. However, because I did not let go of the fear of life and death I was barbarically force-fed and stopped. On September 25, I was sentenced to one year of forced labor and sent to the city's forced labor camp. I refused to sign the so-called verdict document.

In the camp the prison guards would arrange 3 to 4 personal monitors to supervise one Dafa practitioner. They kept listening to practitioners' words and watched each move. They even followed us to the toilet. The monitors did not allow us to study the Fa or practice exercises. We were prevented from bending our legs when we sat on the bed and practitioners were not allowed to speak to each other. They also limited the time we could use the restroom. There were times when they did not allow me to sleep.

The inmates beat and verbally abused practitioners whenever they felt like it. Once, criminal Liu Pojing said that I did not follow the rules when hanging the wash, therefore on my return she punched and kicked me until her shoes were broken. Then she dragged me around by my hair and rammed my head against one of the poles of an iron bed. Bang! Bang! The sound could be clearly heard. However, I did not feel any pain. I knew Teacher had borne it for me. I felt Teacher was at my side and Teacher's voice resounded in my ears,

"[I have] constantly given you hints for your improvement, looked after you for your safety, and settled the debts that you owed at different levels so that you can reach Consummation..."

("Drive Out Interference" Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Teacher had borne so much for us. Was there anything that we couldn't let go of, or was there any reason that we should not be diligent? When thinking about that, my eyes were brimming with tears. One day when I was sorting the wash that was dry, criminal Zhao Fangfang accused me of tracking dirt into the room. I simply turned a deaf ear to her verbal abuse. Another criminal, Wei Daimin, pulled me from the upper bunk bed and threw me to the ground. Then several criminals attacked me from all sides and attempted to make me renounce Falun Gong. Zhao Fangfang said, "Only when you agree to renounce Falun Gong shall we stop beating you. Do you know, if we can force one practitioner to renounce Falun Dafa we will be released two months ahead of our sentence?"

I had long been determined to resist all efforts to make me renounce Falun Gong. I would defend Dafa to the end, no matter how cruelly they tortured me. The prison guards gave criminals permission to physically punish Dafa practitioners. This included squatting, placing us in a motorbike-riding posture or body-folding(5) for 4 to 5 hours whenever they felt like it. When we clarified the truth to them some would listen to us. However, when the prison guards gave them a reward they would begin their evil machinations again. Some others would never listen to us at all. At that time we did not know about sending forth righteous thoughts. Practitioners were suffering from torture all the time.

After dinner on December 28, 2000, practitioners recited "Lunyu". The criminals came to beat us. Zhao Fangfang hurt my eyes badly. They were red, swollen, and irritated for six weeks. However, the prison guards couldn't care less. Then, the prison guards forced practitioners to stand in an "army corps" posture(6). We were forced to stand in that posture for 16 to 17 hours each day and 35 days in a row. My feet and legs were swollen. Normally I wear a shoe size 35-36, but after that torture even shoe size 40 was too small. I could not sleep during the night because of the pain in my swollen legs.

May 13, 2001 was world Falun Dafa Day and Teacher's birthday. To mark the occasion, we practiced the exercises in the courtyard. However, we barely had started when the criminals rushed at us and punched and kicked us. I was knocked to the ground and the criminals walked over my head and face in their leather shoes. I was black and blue from the beating. Then they dragged me backward while holding my legs. The prison guard on duty that day was in command. Then prison guards Yu Qinghua and others came with handcuffs and ropes. They ordered the criminals to handcuff us into a position called carrying a sword on the back.

The bones of my arms were stretched to the limit and one could hear the cracking of the joints. They jerked my hands together and handcuffed them. Then we were forced to stand in army corps position and our legs were tied up. Criminals began to stuff the towels they washed their feet with into our mouths. They used yellow sticky tape to seal it firmly to our mouths and then forced us to squat in the scorching sun. After about 40 minutes some elderly practitioners could not bear it any more. Only after other practitioners told them, "You will certainly torture someone to death," did the evildoers change the "carrying a sword in the back" position to handcuffing our hands behind our backs and loosened the rope around our ankles. However, we were still squatting under the sun until lunchtime when they took the handcuffs off. My left arm was badly injured and it was swollen for more than two weeks. Besides, there were areas of blood under the skin and half of the arm was black and blue. I could not use my left arm to do anything for more than six months and I found it difficult even to comb my hair.

