(Minghui.org) I am not a Falun Dafa practitioner. Before the onset of the persecution, I learned through newspaper articles and television programs that Falun Dafa, a type of qigong practice, was becoming more and more popular in China. I didn't think it had anything to do with me though, even when the nationwide persecution started in July 1999.
However, I found out in year 2000, after getting engaged, that I was about to become the son-in-law to two Dafa practitioners. Through my in-laws, I came to learn what Falun Dafa is and what Dafa practitioners are all about over the years. I have experienced for myself the power of Dafa and thus became a firm believer in Falun Dafa, even though I am not a practitioner.
I remember my mother-in-law invited me over one day in 2000 and told me openly, “We are a family of practitioners. Now that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched its persecution against the practice, are you scared? Do you still plan on marrying my daughter?” Without hesitation, I replied, “I won't change my mind on what I have already decided.” Why was I so sure? Because during the time I dated her daughter, I saw how kind and honest her entire family was.
My future mother-in-law said, “If you still want to marry my daughter, I will count on you to be responsible and take good care of her from now on. The reason why I am telling you all this is because your father-in-law, brother-in-law, and I plan to go to Beijing and petition the government for the right to practice Falun Dafa. We are not sure if we will be arrested.”
The three of them went to Beijing as planned in the beginning of October that year. What followed was a period of really hard times for the family. My in-laws were repeatedly arrested, detained, forced to go through brainwashing and fired from their jobs. It was such a horribly long nightmare. I did everything I possibly could to help them during those years. I often wondered why practitioners would give up their comfortable lives and risk being sentenced to prison or forced labor and sometimes even lose their lives, to petition for the practice? I was baffled.
As soon as my father-in-law started a new job in 2006, he came down with hemorrhoids. He was in such pain he couldn't lie down, sit, or walk. He didn't eat or sleep for a week. We all suggested that he see a doctor, but he refused. I asked him worriedly, “How can you recover without surgery?” Yet to my surprise, he completely recovered by just sitting with a group of practitioners. I thought that was just unbelievable—how did he recover without any medical treatment? I started to sense that Falun Dafa was indeed very powerful.
I have a 9 to 5 job that only paid a small salary. To improve our financial situation, I bought a used car and started a small taxi business on the side. One day, I found a Falun Dafa truth-clarification flier on my windshield. Since I had a little bit of time, I started reading the flier while waiting for customers. My in-laws had told me many time how wonderful Falun Dafa is, but it had never really registered. Yet from the little bit I read that night, I realized that believing in Dafa will bring blessings.
Before I could finish reading the flier, a customer came. Then two more followed. Before I could take a break, another came. I had so many customers that night my wheels hardly stopped spinning. What was going on? It was great. It still brings a big smile on my face just thinking about how busy I was that night, even to this day. When I told my in-laws about that night, they said that I was getting so much business that night because I believed in Dafa. Falun Dafa is truly incredible.
My father-in-law was arrested again in 2013 and my in-laws' home was ransacked. We were told that he could be sentenced to forced labor. Worried sick, I ran back and forth between government agencies, trying to get him released. My fatty liver disease became more severe during those days and I couldn't even sleep sometimes because of the pain. When my wife told me to see a doctor, I said, “Your dad is still in detention, my liver can wait.” Though I tried everything I could, my father-in-law was still sentenced to forced labor.
We went to visit him at the detention center on the morning he was transferred to the forced labor camp. He looked old with more gray hair and stubble on his face. I felt so sad, thinking, “Why do you do this?” Yet, his spirit was high and he didn't seem worried at all. I heard my mother-in-law telling him to “keep righteous thoughts” before he got in the police car. I didn't know what she meant. Watching the car disappearing in distance, my heart was full of sorrow.
