(Clearwisdom.net)
“Nothing is as profound as BUDDHA LAW. Of all teachings in the world it is the most wondrous and highest science. To open up this field, ordinary people have to fundamentally change their way of thinking. Failing that, the reality of the universe will forever remain something of a myth to mankind, and ordinary people will forever grope around inside the box created by their own ignorance.” (“ON BUDDHA LAW,” Zhuan Falun)
Buddha Law has bestowed upon us the wisdom and capabilities of divine beings. As long as we meet the requirements of the Fa principles and are free of human notions, the extraordinariness of Dafa will naturally present itself.
On the afternoon of August 23, 2003, our Fa study group was watching Master’s video lectures when two dozen police officers broke in and ransacked the house. After looting Dafa books, TV sets, and DVDs, they took all seven of us to the police department. The next morning they drove us to the local detention center, but within one week all of my fellow practitioners were able to break free. I ended up being the only one still incarcerated and was later transferred to a brainwashing center.
Discovering the Source of My Incarceration
On the third morning of my detention at the brainwashing center, I was meditating when my mind suddenly entered an ancient time where I saw the police officers and director of the brainwashing center sitting at opposite ends of a long table. They each already had one string of copper coins (ancient money with a hole in the middle) around their necks, but they were all trying to get more of a third string of coins on the table. Nobody was willing to give in, and they kept dragging the string of coins back and forth. In the end the rope broke and the coins fell to the ground.
After I came out of my trance, I immediately came to the realization that the old forces had arranged my incarceration in a prehistoric time. I sent out a strong righteous thought: “I am Master Li Hongzhi’s disciple and I will firmly follow His arrangements, not anything else. Master, please help me pass this tribulation.”
After discovering the source of why I was being persecuted, I spent more time reciting the Fa from memory. As a matter of fact, I had been on a hunger strike to protest my illegal detention since the very first day of my arrest. Every day, I made sure to send forth righteous thoughts, practice the exercises, and recite the Fa.
Rectifying Myself through Fa-study and Changing the Environment around Me
The constant Fa-study enabled me to rectify myself. With improvement in my xinxing, the environment around me also changed for the better.
The guards kept me in solitary confinement and did not allow me to leave the cell. They left a barrel in the corner for me to relieve myself. The cell smelled awful and attracted an army of flies. When I asked the guards to remove the barrel, they refused. Even though I was on a hunger strike, they still tossed in three meals through the slats on the iron door every day. The meal trays gave out an unbearable and suffocating smell when the food went bad. There were fly droppings all over the bed covers.
One day while reciting the following passage, “Whether you can let go of ordinary human attachments is a fatal test on your way to becoming a truly extraordinary being. Every disciple who truly cultivates must pass it, for it is the dividing line between a cultivator and an everyday person.” (“True Cultivation,” Essentials for Further Advancement), I suddenly felt a jolt in my heart as if an invisible wall in front of me had collapsed. Numerous human attachments of mine were exposed for me to see. I realized I still had the attachment of feeling superior to others, trying to validate myself, and seeking revenge. Moreover, I harbored a competitive mentality and jealousy. I made up my mind to get rid these attachments. With the change in my mindset, the environment also changed for the better. The next morning, the guards opened the door and allowed me to use the restroom in the hallway. They sent in people to clean up the cell and also allowed me to have a daily break outdoors.
Experiencing Miracles while Assimilating to Dafa
My body went through significant changes with my constant Fa-study, exercise practice, and sending forth righteous thoughts. I also began to develop more and more supernatural capabilities.
It was mid-September in the northern city where I was jailed, yet one day I suddenly felt that my whole body was burning and unbearably hot. The thin layer of clothes I had on smelled as if they had been scorched. I lay on the floor for seven straight days. When one spot got hot, I moved to another place to cool off. One night I pressed my palms against the wall and suddenly several beams of golden light shone through my fingers. The longer I had my hands on the wall, the stronger the golden light became. Eventually my hands became golden and the whole cell was bright and dazzling.
Just when I was busy admiring the scene, I heard a sacred and solemn passage:
“Predestined ties of countless lifetimes
Each has Dafa as its guiding thread
‘Tis in hardship the golden body is tempered
Why such slow and leisurely steps?”
(“The Difficult Path to Godhood,” Hong Yin Vol. II)
Tears flowed down my cheeks. How could this be enduring hardships? I seemed to be cultivating my Buddha Body! I was immensely grateful that Master allowed me to see the wonder of Dafa so as to encourage me to be more determined in my cultivation.
I really wanted to share Master’s compassion with other practitioners, so I called to my heart, “My fellow practitioners, where are you?” With this thought, I was suddenly led to a dense forest filled with large trees. I saw my fellow practitioners sitting in a circle and reading Zhuan Falun together. Not too far away from them were two young monks cooking lunch. The grass was covered with flowers of various colors and sunlight beamed through the trees. When I scooped up some soil and sniffed its natural sweetness, I suddenly had the urge to drink some water. I had been on a hunger strike for one month by then. I asked Master to help me and soon had cool and sweet mountain spring water dripping into my mouth.
Summoning My Original Nature to Assist Master with Fa-rectification
As the sensitive date of October 1st approached, the guards moved me in with another practitioner who was also on a hunger strike. One day she asked me to send forth righteous thoughts to help her clear her field. As soon as I erected my right palm, I saw a giant black bear charging at me. I tried several times to fight the bear, but my supernatural capabilities only made it stumble. Unable to subdue the bear, I asked Master for help. Then I saw the bear turn into a whiff of black smoke and drift away. I chased it to heaven but couldn’t find it anywhere. When I returned, I found Master had then transformed it into a pool of black water.
