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Overcoming Obstacles by Remaining Diligent and Staying on My True Cultivation Path

March 22, 2014 |   By a practitioner from China

(Minghui.org) One day in February 1998, a friend told me she practiced Falun Gong, piquing my curiosity. She taught me the exercises. Afterwards I went home and read Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa until 3 a.m. the following day. My excitement was beyond description, and I started cultivation at the age of 41.

My 84-year-old mother and 5-year-old son also started cultivating. We would go to the exercise site every day and strove to follow the teachings of Dafa and be good people. In this way our days passed peacefully and were filled with happiness.

Family Tribulation

In 2000, my husband suddenly started returning home late at night. When I discovered he was having an extramarital affair, he asked for a divorce. I felt like giving up on him.

But as a practitioner, I knew I needed to save him. By the time I found him, he was so thin he was literally skin and bones.

He became extremely agitated every time his mistress called, and my advice would be met with violence. Regardless of the place or time, he would slap or kick me.

However, each time I was able to hold myself to the standard of a cultivator. Master taught me to “...not fight back when being punched or insulted..” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun) I held no resentment or hate towards him, and followed Master's teachings to be considerate of others.

I run a small business, and despite the tribulation from my husband's affair, I continued to clarify the truth to my customers. Late at night, I would venture out, delivering truth-clarification materials to each house.

Gradually, my husband's attitude became better. He watched all of our DVDs, and no longer interfered with my truth clarification work. He also stopped scolding me when fellow practitioners dropped by for a visit.

Kindness and Evil Within the Detention Center

On March 21, 2003, while fellow practitioners and I were clarifying the truth to customers in my shop, we were reported to the authorities. Police officers raided my home and took me to the police station, where they shut me behind bars and chained my hands with metal cuffs. To protest against the persecution, I started a hunger strike.

After 24 hours, the police took me to the detention center, where I continued my hunger strike. That night as I was practicing the exercises, inmates started beating me. I continued to practice as they rained punches and kicks on me, some of them stomping on me.

I was beaten till I lost consciousness, and my tormentors woke me up by drenching me with cold water. One inmate told me that half my face was bruised. I was unable to see through my left eye after the beating, and my sight returned only after 10 days.

The second night, inmates stuffed me under the bed and didn't let me practice the exercises. My entire body was covered with injuries, and they only deigned to pull me out after I had breathing difficulties from the pain.

A kindhearted guard, upon seeing my injuries, ordered the two inmates who had beaten me to be shackled with hand and foot cuffs.

Two other inmates who had been helping me secretly were soon released from the detention center. Both hugged me happily before they left, and told me that in actuality, their offenses carried a minimum sentencing of 10 years of imprisonment. Yet they were being released only after a year of incarceration. This really brought home the saying, “Treat Dafa and Dafa practitioners with kindness, and you will be blessed!”

The Viciousness of Officers from State Security

Around my fifth day at the detention center, officers from the State Security Bureau bundled me into a car before handcuffing my hands and legs. The car traveled for a long distance before arriving at an unknown destination. The officers put me in a dark room, and handcuffed me to a bench.

They began to torture me at five o'clock the following morning, kicking my temples and stomping on my thighs. I said, "Even if you kill me, I refuse to say anything." An officer replied, "Do you wish to die? We will not make it so easy for you. I want to slowly torture you to death. Once dead, we will declare that you committed suicide."

One torturer used a lighter to burn the back of my arms, burning me twice within 2 days for long periods of time. Upon seeing my lack of reaction to the burning, he flew into a rage and angrily punched and kicked me. They took turns beating me.

I was kept there for 4 days, and not allowed to close my eyes and rest for even a moment. At this point, I had already refused food and water for ten days. I felt mildly confused from the fourth day onwards, and as a result I was not able to send forth righteous thoughts.

When the interrogator beside me said, "You distributed many CDs." I replied, "I only distributed them once." On uttering these words, I suddenly realized, wasn't this an admission of a crime I did not commit? I had let down my fellow practitioners, and at once sought their forgiveness in my heart!

My tormentors took me back to the detention center, and a few male inmates were tasked with carrying me to the women's prison quarters. Those inmates thus witnessed firsthand the results of the CCP's ruthless persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. My thighs were totally black, and I sported numerous wounds that exposed flesh. The inmates were horrified and said, "This is too scary, she looks like a corpse!"

