Commemorating World Falun Dafa Day
News and Events Around the World
Accounts of Persecution
Health Benefits
Practitioners Exchange Insights and Experiences
Clearwisdom Materials
(Clearwisdom.net) On May 3, 2011, the New York State Senate passed Legislative Resolution No. 1450 recognizing May 2011 as World Falun Dafa Month, and commemorating the 12th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, May 13, 2011. Below is the text of the Resolution.
State of New York
Legislative Resolution
Senate No. 1450
By Senators Martins and Maziarz
Recognizing May 2011 as World Falun Dafa Month, and
Commemorating the 12th Annual World Falun Dafa Day
Celebration, May 13, 2011
Whereas, The Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize May 2011, as World Falun Dafa Month, and to commemorate the 12th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, May 13, 2011, in Union Square Park; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a self-improvement practice rooted in ancient Chinese culture based on refining the body and mind through special exercises and meditation; and
Whereas, This special event observes the day Falun Dafa was first introduced to the general public in China in 1992, by Mr. Li Hongzhi, who now resides in United States; and
Whereas, The practice of Falun Dafa is simple; it consists primarily of two components, self-improvement through study and practice of the gentle exercises; and
Whereas, Practitioners of Falun Dafa strive to live by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance in order to improve their moral nature, and in turn, to experience remarkable health benefits; and
Whereas, The practice of Falun Dafa goes beyond the pursuit of health and fitness to the goal of greater wisdom and enlightenment; and
Whereas, The Falun Dafa philosophy espouses the idea the when the heart is pure, the mind balanced, and the body energized, health and happiness are a natural outcome; individuals have been empowered to leave behind addictions and bad habits; families, to live in peace together; and communities, to embrace what is virtuous and life-affirming; and
Whereas, The effectiveness of Falun Dafa in improving health, as well as the principles upon which it is founded, have proven to be immensely popular throughout the world and have attracted people in more than 40 countries; and
Whereas, To the people of China, Falun Dafa provides a source of strength in the face of oppression; although the practice is banned in the land of its origin, practitioners persevere in the pursuit of their spiritual beliefs, risking imprisonment or worse; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa is a practice which has brought better health and inner peace to millions around the world; now therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to recognize May 2011, as World Falun Dafa Month, and to commemorate the 12th Annual World Falun Dafa Day Celebration, May 13, 2011; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Falun Dafa practitioners of New York State.
Adopted in Senate on
May 3, 2011
By order of the Senate,
Francis W. Patience, Secretary
(Clearwisdom.net) On the occasion of the twelfth annual World Falun Dafa Day celebration, New York State Assembly Member, Felix W. Ortiz, issued a Citation recognizing the month of May 2011 as Falun Dafa Month and recognizing Master Li Hongzhi as an outstanding individual who is certainly worthy of esteem of the great State of New York.
New York State Assembly
Citation
Whereas, a Great State is only great as those individuals who give exemplary service to their community, whether through participation in voluntary programs, through unique achievement in their profession or other endeavors or simply through a lifetime of good service; and
Whereas, Master Li Hongzhi teaches Falun Dafa, a cultivation of the body and mind, which he just introduced to the public in 1992; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa is practiced by people of all ages, all walks of life, and religious beliefs and its practitioners follow the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives, striving to become better people; and
Whereas, the teachings of Master Li Hongzhi has touched the lives of numerous individuals, improving their quality of lives; now therefore be it
Resolved, that as a duly elected member of the New York State Assembly, I recognize the month of May 2011 as Falun Dafa Month and I further recognize that in
Master Li Hongzhi
We have an outstanding individual who is certainly worthy of esteem of the Great State of New York.
Date May 13, 2011
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand and Signature
Felix W. Ortiz
Member of the Assembly
(Clearwisdom.net) On the occasion of the 12th World Falun Dafa Day, David Casiano, Mayor of the Town of Parker, Colorado, proclaimed May 13, 2011, as Falun Dafa Day in the Town of Parker. At the same time, Susan Osborne, Mayor of the City of Boulder, Colorado, proclaimed May 13, 2011, as World Falun Dafa Day. Below are the texts of the two proclamations.
Town of Parker
Colorado
Proclamation
Falun Dafa Day
Whereas, since its public introduction in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Dafa has brought health and peace of mind to over 100 million people around the world; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is an ancient practice of exercise, meditation, and study that promotes good spirit and mental health; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa is based on the principles of Zhen-Shen-Ren, which are "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance," as the virtue of the universe; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa transcends cultural and racial boundaries and contributes to the universal dream of a peaceful, tolerant and more compassionate society; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa is practiced all over Colorado by many citizens of all ages; and
Now, Therefore, I, David Casiano, Mayor of the Town of Parker and on behalf of the citizens of the Town of Parker, do hereby proclaim May 13, 2011 as "Falun Dafa Day" in our town.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the official seal of the Town of Parker to be affixed this 2nd day of May, 2011.
David Casiano, Mayor
Falun Dafa Day
May 13, 2011
Whereas, since its public introduction in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Dafa has brought health and peace of mind to over 100 million people around the world; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is an ancient practice of exercise, meditation, and study that promotes good spirit and mental health; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa is based on the principles of Zhen-Shen-Ren, which are "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance," as the virtue of the universe; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa transcends cultural and racial boundaries and contributes to the universal dream of a peaceful, tolerant and more compassionate society; and
Whereas, Falun Dafa is practiced all over Colorado by many citizens of all ages; and
Whereas, all Falun Dafa activities are always free of charge.
Now, Therefore, I, Susan M. Osborne, Mayor of Boulder, Colorado, do hereby proclaim May 13, 2011 as
World Falun Dafa Day
Susan M. Osborne, Mayor
(Clearwisdom.net)
Mayor Mark Gerretsen signed a proclamation on behalf of the City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada proclaiming May 13 as Falun Dafa Day in the City.
