(Clearwisdom.net) A Falun Gong practitioner went on a hunger strike in the detention center after police illegally arrested him. When he became extremely weak, the authorities transferred him to a labor camp. The police force-fed him with food mixed with concentrated salt water. He writhed in pain on the ground, because the mixture burned like acid in his stomach, which caused him to stop his hunger strike for a period of time. Thereafter, he was isolated in a small cell, where he again went on a hunger strike. Later he was released.
After a period of time, he was again abducted and placed into the labor camp. Instead of going on a hunger strike, he resisted the persecution in another way. Starting at midnight, he would do sitting meditation on his bed. The inmates in charge of monitoring Falun Gong practitioners were shocked that he would attempt this and tried to stop him. But he just gave them a smile and kept doing meditation until morning without argument. Thereafter, every time he got up to meditate, the inmates would take him to the team leader's office for a conversation. The police made the criminals prevent him from sleeping during the day, but he would never fall asleep, even if he were allowed to do so. Every night he got up and meditated after a one or two hour nap. He would tell the police team leader it was his usual time to do meditation when at home. He patiently clarified the truth about Falun Gong to the team leader in the office. The team leader was tired, but the practitioner was filled with energy. One week later, the team leader was too tired and could not stand it any longer. In order to keep other practitioners from meditating like he did the police confined him to a small cell with another practitioner who was on a hunger strike. They handcuffed him to the bed or chair and gagged him with an athletic mouthpiece. However, the practitioner was free from worry and kept a calm mind. The team leaders could not go on with it anymore and asked him to leave. The police group leader in the camp told him, "You leave right way tomorrow. I'll pay for your taxi fare."
On "politically sensitive" dates, officials did not want Falun Dafa practitioners to pass out information. For this reason, practitioners were detained and sent to the labor camp again. Without hesitation, he started to go on a hunger strike. A few days later, he was set free.
Outwardly, it doesn't look like anything special, but actually these releases occurred because his character is on a higher level. At the mention of his name, the team leaders get a headache. This Falun Dafa practitioner has no concept of fear or death. When the evil factors in other dimensions were eliminated by his firm righteous thoughts, the perpetrators became helpless. Did the labor camp have the audacity to imprison him? Did the vicious factors like being stabbed in the heart by the sharp sword of his righteous thoughts?
As I think about the recent experience sharing we had regarding hunger strikes, I am sure those fellow practitioners are truly marvelous. I don't think it was the form of a hunger strike that helped the practitioners regain their freedom, but the righteous thoughts that released them of their fear of life and death in validating the Fa and eliminating the evil factors. For practitioners who are still being tortured, the evil forces are more desperate because they know they are closer to destruction. On the other hand, it may be the result of many complicated factors in practitioners' previous lives. I think that the most important issue is that we need to look inward with a calm mind when we are suffering extremely painful situations. Do we have a mind "strong enough to level a mountain" as a fellow practitioner once said?
The point is that the superficial form is not important. The practitioner mentioned above obtained his freedom by going on a hunger strike, but was also released without using it on another occasion. What we should pay attention to is the nature behind the form. With the strength of the Fa, we can use different approaches as needed.
In closing my article, I would like share with fellow practitioners Teacher's poem "Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions":
A Great Enlightened Being does not fear hardship
Having forged an adamantine will
And with no attachment to living or dying
He walks his path of Fa-rectification openly and nobly
(Provisional translation from Hong Yin, subject to further improvement)
December 24, 2003
