(Minghui.org) In my youth I was told by a fortune teller that I would have many problems in my life. That turned out to be true, as I had one misfortune after another.
I worked for an art company that went out of business and I had to look for another profession. I became an accountant. My husband then had an affair and we divorced. I got involved in a lawsuit because I wanted to help another person, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
My heart was filled with sadness when I arrived at the detention center. I missed my elderly parents and my child and felt I had reached the end of my life. Everything seemed hopeless.
Practitioners Bring Change to Prison Life
Many Falun Gong practitioners were held at our detention center in March 2000. They were arrested because they went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. They were of different ages and in a good state of mind.
Even though I considered the prison “hell on earth,” I felt that they exuded a peace and kindness that I had not come across before. They treated everyone so well.
“ You have not broken the law, why don't you feel sad for being detained,” I said. “Why have I not seen you get angry? ”
“We are here to help people understand Falun Gong and the persecution,” the practitioner answered. “What we are doing is a most sacred thing. I did not quite understand this, because I did not know what Falun Gong was about.
Fa Truths Are a Ray of Sunshine
She told me that Falun Gong was the Buddha's Fa and it would help people become a good and moral person. I learned why people ran into problems and many other things I had not known. I felt as if I had just awakened from a dream and saw a ray of sunshine. It was so warm and I felt as if I was alive again.
This practitioner showed me Falun Gong materials, including two hand-written books, Essentials for Further Advancement and Hong Yin, a book of poems by the founder of Falun Gong Mr. Li Hongzhi. I read both books that night and I cannot describe in mere words what I felt. It was as if I suddenly found a close relative from the past.
I took part in the group exercises and studied the Fa with these practitioners. I decided to be a practitioner. I felt that only Falun Gong could change my fate. Only if I am a steadfast practitioner would I turn into a better person.
Practitioner Not Bothered by Tests
There were many tests on my cultivation path, especially since studying Falun Gong and doing the exercises were not allowed in the detention center. When guards found out I was involved in doing the group exercises, I was handcuffed and shackled. I was no longer given adequate meals, but only a thin soup. However, nothing stopped me from practicing Falun Gong.
Because of my art background, I was assigned to the performing arts propaganda team. This group consisted of many people with different backgrounds who were very jealous of each other. I followed the Falun Gong principles of Truthfulness- Compassion-Forbearance. The guards were impressed with my actions and they started a petition for a reduced sentence of one and a half years.
Tribulations abound, and an inmate stole my Falun Gong books and handed them to the guard in the hopes of getting an award. I was held in a small cell for 19 days. All guards tried to have me give up Falun Gong and promised to approve the reduced sentence. Nothing made me waver. Instead, I talked to everyone about Falun Gong.
My chance of a reduced sentence was gone. I was moved to another ward and assigned a heavy workload. They hoped that I would change my mind. They did not realize that as a practitioner I was not worried about tribulations. They could not change my heart, so I was transferred back to the performing arts propaganda team. I still got a reduced sentence and was released three years and nine months early.
Released from Prison
After I returned home, I took care of my 80-year-old mother. I distributed Falun Gong informational materials and also gave them to my ex-husband. I told him about the persecution of Falun Gong and gave him a Shen Yun DVD.
Before I practiced Falun Gong, I was arrogant and desired to be better than others. When I now face a conflict I look within to determine why it happened. I am thoughtful and do not care about loss and gain. My relatives said that I was a different person and I told them that it was because of Falun Gong.
My mother, who is now 84 years old, and my cousin, 68, started to practice Falun Gong this year.
From the perspective of ordinary people, I was an unlucky person. However, in my eyes, I am a blessed person because I found Falun Gong while I had reached a low point in my life.
I passed tests and walked my cultivation path with perseverance. I know I still have a lot of shortcomings. Sometimes I am still close to losing my temper but I am determined to cultivate and will not take a detour on my cultivation path.
