(Minghui.org) I am a high school teacher who has been harassed because I practice Falun Dafa. However, due to my faith in Dafa, I did not yield to the intense pressure.
After I began to practice Falun Dafa, I followed the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and always consider myself a cultivator.
Protected by Master, I have gone through numerous tribulations. I never gave in to the evil, whether I was in a brainwashing center, detention center, or forced labor camp.
I know I am a Dafa disciple, and I must be worthy of the greatest title in the universe. At work, I have received high marks throughout the education system as well as in the entire county.
However, I have been continually harassed and persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) due to my faith in Falun Dafa. This was especially the case after the recent Chinese New Year.
People from the school management, the neighborhood community, the domestic security division, and the Political and Legal Affairs Committee came to talk to me. They took every opportunity to harass me and try to pressure me to quit practicing Falun Dafa.
They even made it difficult for my son. When he graduated, they made him go through a “political investigation” for his work. This was the same time the school and county education bureau were doing evaluations for the “year-end bonuses.”
There have been many such instances, and I will not mention all of them. Facing all kinds of persecution and harassment, I endured but had a negative mindset at the beginning, but now I can deal with it easily.
I am very happy to have the chance to follow Master’s instructions and eliminate the evil with practitioners all around the world during this battle between righteousness and evil.
The following is my sharing regarding how I changed my thoughts about cultivation.
Master said,
“A practitioner will come across tribulations in cultivation. When a tribulation comes, it may manifest as an interpersonal conflict. There will be mind games and the like involved, which directly affect your xinxing. There will be many cases in this regard. What else will you encounter? Our bodies may suddenly feel uncomfortable. This is because repaying the karma will be manifested in different ways. At a certain point in time, you will be made unable to discern clearly whether something is true or not, whether your gong exists or not, whether or not you can cultivate and make it, or whether or not there are Buddhas and if they are real. In the future, these situations will surface again to give you this false impression and make you feel as though they do not exist and are all false—it is to see whether you are determined. You say that you must be firm and sure-footed. With this determination, if you can indeed be firmly resolute at that point, you will naturally do well because your xinxing will have already improved.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
I felt all the harassment was a test for practitioners. We may encounter all sorts of tests during cultivation.
This year, I experienced repeated harassment, which has also happened to many fellow practitioners in different places.
Right after the Chinese New Year, an officer from the Domestic Security Division called me and asked if I had gone out recently. Before winter vacation was over, the school principal called me. He said, “There will be a campaign targeting Falun Dafa practitioners, including you, this year, bigger than before.” Immediately after winter vacation, officials from the residential neighborhood office, police station, Education Bureau, and so on came to talk to me.
They all tried to tell me to “clearly understand the situation,” not to “affect my child’s future,” and not to “lose my job.” I remained determined in every circumstance and said, “I will never write anything.” However, I still had concerns about my financial situation.
I was worried about losing my job and about my son’s future if he failed his “political background investigation.” I felt I was not totally confident at every encounter, which showed that I actually lacked righteous thoughts.
My lack of righteous thoughts resulted in physical problems. I was always thirsty when I expressed my position, and I felt tired when I walked, which had never happened before.
The harassment continued in August. Over 10 officials from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee continued talking to me.
A division director said a lot of offensive things about Dafa, and others did the same. I said, “We only want to be good people in line with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We are good people everywhere.”
They said, “We don’t need good people like you. We want you to write the three statements. If you don’t, you will have to quit your job, and you can’t be a teacher anymore.” I knew I should validate Dafa under any circumstances, but to end the encounter quickly, I said nothing. They eventually left.
After that, I felt so tired. Days later I went to the hospital and had a physical that included a gastroscopy. The doctor said, “You have big trouble. You need to have a biopsy.” I obliged. Waiting for the results, I was in a very bad mood.
One night, I suddenly realized that I was a Dafa practitioner and should act like one. How could I behave like that! I felt sad for myself. I had a dream that night, where somebody told me I didn’t have any illness. I did all five exercises the next morning, then went to the hospital for my test results.
The specialist told me I was completely healthy. Through that incident, I realized that, as a practitioner who should be supernormal, I should act based on supernormal principles.
