(Minghui.org) I had been frail and sickly since childhood, but I love reading. In 1996, a relative gave me the book Zhuan Falun. At the time, I was not working but was recuperating at home, so I had plenty of time.
I started to devour the book. Although I didn’t understand fully a lot of what was written, yet I was truly being attracted by its logical content that explains so succinctly everything under the sun.
I once enlightened to the fact that Tathagatas could sacrifice their lives for truth. I felt shaken. Wow, what magnificent lives! Could I do the same?
When the persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999, I was arrested. Aside from our city coordinator who had been secretly abducted, I became the first local Dafa practitioner to be openly arrested.
I was charged with “disclosing state secrets,” being the leader in going to petition the provincial Party committee and leaking information overseas.
I found the accusations pretty ridiculous. Right then, I made a firm decision to strictly follow Dafa’s standards to conduct myself. I am Master’s disciple and mustn’t be a disgrace to Master and Dafa.
When I was faced with seemingly endless interrogations, I maintained my dignity and composure. I provided logical responses, while simultaneously examining my inner self constantly to ensure I had no attachment to fear or combativeness, and to remember that Dafa has no enemies, that everybody I encounter has goodness in their hearts, and that I would never implicate fellow practitioners in any way.
There was one interrogator who sternly accused me of having broken the law and bringing harm to the country.
I said to him, “If I truly had broken the law and brought harm to the country, I would gladly take all the blame and suffer all consequences. But, I am quite sure that you are all fully aware that is not the case.”
After a little while, another interrogator asked me, “In Falun Gong practice, what is the highest level you try to attain?”
I answered calmly, “… selflessness and altruism.” (“Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature” in Essentials for Further Advancement)
They were speechless. After that, they became more friendly and easygoing.
I didn’t think much about their change at the time. It was only afterwards that I gradually realized everything is under Master’s power and control.
After the all-night interrogation, the decision was made to send me to the detention center.
A young policeman picked up a book from the table and read,
“Ordinary people do not understand the pain of cultivation,Happiness to them is vying and competing;Cultivate, my disciples, ‘til no single omission is found,And with the passing of all adversity,will come the sweetness of true joy. (“Cultivating Amidst the Delusion” in Hong Yin)
“Isn’t that one of Master’s verses? Why would the policeman read me Master’s verse?”
My befuddled brain from several days’ lack of sleep woke up. I suddenly understood: Master is constantly at my side, protecting me, watching over me.
Being imprisoned is devastating to one who is unprepared.I tried my best to bolster myself but still felt tremendous pressure.
A young female guard came over to me, pulled on my sleeve, and whispered, “You are a college student but try not to speak up too much when you are in here.” I thanked her.
The weather was unseasonably hot and stuffy, but I felt strangely chilled. Sitting in my narrow cell, I had time to think over what happened during the last few days. The fear of death enveloped me. “I’m not even 30. Am I really facing death?”
All kinds of human notions surged over me. I started to recite verses from Hong Yin and think about Master’s Fa. Slowly, I calmed down. I made a decision.
“Dafa is truth, is righteousness. I will walk its path firmly, even if I had to give up my life.”
Right then and there, I felt great relief as if the huge mountain of pressure was lightened up a lot. I smiled uncontrollably.
I thought, “I must have elevated in my cultivation. That’s why my heart can be so full of joy.”
That afternoon, a tall middle-aged lady was also locked up in my cell. She told me she was the owner of a small enterprise. I didn’t pay much attention.
Several days later, she sat close to me and initiated a conversation.
She said, “I have believed in Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, since I was little. My celestial eye is open. The first day I came into this cell, I noticed you, sitting there was a huge Arhat.”
As soon as she said that, I became alert of Master’s warning about “demonic interference from one’s own mind” and rejected her words, telling myself: “I am a Dafa disciple.”
She continued, “I saw your Master’s fashen sitting on a lotus platform, right next to you.” At that, my tears fell without restraint.
I told Master, “I will stand firm within the Fa. No matter how hard it will be, I will not let Master worry about me. I will remain steadfast.”
I was frequently arraigned, but I never would admit to have broken any law, as that was the truth.
Every time I was brought in front of the interrogators, I would be handcuffed. So, I made protest to that treatment every time. They said to me, “If you are here, you are a criminal.”
I told them, “I am not a criminal. I am a good person but am being falsely accused. I shouldn’t be treated this way.”
