(Clearwisdom.net) Early in the morning on July 20, a friend reminded me that it was July 20th. Twelve years ago, Jiang Zemin, then-leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), launched a systematic persecution of Falun Gong. On July 20, 1999, many Falun Gong volunteer assistants and other practitioners were illegally arrested. My friend said he would set off firecrackers to drive away the evil spirit of Jiang Zemin.
Around noon time, my friend came back and told me what had happened. He went to another friend's home. This friend of his also planned to go out to set off firecrackers with the family to drive away Jiang's evil spirits. The friend shared 3 strings of firecrackers with him. He printed out a picture of Jiang Zemin and bought a lighter.
At the entrance of a neighborhood, he arranged the firecrackers and put Jiang's picture on top of them. Then he lit the firecrackers. The firecrackers tore Jiang's picture into pieces. A lot of people looked on. An elderly woman asked him about the occasion. My friend said that he was driving away an evil spirit and told them about Jiang being on the verge of death. Everyone there was happy to hear the news and joined the firecracker celebration.
I recall seeing an article about the origin of firecrackers. There was a monster with the name of "Nian" (meaning "year") in ancient China. Every Chinese New Year Eve, "Nian" would emerge to eat livestock and people and ruin people's lives. Later, a monk taught people how to drive away the monster "Nian": stick red paper on the door and set off firecrackers at the same time. "Nian" was scared and driven away by the sight of fire and red paper, and noise from the firecrackers. It fled and never returned. After this, people remembered this tradition, to put couplets on the doors and set off firecrackers to celebrate the Chinese New Year, as well as to ward off evil spirits.
Recently there has been quite a lot of hearsay about Jiang's braindead condition. Whether it is true or not, people have been very happy to learn this information. People have been celebrating this news by setting off firecrackers to drive Jiang Zemin's spirit away. Jiang is a monster in Chinese people's minds. Why? It goes back to the persecution of Falun Gong that Jiang launched twelve years ago.
As a high-level cultivation method in the Buddha school, Falun Gong has played a very positive role in cleansing people's hearts and enabling practitioners to attain health and moral elevation ever since it was introduced to the public in China in 1992. In just seven years after its introduction, about 100 million Chinese benefited from the practice of Falun Gong.
A 1998 survey conducted by the General Administration of Sports of China indicated that Falun Gong's effectiveness in providing health benefits was 98%. Many stubborn illnesses were cured, and many patients obtained a new lease on life after practicing Falun Gong. Many also understood how to be good people and enhanced their familial relationships after they started practicing Falun Gong. At that time, about 100 million Chinese bathed in the illumination of the Buddha light of Falun Gong.
However, Jiang Zemin rose to power based on the bloodshed of the Tiananmen massacre. He was narrow-minded and jealous. He couldn't stand the fact that Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong and a common citizen, was deeply respected by 100 million Chinese. Twelve years ago, Jiang single-handedly launched the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999.
Hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally arrested over the past 12 years. Over 3,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death. Millions have been illegally detained, forcefully subjected to brainwashing sessions, or illegally sentenced to labor camps. Countless families have been broken. Many gave up their practice of Falun Gong due to fear, leaving them with much regret. The persecution of Falun Gong launched by Jiang and his followers has indeed been a terrible thing for the Chinese people.
It is the wish of the Chinese people to see Jiang Zemin gone. I believe that in the near future, we will see the whole nation of China rejoice over Jiang's death.