The text of the proclamation is reproduced below:
Falun Dafa Day
Celebrating May 13th 2011 as Falun Dafa Day, honouring Truthfulness Compassion Forbearance
WHEREAS Falun Dafa is an advanced cultivation practice system for mind, body, and spirit based on the principle of Truthfulness Compassion Forbearance; and
WHEREAS Falun Dafa was first introduced to the world in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi; and has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving health in mind body and spirit, and to enhancing the well-being of people from all walks of society, who follow its tenets; and
WHEREAS The physical and spiritual benefits of Falun Dafa have led to its spread throughout 114 countries with over 100 million practitioners; and
WHEREAS The great compassion and forbearance demonstrated by Falun Dafa practitioners have touched the hearts of kind-hearted people all over the world; and
WHEREAS Falun Dafa practitioners in the community across Canada celebrated the Falun Dafa Day on May 13th;
Therefore I, Mayor Gerretsen, hereby proclaim May 13th, 2011 to be Falun Dafa Day, honouring Truthfulness Compassion Forbearance.
Dated at Kingston this 4th day of May, 2011
Mark Gerretsen
Mayor
(Clearwisdom.net) The Human Right Tribunal of Ontario ruled on April 27, 2011 that the Ottawa Chinese Senior Association (respondent) breached the Ontario Human Rights Code and discriminated against Ms. Daiming Huang (complainant) on the basis of her belief.
Ms. Huang is 78 years old. She immigrated to Canada in 1992 and started to practice Falun Gong in 1998. After practicing, her illnesses of sinusitis and spondylolisthesis were all gone. Huang was attending a New Year’s celebration at the Chinese Senior Association on December 29, 2001, when she noticed that a Chinese Embassy official in attendance was looking at her. Minutes later, the secretary of the association, Feng Xu, approached her and told her that the board of directors had decided that they would no longer accept Falun Gong practitioners.
When she returned in February for a Chinese New Year celebration and to ask the chair about the decision to cancel her membership, she was berated by other board members who said that she was part of a group banned in China while seniors visiting the center looked on.
This case is about Ms. Huang's involvement with the corporate respondent, the Ottawa Chinese Senior Association, a social organization composed mainly of seniors who are new immigrants from China. The personal respondents were members of the Association’s governing body (“Council”): Shen Guo was the Association’s president and Feng Xu was its secretary.
The Tribunal made an earlier decision on this case on January 18, 2006 when the Ottawa Chinese Senior Association representatives were intentionally absent. The Association thought that the ruling was not fair, and appealed. The tribunal requested witnesses from both sides to provide evidence. However, association members Feng Xu and Shen Guo did not show up for the tribunal hearing as scheduled on January 19, 2011. Feng Xu went to China before her scheduled appearance.
Mr. Michelle Flaherty, Vice Chairman of the Tribunal ruled, “The Falun Gong is a creed and the Association offers a service within the meaning of the Ontario Human Rights Code. I conclude that the respondents breached the Code and discriminated against the complainant on the basis of her creed. The Tribunal orders the corporate respondent to pay the complainant the sum of $15,000 for loss arising from the infringement of her rights under the Code.
“I find that, in the circumstances of this case, an award of $15,000 is appropriate. In making this award, I am mindful that the discrimination was public and caused the complainant to lose face within her community.
“In this case, the discrimination is two-pronged: it involved both the revocation of the complainant's membership and comments made publicly when the complainant sought to discuss the Association's decision to revoke her membership. Further, I accept that the complainant is more vulnerable because she is part of a group that has been subjected to persecution. I have taken this into account in making the award.
“Having found that the respondents violated the Code, the Tribunal makes the following orders:
a. Within 30 days of the date of this Decision, the corporate respondent shall pay the complainant $15,000 for the injury to her dignity, feelings and self-respect arising from the infringement of her rights under the Code;
b. Within 30 days of the date of this Decision, the corporate respondent shall write to the complainant and invite her to join the Association.”
Two Chinese Christians living in Ottawa provided witness for this case on the basis of their conscience. They witnessed that the Association conducted a signature collection against Falun Gong in Dows Lake Park in May 2001 and rejected Falun Gong practitioners in the Chinese Center in February 2002.
Ms. Daiming Huang at a press conference on January 18, 2006
“This is not just a success for Daiming Huang, it is a victory in the worldwide battle against the Communist Party’s oppression of Falun Gong,” said David Matas, legal counsel for Huang.
(Clearwisdom.net) Calls are mounting on Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom to renew its satellite contract with New Tang Dynasty TV’s partner in Taiwan, NTD AP. Since 2007, the station has been using Chunghwa Telecom Company’s ST-1 Satellite to broadcast to the Asia Pacific. The company says it won't extend NTD AP’s contract when it expires in August. Chunghwa claims that its ST-1 Satellite will soon be replaced, and the new ST-2 Satellite will not have enough capacity for the station. However in its 2008 press release, Chunghwa says that the ST-2 will have “expanded capacity and coverage.”
Headquartered in New York City, New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television serves more than 100 million potential viewers in China and around the world. NTD seeks to be the world's most trusted authority on news and information about China. Besides NTD, no major Chinese language television network reports with complete independence on China. The Chinese communist regime has long dictated politically related content for all TV stations inside mainland China. And starting in the 1990s, it began using its economic and political clout to pressure Chinese TV stations outside China to avoid reporting on the most "sensitive" China-related topics.
NTD AP believes that Chunghwa has abused its market position and has given the station differential treatment. It says these actions violate Taiwan’s telecom laws, and wants the National Communications Commission to investigate.
Taiwan’s government is the main shareholder of the telecom company, and there are concerns that the decision to cut service with NTD AP is hurting Taiwan’s freedom of speech.
On Tuesday U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher wrote to Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou about the case. Rohrabacher is concerned about the service termination and says that Taiwan should encourage freedom and the spread of ideas across the Taiwan Strait.
U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher wrote to Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou about the case.
Rohrabacher is a founder of the Taiwan Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. He says that NTD AP relies on Chunghwa to broadcast to Taiwan and China news the Chinese regime does not want the people to hear. Rohrabacher told Ma, “If Taiwan does not support the struggle for freedom of thought within China, I see no need for America to support Taiwan."
