(Minghui.org) I was arrested and taken to a detention center because of practicing Falun Gong not long ago. As I refused to cooperate, the guard on duty yelled at me. I wasn’t affected, but teased him, “You are such a rude policeman,” which eased the tension. He laughed and told the other guards: “We can’t keep her here, or she will change the minds of every one of us.”
When another officer arrived, several guards pinned me down on a chair, and held my hands behind my back. I turned around to the officer and said: “Look at them, I did not do anything wrong, but they treat a kind woman like this?” He turned around, looked at us, and began to laugh. The guards loosened the grip immediately. I later learned that he was the director of the detention center.
The guards did not know how to deal with me. They ordered me to go to the yard, where they attempted to strong-arm me. Three of them held me down, and one asked: “Where is your Master?” I told them firmly: “My Master is right at my side.” At that moment, they behaved as if their heads where hit with a stick, and appeared to be dismayed.
They called their supervisor for further instructions about what to do with me, but they did not hear back, even after several hours. One of them complained that it was odd. I used the opportunity to clarify the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution.
I told them that many upper-level administrators already have been told the truth about Falun Gong, and nobody wanted to accept responsibility for persecuting it. Many are protecting the practitioners, hoping to atone for their sins they committed when they were actively persecuting practitioners.
For example, when they were ordered to arrest someone, they would notify the practitioner first, and then reported that they could not find him or her. Or, they would arrest the practitioner and release him around the corner.
“I would say these officers are so smart,” I said. “I know you are all smart people and you know what you should do on the issue of Falun Gong. This is really something concerning your future – the time when the Party is no longer in power.”
Their facial expressions showed that they understood. Some of them expressed their regret: “This is the last time, we will not handle anything related to Falun Gong anymore.”
Two days later, I was taken to the head of the detention center. He asked my name and why I did not wear the inmate uniform. I did not reply. He threatened me: “Since you are here, you have to follow the rules. Otherwise, we have iron chairs and a dark room waiting for you.”
I replied: “I practice Falun Gong, and abide by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I did not commit any crime.”
“Did your Master tell you not to wear the uniform,” he asked.
“No, but our Master told us that we should not cooperate with the persecution. Do you know why I refuse to wear the inmate outfit?”
“Why?”
“I did it for you! If I’m forced to wear the inmate outfit, someday when justice prevails, it would be the evidence of your participation in the persecution!”
He was shocked and sat down. We talked some more, I told him that the persecution interrupted our normal lives.
He was about to use the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda technique, and blame me for going to the extreme and refusing to work. But, he didn’t finish the sentence, upon realizing that the reason I didn’t go to work was because I was held in the detention center.
I also told him that I was always filled with energy from practicing Falun Gong, and that my being detained there would cause tremendous loss to my workplace.
He also asked me whether my mother-in-law supported me in practicing Falun Dafa. I told him that I was so weak before that I had to wear a down jacket in May, while most of my colleagues were wearing short-sleeves. My mother-in-law witnessed my changes after taking up the practice in 1997, and encouraged me to continue practicing.
“Well,” he said, “never mind. I won’t question you anymore about things you don’t want to talk about. It’s just not easy to endure.”
I could tell that he felt sympathetic for the plight of Falun Gong practitioners.
I said to him, “Our Master said the following about endurance.”
“Forbearance is the key to improving one’s xinxing. To endure with anger, grievance, or tears is the forbearance of an everyday person who is attached to his concerns. To endure completely without anger or grievance is the forbearance of a cultivator.’” (“What is Forbearance (Ren)?” Essentials for Further Advancement)
He appeared to be surprised by what I said. “Really? It turned out your ‘forbearance’ wasn’t the painful bearing that I used to think it was.”
He was not only interested but also curious, “What else did your Master say?”
I began to tell him the basics about this cultivation practice: the five exercises, the principles, and how to improve one's moral level.
I showed him the first set of exercises and the sitting meditation. He asked some more questions, and later he concluded: “Well, it appears to me that you really did benefit from Falun Gong. I would not able to change your mind.”