Clarifying the Truth at the Detention Center

The division head made a report to the prison doctor, who called me out to ask, "How many days have you not eaten? A normal person could die at any minute now." He went on to say, "I believe that Falun Gong will be vindicated, but you have to eat to save your life.” I replied, “Life and death is unimportant to me. I only wish for you to understand the truth and be saved.” Then I went back to the cell.

An inmate remarked, "You were severely beaten and have not eaten for 50 days. Moreover nobody has seen you take any medication. The only difference is your persistence on doing the exercises every day. Your energy and spirit remain strong." I took this opportunity to clarify the truth and she said, "I will definitely remember Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good."

Several inmates eventually joined me in doing the exercises, saying that their bodies felt better after completing the practice. They also copied down the scriptures I had memorized, and started reading.

Some inmates commented, “Because you have a CD burner at home, you will definitely receive a 5-year sentence.” I thought to myself, Master is arranging my path. Since my arrival, I had not entertained the thought of returning. In the detention center, I constantly clarified the truth, and those who understood were very nice to me

The prison head initially treated me badly, till she witnessed the magic of Dafa working its powers on me. One day she saw me doing the exercises during her night shift. She told me she wanted to practice Falun Gong.

Half a month later, I was released by the detention center at 9:00 a.m. My husband came to the front door to pick me up. He said to me, “If you had not returned, I do not know how we could have carried on!” He burst into tears as he continued talking.

I am grateful to Master for His constant protection and care. The CCP imprisoned me for 240 days, but I was able to leave in a dignified and upright manner.

Our Efforts to Stop the Persecution will Continue as Long as the Persecution Exists

Within these past 10 years, plainclothes police have been tracking, surveilling, and harassing me. Each time, group after group, I have clarified the truth to them.

Around the time China was hosting the Olympics, the street residential committee head came to my home and brought a bag of fruit. He told me another practitioner had been caught distributing truth clarification materials, and advised me not to. I replied, “My Master only told us to do good, and not bad things. We do not want things which belong to others. Please take back your fruit.”

Four men were assigned to stay at the rented apartment opposite mine, equipped with vans, electric tricycles and bicycles. They constantly followed me, even when my son came with me to buy food.

When I paid a visit to my niece's home, the street committee head went to my husband's work unit manager and tried to persuade him to fire my husband. He also told my husband to call me back home. My husband said, “She has done nothing wrong!”

After I returned, my husband said that if the manager decided to dismiss him, he would leave without blaming anyone. From this I could see that my husband's mindset was very good. However, his supervisor told the manager that he would not let my husband go, saying that he was a serious and responsible worker, and it was impossible to replace such a good employee! I know all this was Master's compassionate arrangement. Thank you Master!

Searching Deeply Inwards

With Master's help, I established a materials production site in my home, and produced what I needed. An illiterate person like me managed to produce CDs, booklets, calendars, etc... I also learned how to repair the printer. Others found this to be amazing.

On July 16, 2013, I was riding my bicycle when a small car suddenly came speeding out of nowhere, barreling straight towards me. I realized the danger I was in when the car was just a meter away from me, then I lost consciousness.

After I returned home, I diligently practiced the exercises every day. For the first two days, I was in so much pain that I was unable to study the Fa. Fellow practitioners advised me to search inwards and quickly get well.

On the third day as I was walking by using the stool as a support. Master borrowed my son's mouth to enlighten me. My son said, “Mom, you really have to quiet your mind and study the Fa.”

I was unable to turn while lying down at night, and called my son to help me up so that I could do the exercises. Later I realized that this was an attachment to depending on others. I used all my strength to force my body to move, and every day I would walk with stumbling, limping steps. On the 19th day, I rode my bicycle to a fellow practitioner's home. Within a month, I had recovered and was back to normal.

I searched inwards after this incident and saw that although I had done the three things and studied the Fa, I still had a big loophole which the evil exploited. I had an attachment to blaming fellow practitioners for not looking inwards and examining themselves. I lacked forbearance for my fellow practitioners.

This fall served as a wake-up call, and many of my attachments were exposed. In addition to resentment, I found other attachments: laziness, the fear of pain, strife, self esteem, jealousy, inability to watch what I said, etc... I will work towards removing these obvious attachments and seize the opportunity to save more people.

Master, please rest assured that I will do my best.

Please kindly correct me if any of the above is not within the Fa.