Following Master’s Teachings: Righteous Mind and Actions

(Minghui.org) One day in March 2019, more than ten local police officers broke into my apartment after cutting off the electricity. They took me to the police station, ransacked my apartment without a search warrant, and confiscated my Falun Gong books.

In the police station, I was told that they found some Falun Gong (aka Falun Dafa) materials in a residence of a subdivision. From the surveillance video, they suspected that I passed out the materials. I was then taken to a local detention center, even though the police never found evidence against me.

I was subjected to two years of forced labor in 2012. Some people in the detention center said that I would be given a heavy sentence this time, because of my previous record. I felt sad.

I cried, and asked myself why I often fall on the journey of cultivation. The Fa-rectification is approaching its end. I haven’t done the three things well. If I was to be sent to jail, I would not have time or chance to make up for it. The loss would be huge.

Finding Loopholes

I knew that as a cultivator I should not be depressed. I must look inward, and find why this happened. There is no coincidence for a cultivator. At the surface level, my arrest happened due to the tight security measures implemented by the city government recently, and someone reported the materials in the residence building. But deep down, I believe it happened because of my loophole that the old forces took advantage of. If I didn’t have the loophole, the evil would not dare touch me.

I was demoted by my workplace in 2016 for my belief in Falun Dafa. My salary was reduced, and I was not given much work. Since no one supervised me, I skipped work, and only went in when I felt like it. I was like that for a year. I had thoughts that it was wrong for me to do it—even though I was demoted, I was still paid, despite little work. I should go to work every day.

Although I had such thoughts, I didn’t correct myself. I instead found an excuse—if I didn’t go to work, I would have more time for Dafa projects.

I believed that this was my loophole. As a cultivator, I should follow the higher principles. An ordinary person may take crooked ways when facing unfairness, but a cultivator should not. Slacking off at work means I wasn’t following the Fa teachings and failed to validate the Fa. Moreover, I took the salary but didn’t work. It was a debt I owed. I didn’t realize these two problems. They got worse as time went by, and eventually became a big loophole that the evil took advantage of.

I blamed myself for indulging myself. I was not a good cultivator. I warned myself to learn the lesson, and always follow the Fa teaching. Nothing like this should happen again. I also thought that after being released, I would report on myself and return the money to my workplace.

When I was imprisoned in 2012, I could not recite any of Master’s articles except "On Dafa" (Lunyu). But on the second day, I recalled two sentences in Master’s poem:

“...Calmly reflect on the attachments you haveRemove your human thoughtsand evil will naturally die out”(“Don’t Be Sad,” Hong Yin II, English translation version A)

I suddenly realized that Master was next to me, watching me. The benevolent Master saw that I was stuck in pain and fear, so he reminded me to look inward for my loophole. I really appreciated the hint. During that period, these two sentences helped me to find the attachments. Together with On Dafa, they helped me survive the difficult time.

This time, I recalled the poem again. Besides this poem, I can recite other articles, including the new version of Lunyu, the first lecture of Zhuan Falun, and a few others. I realized that this poem is Master’s guidance, telling me what to do now. I followed the teachings in the Fa, and the results were great.

Letting Go of Negative Thoughts: Keeping the Mind Clear

I was depressed on my first day in the detention center. I even thought that my cultivation was ruined. But in Master’s poem, “Imprisoned as you are, don’t be sorrowful or sad” (“Don’t Be Sad,” Hong Yin II) reminded me that I am a cultivator with tasks, and I’ve been watched over by Master. Master explicitly told me that I should not be depressed, which only makes things worse.

I told myself that I’ve gone through millions of years and countless reincarnations. The goal is to obtain the Fa, cultivate, help Master save sentient beings, and finally go home with Master. I should not give up. As long as there is a hope, I should do my best. Even if there were loopholes in my cultivation, I would not allow the old forces to destroy me. I am a disciple of Master Li Hongzhi’s. I will rectify myself in the Fa. My benevolent Master will not give up on me, so neither should I.

