(Clearwisdom.net) Immediately after being released from a forced labor camp, I read Teacher's new article, “Stirred by Reflection” and cried. During the process of Fa-rectification, I have been stumbling along in cultivation. However, during the process of overcoming tribulations, I have begun to gradually mature from a selfish person with attachments to fear, sentimentality and other human notions to a more confident person living according to the the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It is under Teacher's compassionate care that I have come this far in cultivation.
Cherishing the Opportunity to Clarify the Truth in a Detention Center
I was detained by the police prior to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. In the beginning, I was in pain and struggled with my human thinking. On the one hand, I held onto human thinking and hoped that I would be released soon. On the other hand, I knew the responsibility of a practitioner, and if I had the slightest thought of cooperating with the evil, I would give the old forces an excuse to persecute me even more.
I refused to cooperate with the evil and did not wear the detention center's uniform that detainees are required to wear, nor did I recite the rules and regulations. Every day, I only did the Falun Gong exercises. Then I enlightened that I should validate the Fa, so I wasn't afraid of anything. I used every opportunity to show everyone in the detention center the beauty of Dafa. I usually didn't talk much, but often took the initiative to do undesirable chores and was always ready to help others. I always remembered that I was there to validate the Fa and not to compete for personal gain or seek comfort.
Inmate Released After Learning the Truth
The inmates observed that I was different, so they approached me to say hello or ask me questions. I slept at the top end of the berth, so I had a good relationship with everyone at that end. They all liked and respected me. I told them, “Everyone makes mistakes and making mistakes does not mean that you are a bad person. However, when you know you are wrong, you must correct it.” I also told them, “People should not be considered above others simply because they are more educated, have more money, a higher social status or have fame. The true standard to judge whether a person should be respected is his/her moral conduct. If you say that I am different, it is because I have learned the characteristic of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, earlier than you.” I then talked to them about Falun Dafa and persuaded them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Initially, I was still somewhat worried and didn't clarify the truth to those I felt were not that “compassionate”. I was afraid that they might report me to the authorities at the detention center. One girl who sat next to me was a nurse from southern China, who was detained for theft. When I talked about Falun Gong, she was moved to tears. The first Dafa poem I taught her was “Don’t Be Sad”. She liked it very much and thought it was written for her. Very quickly she memorized the poem. Then she learned “Plum Blossoms” and some other poems.
Every day when we suffered from the torture method called “sitting board”, I would do the sitting meditation while she recited the poems. Seeing a life turned around that quick, I was really happy in my heart. I was happy for her. I told her if she sincerely recited, “Falun Dafa is good,” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” she would have a good future. She nodded in agreement. One day, her name was called and she learned that she was allowed to obtain a guarantor and await trial to get out. That meant she could go home.
Former Offender Wants to Practice Falun Gong
One inmate who was detained for harboring criminals had a very bad temper. Many other inmates would bully her. She would fight with them over something as small as pickles. As a result, she was locked up in solitary confinement and suffered a lot of hardships. However, she was still very stubborn and wanted to fight with others all the time. I treated her like a friend and talked with her. I tried to explain the Fa principles at the human level to her. I told her about why a person encounters so many tribulations in life and that it is because of the person's past conduct and the accumulation of karma. I also told her about the transformation of karma as described in Zhuan Falun, why we need to thank those who create tribulations for us and how to assimilate to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Gradually, the anger in her eyes disappeared and they became bright with anticipation. She later told me that many times she was really angry, but after she thought of the Fa principles and recited “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is good,” she calmed down. She also said that when she was released, she would come see me and ask for a copy of Zhuan Falun because she wanted to practice Falun Gong.
Young Head Inmate Wants to Memorize the Fa
The head inmate was a woman in her mid-twenties, around 26 or 27 years old. She was aggressive and mean. When I first arrived at the detention center, she told me to write a guarantee statement and I would be released. I told her that I would never write it. After she learned about my educational background and what job I did, I could tell that she treated me differently. She was secretly observing me every day.
One day, she asked me some questions. I thought it was a good opportunity to approach her and started chatting with her. I found out that she had a limited education and that she had been detained for more than six months because her case was complicated. After that, she would chat with me every day. She talked about all of the things she came across during the day. I told her about the process of my cultivation and how I let go of my pain. I told her how Dafa was positively changing me both physically and mentally, and about the Fa principles that I had enlightened to in cultivation. She shared with me that she used to long for a God or Buddha. I told her, “You really have a precious heart that has won my respect and admiration.” I also used the opportunity to recite Teacher's article “Enlightenment”. She liked it very much and asked me to write it down for her. I neatly wrote down “Lunyu”, “Enlightenment” and “Don’t Be Sad”.
A few days later, she came to chat with me again. She asked me if I would write the guarantee statement. I replied, “You have chatted with me for some time, even more than those who are close to me. What do you think?” She said, “You are very steadfast. I don't think you will write it. This is why I admire you.”
Letting go of Notions to Save Sentient Beings
Many inmates found out that the head inmate respected me and came to see me every day. As a result, they also tried to get close to me. I knew it was an ideal opportunity to clarify the truth to them and help them quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. However, I didn't clarify the truth to those who I thought weren't kind or good. I don't know what stopped me from doing so.
One night, I was on duty for someone else. Standing at the top end of the berth and looking at the faces of those who were sleeping, I had a strange feeling. I thought that any notion could hinder a practitioner's cultivation and prevent a sentient being from being saved. What were my notions then? I wasn't being compassionate, as I divided people into different categories of good or evil based on my own judgment. The fundamental cause was my attachment to fear. I feared that these people might not accept the truth, and affect others in quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I feared that they might report me to the authorities at the detention center. I also feared that they might persecute the head inmate.
Two hours before I was released, two new detainees arrived. I used the limited time to help them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. My days at the detention center ended when my name was called. I bid farewell to the weeping inmates and said, “You will all have a beautiful future!”
