(Clearwisdom.net) What is Falun Gong? What has attracted millions of people to practice it? And what has made those Chinese people who succumbed to the communist regime and pursued only enjoyment of life suddenly see through the regime's false values? What makes these practitioners overcome threats of life and death, persisting in their belief even in the face of torture and massacre?
I want to share my life experiences with readers, in hopes it might help those who doubt to better understand the answers to these questions.
Prodigy
I was born in northern China's countryside and became a well-known middle school prodigy. I caused trouble in class and played around after class. But I always scored highest on final exams, except for the subject of politics. No matter how hard the person with the second highest score had studied, I always scored dozens of points more.
I was admitted to a coveted university before I graduated from high school because of my extraordinary grades. Having completed undergraduate studies, I earned a recommendation to graduate school at the same university. Graduating with a master's degree I remained at the university and became a lecturer.
Confused about life
Study and work always seemed like just an extra task that I had to fulfill in my life. Ever since I could remember I was haunted by deep thoughts: What are we living for? Where does life come from; where are we going?
I practiced all kinds of qigong. As long I practiced it, I had all kinds of magical feelings. I supposed that the essence of qigong might lead me to the answer of the mysteries of life. All popular qigong practices at that time only taught superficial things; the answer to my questions still eluded me.
Unable to find any purpose in life, I was lost in the trends of society and just drifted along. I entertained all manner of depraved thoughts. Although my studies and career went smoothly, degenerated notions and pessimism began to dominate my life.
Suddenly Woke Up
Finally, one day, I encountered Falun Dafa.
That day I happened to find a book on my roommate's bed; it was Zhuan Falun.
A strong desire told me: "You have to read this book." After reading the first page, I never put the book down. I read through the entire book with incredible excitement over the next three days.
Having searched for more than ten years, I had finally found answers! I shall always remember how excited and happy I was after I read Zhuan Falun for the first time. I was unable to sleep well for the next several days.
A few days later I went to a practice site to learn the exercises. The assistant practitioner asked me why I wanted to practice Falun Gong. I told him, "I have a feeling that my life came for this. "
Brand New Life
I stepped onto the path of cultivation and started a new life journey.
During my short cultivation period before 1999, all the abhorred thoughts in my mind were dispelled. I began to be kinder and have more tolerance. I became more and more bright and pure. And more and more friends and classmates became very close to me, sharing with me their happiness and worries. My life had never been so optimistic and rich.
Before I finished graduate study, the university paid us an extra monthly stipend. I went to the cashier's office with several other classmates who also practiced Falun Gong to return the stipend. Amazed, the female cashier kept expressing her gratitude.
The morning of April 26, 1999, I heard at the practice site that the Tianjin Police Department officials had illegally detained dozens of Falun Gong practitioners, and many people were going to Beijing to appeal on their behalf. When I heard the news it was too late. The appeal had concluded the night before, and the practitioners were released. I made arrangements for my work and took a train to Beijing.
While on the train I suddenly remembered a scene from the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, when a tank rolled over a student. "Will I return home if I go to Beijing this time?" Shortly this thought was replaced by a purer but firmer thought: "Assimilating to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the choice of one's true nature. It is an individual's right that no person or government can interfere with or deprive me of."
Courageous Journey
The communist regime began the insane persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. At one time the slander was everywhere. I was initially also confused. But I truly understood what the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is, and nothing could stand in the way of my desire to return to my true self.
As time went by, all the slanders and lies were debunked one by one, and the brutal persecutions were gradually exposed. I finally understood how shameless and evil this regime really is. I gained an ever deeper understanding of the reasons why the regime began to persecute Falun Gong: good and evil can't co-exist, and this demonic, bogus regime relies on "fabrications, evil, and conflict" to maintain its existence. Of course they can't tolerate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
To let people know the facts and distinguish good from bad, I began to clarify the truth to ordinary people.
I went to Tiananmen Square, printed and handed out truth-clarification materials, sent short factual messages, constructed a website, and clarified the truth to people and persuaded them to quit the communist regime and its affiliated organizations. Because I didn't give up my cultivation, I lost my job and was sentenced to forced labor and detention several times. I was subjected to ruthless abuses, had bruises everywhere, and sustained several broken bones. I was tortured to the brink of death.
Three of my practitioner friends died as a result of the persecution: One was shot by a police office and became handicapped and died later as a result of endless tortures he suffered in prison. Another was killed at the hands of police officers who inserted high voltage electric batons into his anus, shocking him during an interrogation. The third was also killed during an interrogation. After he died, the police threw him from 6th floor, claiming that he had committed a suicide by jumping from the building. Shortly afterwards the police also killed his mother, who had been arrested with him.
Purity
I was arrested for displaying a banner on Tiananmen Square and detained in a police station. I practiced the exercises there. After I was transferred to a detention center, a young police officer said to me covertly, "Actually, I really admire you, but because it's my job, I have no choice but to follow orders." When another police officer noticed that I didn't have shoes, he brought a pair of his own shoes, gave them to me, and said, "After you leave here, never come back again."
I went on a hunger strike once I was in the labor camp and wrote a petition letter to explain that Falun Gong was being falsely maligned. A prisoner asked me, "Why do you endure these hardships?" I told him, "Evildoers can take away my life, but they can never shake my belief!" After that he respected me and stood guard at the cell entrance when I did the exercises.
Guards in the same camp shocked me and another practitioner with several high-voltage electric batons all over our bodies. But we didn't surrender. After that, all the prisoners respected us. The prisoner in charge of monitoring us found magazines for us and read us stories in praise of sincerity and compassion.
Practitioners have overcome ups and downs the past ten years, during which Falun Gong has been disseminated in more than 100 countries and regions, and received acknowledgment and support from the international community. Nevertheless, in mainland China it still suffers from unprecedented defamation and persecution. Millions of Chinese people are still deceived by the communist regime and hold a variety of misunderstandings and hatred toward Falun Gong practitioners. We need to work harder to change the situation.