Later, they didn’t put handcuffs on me anymore. Their absolute change came after the police chief’s visit.
I remember that day. I was again brought into a small interrogation room. A 50-some year-old man in civilian clothes came in and introduced himself as the police chief. His mannerism was quite fierce. He made inquiries into my former occupation.
I thought for a bit, and said, “I used to do renovation for the annex building of the Municipal Police Department, from start to finish. I did most of the blueprint. Because I am a Falun Gong cultivator, I did everything in accordance with Dafa’s standard requirements. I also did the final quality control and the computation of the quantities of labor and materials. Both the construction company I worked for and the police department were satisfied with my work.”
The police chief responded with a “Yo, so you did make some contributions, eh?”
His attitude loosened up a bit after that. But later, he said things disrespectful about Master and Dafa.
I thought that must be because I had said something inappropriate to cause him to speak out from his demon nature.
I calmed myself down. When he finished speaking, I said to him in utmost sincerity, “From looking at your age, you can be somebody’s parent. I am a child of my parents. As a child, I can feel whether my parents are good to me. As much as your child can. There is no need to express anything in words. In the same token, whether Master is good to me, His disciple, I also can feel without using any language, even though I have never met my Master. This is the path I have chosen. I will walk this path to the end. This is my choice.”
For a long while, the police chief did not utter another word. Eventually, he sent me away.
From that time on, even the police changed their attitude toward me. They would smile whenever they saw me. In the hot summer days, they would bring me ice cream or a bottle of mineral water.
Many in my cell commented that they had never seen anybody being treated that way when under incarceration.
Some among the police actually secretly reported to me about my family and other practitioners. Without full awareness, they were exposing the good side of their nature. I was very happy for them.
I understood the assigned cell leader used to be a gangland female boss. She acted like a bully. I didn’t pay attention. I just concentrated on making sure I always behaved like a Dafa disciple.
When the intense broadcasting was sweeping throughout the country defaming Falun Gong, I was forced to sit in front of the television at designated times every day to listen to the made-up lies.
I would tell everybody present the real truth about Falun Dafa.
Several days later, when it was time to watch TV, the cell leader made a surprising announcement, “We won’t watch TV. The Communist Party never does anything right. It only stirs up trouble constantly. Let’s play cards instead.”
That was the last time our prison cell watched any television propaganda broadcast. The environment within our cell gradually improved.
The enterprise owner told me in private, “Your Master has removed my uterine fibroids. The Falun Gong you practice is good.”
Other prisoners also took care of me. They would share with me good food or stood up for me when I was bullied. Later, those who bullied me would even apologize to me. I knew those were all manifestations of Dafa’s power. I was only doing my best to be a good Dafa disciple.
On the 28th day of my incarceration, Master enlightened me that I would be sent home.
For all the past 20-some days, I had persisted in studying the Fa. I congratulated myself for having memorized Zhuan Falun paragraph by paragraph. I also recited whatever verses I remembered in Hong Yin.
I also insisted on doing my daily exercises. I volunteered to take over the 3:00 a.m. shift that nobody wanted so that I could do my meditation. During the day, I would find a spot where the surveillance camera could not reach and did the other four exercises that require movements.
I did whatever I could, however much I could.
The day I was to be released, the prisoner who was an accused murderer, to whom I had often expounded on how to behave as a human being based on the teachings of Dafa, came over to sit next to me and said, “I always like to talk with you. It makes me feel good inside.”
She continued to tell me, “Last night, I had a strange dream. I dreamed that all of us here, including the cell leader, were on a conveyor belt being sent up to a high place. But I was too heavy and kept falling down. After many tries, I finally got sent up. I was very relieved.”
When I heard her story, I understood Master also wanted to save everybody in that prison cell. My tears fell. I thanked Master for all He has endured for us.
I told her, “This is all good. Please always remember Falun Gong is not how they portray on television.”
I walked out of detention with dignity. The police officer who escorted me out was the same person who had first interrogated me. This time he was all smiles, with a completely changed attitude. I believe the police there must have all been affected by Dafa’s goodness and righteousness, and have all felt Dafa’s compassion.
After I returned home, I learned that the officer who had raided my home with much arrogance had undergone a heart surgery. He was only about 30 years old and appeared to be strong and healthy.
At the time, when he insisted on removing my non-practitioner brother’s computer, I had given him a stern warning.
“You implicate the innocent, you will have retribution.”