Tuesday, May 3, was World Press freedom Day. In Taiwan, NTD Asia Pacific Television — or NTD AP — filed an appeal at Taiwan’s regulatory National Communications Commission. They say the island’s largest telecommunications company is wrongfully refusing to renew their satellite contract.
Giving up freedom of press under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Taiwan’s government owns 35% of Chunghwa's shares. Five of nine directors and two of three supervisors are government officials. Since President Ma took office in 2008, Taiwan has increased trade and cultural ties with the Chinese regime. All of this has led some to suspect that the service termination may be politically motivated.
Tien Chiu-chin, Taiwan Legislator said, “If you’re replacing satellites, the new one should be more technically advanced, and be able to host more channels. Why has its capacity shrunk? I cannot understand this at all. I believe if this is made public, no one in Taiwan would accept it.”
Cai Huang-lang, Taiwan Legislator, said, “Taiwan is a place with press freedom. As a government-supported company, Chunghwa Telecom suppresses freedom of speech and does not want to continue its contract with NTD. It is a backward step for democracy. It is a disgrace for Taiwan. Chunghwa has no reason not to continue the contract. They must have received pressure from the government or the CCP.”
Tien Chiu-chin, Taiwan Legislator, said, “It is an alert signal that NTD’s contract with Chunghwa Telecom will be discontinued. Telecom is half governmental. We worry that to make business with the CCP, the government is giving up values that the Taiwanese people treasure. Telecom needs to explain itself.”
Leung Kwok-hung, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and a founding member of the League of Social Democrats, suspected that the contract cancellation was due to the CCP’s political pressure, “The only possibility is to flatter someone, possibly the CCP or CCP controlled multinational consortia. Somebody may indicate, exert pressure or induce with economic interest, causing Chunghwa Telecom not to renew contract with NTD AP. This is government and business collusion.”
Mr. Leung continued, “Any independent media like NTD would receive CCP threats. The CCP targets NTD as NTD does not accept the CCP’s press control.”
Nelson Wong Sing-chi, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and a member of Democratic Party, said, “NTD’s programs are sincere, clean and healthy. I know that many people in Asia including China watch it. Chunghwa needs to explain if it has received political pressure from the mainland and whether that’s why it won’t continue NTD AP’s contract. If this is the case, I believe they will be condemned by freedom and democracy advocates around the world.”
Leung Yiu Chung, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, said “Information blockage is severe in China. If more non-governmental TV or radio stations were established, people in China would know more world news. Thus, I support NTD’s extension of contract with Chunghwa Telecom.”
Freedom of the press in Taiwan decreasing?
In 2009, NTD AP experienced satellite signal blockage while the Chinese regime celebrated its 60th anniversary. Satellite owner Chunghwa never explained why the blockage occurred.
NTD AP has asked Taiwan’s regulatory National Communications Office to investigate whether its service termination has violated Taiwan’s telecom laws.
NTD AP is known for broadcasting uncensored news about the Chinese regime. Ruey-lan Chang, CEO of NTD AP, “Much of the news across the strait is only reported by NTD AP. This is our responsibility to society. We hope the government can guard independent media, and protect our press freedom.”
The report, “Freedom of the Press 2011” was released on May 3, World Press freedom Day. Freedom of the press in Taiwan declined to number 48 in the world.
International Federation of Journalists expresses concern to NTD AP’s contract with Telecom
Hu Li-yun, Representative of the International Federation of Journalists in the China and Hong Kong Region, pointed out, “The reason for the contract cancellation is doubtable and worrying. Diversity is important. NTD’s information is not available in mainstream media, but is related to the public interest. Why don’t they give it a space to exist?”
Hu Li-yun, Representative of the International Federation of Journalists in the China and Hong Kong region, calls on Chunghwa Telecom to explain the reason for the NTD AP contract cancellation
Ms. Hu believes that the incident will be a blow to Taiwan’s freedom of the press. She said, “The current policy of the Taiwanese government towards the press includes indirect influence on many occasions. Such behavior really make people worry whether the freedom of press is truly secure.”
Ms. Hu calls on Chunghwa Telecom to uphold their business conscience, release the reason for the incident and continue their contract with NTD AP.
(Clearwisdom.net) China’s forced organ harvesting is an inescapable responsibility for the global transplant community, including transplant patients, voiced a panel of experts in Philadelphia on May 1. Held alongside the 2011 American Transplant Congress, the panel discussion, titled Global Transplant Community at Medical Crossroads, saw a hotel ballroom full of participants with some standing at the door.
Hosted by the NGO Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH), the panel raised the question of how the transplant community in the West should respond to China’s use of organs harvested from executed prisoners and unidentified sources, an unacceptable practice according to the international medical ethical standards.
A panel of experts in the discussion, from left to right: spokesperson Dr. Damon Noto of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, Dr. Erping Zhang, Dr. Arthur Caplan, Dr. Eric Goldberg, and Lawyer David Matas.
Discussion venue. Many attendees of the 2011 American Transplant Congress attended the panel discussion.
Dr. Arthur Caplan, Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics and Philosophy, Director, Center for Bioethics, and Chair, Department of Medical Ethics, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, medical director for the Kidney & Pancreas and professor at the University of California at Los Angeles
Dr. Eric Goldberg, senior medical director of ICON, a global clinical research company
Human rights lawyer David Matas, who co-authored the book, "Bloody Harvest: Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China," with David Kilgour.
Dr. Erping Zhang, spokesperson for Falun Gong, at the panel discussion session held on May 1 in Philadelphia at the American Transplant Congress.
Pharmaceutical Companies
International pharmaceutical companies have played a major role in helping to perpetuate the unethical practice of organ harvesting through their drug trials in China, according the speakers at the panel discussion.
Dr. Eric Goldberg, senior medical director of ICON, a global clinical research company, pointed out that the low cost of developing clinical trials in China—roughly 15 percent of that in the United States—makes it very appealing to the pharmaceutical companies that try to develop drugs with a limited budget in a recessive economic environment, adding that China also offers the companies the extra benefit of speeding up the drug development process by having a large number of patients and fewer regulations.