While sending forth-righteous thoughts the next morning, I summoned the side of me that had cultivated well. With this one thought, an enormous golden Buddha appeared in my field and began to emit numerous falun (swastika symbols) of different sizes and colors. As Master said: “So why doesn’t the side of you that is your original nature rectify the Fa?” (“Expounding on the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
These falun first came out in pairs from the two knee joints of the Buddha. As each pair of symbols rose and exploded in the sky, a fog of remains of evil demons fell to the earth accordingly. Next I saw the faluns shooting out of the Buddha’s wrists and ankles in groups. The symbols constantly changed in sizes and varied in colors. They were red, orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, purple and even colorless. When the falun exploded, they were just like amazing fireworks. The remains of the destroyed demons tangled together and formed a dark gray pie as big as the whole sky, before eventually falling down.
Towards the end of this vision, I saw numerous white and translucent spinning disks flying out of the Buddha’s body like tiny moths and soon filling the entire field. As the disks ascended, they kept exploding and forming a dense fog. Gradually the mist turned lighter and lighter until the sky cleared and became shiny.
After more than an hour of sending forth-righteous thoughts, I was sweating all over and my hair was soaked. I felt very light and the whole experience was unbelievably amazing.
Regaining Life after a Near-death Experience
One mid-October day, the brainwashing center director informed me that they planned to release me on the condition that I undergo a medical examination. To my surprise, I experienced three major obstacles.
The first obstacle involved the whole area, including a few neighboring counties. There was a power outage on the day that my son took me to the hospital for a checkup. Such a blackout had never occurred before.
The second obstacle occurred two days later when my son came again only to find that the director had to miss work due to some commitments. My son had no choice but agree to wait until the following day.
The last obstacle reared its ugly head when my son came to pick me up. It suddenly began to pour, and by the time we got to the hospital, the doctor assigned to examine me had just been transferred to another facility.
After my son dropped me back off at the brainwashing center, I looked within to see what omissions I had that caused the evil to take advantage of me. While reciting the Fa, I came across the following passage,
“It all depends on how you cultivate yourself. And whether you can cultivate, that all depends on whether you can endure, whether you can make sacrifices, and whether you can take the hardship. If you’re able to steel your will, no difficulty can block you, and I’d say it’ll be no problem.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I suddenly became clearheaded and I knew what my problem was. Just a few days before a thought flashed in my mind, “When is this going to end now that I am confined here doing nothing?” My inability to endure loneliness was exploited by the evil. I then sent forth-righteous thoughts to negate the effects of the old forces’ arrangements.
The next day the director talked to me again, saying, “I’ve tried for three days to send a fax to your local police department, but it just won’t go through.” I encouraged him to have one more try and assured him this time it would work. He indeed was able to send the fax. When I stood up to leave, I suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell. I managed to get to the door by holding onto the wall. I called a practitioner for help and then passed out. My main consciousness left my physical body and I saw that seven practitioners were trying to resuscitate me. The four signs of physical death were present: I had no temperature, no pulse, no blood pressure, and no respiration. My fellow practitioners all cried, yet I felt no pain, only lightness and wonder.
Then I saw one practitioner rush outside. She wanted to find a car to take me to the hospital but was stopped by two guards. I figured I couldn’t allow my condition to cause a scene and bring anything negative to Dafa, so I asked Master to please send my main consciousness back into my body. With this thought, my main consciousness returned and I opened my eyes.
When I walked up to the gate, I ran across the director. He said with surprise, “Doesn’t she look just fine?” The two guards standing by replied, “Well, she just gave us a good scare. We’d say release her.” The director insisted that I go to the hospital for a checkup first. I had made up my mind to have Master determine my fate.
It was lunch break when I arrived, and there was only one doctor and one nurse on duty. After taking my blood pressure, the nurse said it was 180. The director commented, “Given the condition of her health, she probably should be released.”
After I was taken back to the cell, I reminded myself to not be blinded by any superficial circumstances. I kept Master’s words in mind: “So in any situation, don't be affected by human-type behavior, don't be affected by human thoughts, and don't be affected by the feelings and emotions in this world, either.” (“Fa-Lecture during the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
While sending forth righteous thoughts the next morning, I was determined to remove any obstacles and interference that got in the way of my going home. I sent out a thought that the brainwashing center must release me unconditionally. I also asked Master to strengthen my righteous thoughts.
A little past 8:00 a.m., the local police department deputy chief and the 610 Office head came to my cell, saying, “We’re here to pick you up, but you must first write a guarantee statement.” I replied, “How many times have you arrested me? Have you ever seen me write one such guarantee?” The deputy chief insisted I find a guarantor if I didn’t want to write the statement myself. I responded, “I can’t even guarantee my own safety. You guys arrest people at will. Who’s willing to be my guarantor?” In the end the deputy chief said they’d find someone for me. Thus, with Master’s compassionate protection, I returned home without writing the guarantee statement.
Concluding Remarks
Even though the above experience occurred a long time ago, it still feels like it just happened yesterday. Those 60 days in detention saw me transform from being an ordinary human being to a divine being.
On my path of cultivation, I’ve passed many tribulations and made constant improvements. What strikes me the most is Master’s immense compassion and protection. Every little bit of improvement --- from treating doing projects as cultivation, to elevating myself, from validating myself to letting go of self and harmonizing with the whole body of practitioners, and from being unable to tolerate different opinions to listening to constructive criticism --- would be impossible without Master’s protection and encouragement.
No language in the human world and heaven can express my gratitude towards Master. I can only say one thing, “Thank you, Master! I will cultivate diligently and solidly to repay your merciful salvation.”