Master said,
“My truly cultivating disciples, what I have taught you is the Fa for cultivation of Buddha and Dao. Nonetheless, you pour out your grievances to me over the loss of your worldly interests, rather than feeling upset for being unable to let go of ordinary human attachments. Is this cultivation? Whether you can let go of ordinary human attachments is a fatal test on your way to becoming a truly extraordinary being. Every disciple who truly cultivates must pass it, for it is the dividing line between a cultivator and an everyday person. (“True Cultivation,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
As a matter of fact, when you agonize over infringements upon your reputation, self-interest, and feelings among everyday people, it already indicates that you cannot let go of ordinary human attachments. You must remember this: Cultivation itself is not painful—the key lies in your inability to let go of ordinary human attachments. Only when you are about to let go of your reputation, interests, and feelings will you feel pain.” (“True Cultivation,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
I realized I’d lost myself and was in pain just because I could not let go of the attachments to my reputation, self-interests, and feelings. Only when I let go of all those attachments could I improve.
After I realized this and could really let go of my attachments, I felt I was a healthy and supernormal cultivator again. After I improved my xinxing, I did better when I ran into tests.
Over 10 officials, including the leaders of my school, came to talk to me again in September. They also placed a machine in the center of the room. I knew it must be a recorder or video camera. They let me talk about my understanding of Falun Dafa.
Realizing what I said would be broadcast, I knew it was a chance for me to validate Dafa. I said, “To help my parents become healthy, I chose Falun Dafa among many types of qigong. After cultivating this practice, I have been trying to be a good teacher by conforming to the requirements of Dafa.
“After the persecution of Falun Dafa began, I went to Beijing to express my thoughts. I was tortured, and still have many scars from that ordeal. At that time my wife was waiting for my return. She didn’t even know if I was alive or dead.
“As for my job, I earned my position because I studied hard, was accepted by the college, graduated, and met all the standards of the position. My parents endured much hardship to support me while I was in college.
“I did not get my job because of any government organization or because someone gave it to me.”
Tears ran down my face as I talked. Some of the officials were also moved to tears.
I said, “The saints and sages in ancient times taught us that an upright person shouldn’t give up his spiritual pursuit of justice and righteousness because of influence from someone in power.”
After the talk, a school leader said to me secretly that he was moved and believed I was correct, but he knew I would lose many things.
From then on, I could not teach anymore but still participated in student management. When the students met me on campus, they all still greeted me warmly.
In October, an official from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and others from the county government, Education Bureau, and other organizations came to talk to me.
He said he could not understand why so many people put in good words for me, although I was the “most stubborn” Falun Dafa practitioner.
I wanted to reason with him, but he said, “We never reason with Falun Dafa practitioners. We just need you to write the three statements. If you don’t, all the representatives from the county government, Education Bureau, and the leaders of your school who are here today must resign, and you’ll have to go home.”
Then I sent forth righteous thoughts. The talk didn’t last long.
When I walked out of the meeting, I saw many people standing outside. I assumed they were the secretaries of the leaders in the meeting room. I walked by them proudly. I knew I’d just done a glorious thing and shouldn’t lower my head.
Two days later, the leader from the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Committee came to talk to me. We had a good talk. I explained why I would stick to my belief in Dafa as well as to the law. He told the leaders at my school that I had a deep understanding and it would be difficult to change me.
The school authorities said I could no longer teach and that my salary would cease, but I still had to come to the office every day. I knew my cultivation path shouldn’t be arranged by the evil and I should negate all forms of persecution.
I went to the office every day and just read Dafa books and sent forth righteous thoughts. As a result, nobody interfered with me, and I was still paid my salary.
We need to safeguard our xinxing in the face of persecution.
Master said,
“… in his heart he is not concerned about anything. He does not care at all in his heart for any ordinary human matter, and he will always be smiling and in good spirits. No matter how much loss he suffers, he will still be smiling and in good spirits without any concern. If you can really do this, you have already reached the entry-level Fruition Status of Arhatship.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
We shouldn’t be frightened by the superficial overwhelming power of the evil. We should follow Master’s teachings and believe in Master and the Fa.
Master told us,
“Dafa disciples, you are golden light in the mortal world, the hope of the world’s people, Fa-disciples who help Master, and future Fa-Kings. Keep diligent, Awakened Ones that walk the earth: Everything of today will be the glory of the future.” (“Congratulatory Message,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress, Vol. III)
I wrote my experience to remind fellow practitioners that the fluctuations and unsteadiness in our minds can bring about many problems in our physical situation and in our lives and can create many barriers to our cultivation.
Only when we can regain our diligence and firmness of mind can we overcome all those difficulties and pass the test!