Those thoughts cleaned the clouds in my mind. My heart was full of hope again. I was detained, but this was just a different environment for me to cultivate. There was no need to be sad. All I should figure out is how to do the three things well in the new environment.

After helping me get rid of the negative thoughts, Master taught me what to do next--keep righteous thoughts. As long as my thoughts are always on the Fa, the Fa will guide me and protect me. The old forces took advantage of my loopholes, so I was imprisoned. Now, what I should do is to follow the teachings of the Fa. Of course, I should clarify the truth, help people recognize the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and quit it.

To do the three things well, I spent all the time available to recite the Fa. I did so before breakfast, and two hours in the afternoon and evening. I recited the Fa quietly, and kept reciting all the articles that I had memorized. Reciting the Fa gave me a clear mind and energy.

We were ordered to sit on a stool for two hours in the morning, afternoon, and evening. I took those chances to send forth righteous thoughts after reciting the Fa. It was a little tiring, but I was not there for enjoyment. The monitor of the cell never interfered with me, because he tried to learn English from me, and he respected me.

To be honest, I didn’t have confidence at the beginning, and was not sure if my righteous thoughts worked. But I knew that I must do it, do it as much as possible and as well as possible. As I sent more and more righteous thoughts, I found that my righteous thoughts got stronger, and I was more confident about disintegrating the evil. Then, later it was proven that my righteous thoughts had a good effect.

Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions

When I was first detained, I answered all the questions from the police at each trial, and signed the documents they asked me to sign. But after a few days of reciting the Fa, my mind became clear, and I figured out what to do. So I refused to answer or sign anything. When I opened my mouth, I only clarified the truth.

I had a little concern at the beginning, worrying that they would torture me, since I refused to cooperate. I then reminded myself that Master said it explicitly: we should not cooperate with the evil. I had no other choice. I should not worry about the consequences—Master would arrange everything for me. This was also a test to see whether I had solid belief in Master and the Fa. The worst would mean imprisonment, but that would just be another environment for my cultivation.

To threaten me, they always held the trials after 9 p.m. in a dark building. I had a little fear, but sending forth righteous thoughts helped me overcome the fear.

A police officer asked me, “How many years do you plan to stay in the prison, since you refuse to answer any questions?” Although my heart was moved a little, I still refused to answer their questions. I not only refused to answer them, I also tried to clarify the truth to them and help awaken their conscience. It is also a way to deny the persecution.

I found chances and told them peacefully that I was a lawful citizen and never harmed anyone. I said that we have the constitutional right of freedom of belief. When treated unfairly, Falun Gong practitioners must be allowed to speak out. The persecution of Falun Gong will end eventually. That day will come, I believe. When it comes, people will have to pay what they owe.

I said, "For yourself and your family, I hope that you will think about it, and think about the future. Don’t do something that will make you regret. I am not trying to scare you. I am trying to remind you for your own good.” Some of them believed me.

A policewoman said, “I am just curious. Why do you refuse to answer the questions?” I said, “If I had really conducted bad deeds as a criminal, I would tell you everything without being asked. But I didn’t break any law or harm anyone, yet you intend to imprison me. Of course I will not answer you, because I don’t belong here.” She was speechless.

Although I refused to answer the questions, I was peaceful and kept sending forth righteous thoughts. So, the police were not mad at me. They often chatted with me. I believed that it was the positive consequence of a righteous mind and righteous actions. If my behavior fit the Fa, it had the power of the Fa, and was able to disintegrate the evil behind the police.

Treating People Nicely

I noticed that most inmates responded positively when I told them that I was a Falun Gong practitioner. I believe that it was due to the 20-year-long efforts of practitioners clarifying the truth. I told myself to do well. I was arrested because I didn’t do well. I must now take the chance to rectify myself and validate the Fa. I must clarify more truth to the inmates.

