Remembering Fellow Practitioners Who Shared Tribulations with Me in the Labor Camp

(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1996. I have experienced hardships, sweetness, sorrow, and joy for over 26 years.

Recently, I recalled the past events during my illegal detention in a labor camp. There were a few practitioners that I was very impressed with. Although more than 10 years have passed, I still remember them, and their faces and smiles often come to mind. They were the most steadfast and admirable practitioners, and evil could not touch them.

It was the spring of 2008, the first few days of the annual sessions of the two Chinese national committees. The authorities began another round of door-to-door searches in the hopes of arresting Falun Dafa practitioners because they feared practitioners would go to Beijing [to appeal for Falun Dafa] during the two sessions and the Olympic Games. I was illegally locked up in the Changchun Women’s Forced Labor Camp along with several fellow practitioners.

Amei Refuses to “Transform”

Amei (alias) was a beautiful young lady who was married recently and did not have any children. She had been on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. The labor camp authorities failed to make her yield despite forced feeding and other torture and had to compromise. They stopped coercing her to “transform” [to not practice Falun Dafa anymore] as long as she ate.

She did not care about term extension either. The division head couldn’t do anything about her and mumbled, “Good-looking and neat-looking, but just refuses to “transform”.

Baoling Popular Among Guards

Baoling (alias) was in her 30s and had a husband and a child in elementary school. She was good-looking, gentle, and lovely. She was a successful businesswoman in the clothing industry. She had great oral skills and could clarify the truth about Dafa effectively. She was always kind and polite to the guards, which made her very popular. The guards tended to turn a blind eye to her, and would not give her a hard time, as long as she was doing labor work.

She once said to me,” You should live up to your name.” I still remember these words well⸺they were encouragement and expectation from my fellow practitioner.

Ching Speaking Mind Without Hiding Anything

Ching (alias) was about 50 years old, with short hair, and a little chubby. She was straightforward and headstrong and tended to speak her mind. She refused to “transform,” and was not afraid of writing her thoughts down. The only thing that she wrote about was her steadfast belief in Dafa or exposing the evil. She was often beaten and scolded. The division head was about the same age as her, but she beat and scolded her as if she was the next generation. Face slapping and electric shocks were the norms.

The authorities mandated a “thought report” every week or month, without restrictions over the content. Other people typically used objects or scenery to express their aspirations or feelings indirectly, but she did not.

She was very talented and was especially good at writing poems. On a moment’s consideration and in a few strokes of her pen, a poem of great momentum, boundless gratitude, and determination to Master Li (Dafa’s founder) and the Fa would be completed.

Dongmei Did Exercises in Her Cell

Dongmei (alias) was a beautiful 19-year-old lady. She refused to “transform”, and did the exercises in the cell. The guards put her in a small cell and tied her four limbs to the bed for a long period of time. She limped after being untied, and the division head yelled at her to “walk normally!”

The young lady was very steadfast. Her celestial eye was open and could see a lot of things. She paid special attention to respecting Master and the Fa, and always added, “My Master says” before quoting Master.

As soon as she was untied, she continued to do the exercises. The division head was on duty one day and probably found out that she was doing the exercises because we heard the division head scolding her from inside our cell. We were anxious and wanted to rescue Dongmei but did not dare to act until a fellow practitioner stepped forward, she was Enmei (alias).

Enmei Held No Fear

Enmei jumped out of her bed and said, “Let’s go!” and rushed out of the cell. Others followed. We swarmed around the division head, held her arms, hands, and waist, and removed the electric baton from her hand. The cell was crowded with practitioners and the division head screamed, “I did not beat her. Get out! Let me go. Get back!”
It lasted four or five minutes before we left.

Enmei was sent here after me. She had no fear of the division head and looked for opportunities to clarify the truth to her, especially when the division head was on duty.

Feng Was Unpretentious

Feng (alias) was in her early 30s, tall, tanned, and unpretentious⸺the traits of a rural woman. She was gentle and spoke slowly and softly.

Not to be underestimated, she had memorized Zhuan Falun and a lot of Master’s articles, and could hand-copy them. Her handwriting was beautiful and neat.

She was selfless and full of righteous thoughts. She hand-copied a lot of the Fa (on a clean cloth) under her blanket every night and then found opportunities to pass them around among fellow practitioners. She kept doing the hand-copying, and we kept memorizing what she wrote down. She was indeed a “treasure” sent by Master.

It was not easy to keep these precious writings safe in that evil den. If searched and found, the writings would be removed and destroyed, and practitioners would be scolded, beaten, put in a small cell, or even get their terms extended. Feng didn’t seem to be bothered. She withstood all the pressure nobly and kept everything going smoothly.