“The issues that we deal with at the FDA, the EMA, [and] Health Canada, they just don’t exist in China. There’s much less scrutiny” Dr. Goldberg said.
Yet while many international pharmaceutical companies have carried out research in China, not many are ready to acknowledge their roles on the issue of China’s unethical organ harvesting, according to the panel’s speakers.
The well-known human rights lawyer David Matas, who co-authored the book, Bloody Harvest: Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China, with David Kilgour, singled out the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche as an example.
According to Matas and Kilgour’s investigation in the years 2002-2006 there were 41,500 transplant operations for which the Chinese regime could not provide a source. They believe detained Falun Gong practitioners are the most likely source for these organs.
While being questioned about the issue of unidentified organ sources in relation to its transplant patients in China, Roche’s response, as Mr. Matas showed in his slide on Sunday’s panel discussion, was “Roche is not in charge of the supply of organs … Roche is not entitled to know the source of transplant organs.”
Roche’s former CEO and present chairman of the board of directors said, “In China there were no ethical or cultural stoppages for transplant medicine,” according to Mr. Matas, who noted that the statement is an acknowledgement of Roche’s knowingly conducting clinical trials in China while not showing concern for the unethical practices behind them.
Ignorance on the part of the companies about the sources of transplanted organs is not an acceptable reason in the eyes of the panel’s speakers.
“They can’t say they don’t know where the organ came from. They can’t say they don’t care where the organ came from” said Dr. Caplan, professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who was one of the panel’s speaker and is also the keynote speaker of the 2011 American Transplant Congress.
Roche won two shame prizes in 2010: the Public Eye Swiss Award and the Public Eye People Award for “irresponsible corporate behavior.” A Dutch investment bank Triodos disinvested from Roche in September 2010.
Mr. Matas reported a watch list of multinational pharmaceutical companies that have conducted clinical trials on organ transplant anti-rejection drugs in China, including Wyeth (now part of Pfizer), Novartis, Roche, and Astella. These trials were performed on patients who receive organs harvested in China.
Last month, on the issue of China’s unethical organ harvesting, The Epoch Times tried to solicit comments from a number of pharmaceutical companies, and four companies are on Mr. Matas’s watch list. Both Isotechnika, a biopharmaceutical company based in Alberta, Canada, and Norvatis, a Basel-based pharmaceutical company, have responded.
Professional Responsibilities
The panel’s speakers unanimously agreed that it’s high time for the global transplant community to step up in ending the unethical organ harvesting practice in China.
The lack of scrutiny in China doesn’t exempt transplant medical professionals from their responsibility to keep up with the international standard in medical ethics.
Another panel speaker, Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, medical director for the Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Program at the Department of Medicine of UCLA, said the global transplant community has power to effect a positive change on the Chinese government. “We don’t have cruise missiles or tanks. But we do have some power by virtue of professional acceptance.”
He expressed deep concerns about the lack of critical eyes on China in the transplant community. Leading medical journals’ editorial boards keep accepting research papers from China on organ transplant.
An example Dr. Danovitch used in his slides was an article published in the American Journal of Transplantation last year, which has a sentence that provides no critical scrutiny on China’s dubious organ harvesting practice.
“The Chinese procedure also has the advantages of being very accessible and relatively inexpensive as compared to Western centers. … It is also possible to procure an organ in a relatively short time,” according to Dr. Danovitch.
He encouraged the western transplant society to use the power to make a positive change in China. “If we don’t exercise it, we’ll fritter it away,” he said.
Dr. Goldberg gave a personal testimony of how he exercised his professional power. After learning about the organ-harvesting situation in China, he went to persuade his company not to include China in its clinical trials.
“Fortunately for me personally and fortunately for the world, I received the backing that I needed,” said Dr. Goldberg, who was very happy for and proud of his company—ICON.
“There are commercial implications here of a multibillion dollar world famous company to do the right thing, so I became proud of that,” he said.
Dr. Erping Zhang, spokesperson of Falun Gong and one of the panel’s speakers, emphasized the importance for transplant professionals to take full responsibility on the issue.
“History will not only judge on what we have done, but also on what we didn’t do while we could,” said Dr. Zhang.
(Clearwisdom.net) The Jilin Province Women's Labor Camp is also known as the Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp in Changchun City. On September 19, 2007, the guards subjected many Falun Gong practitioners to various forms of abuse.
Guard Jin Lihua snatched away a hand-copied Falun Gong book from practitioner Xiaofen, so she stopped performing forced labor. The guards took her to the office and punched, kicked and shocked her with electric batons, leaving bruises all over her arms and legs. Moreover, they added two months to Xiaofen's term.
Fellow practitioners at the same labor camp were outraged about the incident and demanded the removal of the additional term for Xiaofen, pressuring the authorities with a strike. Division head Shen Minglian conspired with the management section and plotted the “September 19” outrage against practitioners.
First, they called practitioner Ms. Bai to the office and yelled at her for a while. It is unknown what else they did to her. They then locked her in a small cell for one month. After that, they locked her up for an additional 19 days.
Next, they locked practitioner Ms. Li Yajuan in the office and tortured her with the “stretching bed” method. They tied her limbs to each corner of the bed and left her body hanging in the air, with her back slightly touching the metal section, which was warped in the middle of the bed. Three days later, she was let down, but could not walk. For two days, she had to be carried by other practitioners to the cafeteria.
Torture re-enactment: Stretching bed
Another practitioner was also taken to the office, and the guards simultaneously shocked her with five electric batons. Failing to break her, they put her on the “stretching bed” too. She couldn't walk without support for about eight or nine days after she was let down.
Torture re-enactment: Shocked with electric batons
The guards locked practitioner Fengying in the office and cuffed one of her hands onto a metal bed. Then several guards shocked her neck, arms and back with electric batons, leaving many bruises on her body. Due to torture, she was not able to use her hand to hold chopsticks for three months.