Many inmates were under tremendous pressure. Some even cried. I comforted them, and gave them suggestions on how to deal with their cases. I helped the newcomers do their labor work. I helped a young autistic guy to do the laundry, and brought food to the old people. The monitor and the inmates appreciated my help.

One young guy didn’t want to talk to anybody. He didn’t have socks, so I tried to give him a pair as a gift. He refused rudely, and didn’t thank me. I didn’t mind his attitude. Later, his attitude toward me changed.

A few days before I was released, he told me that he was under pressure, because his family didn’t have money to hire a lawyer for him. He could not get any help, and he missed his mother and girlfriend. I had pity on him, and comforted him, saying, “Since you cannot hire a lawyer, why don’t you try saying ‘Falun Dafa is good?’ It doesn’t cost anything. Look at me. Everybody praises me for my good mood and health. It is because I repeat it every day.”

I had told him some truth of Falun Gong before, so he agreed to give it a try. When I was leaving the detention center, he smiled at me, which was very rare. I hope that he will keep the positive attitude to Dafa, and have a great future.

Clarifying the Truth

As a disciple of the Fa-rectification period, I knew the importance of clarifying the truth and saving people. I didn’t do well before. In the detention center, I must take the chances of talking to all kinds of people. The monitor of the cell respected me, because of my kind speech and behavior as a cultivator, and this helped me to clarify the truth to the inmates.

I took all the chances, and talked to almost everyone that I was in contact with. I demonstrated the exercises to them. The monitor never interfered with me. I sometimes talked to a group of people. When we took walks outside, some people asked me about Falun Gong. I always talked loudly so that people around could hear me. I talked about how I benefited from it, why Dafa is persecuted, and how brutal the persecution is.

Many inmates knew well the darkness of the Chinese society. Some of them blamed the CCP, some said he knew how to talk to other people about Falun Gong, and some said they would learn the exercises after being released. I talked to more than 40 inmates in one month. A few also quit the Party.

A young guy was in depression. He didn’t talk to anybody. I proactively approached him. He believed the CCP’s propaganda. I said to him, “I am a practitioner. Do I look like a bad guy? The CCP has made a lot of lies and mistakes. Don’t you know? I am the only person here who cares about you. Can you not see that Falun Gong practitioners are good people?” He agreed with me.

Once during a chat, he mentioned that he could not find any help for his case. I said, “Don’t worry. Here is a cost-free method, which may help you. That is to repeat ‘Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’”

I then told him my experiences of being persecuted. “I am a model worker at a big company. But, because of my belief, I was taken to a labor camp and almost died there in 2012. There are nearly 100 million practitioners in China. Many of them have been persecuted. Looking at these facts, you should know who is evil and who is righteous.”

“If you sincerely repeat what I told you, you will be blessed by heaven, because it shows that you are able to tell good from bad. Your situation will get better.” He agreed to give it a try.

I then tried to convince him to quit the Party. I said, “Good people don’t belong here. Heaven will not allow the Party to do evil forever. It will be punished. When that day comes, you will be safe if you quit. Heaven will also help you to get out of today’s trouble, because you are no longer a member of the evil organization. Do you want to quit?” He said that he needed to think about it.

I could tell that he had been brainwashed badly, so I didn’t push him. A few days later, I asked him again. This time he happily agreed.

Looking Inward

When I was first arrested, I looked inward and found my loophole—slacking off at the workplace and often absent from work for three years. I knew it was wrong, but didn’t correct it. I instead found some excuses for this behavior. In the detention center, I looked deeper, and found some attachments behind it.

First, I was a model worker, and did many great projects. But, instead of rewarding me, the company demoted me because of my belief. The co-workers treated me differently, which put me under great pressure. So, it was fine that I didn’t go to work. I treated the unfairness with human notions, and failed to treat it as a chance to cultivate. This was due to the mentality of resentment.

Second, after being demoted, no one watched me. No one would know if I was absent from work, and they would not mind even if they knew. This thought deviated from the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and it is dishonest.

