(Clearwisdom.net) I am a 38-year-old Dafa practitioner from Beijing. I officially started practicing Dafa in September 1998. Since then I completely changed. I got rid of my bad temper and bad habits, and all I could think of was to truly practice Dafa the rest of my life. Jiang and his followers launched their persecution of Dafa ten months after I began practicing Dafa.

After April 25, 1999, I stepped forward numerous times to validate Dafa and was arrested and detained many times. I was forced into homelessness for more than half a year, and was abducted in May 2001 by officers from the National Security Bureau, who had been following me for a long time. They sent me back to Southwestern China, where my household registration was issued, and sentenced me to one year of forced labor. Because I firmly refused to cooperate with the evildoers, my original sentence was extended by three months. After my term expired, I was sent to a brainwashing class. The guards said I would be held as long as I refused to give up my belief. During the 15 months of detention I held rock-solid faith in Master and Dafa. I gave up my attachments to life and death, as well as many attachments. I kept righteous thoughts and actions to suffocate the evil. I did not write any guarantee statement, and they didn't dare to torture me. In August 2002 I broke out of the brainwashing class. I deeply felt that when we completely give up our attachment to "self" and put our mind on Dafa, the magnificent power of Dafa will manifest through us.

1. Clarifying the truth on the trip back to my hometown

After I was abducted, the perpetrators sent me back to the South. We were at the airport and preparing to board the plane. I took the opportunity when a male and a female police were not paying attention and ran outside. They quickly caught up to me and dragged me back to the waiting room. I shouted, "Release me! What's wrong with practicing Falun Gong? Why do you arrest me? Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is the righteous Fa! Restore Master's reputation!" Many people encircled us. Although they didn't say anything, they saw the nature of the evildoers. The police were afraid I would shout out the truth about the persecution when boarding the plane, so they dispatched six more police officers. The next day a total of eight police officers escorted me onto a train secretly.

I began doing the fifth Dafa exercise right after I took a seat. A police officer told me not to do it, and I ignored him. They closed the compartment door, fearing other people would see me doing the Dafa exercises. I thought, "I'll expose their crimes and validate Dafa on the train!" I asked to use the restroom. They were afraid I would escape, so a group of police accompanied me. In the hallway I said in a loud voice, "I protest! Why would you treat a woman this way just because she practices Falun Gong? Why do so many of you have to follow me to the restroom?" I returned to my seat and began doing the Dafa exercises. Soon after, I went to the other end of the train and said I wanted to use the restroom there. Again a group of police followed. I stood in between two compartments and they knew I was about to clarify the truth. They were afraid, so they shouted and tried to push me back. I held onto the rail and spoke the truth about the persecution to people in both compartments and then returned to my seat with a smile. I saw the police eating and drinking, and their one meal costs more than 700 Yuan. In fact, they spent tens of thousands of yuan just on this trip.

When we arrived in the South, the police called me "deadly stubborn," and that I shouted and did Falun Gong exercises in the airport and on the train. For this they sentenced me to one year of forced labor.

2. Studying and reciting the Fa in the labor camp

Upon arrival, a group of people approached me and tried to warm up to me. They claimed to be fellow practitioners. As we talked, though, I felt something was wrong and they later publicly slandered Dafa and Master. I realized they had gone astray. Immediately a strong righteous thought arose in my heart: I absolutely cannot listen to them, not one word will enter my head! I had kept this thought during the 15 months of detention. I have seen other practitioners covering their ears and head, but I know ordinary people's methods will not stand up to the evil and will fail sooner or later.

Later, when someone tried to brainwash me. I started speaking in a solemn voice before they could open their mouth. I remembered Master's poem, "Hear as if hear not-----Mind not disturbed" ("In the Dao," Hong Yin). So I kept reciting Master's words in my mind. I recited whatever I could remember and kept doing it over and over. I never allowed their vicious theories to enter my head. No one made another attempt to brainwash me, because they knew someone like me could not be brainwashed! I also clarified the truth to two collaborators [former Falun Gong practitioners have gone astray from torture and brainwashing]. With my righteous thoughts and benevolent compassion, the collaborators realized their mistake and solemnly announced that all of their previous words and actions that didn't conform to Dafa were completely void. The guards panicked and transferred me to Division Three.

Drug addicts were held at Division Three, but one determined Dafa practitioner is detained on each floor of the building. The guards planned to "strictly control" me, but they didn't realize I had an opportunity to study the Fa. Through my truth clarification, inmates at the division realized that Dafa was good and they wanted to hear more of the truth, so they helped deliver articles from other Dafa practitioners to me. I received over 20 articles and recited them. I clearly knew that in a vicious environment like this labor camp, I would not last long without the Fa in my head. The evil would take advantage of my human thoughts and sabotage my righteous thoughts. Master said,

"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts" ("Drive Out Interference," Essentials for Further Advancement II).

