(Minghui.org) Several practitioners and four attorneys tried to obtain releases for three imprisoned practitioners during their third visit to the Qinglongshan Brainwashing Center in Jiansanjiang, Heilongjiang Province on March 21, 2014. They were arrested by the police while on the premises. The four attorneys were tortured, and one of them was beaten and had his rib fractured. After 15 days of our rescue efforts, the four lawyers were released, but our practitioners were still in detention.
After that happened, we formed a rescue team among practitioners. I could not eat or sleep well at first, nor could I study the Fa well. I was under pressure, so I forced myself to study the Fa and to send forth righteous thoughts more often. Through intensive Fa study, I realized that evil forces from other dimensions were trying to interfere with the rescue project. We decided that clarifying the truth to authorities was what we should do to help open their hearts, and fulfill our mission to save them.
Our First Steps
With those factors in mind, we started our efforts with the city police. While other practitioners in the team sent forth righteous thoughts, a few practitioners and I met with the police chief. He was quite polite at first, but then became very nasty when a practitioner mentioned some sensitive documents. We tried to calm him. By the time we left, he was normal and even waved goodbye to us.
From the visit, I realised that practitioners should not upset people we intend to save. We should show our compassion to people. Only by doing so can we really save people.
We visited the police, prosecutors and courts in the provincial capital and Jiansanjiang City with our lawyers and by ourselves several times from 2014 to 2015. We felt heavy pressure. My husband, a non-practitioner, worried about my safety. Each time, I had to leave home between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. We had to do the five sets of exercises the previous evening.
I also had many misgivings about taking my ID card with me. It took me two years to get my replacement identity card after being arrested in 2000 for going to Beijing to appeal for justice on behalf of Falun Gong. But I had to carry my ID card, as it is a national policy in China.
During all the trips to visit Jiansanjiang City and the provincial capital, I kept studying the Fa and sending forth righteous thoughts.I corrected my thoughts and aligned my behavior with Dafa’s standards.
The Dangerous Journey
The Qianjin Land Reclamation Court was to hear the case of the four practitioners on December 17, 2014. I decided to send forth righteous thoughts at a close distance. However, on each route leading to the court, the police checked ID cards in order to block Dafa practitioners and their attorneys. When I thought about leaving home, my mind was really in turmoil. I had a similar experience in 1999 when I visited Beijing to appeal. By sharing opinions with practitioners, and with Master’s help, righteous thoughts filled my mind. I caught a midnight train to my destination.
Many police officers were checking passengers’ ID cards when I arrived at 6:00 a.m the next day. The police made it clear to passengers that they were trying to find Falun Gong practitioners and to arrest a few of them on the spot. Righteous thoughts occupied my mind, and I recalled Master’s teaching, “With such an enormous Fa here, the Fa will be with you when your thoughts are righteous, and this is the greatest assurance.” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan”)
I said to myself, Master has the final say, and Master is with me now. With strong righteous thoughts, we passed the check point.
Heavy snow was falling and the weather was freezing cold. The police were in the shops, supermarkets, bus stations and apartment buildings. It was a few more hours until the hearing, so we had to keep warm somewhere. We realised that only by clarifying the truth to people would there be a place to stay.
We tried to talk to people in a small shop, but the shopkeeper asked whether we came from a certain county, so we left. We then came across a middle-aged lady and started to chat with her. As soon as we talked about Falun Gong, she said she was a Christian and left. We kept walking while sending forth righteous thoughts. We passed police officers who were scattered around the area. We saw a snack bar where one of our practitioners came out to greet us.
He could barely hold up in the subzero weather and went inside the snack bar to clarify the truth to the owner. The owner was very nice and did not want us to leave after understanding the truth. Whenever he heard a police siren, he went out to peek. Master was looking after us, and we were very grateful.
During lunchtime, the owner’s child returned from school and said that Falun Gong practitioners murder people. I explained the truth about Falun Gong to the child. The child understood and quit the Young Pioneers, a youth league affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Later, a young couple and the owner’s father came to the shop. They also renounced the Youth League and the Young Pioneers after hearing the truth from us. However, the owner had not yet renounced the Youth League, and I felt sorry for him.
Before we caught the train home, I spoke to him in tears, “You are such a wonderful person. If you do not withdraw your Party membership to save your life, I will feel very sorry for you. I will feel uneasy all my life.” When he heard me, he said, “Auntie, I quit.”
Master stated:
“Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in springRighteous thoughts can save the people in this world” (“The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos” from Hong Yin Vol. II)
In the evening, the owner kindly helped us to buy the return tickets, and we arrived home safely. Later, we heard that 29 practitioners were arrested and released on the same day.
Reflecting on Lessons Learned
During the two-year rescue, I realized that Master was always helping us. The cooperation among the practitioners, filing the legal actions against the persecutors, and the involvement of the lawyers all frightened the evil. The righteous energy field prevented the three practitioners from being sent to prison, and all three were released on March 21, 2016.
During the rescue, I found many of my attachments and shortcomings. I was not very proactive and driven, and I did not share my experiences with others in a peaceful manner. A practitioner scolded me, “You never talk when it comes to experience sharing. How can you be in charge? You don't even have your own mind!” I didn’t talk back, but thought that she was always blaming me. I was not convinced by her, nor did I want to see her again.
On the surface, we were working together, shared experiences from time to time, but often we had disputes and blamed each other. Master said, “...looking within is a magical tool.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference”)
Disputes and troubles forced me to look within. I found that arrogance, resentment, and jealousy were found. On the rescue project, I did not pay enough attention and just followed others. How could human thoughts save people?
Once while sharing, we all realised that such behavior was wrong for practitioners. Then we decided to sit down, to share openly and to find our own shortcomings. Through searching inward, we broke through barriers and worked well together. Some practitioners said that they did not realize that they always blamed me, and apologised.
We now have learned to kindly point out each other’s shortcomings, and not to cover up our own. Many hidden human thoughts were removed during the rescue project. From the beginning until the end of the project, we significantly upgraded our xinxing. We now behave politely and fairly with one another.
By going through many troubles, we have become more mature. It is Dafa that has changed us. We are the most fortunate beings in the universe.
Thank you, Master!
Category: Improving Oneself