The guards tortured practitioner Ms. Rong on the same day. After locking her in the office, a section chief in his 40s with the surname Chen punched her in the head, and then Jin Lihua and deputy division head Xi Guirong slapped her in the face. Section head Yue shocked her in the neck, deputy section head Xu shocked her arms, and section head Chen shocked her lower back with electric batons. As a result, she could not get up from or turn over in the bed without holding onto the bed rails for an entire month. She passed out several times, and when she was examined with a CT scan, it was discovered that she had internal bleeding in her head. Due to the torture, she had serious high blood pressure and heart disease. The camp authorities added 10 days to her term and didn't release her until she had to be hospitalized.
They tortured a practitioner in another division in a similar way on the afternoon of September 19, 2007.
Practitioner Yingzi (an alias) refused to wear an inmate uniform. Guards stripped her down to her underwear. They then put her on the stretching bed and force-fed her twice. She lost a great amount of weight in just half a month.
Torture re-enactment: “Death bed”
Below is information about some of the guards (all female) who have participated in this outrage and in mistreating practitioners:
Third Division:
Shen Minglian, division head: ID 2200293
Xi Guirong, deputy division head: ID 2200292
Jin Lihua, staff member, later promoted to be the Fourth Division head: ID 2200298
Name: He Binggang (何冰刚)
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Address: Changning District, Shanghai
Occupation: General manager of Computer Sales, Yuwen Technologies, Changning District, Shanghai
Date Most Recent Arrest: April 15, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Changning District Detention Center (长宁区看守所 )
City: Shanghai
Persecution Suffered: Detention, interrogation, extortion, illegal sentencing, imprisonment, framed by police, beatings, torture
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. He Binggang from Shanghai was illegally arrested by officials from the Changning District Domestic Security Team's 610 Office on April 15, 2010. The Changning District Procuratorate has indicted him.
In 2000, when Mr. He was a graduate student at Fudan University, he was detained and sentenced to forced labor for refusing to give up his practice of Falun Gong. In 2001, the Xuhui District Court of Shanghai sentenced him to six years in prison. Mr. He was detained at the Tilanqiao Prison in Shanghai, and he was released in 2007.
Afterward, Mr. He formed his own company, Yuwen Technologies.
Around 10 a.m. on April 15, 2010, Wang Yu from the Security Division of the Changning District Police Department sent an undercover plainclothes policeman to sell an old computer to Mr. He's company. Wang, dressed in plainclothes, waited upstairs in the Changning Technology Building, where Mr. He's company was located.
After the undercover officer left, Wang changed into a police uniform and led a group of policemen to Mr. He's company. They claimed that they were from the Tianshan Street Police Station of Changning District and that they had received a phone call from a witness saying that the company had a computer that had been obtained illegally. They searched the company and found a box of Falun Gong books and a Shen Yun Performing Arts DVD, which had been planted by another plainclothes policeman. Then they arrested Mr. He and took him to the Tianshan Street Police Station, where they interrogated and beat him, trying to coerce him to “admit” that the books and the DVD were his.
Mr. He has been interrogated three times since May 21, 2010. During the interrogations, he was tortured and became disabled.
In January 2011, Gao Xun and Zhu Liqun (female), director of public prosecution in the Changning District Procuratorate, indicted Mr. He in the Changning District Court. They asked the court to sentence him to a heavy prison term, claiming that he owned Falun Gong books and that he had given a Falun Gong DVD to a division manager of his company.
In mid-March of 2011, the Changning District Court took Mr. He home and extorted his family for money, saying that it was for bail. However, on April 7, his family received a court summons because Mr. He's trial was scheduled for April 18. His family refused to accept the summons document. On April 15, Yang Huixin, court director, and Zhou Weimin, presiding judge, forced his family to sign the summons.
Parties involved in the persecution:
Yang Huixin, court director: 86-21-52574999, ext. 16141
Zhou Weimin, presiding judge: 86-21-52574999, ext. 16121
Zhu Cuiying, court clerk: 86-21-52574999, ext. 16113
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Kong Yingfei is a former policewoman from Anlu City, Hubei Province. She started practicing Falun Gong in 1998. In 2000, shortly after the Chinese Communist Party launched its nationwide persecution of Falun Gong, she was fired by her police bureau without being given an explanation.
In 2000, Ms. Kong went to Beijing to appeal to the government regarding Falun Gong, and was illegally arrested by local police and sent back to the Anlu Detention Center. When she was in the detention center, she was ordered to sign the “three statements” to renounce her belief, but she refused to do so. Later she was released, but was notified by the police bureau that she had been fired. No written document of her dismissal was provided.
Ms. Kong consulted with employment experts and found out that the firing process was illegal. As she was an official civil servant, she was protected by the law from wrongful dismissal. Any firing required approval from the Public Security Bureau of Hubei Province to issue a layoff notification.
After being fired, her family did not talk to Ms. Kong and tried to isolate her from others. Her mother began to beat and insult her every day, and would not allow her to eat. She went to her relatives for help, but they also pushed her away. As a result, she had to leave home.
In 2010, through studying the law and consulting with lawyers, Ms. Kong learned that she had not officially been laid off. She was still on the police list, and so she was still qualified to get her salary. Ms. Kong went to meet with the police bureau officials, but they denied that she was still an employee. She then told them that she would go to the Department of Public Security to confirm her employment status, but the officials later destroyed some of her records. They told her that while she was still in fact employed, she was not qualified to get a salary.
Those involved is Ms. Kong's case include the following:
Zhao Ding Lian: Party secretary, Department of Politics and Law, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province (retired)
Luan Chunhai: Party secretary, Anlu, Hubei Province (retired)
Wu Fangcheng: Mayor of Anlu (retired)
Wang Dongming: Party secretary, Department of Politics and Law, Anlu (retired)
Yang Shaorong: Director, Anlu Police Bureau (retired)
Fang Mingwen: Deputy director, Anlu Police Bureau (retired)
He Jicheng: Deputy director, Anlu Police Bureau
Du Youping: Political commissar, Anlu Police Bureau (retired)
Li Hourong: Ex-political commissar, Anlu Police Bureau (relocated)
Cheng Yanhui: Director, Department of Politics, Anlu Police Bureau (retired)
Cheng Huagong: Ex-director, Control Center, Anlu Police Bureau
Wei Wenbin: Political commissar, Anlu Police Bureau
(Clearwisdom.net) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 13 cities or counties in eight provinces. In this report, six practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention and at least nine practitioners were “illegally arrested”.