I set a standard for myself, which was to recite all the articles I could remember and recite Lunyu [the preface of Zhuan Falun] 50 times daily.

I feel that Fa study is very important. Recalling when I was held in the labor camp, from the first day I was sent there until the last day I broke out of the evil den, just because I kept studying the Fa and having the Fa in mind at all times, I had been able to keep clear-headed, steadfast righteous thoughts and a steady state of mind. Three months later, I was transferred back to Division Two, which was especially used for detaining Falun Gong practitioners, and the foundation laid through these days of studying and reciting the Fa enabled me to constantly rectify my path, and walk forward more righteously.

3. Righteous thoughts and righteous actions; suffocate the evil

There was a determined Dafa practitioner in the class to which I was transferred. Her righteous thoughts and actions greatly encouraged me. Both of us completely negated the old forces' arrangements. We refused to wear a labor camp uniform and to wear nametags on our clothes and on our beds. We also refused to do slave labor, refused to respond to roll call, refused to go to the cafeteria for inmates, refused to go to the brainwashing class and refused to watch Dafa-slandering news programs. We also refused to follow any of their orders. When people from other work units came to inspect, they tried to carry the two of us upstairs and when we firmly resisted, they dragged us and we shouted the Fa rectification verse. They couldn't do anything about us, so they gave up. I also decided not to write a single letter home, because then I would not leave evildoers a single word, and not give the perpetrators any opportunity to take advantage.

Once the guards called me to the office and told me someone reported that I was passing Master's lectures around. I realized they wanted to use this as an excuse to extend my term. They talked to me in an interrogative tone and I told them, "I am not a prisoner! I do not accept your treatment of me!" I stood up and started to walk out. The door was locked and five or six guards were in the room. They dragged me back and said, "Sit down!" I said, "No. Why would I come or sit simply because you want me to? Why should I listen to you?" I kept standing and walked around the room as I talked to them. The division head cursed and said, "If you don't admit that you are an inmate, you are wrong because the law says you are!" I said, "You made laws specifically targeting Falun Gong practitioners after July 20, 1999. Your persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is a violation of the true Chinese law and I will not acknowledge it. I will only obey the law of the cosmos!" She said, "Why don't you fly out the window or ask your Master to save you?" I said without a second of hesitation, "I would, but people who persecute Dafa are not worthy of seeing it!" I thought I should try to save people who committed crimes against Dafa, so I said, "I have no personal grudge against you, and I will say the same thing to anyone, anywhere." I told them when Jesus saved people, some people also didn't believe him, and they made fun of him. Before I could finish, a guard started to attack Dafa and Master with filthy curse words, and I pointed my finger at her and said, "Be quiet! You will receive karmic retribution for slandering the Buddha Fa! You are not worthy of being a division head, because you are shameless!" She grew furious and screamed, "I'll have you imprisoned forever!" I solemnly answered, "What you say doesn't count, my path is arranged by my Master." She left before I finished. I clarified the truth to the rest of the guards and walked back to my room in an open and dignified manner.

Several days passed. One day when all others in the cell went to the cafeteria, two heads of the division suddenly came in and searched for new articles. Without saying anything, they jumped on the two of us and tried to do a body search. We held our arms tightly in front of our chest and refused to cooperate with them. One of the division heads even scratched the hands of the other practitioner in order to make her loosen her hands. After the effort failed, one of the female division heads kept pinching the inner upper arms of the practitioner, leaving a large area of dark bruises. The practitioner didn't say anything at that time.

Next day, I made a suggestion, "When the police on duty come later, you should expose this incident to them. Under the current situation, we can't expect any punishment for her, but we shouldn't condone the actions of bad persons. Let all the people in the division know what a despicable thing she has done as a head of the division. If we don't stop this evildoer, she will become more rampant next time."

