(Minghui.org) I started to cultivate Falun Dafa at the beginning 1997. Seventeen years of cultivation has enabled me to be a more compassionate person with more confidence in people's conscience and in defending good values. I was able to let go of the resentment for the police amidst the nationwide persecution in China. I withstood the severe pressure exerted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and persevered in my cultivation.
Here are several examples.
During the 2008 Olympic Games, I went to Qingdao City on a business trip. When I got on the bus, they scanned my ID and told me that I couldn't leave the city. I knew they did something to my ID. I was very angry and really hated the police and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its leader.
My ID became a concern whenever I had to leave town. I wasn't calm, although I was able to go each time. My elder brother, also a Falun Dafa practitioner, told me, “You should look inward.”
I did it but just couldn't identify the real problem. I always thought it was because the persecution was so evil. I tried to avoid travel, but it made my work and life very inconvenient. This travel restraint was like a big shadow hanging over me.
During a business trip to Beijing, I arrived a day early and stayed at a hotel. Two police officers knocked on my door and asked to see my ID around 7 p.m. They asked, “You practice Falun Gong, right?” I didn't answer directly because I was concerned about my lecture the following day.
I replied, “Isn't it good to practice Falun Gong? The principles of Falun Gong are Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, to be a good person.” One of them said, “I don't care, just tell me if you practice or not. You know the consequences: 'Yes” leads to one and 'No' leads to the other.”
I realized that I had gone through the same thing in detention centers and brainwashing centers. I looked straight at him and said firmly, “Yes!” He jumped up like he'd been struck. As he walked to the door, he said, “Just you wait.”
He was going to get help to round me up, but I was very calm. I thought they were ridiculous because they were under the influence of evil factors. I started sending forth righteous thoughts: "Everything is arranged for the Fa-rectification. Evil, you are nothing. You are not qualified to test me."
The officer who stayed and watched me asked, “Why don't you just say no?” I told him that practitioners never lie. He sighed, “Do you have any [Falun Gong] materials in your computer? If so, do something.” I knew he had learned the truth.
The younger officer soon returned. He searched my bag but found nothing. He told me to turn on my computer. The policeman who'd stayed with me said, “I checked--there's nothing.”
I reflected on myself after they left. I wasn't that firm and I had looked down on them initially, that's why they searched my bag. If I were more resolute, the evil wouldn't dare to test me one little bit. I wasn't happy that the police had marked my ID and often interfered with me and caused me trouble.
A few days later, my colleague and I had to fly to Chongqing from Beijing early in the morning, so we went to Beijing the night before and stayed there. Just as I was lying down a little after 9 p.m, I heard someone shouting, “Arrest Falun Gong!”
My room was at the end of the hallway. I heard footsteps that sounded like at least 10 people running towards my room. I knew it was the evil was interfering with me again. I started to send forth righteous thoughts: "You can't test me."
Their shouts got fainter as I sent righteous thoughts. When they finally got to my door, their threatening manner was gone. I opened the door.
One of them showed me his ID and said, “I'm a policeman.” I replied, “I know. What are you here for?” He said, “Show me your ID.” I gave him my ID.
He asked, “You are A?” “Yes!” I said loudly.
“You practice some form of qigong, right?” “Yes!”
“Which one?” “Falun Gong!”
“Do you still practice?” “Yes!”
“Oh, we just came to take a look. Nothing, nothing. Have a good rest.”
My colleague stood up and asked, “Do you want to see my ID, too?” They said no and left quietly. I lay back down and searched inside, but I still couldn't find what I did wrong. I thought that the evil had made use of the police to harass me.
My resentment toward the police grew. I was so unhappy that it felt like something was stuck in my chest.
I traveled with a colleague from Dalian to Weihai by boat in August 2010. As we boarded, everyone had their ID scanned. When it was my turn, the alarm sounded and the security guard stopped me: “You cannot go!”
Other guards were called. When other passengers asked what was going on, I smiled, spoke up, and said, “I'm a Falun Gong practitioner. They do not let me go!” I then said to my colleague, “Wait for me, I'll be back soon.”
The security guard took me to a small room and checked my bag. I clarified the truth to them while sending forth righteous thoughts. One of them asked, “Why do you still practice?” I said, “Because Falun Gong is good. It has spread to more than 100 countries. If it wasn't that good, why would people from different countries like it?”
He asked, “Isn't it a cult?” I told him, “Those are all lies--don't be deceived. Please remember Falun Dafa is good.” Another guard urged, “Leave!” He wanted to stop me talking.
I was angry and told my colleague, “The authorities always cause me trouble.” He responded, “Isn't this a good chance to explain the facts? ” I was shocked and realized that it was Master reminding me.