On our way home, my mother-in-law told my brother-in-law, “Let's send forth righteous thoughts and ask Master to save your father. He will be coming home soon.” I really thought my mother-in-law was mentally disoriented—how was he going to come home soon when I saw with my own eyes the police take him away? When we arrived home around noon, I told my wife, “Why don't you take the rest of the day off and stay with your mother. She is a little disoriented.”
My wife called me at a little after 4 p.m. that day and asked, “My mom asked if you could call the police who escorted my dad and thank him. She has asked me to call you quite a few times already. Could you please make the phone call today?” I was not sure what my mother-in-law wanted but I dialed the number anyway. I was so stunned when the police officer told me, “Your father-in-law was released. The forced labor camp officials refused to admit him because he didn't pass the physical examination.”
I immediately called my wife, shouting, “Your dad was released! Your dad was released!” I went straight over to my in-laws' and shouted as soon as I stepped into the door, “Falun Dafa is incredible! Falun Dafa is incredible!” My mother-in-law was not at all mentally disoriented when she said that my father-in-law would be coming home soon. This made me believe even more in Falun Dafa.
After my father-in-law was released, he was fired from his job. My in-laws were without any income. Though we are not wealthy, I gave my salary card to my in-laws and told them, “Don't worry about money.”
I visited them every day since my father-in-law returned home. About a week after my he was released, I went to visit them during my lunch break one day. I had some pain in the liver so I lay down on the couch and fell asleep. Suddenly, I woke up screaming and woke my in-laws from their afternoon naps. They asked me what happened. I said, “I dreamed that I went to a big mountain and saw many enormous Buddhas. A few of them said they would give me a physical checkup. I told them I was fine and didn't need it. They pushed me to the ground and cut my liver open with a pair of big scissors. Blood was everywhere...”
Hearing this, my father-in-law said, “You have liver disease. Since I was arrested, you have worried a great deal and done a lot to help. You even gave us your salary card. Even though I am your father-in-law, your trying to help and protect a practitioner has brought you blessings. Master have gotten rid of your liver disease.” I was skeptical about what he said—how is that even possible? Yet to my surprise, I have not had any liver pain ever since! After this miracle truly happened to me, how could I not believe that Falun Dafa is good?
To relieve the family's financial pressure, I took on a project on the side. Both of my in-laws told me, “You treat practitioners with kindness, you will receive blessings.” They were right—I have made more than one million yuan in just a few years. This really happened.
Hearing that my father-in-law was planning on resuming clarifying the facts about Falun Dafa to people in person, I thought to myself, “Why can't you just do the exercises at home? Why do you have to do it in public? You make the entire family worry sick about you.” Once, while I was riding in the car with him, my father-in-law said to me, “A great catastrophe is bound to happen soon. Practitioners are sentient beings' only hope to be saved. The reason why we risk our lives to tell people the facts about Falun Dafa and help them quite the CCP and its affiliates is to save them from being eliminated.”
Hearing this, I fell into deep thoughts. There are indeed more and more natural disasters going on in the world these days. If what my father-in-law said was true, then haven't I wrongly accused him of not being considerate? Thousands and thousands of practitioners have been arrested, detained, sentenced to forced labor and prison terms, forced into early retirement, fired from their jobs, and denied their pensions, some even lost their lives, yet they remain steadfast. Why on earth is that?
In today's society, people worship and place money above everything. “If a person is not after self-interest, heaven and earth will kill him.” Losing just a little bit of money could make people very upset. Everything an ordinary person does is for self-interest and personal gain. Practitioners, however, have endured so much and lost so much without any complaints or regrets, not for their own benefits, but to save others before the great catastrophe. How high is their realm of morality?
Although I am not a practitioner, I believe in Falun Dafa. As the 15 th World Falun Dafa Day and Master Li's 63 rd birthday approach, I would like to sincerely wish Master Li a very happy birthday! On behalf of all sentient beings who have been saved, I want to thank Master Li and all practitioners for compassionately saving us. I also hope those who have yet to learn the truth of Falun Dafa will soon see how wonderful Dafa is!