1. [Cangxi County, Sichuan Province] Ms. Huang Qiong Arrested
On the morning of February 23, 2011, Ms. Huang Qiong from Dongqing Town, Cangxi was taken to the Cangxi Detention Center, where she was tortured. She is currently being detained in the Guangyuan Brainwashing Center.
2. [Beijing] Ms. Yan Ziwen Arrested
On the night of March 27, 2011, Ms. Yan Ziwen was arrested by police while clarifying the truth about Falun Gong. Her home was ransacked the same night. The police took away her Falun Dafa books and other property. Ms. Yan is being detained in the Xicheng Detention Center.
3. [Jieyang, Guangdong Province] Mr. Sun Jiefeng and Ms. Liu Ziyun Arrested in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Mr. Sun Jiefeng from Jieyang works in a company in Pingshan, Shenzhen. On April 22, 2011, he was taken away by the Pingshan police. Afterwards, his apartment was ransacked. His wife, Ms. Liu Ziyun, was also arrested.
4. [Liaoyuan, Jilin Province] Mr. Wang Qingwen Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
On April 12, 2011, the Xian District Court of Liaoyuan sentenced Mr. Wang Qingwen to four years in prison. He is still being detained in the Liaoyuan Detention Center.
5. [Chongqing] Mr. Chen Mingxi from Yubei District Sent to Forced Labor Camp
On April 23, 2011, officers from the Shuanglong Police Station in Yubei went to Mr. Chen Mingxi’s home and informed his family that Mr. Chen would be detained in a forced labor camp for one year.
On December 2, 2010, Wu Yongdong and other officers from the Yubei Police Department went to the home of Mr. Chen Mingxi and Ms. Wang Xiaoxia after they went to work. The police broke into their home and took away two laptops, a printer, six Shen Yun DVDs, Falun Gong brochures, a copy of Zhuan Falun, two notebooks, four boxes of printing paper, and other items.
6. [Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province] Mr. Yu Songsi and Other Practitioners Arrested on April 23
7. [Hanchuan, Hubei Province] Ms. Yan Liping Arrested
On the afternoon of April 21, 2011, Ms. Yan Liping was arrested by the Hanchuan patrols and officers from the Chengguan Police Station while she was distributing Shen Yun DVDs. Now she is being detained in the Hanchuan First Detention Center.
Xiong Xinchao, Director of the Hanchuan Police Department: 86-712-8391231, 86-712-8393609, 86-13807290685
Hu Changyi, Director of the Hanchuan 610 Office: 86-712-8383909, 86-712-8288984, 86-13971962155
Li Shuanghe, Chief of the Hanchuan Patrol Team: 86-712-8382162 ext. 4296, 86-712-8387117, 86-13507299308
Tang Juming, Deputy Chief of the Hanchuan Patrol Team: 86-712-8382105, 86-13986452908
8. [Miyi. Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhang Yuanxiu Arrested by Police
On April 25, 2011, Ms. Zhang Yuanxiu was followed by plainclothes police officers as she was walking down the street. The officers grabbed her bag and took her to the Binggu Detention Center. In the meantime, her home was ransacked.
9. [Meizhou, Guangdong Province] Ms. Li Yuxiu Arrested
On the morning of April 22, 2011, Ms. Li Yuxiu, in her 50s from Huangqiaocheng, Mei Couty, Meizhou, was immediately arrested by police when she began putting up Falun Dafa posters at Huaqiaocheng Square. Later, police ransacked her home and took away several Falun Dafa posters and other materials.
10. [Shenyang, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Zhixin Force-fed in the Huanggu Detention Center
On March 24, 2011, Ms. Liu Zhixin was taken to the Huanggu Detention Center in Sitaizi by officers from the Lingbei Police Station. Ms. Liu went on a hunger strike twice and she was force-fed.
Huanggu Detention Center: 86-24-89247013
Lingbei Police Station: 86-24-86526335
11. [Wuhan, Hubei Province] Ms. Cai Rufen Detained in the Hewan Forced Labor Camp
Ms. Cai Rufen from Xinzhou District was arrested by the Xinzhou police on March 4, 2011. She was detained in Duoluokou, Wuhan for 15 days. Later, she was detained in Etouwan for one month. Now Ms. Cai is being detained in the Sixth Division of Hewan Forced Labor Camp.
12. [Yishui County, Shandong Province] Mr. Zhou Chengfu Arrested Again
Mr. Zhou Chengfu works in the Yishui Livestock Bureau. On April 7, 2011, he was beaten and arrested by officers from Shuanglong Management District in Yishui. He was detained in the Beijiao Police Station for one night and released the next day.
On April 14, 2011, under orders from the Yishui 610 Office, Kong Lizhong, Deputy Director of the Yishui Livestock Bureau, domestic security agents took Mr. Zhou Chengfu to the Linyi Brainwashing Center. The livestock bureau turned in Mr. Zhou’s salary of 4,000 yuan to the brainwashing center.
Yu Fujie, Director of the Yishui 610 Office: 86-539-2266771, 86-13953982818
Liu Huande, Deputy Director: 86-13969982765
Zhang Wen, Director of the Yishui Police Department: 86-539-2267789, 86-13905393880
Song Wei, Chief of the Domestic Security Team: 86-539-2233680, 86-13705493366
13. [Shenzhen, Guangdong Province] Mr. Liu Xifeng Persecuted
Mr. Liu Xifeng was a teacher at the Nantou High School in Nantou District, Shenzhen. He had been detained in the Sihui Prison of Guangdong Province for almost ten years and disabled from torture. In February 2010, he was transferred to the Xili Brainwashing Center in Shenzhen. He had difficulty walking and could not take care of himself. He was recently detained again soon after being released.