Although my colleague knew the facts and had quit the CCP, he didn't practice Dafa, so it was impossible for a non-practitioner to say something like that. I realized I was wrong, but I didn't think about it further.
I thought about the ID issue during a Fa study later. I realized that if I helped all the security guards I met in rail and bus stations understand the truth, and if they all knew Dafa is good, they wouldn't interfere with me the next time.
Wouldn't it be good if I treated everyone as someone I should save, even a policeman or a security guard? They are all human beings. But I saw them as evil, always thought that they caused me trouble, and never realized how narrow-minded I was.
Why didn't I used the opportunity to clarify the truth to them? Wasn't it Master's arrangement that they came across me? When I thought of this, I felt the thing stuck in my chest slowly moving down, and soon it was gone.
I was so happy, I wanted to jump up and shout. No policemen or security guard has harassed me since. The machines no longer beep when they scan my ID.
I realized from the ID issue that, as a practitioner, no matter what we encounter, we can't simply look at the surface. We should look inside deeply. Of course, we have to study the Fa well. If we don't improve our xinxing we can't find the root of our attachments.
Thus, studying Fa well is the most important thing. No matter what bad things happen, we need to improve ourselves and turn bad things into to good things.
The Fa-rectification is approaching the human world, and truth-clarification is getting easier. But no matter how the world changes, we shouldn't be affected. We should keep doing the three things well and save more and more people.
I was one of the assistants at the local practice site. At the beginning of 2001, I was illegally arrested by the local 610 Office and sent to a detention center. The first few days were very difficult.
Master said in “True Cultivation” in Essentials for Further Advancement:
“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.”
My wife had a lump in her neck at the end of 2000. It was diagnosed as a thyroid tumor, which was found to be cancerous after surgery. She was operated on again in less than a month. Although her situation stabilized, she still needed my care.
At the detention center, the guard threatened me that if I didn't give up practicing Falun Gong, they would send me to a forced labor camp for three years, and I knew there would be no one to take care of my wife and child.
They threatened to break my family apart. However, if I gave up practicing and wrote the guarantee statement to promise that I wouldn't practice anymore, I would be allowed to continue my life as usual.
Those days were mentally and emotionally challenging. I recalled the Cultural Revolution. Although I was young at that time, I knew very well how evil the Chinese Communist Party is. I worried about my wife and my child if I were sent to a forced labor camp. I felt my family would be doomed.
I was under tremendous pressure. I had trouble sleeping, and I even couldn't eat. A voice in my mind kept urging me to give up practicing. The police brought my superior to see me, to threaten me.
They brought my friends, classmates, my wife, and my child to pressure me. However, I did know Dafa was what I'd been looking for my whole life and that I would never give it up.
I kept on reciting Master's Teachings in “True Cultivation” in Essentials for Further Advancement:
“As a matter of fact, when you agonize over infringements upon your reputation, self-interest, and feelings among everyday people, it already indicates that you cannot let go of ordinary human attachments. You must remember this: Cultivation itself is not painful—the key lies in your inability to let go of ordinary human attachments. Only when you are about to let go of your reputation, interests, and feelings will you feel pain.”
My righteous thoughts kept getting stronger and stronger, and I finally put down my attachments. I felt so relaxed.
My wife knows Dafa is good and that I'm a good person. She also knows how evil the Party is, but she was afraid that I would be sent to a forced labor camp.
She came to the detention center with several of my classmates and cried, “You are so cruel, how can you give up your family? Family or practice cultivation, which one is more important? You are so selfish!”
I told her, “Without Dafa, I would be nothing but a walking corpse. I practice and cultivate Dafa and try my best to be a good person. What is wrong with that? If we practitioners who've benefited so much from Dafa won't speak out for Dafa, who else will?”
I was very firm and steadfast. My wife was so angry that she slapped my face. However, it didn't hurt at all, and I simply smiled at her.
On the 14th day of my detention, section chief Wang from the police department came with another officer to interrogate me. At first, he aggressively asked me why I practiced Falun Gong.
I told him calmly, “For better health, to be a better person.” He said, “Don't you know that it's an anti-government organization?” I replied, “No, Falun Gong is not an organization, let alone anti-government.”
I remained calm, looked at him kindly, and answered him clearly. I told him how I benefited from practicing Dafa both physically and mentally, how good it was to be a good man according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Almost incoherent he asked me, “Will you continue practice or not?” I answered very certainly, “Yes.” The other policeman got so angry that he jumped out of his chair and pointed at me, “You'll definitely be sent to a forced labor camp!” The interrogation was over in 10 minutes.
That night, I slept very well. I was no longer bothered by fame, benefit, or love anymore. When I completely put all these attachments down, I felt totally released.
The next day, I was released and returned home, my head held high.