The prison guards also forced us to watch video programs that slandered Falun Dafa and Teacher and tried to brainwash us. We recited "Lunyu", Hongyin, "Expounding on the Fa" (Essentials for Further Advancement) and some other articles. Therefore, the depraved messages did not affect us at all. Every day we recited Teacher's Fa, which ensured our remaining firm on our cultivation path. The prison guards handcuffed many Dafa practitioners to the iron rails of the iron bed. The worst was when the forced labor camp staff searched our bodies and cells. During the search we were forced to take off our clothes in public, including our underpants. Then, we were forced to squat down and stand up dozens of times. This was just to humiliate us. After the body search they would search the cells. They took everything out of the cabinet and bags and threw it on the floor. Anything on the bed, including the pillow, would be thrown on the floor. They would take away paper and pens we bought and then asked us to buy these things again. This happened many times. They intended to find our hand-written notes of Teacher's articles. Each time when they found them we felt deep pain.

We were so fortunate to obtain Teacher's new lectures:

"A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces." ("Dafa is Indestructible" Essentials for Further Advancement II)

and

"Everything that Dafa disciples do at present is resisting the persecution of Dafa and Its disciples." ("A Message" )

I understood that Teacher came to rectify the universe and at the same time bestow upon Dafa practitioners the mission and responsibility to eliminate evil and save sentient beings. Teacher does not recognize the arrangements made by the old forces and requests Dafa practitioners to completely negate them and stop these arrangements and the persecution. Therefore, we should not calmly accept the persecution arranged by the old forces, but should resist it. After we enlightened to it we began to refuse to do forced labor. We believed that Dafa practitioners should not be held at the forced labor camps, but should have their freedom and save the sentient beings. We refused to do forced labor and the prison guards forced us to squat 15 to 16 hours daily for 10 days. The prison guards also limited the food we could eat and threw the leftover food in the garbage. They said that they would stop feeding us. Therefore, we thought that we had go on a hunger strike to resist the endless persecution. When the hunger strike entered the fifth day, the prison guards began their barbaric force-feeding. They handcuffed practitioners and inserted a rubber tube through the practitioners' noses. Generally, they left the tube there for 3 to 5 days. At the top end of the tube they used a funnel to pour the food into practitioners' stomachs.

I went on hunger strike 4 times and wrote letters of appeal many times. (I used the Fa principles to prove that the self-immolation at Tiananmen Square was a set-up and the participants could not have been Dafa practitioners. This was a hoax and done to frame Falun Dafa. I also stated that appeals carried out by Dafa practitioners were legal. Teacher taught us to be compassionate, to help raise people's moral standards and there was nothing wrong with being a good person. It was Jiang and his followers who were violating Chinese law and committing crimes. They wanted to confuse and poison people's minds. After my term in the forced labor camp had expired, I was taken to the County Detention Center. Here, another practitioner and I wrote a protest letter to the Head of the County 610 Office and at the same time we went on a hunger strike. I was released on October 7, 2001. It was only because of the mercy and protection of Teacher and the all mighty power of Dafa that I could walk out of there.

After returning home, fellow practitioners gave me Teacher's new scriptures. Teacher said,

"Let me tell you this: next to your own cultivation, currently the most important thing is clarifying the truth, because this is directly saving sentient beings, it's directly saving the people of the future, and it also demonstrates the magnificence of Dafa and Dafa disciples--in such a difficult environment you're still managing to save sentient beings." ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.")

Teacher pointed out the direction so we could advance diligently. I was in a rather difficult situation. The evil arranged people to monitor my activities and follow me wherever I went. I must clarify the truth, but what could I do? At the time I was really worried. However, when I calmed down and shared my thoughts with other practitioners, I suddenly had some ideas. First I clarified the truth to my family members and relatives and then began to clarify the truth by mailing truth-clarification materials. I cooperated with other practitioners very well. The other practitioners helped me buy stamps and envelopes, though it was still rather inconvenient. I had learned to write with my left hand and I would send different materials to different people. After sealing the envelopes, young practitioners would mail them at the post office and I would send forth righteous thoughts at home. We sent the truth-clarification materials to all the leaders of our local schools and government organizations, and to people whose names and addresses we could get hold of. In less than a year I sent out more than 500 letters. After I went back to work, the environment had changed for the better. Whenever there was an opportunity I would clarify the truth and ask them to remember "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is good!" and "Falun Dafa is good!" Sometimes I also posted such notes and did some other Dafa work.