Although I wasn't aware at that time of the comment Master made about exposing the local evildoers and their deeds to the local people, I already realized that we should try to stop or expose the evil things under this persecution that are happening around us. It was to eliminate the viciousness and evil influences from other dimensions. The practitioner agreed with me. When a female police officer came to do the routine check, the practitioner called her aside and in a low voice told her what had happened. This policewoman immediately blamed her with the same words the collaborators often used, "Why don't you look inside? Why did it not happen to others [those collaborators]?" I immediately stood up, "We are not prisoners. You do not have a right to search us. The head of the division in particular has no right to lay hands on anyone." A collaborator interrupted me, "You! Shut up! It's her thing. Let her talk!" I said, "Hers things are also mine. Pinching her is equivalent to physically abusing me." When I said this, I remembered what Master had said in a lecture that Dafa disciples are one body, "The next person's things are your things¹ and your things are his things." ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference," July 22, 2002) I told them, "Except for not being able to get out, I would otherwise let the whole world know this." My words scared them. Since then, no police dared to enter our cell for two weeks. That division head who previously used to scold us when she saw us would lower her head and walk by quietly.

One time, the cells were going to be sprayed with insect repellent. All the inmates temporarily gathered in the yard. Several collaborators would surround one steadfast practitioner, and many circles were seen in the yard. Since we were the only two in our group who didn't wear prisoner's clothes, the police were afraid other groups would see us and assigned five people to surround us. I looked around and tried to find any fellow practitioners I knew. The police tried to stop me. I said, "We are put in a cell all the time. Now, we can finally see the sun. Why not allow me to look around? Why can't I look around?"

While saying this, I even moved my stool outside of the circle and sat down. The team leader stood in front of me and bent over to threaten me. I turned around. She came up on me again. After doing this several times, I simply stood up and started to walk around. They were immediately panicked, and more than ten people surrounded me and tried to drag me back to sit on the stool. I kicked the stool away and said, "I'm determined to oppose this evil environment. Who gave you the right to stop me from looking around? Not just you! Even the head of the labor camp or Jiang Zemin himself has no such right!" A police leader hurriedly came over and said, "You can look around. You can. We didn't say you couldn't. Please sit there!" She pointed to the chair that she had just sat in.

The police often chatted behind the scene, "Those who were "reformed" were just like grass; those who didn't were the "treasure."

I realized when we truly have righteous thoughts and righteous actions, those evil factors manipulating people would have no way to deal with us and would give up. They might be afraid of us and some even admired us. Of course, it was easy to say but hard to do, particularly in such an evil environment. It required us to give up the thought of life and death. As long as we stuck with the Fa, everything would pass.

Later, people in Division Two realized I was never under their control and transferred me. I was transferred to two other divisions. I firmly resisted every transfer. They had to carry me to go. I would call out the Fa-rectification verse when they were doing so. Seeing I didn't compromise my belief at all, even after having an additional three months tacked on to my labor term, they handcuffed me and carried me to the brainwashing class next to the labor camp.

4. Metal gates opened by themselves and I got out of the evil den surrounded by high walls and water

Upon arriving in the brainwashing center, several police officers dragged me into a room. Two persons they had hired were in charge of monitoring me daily. I thought of three ways to resist the persecution: a hunger strike, escaping or suffering passively. No way would I sign any evil "guarantee statement." I finally decided to escape.

From a human point of view it seemed impossible to escape from there. The water surrounded the whole area as well as every building. I was detained in an innermost room, but I didn't give up the hope of escaping. I refused to cooperate with any evil arrangements and kept reciting the Fa and sending forth righteous thoughts every day. When I practiced the exercises, they told me the authorities ordered them not to allow me to do so. I sternly answered, "I was sent here for practicing the exercises. I never said I would give them up. Don't talk to me about such nonsense." They gave up, and over twenty days passed.

One morning a man and a woman arrived and wanted to talk to me. They both had practiced Dafa before and later succumbed to the brainwashing. Normally I would not deal with such kinds of people, but this time, Master's words in the article "Suggestion" ran through my mind, "Those who work on 'reformation' are also deceived ones; why not turn this around to expose evils and clarify the truth to them?" I decided to talk to them, although the police had sent them.

They tried to shake my righteous thoughts with the question of time and asked me, "When do you speculate the Fa-rectification will end?" I saw through their trick and thought, "I am a Fa-rectification disciple of Master Li Hongzhi; They cannot test me." I immediately answered, "Even just thinking about such a question, let alone responding to you, would be creating karma. Master had said, "do not guess the things that even a god doesn't know, especially for just a practitioner."

They started to entice me with an emotional approach and asked me, "Do you miss your family and child?" I answered resolutely and decisively, "Who would not miss one's family and child as long as one lives among others, particularly here where I was not meant to stay. However, I would never step on Dafa and on the pain of others in order to walk out of here." The man could not tolerate the field of my righteous thoughts during the conversation and left early. There were now only the two of us, the woman and me. I told the woman many facts and recited many of Master's articles. I told her, Master said,

"I know all of the suffering of my disciples. The truth is, I treasure you more than you treasure yourselves!" "Whenever I see you suffering, Master feels even more troubled than you; whenever you do not take a step well, it really pains my heart." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)")

I talked and recited with a moving voice and tears. Her eyes became wet as well. She gradually began to understand and agreed with what I said, although she was still confused on some issues. At last I advised her, "Since we could talk this long today, as long as you think you are still a practitioner, go back to reading Master's articles and take the Fa as teacher."

