Ascending in the Process of Validating Dafa (Part I)

(Clearwisdom.net) Because of my strong attachment to validating myself, I failed to deter interference and write articles for the previous Internet experience sharing conferences. This time I'd like to report to Master and share with fellow practitioners my experiences in validating the Fa.

1. Promoting Dafa

Before my cultivation, I suffered from various kinds of illnesses, the most serious of which was anemia. Worse yet, I contracted Hepatitis B during a blood transfusion. The hospital affiliated with my company had a bed reserved for me and the director said, "From now on you will be our 'patron' here and this bed is just for you." Many people were envious that I had the power to enjoy such special treatment, yet I was envious of their good health. When it came to my health, it was truly like what Master described in Zhuan Falun,

"Out in the ordinary world you compete with other people for your reputation and profit, so you can't sleep well, you can't enjoy your food, and you've wrecked your body."

My family members were also victims of numerous kinds of diseases. My wife had a tumor in her uterus and she often bled non-stop. The doctor told her that she needed an operation, otherwise she might not survive. As for my parents, my mother had heart problems and severe arthritis, while my father had cerebral thrombosis.

In mid-September 1994, I suddenly had the idea to practice qigong to treat everyone's illnesses in my family. Then one of my colleagues gave me a brochure introducing Master and Falun Gong (at that time Zhuan Falun was not yet published). I read it over and over again at night and was in awe of Falun Dafa's principles. I couldn't fall asleep and just hoped that I could find an exercise site at the break of dawn.

The following morning I was able to find an exercise site. About two weeks into my practice, my wife asked me, "Why haven't you taken your medications for the past several days?" That's when I realized that I hadn't felt any pain in the past two weeks. In such a short period of time, I experienced the illness-free state Master mentioned in Zhuan Falun.

Besides my job, I spent the rest of my time cultivating and promoting Falun Dafa before the persecution began in July 1999. At that time, local coordinators were chosen from those who had attended Master's lectures. Even though I didn't get a chance to attend Master's lectures, my fellow practitioners still had me work as an assistant coordinator.

The tremendous changes in me gave evidence to my family, relatives and colleagues about the wonderfulness of Dafa, and resulted in dozens of them taking up the cultivation practice one after another. My family no longer worries about seeking medical treatments and relieving pain. I organized classes showing Master's lecture videos, experience sharing conferences and exercise sites in our city and neighboring counties. In just a few years, the number of practitioners in our area grew from just a few to tens of thousands.

2. Safeguarding Dafa

On April 24, 1999, police in Tianjin City arrested some local practitioners. Upon learning the news, our local coordinators got together and studied the book Essentials For Further Advancement, specifically the article, "Huge Exposure." We came to realize that this was a test and an opportunity to see whether we were true cultivators and if we would step forward to safeguard Dafa. The next day, twenty practitioners and I went to Beijing to appeal.

After our return, the local police department began harassing us at our morning group exercises. They also forbid us from promoting Dafa activities. After repeatedly talking with them however, we were able to hold our Dafa promotion activities and experience sharing conferences.

3. Validating Dafa when Faced with Persecution

I became a primary target after the persecution began. On July 19, 1999, the city police department arrested me using evil tactics. In the detention center, I was interrogated, but I refused to cooperate. They made me go through brainwashing sessions every day. Since I slacked off in Fa study after the "April 25" peaceful appeal, I gradually accepted the deviated and warped theories. About two weeks later, I was released. For the first time I felt pain surfacing from the fact that I did something a Dafa cultivator should never have done.

On September 8, 1999, the police department requested a conversation with me and once again detained me using this trick. This time I was detained for about five months, during which time I developed scabies all over my body and also suffered frequent diarrhea. On the last day of 1999, I was eventually released after I promised not to go to Beijing to appeal.

On May 22, 2000, Master published "The Knowing Heart" on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website. I also saw the report about Zhou Zhichang, a disciple who was persecuted to death. I cried in pain for several hours and I saw my gap when measured by Dafa's requirements. Compassionate Master has encouraged me on various occasions and that's when I cheered up again. I organized several experience sharing conferences afterwards. The discussion was about what our responsibilities are as Dafa disciples when Master and Dafa are being slandered and defamed. Most practitioners felt we must step forward to clarify and speak the truth for Dafa. After the conferences, I decided to go to Beijing to appeal for Dafa.

At around 9:00 in the morning, I unfurled a banner reading "Falun Dafa is Good" at Tiananmen Square. Soon more banners appeared on the grounds of Tiananmen Square. There were many practitioners validating Dafa that day and some of them, including myself, were arrested.

When I was taken to the local detention center, I managed to have the guards allow me to keep copies of Master's articles and Hong Yin. While detained, I memorized Master's teachings every day. Later, I was sentenced to three years in a forced labor camp. I was held alone in a room for over six months, during which time I transcribed Master's teachings for fellow practitioners. I also memorized the Fa, which laid a solid foundation for my righteous thoughts.

Later, practitioners who came to visit managed to secretly pass along Master's new articles, including "A Suggestion," "Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful" and "The Disciples' Magnificence." After studying these articles, I came to know that being arrested was not the purpose and the prison was not a place for disciples. I knew I must get out to clarify the truth. At that time, I had already been detained for almost one and a half years. During the medical examination, I showed illness symptoms, yet the labor camp refused to release me. Therefore, I went on a hunger strike to protest and five days later I was released on medical parole.