We did not know where she hid them, and nothing had ever been found no matter how thoroughly the guards searched. The officers were affable to her and did not pay her much attention. She looked ordinary, and nothing was striking about the way she spoke, nor did she surpass others in looks, but she was not an ordinary person.

Gemin Has a Clear Understanding of the Fa

Gemin (alias), about 60, was of average height. She was big-eyed with double eyelids. She had naturally curly short hair, which could be styled by simple combing, and looked better than a perm. She was indeed a natural beauty.

It was said she was a director. She was educated and could write very well. She wrote a lot of truth-clarification letters to relevant departments. She had a clear understanding of the Fa and held strong righteous thoughts. She always took the opportunity to clarify the truth to the officers on duty and helped them understand the truth. The officers became less strict with practitioners after learning the truth.

Due to the long hours of daily seated labor, we were unable to do physical exercise, and our legs became fat and our feet swollen. Some of us wore heavy shoes that did not breathe. We were not allowed to take them off to dry even on hot days. Covered in sweat day by day, our feet rotted, oozing pus and blood.

Life in the Labor Camp

The guards forced us to take medicine and injections, but it did not work. I wondered, “Isn’t there a weakness? What is my omission?” I looked inward.

The division head was patrolling one day and saw me limping, she called me with a strange look on her face, “Your feet are still not well? Look at your state, how can you be well?”

I replied, “Doing the exercises can heal them. I was healthy when I could practice freely outside.”

She said, “Then do it. Show me when you’re healed.” She seemed to realize it was inappropriate for her to say that, and added, “I dare anyone to do the exercises.”

I was confused. She was asking me to do the exercises. How could that be possible? Then I thought, “Perhaps Master was using her to enlighten me. I will begin to do the exercises.”

It was not easy to do the exercises in an environment that was so monitored and controlled, given how badly Dongmei was persecuted for doing the exercises. But, as soon as I had the thought, Master protected me.

When everyone was working in the workshop during the day, and when the guard was not there and no one was paying attention, I took the opportunity to sit at an inconspicuous spot with my legs crossed and meditated for 100 minutes. I did it three days in a row.

When everyone was asleep at night, I got up to do the exercises or sent forth righteous thoughts. Some practitioners joined me.

My feet healed soon and I walked normally. The division head did not say anything, and it appeared that she understood what was going on.

From then on I got up almost every day to do the exercises, and most practitioners in my cell joined me. I was moved to another cell after a while, and I still got up to do the exercises, and the practitioners in that cell joined in. This repeated many times and by the time I was released, I had lived in almost every cell. I think it was Master’s way of getting me to motivate all fellow practitioners to get up and do the exercises.

Many fellow practitioners protested the persecution as soon as they were arrested. Some succeeded and were released, while others died from forced feeding or torture.

I was on a hunger strike at one time and experienced the torture of forced feeding. I felt I was not suitable for that approach, and didn’t go on a hunger strike this time, instead, I believed I should eat well, be physically strong and energetic, and be in good spirits to send forth strong righteous thoughts to disintegrate and destroy the evil using a Buddha’s divine powers given and strengthened by Master.

Therefore I ate enough and sent forth righteous thoughts in full spirit, not missing a single time slot every day.

When I was about 120 days from the expiration of my term, in addition to the regular righteous thoughts schedule, I added time slots to target the police department and the police officers who were responsible for my abduction.

I added thoughts to disintegrate the evil elements behind them that undermine Dafa and persecute Dafa practitioners, and disintegrate all the evil factors in all dimensions behind them that hinder and interfere with my returning home.

As my illegal forced labor expired, my family picked me up and took me home, not experiencing any further problems. There was no interference, nor was there any during the 10 years that followed. They could not find me although I was right under their noses. I was skillfully hidden by Master.

Only later, when I did not do well and slacked, did I experience problems.

Returning Home

I returned home and respectfully picked up the main book of Falun Dafa – Zhuan Falun. I had been wanting to read, and couldn’t describe my feelings at that moment in human words.

Opening the book, I saw the picture of Master, and tears of excitement filled my eyes. I was thrilled to see Master smiling. Master was indeed smiling. Master’s smile was so compassionate, benevolent and merciful, and the smile was flashing with a faint white glow. I felt overwhelmed with happiness. The smile was an encouragement for me to walk my future path well.

Whenever I think of Master’s compassionate and merciful smile, my sense of mission and responsibility is heightened. I am writing down these experiences to the best of my recollection, thanks to Master’s compassionate strengthening and enlightenment. I believe those who were present at that time will recognize who is who.

I hope all of my fellow practitioners who went through those tribulations with me back then, are alright. You all did so well, I finally made it through because I had you with me, and you encouraged me to do my best to move forward.

May we advance diligently together on this last leg of the journey to assist Master to save others! Let’s fulfill our vows, complete our great prehistoric wish, and follow Master back to our true homes.