Mr. Liu’s wife, Ms. Wang Xiaodong, was tortured to death in the Nanshan Detention Center in July 2003. Their only son, Liu Xiang, is in the 11th grade at Nanshan High School.
April 26, 2011
(Clearwisdom.net) A "Solemn Declaration" is a person's public statement to the world that whatever he or she has done or said under duress or deception that was against Falun Dafa is null and void. These statements have come from Falun Dafa practitioners in China who wish to express regret that, in the face of physical torture and brainwashing, they signed documents renouncing Dafa and guaranteeing not to practice again. Now, they hereby declare their intention to resume practicing Falun Dafa. Here are some examples of the Solemn Declarations: Please click here for more Solemn Declarations.
(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Gong in 2010. I sat next to a relative who practiced Falun Gong at my granddaughter's wedding on May 29, 2010. At the time, I was in poor physical health and couldn't even straighten my back or legs. She observed my condition, and asked me what was wrong. I replied, “According to the doctor, I have a herniated lumbar disc, arthritis, and femoral head necrosis, none of which can be completely cured. I'm constantly suffering, and feel so much pain.”
She said, “Let me teach you Falun Gong.” I immediately agreed, and learned the five sets of exercises that afternoon. I then read the entire book, Zhuan Falun in one sitting and watched the video of Teacher's Fa Lectures in Jinan.
A miracle happened on the third day. Teacher used Falun to heal my body. I felt something jumping around inside my stomach, just like a baby inside a pregnant woman. Seven days later, I was able to straighten my back and legs, and they were no longer in pain.
Seventeen days later, I was able to work in the fields. Others said that this was a miracle, since I hadn't gone to the fields for the last five years, and couldn't even take care of housework. Now, without spending any money and without medication, all the illnesses were quickly healed. Falun Gong is indeed powerful.
I feel so fortunate that I obtained the heavenly book Zhuan Falun. It guides me to do things according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and be a better person. My entire family is thankful to Falun Gong and Teacher. I won't fail to acknowledge Teacher's grace for saving my life. I will speak out about Falun Gong and let more people know that “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!”
The Miraculous Falun Dafa
I am 72 years old, and have practiced Falun Dafa for 14 years. The first sentence of Zhuan Falun says “'The Buddha Fa' is most profound; among all the theories in the world, it is the most intricate and extraordinary science”. I have increasingly understood the deeper meanings in this sentence. It is the eternal truth in the universe!
1. Migraine Headache Completely Healed
I jumped off a vehicle and hit my head when I was in the army in the summer of 1978. Since then, I've had migraine headaches. In the 20 years from 1978 to 1998, once a week, the right side of my head hurt, and felt as if some sharp object was piercing it. The pain recurred every few minutes, and lasted throughout the day.
I had another bad headache one afternoon in March 1998. It was so painful that I was rolling around on the floor. That evening, my daughter saw how much pain I was in, and suggested that I go to a hospital, and that my son would drive. Since it was a new car, it normally started easily, but that day for some reason, it just wouldn't start. Many practitioners were watching Teacher's Fa-lecture videos, and I thought that I couldn't go to the hospital since the car wouldn't start, so I might as well go to watch Teacher's lectures. The headache gradually went away while I watched them.
Thirteen years have passed, and the migraine headaches never returned.
2. Severe Cold Eliminated Instantly
On the evening of March 4, 2011, I developed several symptoms of a severe cold, including headache, runny and stuffy nose, and chills throughout my entire body. I slept until 1:00 a.m., but didn't improve. I sat up and sent righteous thoughts, then lay down again under my blanket, and repeated “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” As I recited, I felt a stream of warmth rushing from my head to my toes. It was as comfortable as taking a hot shower. I then began sweating all over. My head no longer hurt, my nose wasn't stuffy, and the cold completely disappeared.
There have been bitter and sweet experiences during my 14 years of cultivation practice. For a period of time I wasn't diligent in studying the Falun Dafa teachings and doing the exercises after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. However, our compassionate Teacher didn't give up on me. Teacher was always compassionate and has given so much to his practitioners.
My Mother's Miracles
We live in the city, and my mother is 78 years old. She began practicing Falun Gong in July 1996. She used to have high blood pressure, bronchitis, stomach bloating, neck pain and rheumatism. These were all healed soon after she began cultivation practice, and she hasn't needed medication for 14 years. She always says, “It is only because of Falun Dafa that I'm alive today. Teacher gave me a second life.”
The most miraculous event occurred on the afternoon of June 2, 2010. My mother and two elderly women neighbors were sitting on some stairs outside, near the Yangguang Hotel. My mother sat the furthest away. Suddenly, a car hit a motorcycle that was parked on the side of the street, then spun around and ran into the three of them. After a loud crash, the car landed on top of my mother and another woman. The back bumper of the car was up against the building wall. The back car lights were all broken and the bumper was dented. The driver was a woman, and her friend was also in the car. They were both frightened.
People on the street quickly surrounded the accident scene. Just then, my mother and the other elderly women crawled out from underneath the car. My mother's face was scraped a bit. The other woman was wearing a white coat, and we saw a tire mark over the right side of her body. Her elbow had a little skin scraped off, but it wasn't bad. They both smiled.
The driver was quite frightened, and she and her friend both came up and asked if everyone was ok. They also offered some money. My mother said, “I practice Falun Dafa.” As she said this, she removed her necklace that was engraved with, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” and showed it to them. The bystanders said, “No wonder this elderly lady is so lucky, she practices Buddhahood.” The driver's husband also came up and said to my mother, “Auntie, let's go to the hospital for a checkup. If there's really nothing wrong, then that would be even better. Let's go, just to make sure.”
