[Selected Opinion Articles] Staying True to My Faith

(Minghui.org) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been waging a so-called “zero-out” campaign aimed to force every Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) practitioner on the government’s blacklists to renounce their faith. The “zero-out” campaign has been going on since 2020.

To that end, police forces, government officials, and resident committees have all been mobilized to harass practitioners at home and threaten them with their own and their loved ones’ education, jobs, or pensions should they refuse to give up their belief.

Despite the pressure, many practitioners, myself included, have remained firm in our faith. The reason is very simple. We have all benefited so much from the practice that our faith will not be shaken by the CCP’s slanderous propaganda.

Being a Good Person

I started to practice Falun Gong in 1996 and have benefited tremendously, both physically and spiritually. After the CCP began to suppress Falun Gong in 1999, however, my peaceful life was shattered. At that time, I lived close to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Every day there were many practitioners from other parts of China that came to Tiananmen Square to unfurl banners bearing messages such as “Falun Dafa is good.” Police officers in charge of my neighborhood were dispatched to patrol the road from my neighborhood to Tiananmen Square, trying to block or arrest any local practitioners.

In addition to the police, my local residential committee was also instructed to “visit” practitioners. One day in 2000, a woman came to my home saying she was the committee director. As we chatted, she said she believed in Buddhism and asked me to turn to Buddhism instead of practicing Falun Gong.

“I can tell you are a good person since those who believe in Buddhism would not do bad things at will,” I replied, “Falun Gong also belongs to the Buddha school and it teaches one to be a good person. So it would be just fine if I practice Falun Gong while you believe in Buddhism.”

Hearing my words, the director did not know what to say. After a while, she said that I could still believe in Falun Gong but that I should not go out to promote the practice.

“As someone with a spiritual belief, I would not casually intervene in secular matters,” I replied, “But Master Li, founder of Falun Gong, also said a practitioner cannot ignore it if he or she sees killing or arson; otherwise, he or she cannot be considered a practitioner.”

“But there is no killing or arson now, right?” she said.

“When the CCP fabricate lies to slander and defame Falun Gong, the consequence could be worse than killing or arson,” I replied, “See, Falun Gong has saved so many lives by improving their health and making them better citizens through the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The CCP’s propaganda against Falun Gong, on the other hand, is robbing people of precious opportunities to be good people and causing moral corruption. What kind of harm is this?!”

The director likely was indeed a Buddhist. She thought about my words for a while and left.

Staying True to Oneself

On January 23, 2001, the eve of the Chinese New Year, the CCP instigated the self-immolation incident on Tiananmen Square to defame Falun Gong. At that time, I was being held in a detention center for my beliefs.

The CCP claimed that the self-immolators set themselves on fire by following Falun Gong’s teachings, yet killing or suicide is strictly prohibited in Falun Gong. Even my then-8-year-old son told his paternal grandfather that the self-immolators could not be Falun Gong practitioners. Still, for many people who did not really know Falun Gong, this propaganda stirred up hatred against innocent Falun Gong practitioners.

As a result, some of my relatives tried to persuade me to stop practicing Falun Gong. They warned me of possible consequences if I “went against the CCP.” I told them I was not against the CCP.

“I am just telling people the facts of Falun Gong because this world needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” I added, “Respecting these principles and knowing Falun Dafa is good will bring blessings for themselves, and help with society.”

Because the police and CCP officials kept harassing me, however, I had little choice but to live away from home beginning in April 2001. Someone turned me in to the police and I was soon arrested, followed by detention and torture. Upon release 9 months later, I found out that my husband had filed for a divorce, so I left Beijing and returned to my hometown.

Because of me, my son also moved to my hometown when it was time to go to middle school. He lived with his paternal grandparents though.

His paternal grandmother often complained to me that he had low self-esteem and was looked down upon in school because of my belief. I asked him about it and he said that was not the case at all.

“Parents always tell their children to be good people,” I explained to him, “When the CCP does not allow people to live by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, Falun Gong practitioners risk their lives telling people the persecution is wrong. They stay true to their faith. Trust me, someday you will be proud of your mother.”

“I know,” my son said and smiled.

In January 2022, the police and local officials harassed my relatives and neighbors because of my practice of Falun Gong.

“Come on, you can just tell them you have stopped practicing and they won’t bother you again,” one neighbor said to me, “You can still do whatever you want. Right?”

“Not really,” I replied, “Falun Gong teaches one to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. If I lie, I will not be a practitioner no matter how many exercises I do. Right?”

“Plus, if people all lie to each other like this and no one is truthful, wouldn't the world be over?” I added.

She agreed and thanked me.