I didn’t realize his retribution would come so fast. I did not feel rejoice in his misfortune. I felt sorry for him.
One time, when he was taking me to the police station, he asked me in front of another police officer, “Say, do you think my heart problem could be cured if I would practice Falun Gong?”
I told him, “Falun Gong does not heal illnesses. But, if you genuinely follow the book’s teachings to be a good person, miracles will happen. You have confiscated so many Dafa books. Take a good look at them. I’m sure it’ll do you good.”
I remember since then, our region did not have any more incidents of serious persecution. The police were merely going through the motions.
Somebody once secretly videotaped me and my family while we were doing Dafa exercises on our rooftop and informed on us to our local police station, but was rebuked and kicked out by our chief of police.
I was happy for them from the bottom of my heart, because they understood the truth and have made the correct choice for their future lives. However, I also knew all was due to Master’s compassion. It is the power of Dafa that is changing people’s hearts.
One winter, an elderly practitioner succumbed to pressure. As a result, my parents were abducted and sent to the local brainwashing center.
A fellow practitioner informed me that the 610 Office was also looking for me.
My non-practitioner brother asked me to go with him and his wife to take some clothes and other necessities to our parents.
“Should I go with them or not?” I hesitated. I calmed myself down to think, “Am I afraid?”
Indeed, I still have the attachment to fear and I had not succeeded to have cultivated it away completely. So, I decided to take the opportunity to ensure I would get rid of the last bit of this attachment.
I set out for the brainwashing center. My brother and sister-in-law were already there.
I had barely sat down when the police rushed over to quickly close the steel door at the end of the corridor, effectively locking us in.
I knew they must have been in communication with the 610 Office. Their intention was to make sure I was detained securely.
My brother and sister-in-law were very upset. They were afraid they would also be locked up and could not go home.
I comforted them and began to send forth righteous thoughts.
One detained practitioner told me they hadn’t known of anybody who would be allowed to go without writing any statement. So, I strengthen my righteous thoughts to include: “I will not write any statement. I will go out of here with pride and dignity.”
Staff from the 610 Office arrived. They let my brother and sister-in-law leave. I noticed among them several people I knew.
I asked their leader, “What are you doing? If you want to look for me, you all know my work unit and my telephone number. Why can’t you do things openly and properly? You detain me here, so how do you expect me to explain this to my boss? If I lose my job over this, are you going to assume responsibility?
You are all here to carry out the law, but isn’t this clearly a form of persecution? Don’t you feel ashamed to treat a weak female using this low-down means? Of course, I’m merely speaking the truth and not attacking any of you.”
I would not give any response to their questioning, nor would I cooperate with any of their requests.
I merely maintained my heart of compassion, exercising the wisdom Master bestowed on me to clarify the truth to them.
When they found they could not and did not get anything from me, they left.
In the brainwashing center, I sent forth righteous thoughts, but I also asked for Master’s support to strengthen me.
I decided, “I had already let go of my attachment to fear to being here, and since I’m here where I wouldn’t have been under normal circumstances, I might as well take full advantage to concentrate on sending forth righteous thoughts to thoroughly eliminate evil and all its factors here and in other dimensions.”
One day passed, then the next. When the third day arrived, I was getting a bit anxious.
That afternoon, I stood at the window and looked out at fellow practitioners moving about outside. The female guard assigned to stay with me also came over to stand by my side.
Suddenly, she pointed at an elderly man and said, “Isn’t he the one who betrayed you and had your family locked up here?”
I just laughed it off and didn’t respond. “When you get out, make sure you kill him.”
The bitterness in her tone startled me. I hurried to say, “That can’t be done. We practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Moreover, he is so old. Of course he couldn’t stand all the interrogations and threats they put him through. What’s done is done. After all, it was us who gave him the materials he got caught with.”
She looked at me with surprise, “You guys are something. You are such good people. I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
On the fourth day, staff from the 610 Office finally showed up to announce, “We are also reasonable people. From your bag, we found a laboratory report that indicates you are pregnant. So, today, we are letting you go.”
I was a little stunned. I thought, “What’s going on? There is indeed a laboratory report but there’s no mention of any pregnancy test result. There just isn’t such a thing.”
I realized it had to be Master’s arrangement.
And so, I was sent home. I walked out of the brainwashing center with pride and dignity. I knew I passed Master’s test.
If there is no Master and no Dafa, we are nothing at all.
Thank you, Master!