Shared at 2003 New York Falun Dafa Conference
(Clearwisdom.net) I got involved with Falun Dafa, a few years ago. I picked up a flyer in the street, and from the beginning I knew there was something special and different from all other practices I had done in the past.
When the persecution began, I was astounded and did not want to believe it. Unfortunately it was really happening. Over time I began to have anger against the Chinese government and also against Chinese practitioners, because I had the feeling that they thought it would go away like a bad dream. Suddenly I realized, that those feelings were my very own thoughts. I was the one thinking that it would just go away like a bad dream. Little by little I became more and more involved.
In February 2002, I embarked on a trip to Beijing China. The goal was to clarify the Truth to those precious Chinese people. I wanted to show and tell that westerners also practice Falun Dafa, that Falun Dafa is good and that they were wrong. They are wrong for persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners and they are facing karmic retribution for doing so.
After arriving in Beijing, we hung around to get accustomed to the neighborhoods and the different ways of getting to Tiannamen Square. I was constantly reading the Fa as well as sending forth righteous thoughts while walking in the streets of Beijing.
During the few days before going to Tiannamen Square for our scheduled demonstration, I could feel the evil energy working against us. One night I suddenly awoke perspiring; dark clouds were coming up from the foot of my bed, and they looked very menacing. I understood immediately what was happening. The evil was attacking me when I was the most defenseless. To my surprise I remained very calm: slowly, I raised my right palm and send forth righteous thoughts.
A swift blue light struck the dark clouds incessantly. The light changed to gold and red and kept striking the evil until nothing was left. Even though everything was over, I kept sending righteous thoughts until daylight. Master's protection was all around me. It felt like being inside a cocoon with nothing to worry about.
The following day one of us was able to access the Clearwisdom website. There I saw Master's new poem "The Big Stage." I read Master' poem many times. It gave me a lot of heart. Master was helping a great deal.
The following day I took a banner that a friend helped me to make which said, " Falun Dafa is good" in Chinese, and wrapped it around my waist. We headed toward Tiannamen Square. We took the subway to get there. There were a lot of police on the Square, and they were obviously waiting for us. The element of surprise had been missed, but I decided that I was going ahead anyway. The police stopped us as we were entering the Square, demanding to search us. I was the first one to be searched, hoping the others would get away to the Square. The police found the banner I was hiding under my clothes. They dragged me on the stairway, punching and kicking, aiming at the groin. Even though they beat me, I did not feel the pain, and I mentally sealed my groin to shield it. I knew I could handle everything because Master was protecting me.
They threw me inside a car. As soon as they locked the car doors, the doors kept unlocking themselves. This happened at least 10 times. The police were finally able to lock the car and left me by myself. As soon as they were gone, the car doors unlocked themselves again. I jumped out and ran toward Tiannamen Square shouting loudly, "Falun Dafa Hao, Falun Dafa Hao!!!" My heart felt so light and full of joy, Master had opened the car door for me. I was running and soon was again caught by the police. I looked straight into their eyes but all I saw was fear. Back at the police station, they were many of us that had been taken prisoner. I was saying Falun Dafa Hao all the time. A policewoman told me that she did not understand what I was saying. I said to her " I know you understand, Falun Dafa Hao." She turned her face away as tears rolled down her cheeks. She then left the room. They took all my belongings, and placed them inside a plastic bag.
I kept sending forth righteous thoughts. There was a police officer that wanted to beat me all the time, but every time he raised his fist to do so an unseen force pushed him back. Once he got so excited that he was pushed back against the wall and could not move. I always looked him in the eyes when this kind of things happened. There is a saying that, " The eyes are the mirror of the soul." What I saw within his eyes was so much suffering, so much dismay. I clarified the Truth to all who were listening. Some of them agreed with me. Some told me they were just doing their job, as they had a family to feed.
We were taken to a detention center, which appeared to be disguised as a hotel, near the airport. I ask them a few times if we were arrested, they said we were their guests. They threw me inside a room with four cops to guard me. Then they took turns interrogating me, asking silly questions, using scare tactics such as screaming, or raising their fists to strike. They screamed many times "Why did you come here?"
I replied, "I came here for you, I came here to offer you a chance to save yourself." Then I clarified the truth to them. Some were laughing, some were quiet, and they were all listening. Many of them showed no hope. I became so sad about it, yet I carried no anger toward them. I thought I would have wanted to hate them, but I couldn't. Master's benevolence is so powerful; it prevented it from happening. There was a stockpile of Polaroid pictures they took of me. When I glanced at them, I saw that they were all blank. They never turned out. They finally decided that something was wrong with their camera, and fetched another camera, but it still didn't work.
I refused to take any of the food and water they gave me. They offered me tea, which I also refused to take. Finally, they drove me and a few others to our respective hotels to get our luggage. While waiting in the police van, I sent righteous thoughts, and one by one the police fell asleep, leaving the door of the van wide open. I could have escaped very easily. After a while the Chief of Police showed up. He was very upset with his men, and barked orders at them. All I understood was that the word Falun Gong was mentioned many times. They jumped on their feet, back to their duties. I keep sending righteous thoughts, and soon after, most of them were asleep again.
We finally got to the hotel where I had been staying. They searched my room as if they were crazy, looking everywhere, moving and checking behind furniture. They yelled, "Where is the book? Where is the book?" I kept quiet; even though they insisted, I still kept quiet. They found my palm pilot, played with it, but couldn't figure out how to use it. At that moment I was thinking, " If it is mine, it is mine." Soon after they returned it to me. That palm pilot contained all of Master's books, articles, lectures, and poems up to that day and nothing else. I still use it to this day.
It was time to get back with my jailers to the detention center among other practitioners where we spent the entire night sending righteous thoughts, reciting Master's poems, reciting "Lunyu", as well as parts of Zhuan Falun. Early the following morning, it was time to go. On my way to the airport, I called out many times "Falun Dafa Hao" to the other drivers on the road from inside the police van. They told me to shut up, but I never cooperated with the evil.
Upon arriving in New York, there was a group of practitioners waiting for us, holding welcome banners. They were smiling and cheering and their energy was so kind, so benevolent. To this day, I still cherish that moment of Truthfulness, that moment of Compassion, and Forbearance. It was good to be back.
There is one thing I understood from this trip, that Master would never allow me to be in a situation I could not handle, even if it involved the release of the attachment to life and death. Master is always present. Thank you Master.