In 2002, some practitioners broadcast TV programs to clarify the truth of Dafa in Changchun City, Jilin Province. Afterwards, our local police launched a mass arrest of practitioners and I was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution. The police issued a "Wanted" notice promising tens of thousands of yuan to whoever that was able to capture me.

At that time, many practitioners were frightened by the persecution and didn't dare to step out to clarify the truth. Some materials production centers were also destroyed. Several practitioners and I then took over the responsibility for materials-production. We shared experiences during the day and made materials at night. Gradually, I slacked off in Fa study and as a result many of my ugly attachments surfaced. I was especially attached to 'self' and I couldn't take criticism from other practitioners. I completely forgot what Master said,

"For a cultivator, all the frustrations he comes across among everyday people are trials, and all the compliments he receives are tests." ("A Cultivator is Naturally Part of It" from Essentials for Further Advancement)

My omission eventually led to my arrest. After another practitioner was arrested, he disclosed my whereabouts to the police, who then apprehended me.

This time the police set up three shifts, each consisting of several guards, to persecute me. I couldn't endure any longer at one point during the torture sessions, but suddenly I thought of Master and the following passage of the Fa emerged in my mind:

"All beings in the cosmos are repositioning themselves. Humans aren't worthy of testing this Fa, and neither are Gods. Whoever touches it commits a sin. They've seen all of this as well."

("Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America," from Guiding the Voyage)

I used all my might and cried, "Master!"

The two policemen, who were handcuffing both of my hands behind my back, suddenly let go of their grip and I was dropped to the ground. The atmosphere instantly froze. I didn't know how long it took before one policeman asked, "What was he shouting?" The other policeman answered, "Sounds like he's calling Master." The first policeman said, "I am really shocked!" When they attempted to resume their torture, I suddenly passed out.

The second day the two policemen stopped torturing me. Instead, they chatted with me in a friendly way and allowed me to sleep at night. Two days later, they sent me to the detention center after all attempts failed to extort a confession from me. In the detention center, since I loosened my guard, they framed me with some fabricated evidence and forced a heavy sentence of over ten years on me. I knew this was the arrangement of the old forces and I was determined not to acknowledge it. I went on hunger strikes three times to protest. I was initially detained in Section II but was suddenly transferred to Section I, which was adjacent to the women's cell, where several female practitioners were detained. These practitioners were able to obtain copies of Master's teachings and they gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun, as well as several recent articles by Master. Later, I realized that Master arranged such an environment for me to obtain His teachings and to be able to share with fellow practitioners. I soon understood the reason why I was still being detained.

Master said,

"An article published on the Minghui website described a student who told people the facts about Dafa and shouted "Dafa is good" wherever she went. "No matter where they take me, I'll ignore everything the vicious policemen say, and no matter how violently you beat me or how terribly you swear at me, I'll remain just as I am." The labor camp was so scared that they sent her back in a hurry--"We don't want her." It's because they figured, "We won't be able to convert her, and on top of that she'll influence a large number of people." (People laugh) And they won't be able to get a bonus, either. (Applause) They had no way to handle it--where could the local police station put her? They had no way to handle it, so they sent her home." ("Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference")

I discovered that I wanted to use the excuse of "validating the Fa and saving sentient beings" to cover my attachment of getting out of detention to avoid hardship. I adjusted myself and was determined to let Master arrange my path. Three months later, I was released on medical parole.

4. Fundamentally Negating the Old Forces' Arrangements

After my release, my company dispatched 5-6 people every month to my home to harass me. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to clarify the truth. Therefore, my wife (also a practitioner) and I, and fellow practitioners who happened to be visiting us, all took the chance to clarify the facts to those people. When they saw Master's portrait and Dafa books placed openly in the room, they showed respect and didn't utter anything bad.

In 2005 around September and October, another mass arrest of practitioners was launched in our province. Many practitioners in every county and city were arrested and their homes ransacked, and amongst them were many of the local coordinators. It was also said that some secret agents videotaped experience sharing conferences and all the attendees were in grave danger. In one area, dozens of practitioners who attended an experience sharing conference were taken away, including the person providing the conference venue. One practitioner told me, "Two weeks ago you had an experience sharing conference at a practitioner's home. That practitioner was arrested and she couldn't stand the torture, so she told the police about all the experience sharing conferences held at her home." I was advised by local practitioners to go out of town to avoid arrest. Even though I knew we shouldn't acknowledge such arrangements by the old forces, I was still moved by what was going on around me and as a result I couldn't calm down to study the Fa.

I tried hard to spend more time studying the Fa and sending forth righteous thoughts. After I calmed down, I was able to see my attachments and maintain stronger righteous thoughts. My home was monitored and many practitioners were overwhelmed with fear. Some had computers and printers moved out of their homes, while others temporarily left home. I came to see more clearly the evil's purpose and I proposed to have an experience sharing for all the coordinators.

I shared with everyone how I calmed down to study the Fa, and what I had enlightened to. I also pointed out that the evil's purpose was to destroy our whole body of validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. The only way out was to improve as a group, send forth righteous thoughts to disintegrate the evil, expose the evil on the Internet, and clarify the truth to people. If we could remove the evil elements in other dimensions, the constant monitoring of my home in this world would naturally go away.

That night when I returned home, my wife said to me, "It's really miraculous. There were still police cars outside our apartment building yesterday, but today they are gone." Just like this, the monitoring of my home for over 20 days was disintegrated by the group's righteous thoughts. As a matter of fact, the police didn't even dare to knock on my door.

(To be continued)