Third, I thought I had compensated for missing work but still getting paid, as I sometimes did extra work for the company without getting paid. So, I told myself that I wasn’t cheating. But this was a wrong thought. I could file lawsuits against the unfairness. And my reason for absence was not righteous. It is fine for an everyday person to think that way. But shouldn’t a cultivator follow a higher principle? After all, it was due to my attachment to personal interest.

Fourth, I thought I would have more time for Dafa projects. Indeed, I did many projects. But doing the Dafa projects with big loopholes in xinxing will not bring positive results.

I then tried to find out the reason why I was demoted. Before 2012, my boss and co-workers trusted me. The persecution didn’t change their attitude toward me.

However, after I was taken to the labor camp, people around me were scared. They didn’t want to be involved, and therefore tried to avoid me. I, on the other hand, didn’t make efforts to clarify the truth because of fear.

In fact, I never did well in clarifying the truth. I blamed it on the environment. This is a big, state-run company with rigorous rules. Many employees here have benefited from the government policy, and they didn’t want to speak out for justice. I also had two attachments: I was always worried that people didn’t want to listen to me. It was an attachment to face. I had had a smooth life, and always been praised by others. I didn’t want to be rejected or embarrassed. I also had fears. I was worried that somebody may report on me to the police.

Behind these attachments is a big problem of mine—no strong righteous thoughts. I asked myself why I didn’t have strong righteous thoughts. The answer is that I didn’t study the Fa well. Although at the surface level, I study the Fa every day, I actually didn’t assimilated to the Fa. I didn’t read with my heart. So, I failed to cultivate diligently and eliminate attachments.

These were fundamental problems in my cultivation, which not only slowed down my improvement, but also hindered me from saving people. Had I had strong righteous thoughts, and clarified the truth to my co-workers, they probably would not have demoted me. So, the demotion was caused by my own problems. If I rectified myself and improved in cultivation, the extrinsic problem would have been solved.

Following the Fa, I recognized my problems, and figured out what to do in the future. I told myself to learn the lesson and not let the old forces take advantage.

Removing Human Thoughts

Master said,

“...Remove your human thoughtsand evil will naturally die out”(“Don’t be sad,” Hong Yin II, English translation version A)

This poem gave me hope. I believed that as long as I found my attachments and got rid of them, everything would be fine. How do we get rid of attachments? We must follow the Fa. Specifically, we need to do the three things well, recite the Fa, keep a righteous mind and actions all the time, and treat others nicely, including the police. This way, the evil will not be able to hold anything against us, and the persecution will be disintegrated.

I was not attached to the results, I just did my best. Many inmates claimed that I would be sentenced to at least two years. I was not touched. Some said, “If you agree not to practice anymore, you can go home now. If you refuse, they may sentence you to 20 years. We feel bad seeing such a good person suffering here.” I replied loudly, “There is nothing wrong with my belief. I have benefited from it a lot. How can I give up? I will not, even if they send me to jail.”

Many inmates admired my courage and spirit. At the beginning I was not sure if I could disintegrate the persecution. I just did my best. I could feel that the positive energy got stronger and stronger. I became more and more confident.

After being detained for 30 days, I was released. The inmates were surprised, and so was I. But when I thought about how I did in the 30 days, I understood that since I put down human thoughts, and truly held a righteous mind and actions, the evil was naturally disintegrated.

Master said,

“...Remove your human thoughtsand evil will naturally die out”(“Don’t be sad,” Hong Yin II, English translation version A)

Resolving Loophole Issues

After that, I visited my bosses. I first told them why it was wrong for them to demote me, which was unfair and illegal. But I then apologized to them for my slacking-off behaviors. I tried to return the salary to them.

The bosses were surprised. They said that it was not a big deal, and I didn’t have to return the money. I insisted, and then they took it. They were shocked and touched by my actions. One of them said, “You can tell the true color of a person, only at the critical moments.”

It was my regret that I didn’t change their understanding of Dafa. But my behavior touched them. That paved the way for further truth-clarification.