(Minghui.org) A dozen practitioners from my area were illegally arrested in July 2013. After local practitioners coordinated an effort to rescue them, all but one practitioner was released. However, we were confident we would also get this practitioner released.
Family Reluctant to Hire a Lawyer
The practitioner was transferred to the city detention center. Her case was deemed “important,” which usually results in a formal sentence. Her family was told that she would, in all likelihood, be sentenced to a six-year term.
Today, so many sentient beings are waiting to be saved. Thus, no practitioners should be detained. Our mission is to assist Master and save people. I was determined to find a way to get this practitioner freed.
Unfortunately, the practitioner's family members doubted our ability to get her out of detention. They had given up hope.
However, Master said:
"When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide"("The Master-Disciple Bond," Hong Yin, Volume II)
Practitioners are looked after by Master. I advised her family not to succumb to hopelessness so easily. I suggested that we hire a lawyer whom I would pay. I told them that they only needed to sign some documents. They agreed, albeit reluctantly. At a meeting to sign the lawyer's contract, the practitioner's family kept reiterating their belief that our rescue effort would ultimately fail. The lawyer reassured them that we had a good chance, and the document was signed.
Confident of Practitioner's Release
The lawyer and I went to see the practitioner in the detention center three times. The lawyer was able to learn the finer details of her situation. After a few exchanges, we were all confident that we could get her out.
The way I see it, the three visits to the detention center were symbolic of three battles between good and evil. Nowadays, it is extremely rare for a lawyer in Bejing to accept a Falun Gong case. As a result, the local police were quite shocked when our lawyer told them that he had agreed to represent her. Local practitioners sent reports about the case to the Minghui website, and we all sent righteous thoughts to dissolve anything affecting the outcome.
When the lawyer and I arrived at the detention center for our first visit with the practitioner, we were told that the lawyer could not see her because we had not made an appointment. Standing next to the lawyer, I sent one righteous thought that we would see her that day.
Someone then gave the lawyer the phone number for the department in charge of appointments. The lawyer called and was told that we needed to make appointments at least one week in advance. However, the lawyer explained that he did not know of this requirement and asked for an exception to be granted since we had come a long way to visit her. The operator was sympathetic and requested permission for us to be let in. The request was approved.
At that time, the practitioner had already been detained for two months. When she saw the lawyer and was told that other practitioners were trying hard to rescue her, she was so moved that she broke down in tears. I stayed outside the building and sent righteous thoughts.
Police Shocked to See Lawyer
After the visit, the lawyer and I went to the local police station. He wanted to investigate how the practitioner was arrested. As soon as the policeman on duty heard that we had come to discuss a Falun Gong case, he told us that it had been transferred to the city. His point was that the city police could do whatever they wanted, and the case was out of their hands.
The lawyer explained that, since he had accepted this case, he was responsible for his client's wellbeing and needed to know the details of her arrest. The policeman contacted the office involved in the practitioner's arrest. I sent righteous thoughts to help our cause.
Eventually we were able to obtain the crucial details of the arrest and the case in general. This was an important success in the eyes of our local practitioners, who were encouraged and became more confident about the rescue effort.
Negating the Old Forces' Arrangements
The local practitioners, including myself, discussed the case and discovered that we had some thoughts that were not righteous, such as:
1. The practitioner was arrested because she had a loophole in her cultivation.2. Our righteous thoughts might not help if the detained practitioner did not think righteously herself.3. The practitioner had been arrested multiple times in the past, and the fact that her case was marked as an “important” this time, meant that the police would ensure she would not escape punishment this time.4. The police had found Falun Gong materials in her home, which would certainly be used as evidence to support a longer sentence.
Through sharing our thoughts, we realized that, although we kept denying that we believed in the old forces arrangements, we still subconsciously followed them to a certain extent. After making this breakthrough, we concluded that, even if the practitioner had loopholes in her cultivation, there was no justification for the old forces to persecute her. She would certainly improve during her cultivation of the Fa. Also, we decided that we must do whatever we could, regardless of the detained practitioner's thoughts. We vowed to not acknowledge the old forces' arrangements.
Time Was Running Out
The lawyer and I visited the practitioner in the detention center for the second time 20 days later. Things did not go well. Traffic was dense, and the lawyer felt dizzy. Also, there were some new procedures in place for meeting prisoners. We had to go to different places to follow these new procedures. When we finally fulfilled the new requirements, it was time for the detention center to close its doors to visitors for the day.
I asked Master for help and contacted fellow practitioners to join me in sending righteous thoughts at this pivotal moment. In the end, the lawyer and I were allowed to meet with the practitioner. During our encounter, I shared with her what local practitioners had discussed and asked her to look within and find areas for self-improvement.
The practitioner still had not been released after two weeks. We wanted to secure her freedom before the case went to the procuratorate, which would make the rescue effort much more difficult and highly unlikely. Therefore, the lawyer and I went to see her for the third time.
During this visit, I talked with the practitioner and pointed out that it was wrong for her to think that she could validate the Fa while in detention or that she was strong enough to withstand the persecution. I told her that she could not accept the persecution, as Master had not arranged it. It would stop us from saving more people. It would be validating herself, which was selfish.
Several days later, she was released.
Looking back, I realize that, during the two months it took to rescue her, we rejected the persecution that had been arranged by the old forces. Master strengthened and protected us from harm and allowed us to succeed.
I improved myself as well. Although I previously had some disagreements with the detained practitioner and failed to cooperate well with her, I was able to rid myself of these human notions. During the rescue effort, when I talked to fellow practitioners, I only talked about the virtues of this practitioner, allowing others to see the righteous person that she is. During this time, I understood how serious cultivation is. I consistently felt endless mercy from Master and still feel it today. What Master has arranged for us is the best path.
Category: Improving Oneself