After this conversation I knew that Dafa had taken root in the bottom of my heart, and that nothing could sway me from my strong faith in Master and Dafa.

One day after I woke up from a nap in the middle of the day, I continued to recite the Fa in the corridor. As I was reciting the Fa, a miracle happened! The lock on the metal gate unlocked itself!! I suddenly realized, "Isn't it Master telling me to leave?" I went back to the room to make sure the two guards were absorbed. They were eating and watching TV. I carefully walked out of the room, half-closed the door to block their view, and quietly and quickly walked through the metal gate. Although I had no idea of the way to get out, with Master's guidance and protection I quickly traversed four passages and, step by step, left right under the policemen's noses. The officers on duty in the hall were not aware of my leaving at all. The policeman on watch had no reaction when he and I looked at each other. I was extraordinarily calm and had only one thought, "The opportunity that Master gives me is here! Leave quickly!" As soon as I was through the outside watch post, I ran towards an area where there were people. I came to an intersection, waved to a motorcycle, got on and disappeared in the mass of people.

I managed to escape the policemen's chase, their blockade and several checkpoints. Many difficult situations were resolved under Dafa's grace and with the wisdom and compassion that Dafa entrusted us with.

I met several kindhearted people who protected me when I didn't have a penny with me, even though I was still wearing the labor camp's big slippers. When a lady brought a bowl of hot noodle soup to me, I couldn't help but bursting out crying. I had never shed a single tear in the labor camp. I knew that Master was taking care of me. All of these kindhearted people had predestined relationships with Dafa. I told them about Dafa, and asked them to remember that Falun Dafa is a righteous way, and planted the seed of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance in their hearts. I clarified the truth as I walked through several provinces, and finally returned and joined the current of Fa-rectification.

It is interesting to note that while I was in the labor camp I often heard the policemen say, "Fly out of here if you have the capability." They had never imagined that their casual remark would become reality! What they could not believe--that I would disappear from within the high walls surrounded by water--happened right under their noses. I believe that the future mankind, those who are awakened by such incidents, will be witnesses to Dafa's greatness and Dafa disciples' efforts and successes of having validated the Fa today.

Finally, I want to tell my fellow practitioners two of the biggest realizations I gained from this experience:

The first one is to let go of the fear of death. Whenever the vicious people in the labor camp threatened and intimidated me, I always declared publicly, "First, I am not afraid of a beating. Second, I am not afraid of having my labor camp term extended. Third, I am not afraid of death. What can you do with me? If I were afraid I wouldn't have come out to validate Dafa." I found that when I let go of all human concerns, let go of all human sentiments, did not fear or worry about anything, and took it all as Fa rectification, whether I inside or outside of the labor camp, I had given up the fear of death. At that moment, all evil disappeared and the things that other practitioners were afraid of didn't happen to me at all.

It never even entered my mind that resisting the persecution would result in beatings, shocking with electric batons and other brutal tortures. I believe that Dafa is the most righteous, highest, and greatest truth in the universe, and that everything that opposes Dafa will crumble before it. My mind was unfettered and clear. All I was thinking was to validate Dafa and to protect the Fa. Nothing about myself was part of my consideration.

The second is righteous belief. Whenever I talked about Dafa and Master to the other people detained in the labor camp, the evildoer's minions would shout at me, "Don't keep saying 'Master, Master'!" I never avoided them. I always declared justly and assertively, "You don't recognize Master. I do! You don't recognize Dafa. I do!" I realized that every step in the path of Fa-rectification for Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples is critical, and none of these steps should give the evil entities an opening to take advantage of us.

The reason I could break out of the labor was based on my long time cultivation during Fa rectification.

If we had come through with our righteous thoughts during every step taken so far, the old forces wouldn't have dared to make these arrangement for us and would not have dared to subject us to these so-called tests. We would have realized a long time ago that at the critical moment Master would take care of everything and help us to the end.

Why was I extraordinarily calm and not nervous at all when I left? When I think about it afterwards, I felt clearly that Master was supporting me to restrain the evil people, and to restrain my human side. Only my godly side was playing the crucial role. I had only pure and strong righteous thoughts -- nothing else. Besides, Master has told us, "Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts are powerful."