Strengthening righteous thoughts to eliminate the police persecution

I had always worked very hard and often worked overtime in the evening. Whenever they needed me at work I would be there. I did not complain or ask for overtime pay. Not only that, my monthly salary was 370 yuan less than that of other colleagues at the same grade. Although I missed two consecutive salary increases, I did not complain. In the afternoon of October 2002, Zhang Liang from the National Security Division came with a group of policemen and ransacked my office. They failed to find anything they wanted. Then they pushed me into a police car and took me to a detention center. Immediately after that the police ransacked my house and took away Teacher's Fa lecture VCD, exercise tapes and Zhuan Falun. On the way to the detention center I shouted, at the top of my voice, "Falun Dafa is good!"

After arriving at the detention center, the prison guards handcuffed me. I asked Teacher to help me to get rid of all the demons and rotten ghosts, to completely negate the arrangements made by the old forces, the old forces themselves, and to disintegrate them instantly. In the cell I recited the Fa-rectification formulas for more than an hour. The prison guard yelled at me to stop it. I turned a deaf ear and continued with my recitation. At the beginning I felt a bit thirsty, however after I pressed on I did not feel thirsty any more. The prison guard could not bear it any more and said he felt uncomfortable. I shared with practitioner Zhang Heyin who was detained before me. I told her that this was not the place for Dafa practitioners and it was the persecution the old forces imposed on us. We must do away with the evil persecution and walk out of the demon's den with righteous thoughts. Zhang Heyin also enlightened to it, so on the following day Zhang Heyin and I began a hunger strike. We recited Teacher's "Lunyu", "Hongyin", "Expounding on the Fa" and some other articles.

At lunchtime all prison cell doors were opened and all detainees were allowed to have lunch in the courtyard. We used this opportunity to clarify the truth to other detainees in an effort to save them. I taught everyday people to sing, "Falun Dafa is good!" One day someone had a very bad headache, however after singing with us the song "Falun Dafa is good" a few times her headache was gone.

On November 1, the prison guards convinced my husband to come to the detention center and requested him to persuade me to eat. He told me that as long as I ate, the authorities would release me after the end of the Sixteenth National Conference of the CCP. If I still refused to eat, they would sentence me to forced labor. At the time fear came to my mind, because I was afraid to be sent to the forced labor camp. In the evening, I ate some noodles and I was very sick for the whole evening. I understood that I must persist with the hunger strike and maintain a pure heart. On the following morning I went on hunger strike again. The bowl that I used to have noodles with was on the table. Secretary Liu flared into rage and kicked the bowl to the floor. After the bowl landed on the floor it was upside-down, I became even more determined to continue with the hunger strike.

On November 5, at about 11 o'clock, policeman Zhang Liang came with a group of policemen to force feed me. In my heart I asked Teacher to help me to "go back home." Before the evildoers inserted the tube I told them that when I was at the detention center in 2000, a doctor of the county hospital examined me and said that I should not be force-fed. If anything happened to me as a result of the force feeding they would be held legally responsible. Zhang Liang said, "Don't waste time with her, force feed her!" They began to force the tube down my windpipe. I was out of breath and could not say a word. The force feeding continued until the blood gushed out of my lungs. Only at that time did they remove the tube and give me an oxygen mask. When I began to breathe I told them, you inserted the tube into my lungs. Zhang Liang said, "No."

I was sent to the County Hospital and had an X-ray taken. Police Zhang Liang asked the doctors to write a false report saying that the tube was not inserted into the lungs to escape responsibility. He also fabricated lies that I had a heart problem as a result of practicing Falun Gong. After the examination I was sent back to the detention center. The prison guards removed my oxygen mask and detained me into No. 5 cell. In less than one minute I gasped for air and my chest was extremely painful. I trembled, felt sick, dizzy, spit blood and my lips turned dark purple. I asked Teacher to rescue me. People in the same cell reported to the prison guard on duty. The detention center called in policeman Zhang Liang who sent me to the County Hospital. On arriving at the hospital the doctors could not feel my pulse and found there was no response when they took my blood pressure. I looked deathly pale, my fingers turned black and my hands and feet were icy cold. Zhang Liang called my husband and turned me over to him, because he did not want to bear the consequences of his actions. The doctor said to my husband, "This woman is in serious danger and needs emergency treatment immediately." At the same time the hospital issued a certificate saying, terminally ill. My husband sent me to the emergency room and the blood test showed that I was "in respiratory acidosis." At that time I did not think of myself but that I needed to save people. Therefore, I began to clarify the truth to the nurses and asked them to remember the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is good" and "Falun Dafa is good". To avoid being returned to the detention center, I requested to be released from medical care. After leaving the emergency room, I was still not out of danger. However, I firmly believed in Teacher and Dafa.

