(Minghui.org) I was sentenced to a three-year prison term in 2012 for clarifying the truth to people about Falun Gong.
While I was in prison, the guards used every means imaginable to force me to give up my belief, but to no avail.
To protest the persecution, I went on several hunger strikes. The guards force-fed me each time, causing me serious bodily harm. I was released in 2015, in poor health.
Several days after my release, I felt indescribable pain throughout my entire body, which made eating and sleeping extremely difficult.
I realized that the Old Forces had arranged these tribulations to test me, and that if I failed, they would end my life.
Moreover, if I accepted their arrangements, I would be walking the path they had arranged for me.
It's not enough to say, “I am a Fa-rectification disciple, thus I have no illnesses,” or “I reject all of the Old Forces' arrangements,” rather, we must put these words into concrete action.
Master said,
“...each one of our Dafa disciples says that we don't recognize the old forces' arrangements, but that's not something you just say--you have to follow the requirements of Dafa and the Fa-rectification. ‘I absolutely will not acknowledge any of those things you arranged in the past, old forces. I don't even acknowledge you.’ When your righteous thoughts are very strong you can purge it and you can reject their arrangements.” (from “Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.” in Teaching the Fa at the Conference II)
Only by studying the Fa can a being have righteous thoughts and righteous actions.
However, I had not studied Master's teachings very well during my three-year incarceration. I had only recited some of his shorter teachings and Lunyu.
So after being released, the most important thing for me to do was to study the Fa.
Although I sometimes felt too weak to walk, I forced myself to get up at 3:50 a.m. to do the five exercises. I kept reminding myself that a true practitioner doesn't have any illness.
I also studied the Fa and sent righteous thoughts, sometimes for up to two hours. I also did the fifth exercise again at 10:50 p.m.
I didn't feel any pain in my legs during the morning sitting meditation, but I did feel it at night. I was in so much agony that my body was drenched in sweat.
In order to complete the hour-long exercise, I recited Master's teaching:
“It’s hard to endure, but you can endure it. It’s hard to do, but you can do it.” (from Lecture Nine of Zhuan Falun)
Of course, doing all of this required a certain amount of energy. In order to deny the Old Forces' arrangements, and the pain they were causing my body, I forced myself to eat some food to sustain my body.
Several days later, the pain let up somewhat, partially because I didn't pay it any mind.
I never talked to my family members about the constant pain that I was in. They only knew that I was feeling weak, due to being tortured in prison.
I did that because I felt that mentioning the pain to my family was equivalent to acknowledging the Old Forces' arrangements. I only shared these experiences with my fellow practitioners.
However, when these practitioners visited my home, it appeared as if there was nothing wrong with me. This was denying the Old Forces and validating Dafa. The more I denied the Old Forces' arrangements, the more Master reduced the pain in my body.
Every day I felt a little bit stronger. About two weeks later, I realized that I had indeed passed a major illness tribulation.
I truly appreciate Master's compassionate salvation!