After returning home I was extremely weak and had no strength to speak. The left side of my chest was very painful and I had problems with my lungs. I still persisted in practicing Falun Gong. At the beginning I had no strength to stand up, so I just practiced the sitting exercises. After I read the entire book Zhuan Falun I felt a lot stronger. I fully recovered within ten days after practicing the exercises. Teacher gave me a new life once again. I felt extremely grateful to our merciful Teacher.

I only stayed at the County Hospital for six hours and my husband only spent 118 yuan for medicine and 100 yuan for laboratory test fees. However, Zhang Liang phoned my work unit and said I spent more than 1,000 yuan medical expenses at the County Hospital and also said I took home a lot of medicine. On November 5, I told the leaders of my work unit and the public health services officers what had really happened and showed them the prescription. This exposed Zhang Liang's lies. I told my boss and the public health services that I did not acknowledge the medical expenses. The policemen arrested me at work and persecuted me, an innocent person, close to death. How could I pay for his persecution of me? Later, police Zhang Liang asked the deputy County magistrate to write a note and forced our work unit to pay more than 2,000 yuan.

To Study the Fa well and understand the Fa from the Fa is the key for maintaining in Righteous Thoughts

"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts."

("Drive Out Interference" Essentials for Further Advancement II)

In July 2002, it was very hot and the room temperature rose to 36-37 degrees Celsius. I was disinfecting the top floor and had to stay beside a high-temperature furnace for 2 to 3 hours at a time. The temperature was as high as 39 to 40 degrees Celsius. My clothing was soaked through with sweat. After I finished, I went to the air-conditioned room for a few minutes. However, the evil used it as a loophole and persecuted me with symptoms of sickness karma. On the following day I would cough and I had again the sickness karma symptoms. I felt that there was a stone pressing on my chest and I had difficulty breathing. I had high fever, suffered from diarrhea, swollen legs and feet, and had no appetite. My left eye was red, swollen and irritated. I had no strength at all, felt nervous and shaky. However, I still went to work.

I made sure that I studied the Fa. In the beginning, I read three lectures and then five lectures a day. I would send forth righteous thoughts whenever I had time. I am a Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioner and lead the most righteous life. Therefore, I must completely negate all the arrangements made by the old forces, including the old forces themselves. I am a disciple of Teacher and the evil had no right to persecute me. If I did anything wrong I would study the Fa and compare my actions to Teacher's teachings.

My health showed no improvement and it dragged on for nearly two months. Teacher said at "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A."

"You must study the Fa..."

"As long as you study, any problem can be solved. As long as you cultivate and as long as you're able to understand the Fa from the Fa, there's nothing you can't achieve."

I understood that I did not study the Fa diligently. I should study more Fa and enlighten from the Fa. The sickness karma symptoms were the persecution imposed on me by the old forces. I must completely negate it and thoroughly eliminate all the arrangements by the old forces. I looked inside and found that I had the attachment to seek comfort, so I eliminated it. Later on I studied Saturdays and Sundays more of the Fa. After sending forth righteous thoughts at 12 o'clock midnight I did not go to bed but continued to study the Fa. The evil interfered with my Fa study and made me feel very tired and sleepy. I asked Teacher to help me get rid of and disintegrate the evil that interfered with my Fa study. At the same time I used very strong will to overcome it. No matter how tired and sleepy I felt, I would not stop my Fa study. One righteous mind can subdue one hundred evil ways. I persisted in finishing reading six lectures nonstop. After the reading I felt very light so I kept on reading and finished the whole book of Zhuan Falun in 20 hours (including sending forth righteous thoughts). I continued my Fa study like this for three consecutive days. The evil was eliminated and I recovered my health.

I enlightened that we are lives created by the Fa. Without the Fa there would be nothing for us. Leaving Dafa is like a drop of water leaving the ocean, and melting into Dafa would give boundless vigor and vitality. To study the Fa well and to understand the Fa from the Fa are the keys for maintaining our righteous thoughts and make it possible for us to completely negate all the arrangement by the old forces and to eliminate them.

Using the law as a weapon to shock the evil and save sentient beings

Teacher said,

"When something has negatively impacted or harmed Dafa, you should also seriously resolve it using everyday people's laws." (Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference.)

I have steadfastly cultivated Dafa and been persecuted by the police many times. My life was in great danger many times. I understood suddenly that the persecution was not targeting me personally but Dafa, so I reported to the procuratorate the bullying I had to suffer from the local policeman, Zhang Liang.

On the afternoon of July 16, 2004, I went to a photo-copy shop to copy my appeal information. After I left the shop the owner, who was afraid that the police might hold him responsible, reported me to my work unit. Thereafter, three leaders (the Head of the Administrative Office, the Section Head and the Party Secretary of my work unit) asked me to hand in the photo copied materials and the original document. I told them that I burned them all, but kept a copy as my evidence (Photocopying materials like that is the right of a citizen). I handed in three copies to the Party branch on the evening of that day. The Party branch then presented my appealing materials to the Party Secretary. When the Party Secretary received the materials he thought he had obtained evidence so he reported it to the police department. Anyone who reported a Falun Dafa practitioner would get one to five thousand yuan as a bonus. The evil used this method to incite the people to commit crimes against Dafa practitioners.

In the morning of 19th, members from the National Security Division, the local police station, and the health department, as well as six leaders from my work held a meeting and asked me to come to talk to them. On my arrival at the meeting, I began to send forth righteous thoughts. They asked me to hand in the appeal materials, both the original documents and the copies of the appeal. I told them that I did it in accordance with the law. The freedom to appeal and the freedom of speech are fundamental human rights the constitution gives to every citizen. I briefly talked about the benefits I had gained from practicing Falun Dafa and advised those present at the meeting to think about it: what kind of people would oppose "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance"? Those who violate the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" have actually lost their souls. I asked them not to do anything that would betray their conscience and only when they remembered "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are good" and "Falun Dafa is good" would they benefit. They were all silent after I finished. At about 11 o'clock in the morning, several policemen from the National Security Division and the local police station came and arrested me. My house was ransacked as well and a hand-written book of Teacher's scriptures was confiscated. Zhang Liang instructed the local police station to prepare fabricated accusations against me and finally they detained me for 15 days for "disturbing the social order."

On July 19th, I began a hunger strike. I refused food and water as soon as I arrived at the detention center. At the time the temperature was between 35 and 36 degrees Celsius. However, I was still asked to pay ten yuan per day as living expenses. In the morning of 22nd, Li from the National Division and the police who prepared the fabricated accusations came to the detention center. The latter shouted, "Even if it's a wrong decision we would still make sure that it is carried out. If you don't eat, we will force feed you. Even if we torture you to death we don't need to take responsibility."

In the afternoon, a detainee from my cell said to me, "If you do not eat they will force feed you and would force us to hold you down. If we do not do it we will be punished. In 2002, when I held you down, I saw you bleeding heavily and you nearly died. We committed sins. What can we do?" Other people also talked about this with me. I knew it was their knowing side that understood and asked me for help. Since Dafa practitioners' mission is to save sentient beings I should not let the evil destroy them. Instead I should save them, so I changed my mind and stopped the hunger strike. I used the opportunity to clarify the truth to them. Afterwards three of them wanted to learn Falun Dafa and become better people. I told them, first of all, they must keep in mind "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance are good", "Falun Dafa is good", and do not do any bad deeds any more. After their term expired they could come to see me and learn the exercises.

I filed an appeal at the procuratorate and the National Security Division arrested me. It was they who had violated the law. On August 6, 2004, I appealed to the Judiciary Office of the County Police Department. On the morning of October 15, policemen from the National Security Division delivered a "Verdict of Administrative Reconsideration" which was sealed by the Head of the City Police Department. It withheld the verdict by the County Police Department. It also contains the words; "If you do not agree with this decision you can lodge an administrative appeal to the People's Court within five days after receiving this verdict. (Note: The official date should be 15 days. They purposely cut it short to stop me from appealing.)

With the presence of Teacher and the Fa, nothing can really stop Dafa practitioners from their appointed path. To frighten the evil and save sentient beings I stayed up all night to prepare all the documents for suing the Head of the County Police Department. On the morning of the 19th, I sent the indictment to the County Court. The office, which opens the file for investigation and prosecution, accepted my indictment and told me to wait for notification. The clerk asked me to leave my telephone number and pay a fee for the lawsuit once the case is placed on file for investigation and prosecution.

On the morning of November 5, after two weeks had passed, and there was still no news from the county court office, I went to the court to inquire about it. The head of the office, which opens the file for investigation and prosecution, asked me to wait in the reception room. The clerk at the reception room said, "We received notice from above that any case about Falun Gong can not be put on file for investigation and prosecution. We are only allowed to inform you verbally and there is no written notification." I went to see the head and he gave me the same answer. When I asked him where the notice came from and if I could see the notice he did not tell me and did not show me the notice either. He asked me not to come again. When I asked him where else I could submit my complaint, he told me that he did not know. I said, your office should accept complaints of mistreatment from people, and that was why I was here. I also mentioned that the "Verdict of Administrative Reconsideration" also said that. The head said they could not accept any complaint of unfair treatment from Falun Dafa practitioners.

The real reason that we use the law of everyday people and thus frighten and shock the evil is to clarify the truth to sentient beings that work at the court and the procuratorate. We want to save them and not pin our hope on fair treatment of a complaint of unfairness and eventual redress from everyday people. Therefore we only pay attention to the process itself not the result. I continued to appeal to the intermediate people's court and the supreme people's court as well as the procuratorates at different levels. I also sent appeal materials to related government departments to thoroughly expose and eliminate the evil, clarify the truth and save them.

Conclusion

We validate the Fa, clarify the truth, save sentient beings and fulfill our pre-historic oaths. During the past five years I experienced many tribulations, witnessed the inhuman persecution and experienced the super normal power and miracles of Dafa. We also have become even more mature, more rational and more sober-minded. Every time we raise our level we pass the test of life and death, and every step we take toward godhood is through the process of getting rid of a human attachment.

During the process my deepest understanding was to firmly believe in Teacher and Dafa. As long as we follow what Teacher says we can pass every test. This is because only Teacher gives us hope and the arrangements made by Teacher are the best. Teacher also gave us the invaluable treasure - sending forth righteous thoughts, so that we are able to do away with and eliminate the evil as well as to save sentient beings.

Because we came from the old universe, therefore we tend to use the old principles to measure things in the process of validating the Fa and in our tests. When we cannot let go of human notions, cannot see the true manifestation of the Fa and look at the Fa from a human perspective, we blunder and create obstacles for ourselves in our cultivation. For example, when I was arrested I signed the detention and release certificates without thinking. I gave my fingerprints at the forced labor camp to cooperate with the evil and thus recognized the arrangements made by the old forces. Therefore, I failed to completely negate the arrangements of the old forces. I really felt ashamed and agonized because I let Teacher down and let Dafa down.

When I was able to measure everything with the Fa and take the Fa as teacher, constantly let go of human notions and maintain righteousness, the evil dared not interfere with me, because Teacher would not allow it. We ourselves can disintegrate the evil by sending forth righteous thoughts. We must let go of all our fears and all our attachments, and walk on our Fa-rectification cultivation path arranged by Teacher steadfastly.

(1) Standing upright for a long time means that the victim has to stand, facing a wall all day long except when eating, sleeping and using the toilet, until it is time to go to bed. This abuse usually lasts several days. If someone cannot withstand the intensity of prolonged standing and loses consciousness, the guards will force-feed him/her with drugs.

(2) Carrying a sword on the Back: The victim's hands are tied behind the back with one hand over the shoulder and the other hand against the lower back. The police then apply a great deal of force to pull the two hands toward one another and handcuff the two hands together.

(3) Lunyu: statement, comment.

(4) Personal monitors: A person who supervises the behavior of practitioners.

(5) Body-folding refers to standing with two legs straight and closed, and then bending the head down as far as it will go toward the feet, in front of the knees. The fingers point to the ground, the head is upside down, making the body form a 90-degree angle. The victim is forced to keep this position for 17 to 18 hours a day except when eating, sleeping and using the toilet.

(6) Standing in "army corps" posture: Practitioners are standing in the scorching sun. The feet are on the hot ground. The skin on the face peels off from sunburn. Practitioners are also forced to sit on the ground. The buttocks are covered with sores due to sitting for a long time.

(7) Zhuan Falun is the main book of Falun Dafa.