My mother didn't go, nor did she accept the money. She said, “Our Teacher told us that we must be considerate of others and not add troubles to other people. We are definitely okay.” She walked back and forth in front of them, to demonstrate that she was unharmed. She said, “We are both Falun Gong practitioners. Have you heard about quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations? Heaven is about to destroy the Chinese Communist regime. Did you join the Young Pioneers? As long as you've worn those red scarves, you belong to them. When heaven punishes them, you'll also be implicated. Leave your names with me and I'll help you both to quit the CCP. Also, remember that 'Falun Dafa is good', and that will help you through any difficulties. The wife and husband were touched by her compassion and kindness.
(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Gong in 2006. When I returned home from working in the south in 2007, my father, also a practitioner, was bedridden with sickness karma—he had symptoms of esophageal cancer and would vomit immediately after eating. Although I had just cultivated for a short period, when sending righteous thoughts, I could clearly see the evil through my third eye persecuting my father.
I remembered Master said in “Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”:
“'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them'--then they won't dare to do that. So it can all be resolved. When you can really do that, not just saying it but putting it into action, Master will definitely stand up for you. What's more, there are lots of Fa guardians around Master, there are lots of Buddhas, Daos, and Gods, and there are even greater beings, and they will all participate, because forced persecution that's not acknowledged is a crime, and the cosmos's old laws don't allow it either--irrational persecution absolutely is not allowed, and the old forces don't dare to do it if that is the situation. So you should do things as righteously as you can.”
I wrote the above Fa on a piece of paper for my father so he could read it when he couldn't remember it. Once my mother and I sent righteous thoughts to help eliminate the old force's persecution of my father while he read that paragraph of Fa. I saw through my third eye that on the human side, although he could only read it softly, once he made a sound, it could be heard in the entire three realms. All the rotten ghosts in every layer that participated in torturing his body, including those slightly higher beings that controlled the rotten ghosts, all stopped and stood still, listening to father's voice, that resonated everywhere. Those slightly higher beings' faces were ugly, and they felt dejected as they lost that battle.
Having cultivated for only a year, I wasn't able to help my father overcome his tribulation based on the Fa. He couldn't let go of attachments to self-interest and sentimentality. Regretfully, he was taken away by the old forces. This incident allowed me to experience the power of Dafa, that as long as we believe in Dafa and Teacher whenever we come across any ordeal, Teacher will help us. At that time, I had one thought, “Father has been taken by the old forces, I won't allow it to happen to other practitioners again.”
After one month of my father's death, I heard that practitioner B had “sickness karma” and was sent to the hospital by his family. A practitioner informed everyone to send righteous thoughts for him. The first time I sent righteous thoughts, I saw practitioner B lying in bed while rotten demons were jabbing his body with spears from above, although I had never met practitioner B or knew where he was in the hospital. I then put a shield over his body. Another time when sending righteous thoughts, I saw his primordial spirit being swallowed up by a big python, so I tried to kill it using righteous thoughts. However, I didn't destroy it. Maybe my level was limited at the time. I then pulled practitioner B out of the python's mouth and he had blood all over his body. So I used another supernormal ability to clean him up and his primordial spirit returned to his niwan palace. During this time, we didn't know what practitioner B's family were doing. Another practitioner told us two days later that practitioner B had been cremated by his family. I was so shocked! Actually, when he was in the hospital, after his family heard the doctor say he didn't have a chance of surviving, his family immediately bought an “ice coffin” to freeze his body. Many days later, practitioner B's daughter had a dream of him and he said to her, “I haven't died yet, but you put me into the ice coffin.” When another practitioner told practitioner B's family what I had seen through my third eye, they regretted their actions very much. This was a tragic lesson. However, it shows that when we wholeheartedly send righteous thoughts for our fellow practitioner and form one body, it may also change the old forces' arrangements.
This time I was being persecuted by the old forces. I was busy establishing a truth-clarification materials production site a while ago and began to study the Fa less. As a result, I was taken advantage by the old forces. One night, after I returned home from another practitioner's place, I felt chills throughout my entire body. Then I became hot the next day, before I had a high fever. I was in bed with a severe headache. Two days later, the gums in my mouth became swollen. Then there were blisters everywhere inside my mouth, on my lips and tongue. Afterwards, the roots of my teeth on the bottom right side were swollen towards my ear, my right temple was also in pain and every day I woke up with a mouthful of bloody pus. I couldn't talk or eat and could only drink water for a few days. However, after the blisters broke, I couldn't even drink water; hot or cold water caused me pain. I couldn't eat for several days or get out of bed.
One day, I suddenly thought, “What's the difference between me not being able to eat and father vomiting right after he ate? Aren't they trying to injure my physical body, eventually depriving the human body? I can't acknowledge the old forces arrangements!” Therefore, when I sent righteous thoughts, I said, “I am Master Li Hongzhi's disciple. I do not acknowledge anyone else's arrangements and will only follow my Teacher's arrangements. If I have signed anything in my past lives, I completely negate them and they are all invalid. Everything in my cultivation path is arranged by my Teacher and has no relation with the old forces.”
As soon as I sent out this firm thought, I saw a hand stretching really long, holding a paper. I didn't know what was on it, but I immediately realized it could be an agreement I had signed with the old forces. I instantly burned it in the other dimension. Another time while sending righteous thoughts, as soon as I crossed my legs, I saw an old force being throw a piece of paper at my face, since I had denied their arrangements last time. The being seemed to say, “This is what you have agreed to do for us and now you have betrayed us.” I remained unmoved, so long as it was not arranged by Teacher, I didn't want it and burnt it instead. Afterwards, there were pieces of paper from layer upon layer being thrown at me. I would burn them up completely. However, one time, a paper was made of jade and I couldn't burn it up using normal fire. The being saw me wanting to burn it, so it put its hand behind its back. Although I couldn't burn the jade paper, I had taken back the words on it leaving a blank jade paper, which was finally burnt too.
After sending righteous thoughts to deny the old forces' arrangements, everything was fine two days later—I could eat again, get out of bed to tidy up my room and do laundry as before. Actually, after I practiced Falun Gong, I clearly knew that my entire life belonged to Teacher, that all my things are given by Teacher and Dafa, and it has no relation to any other lives or the old forces. Obviously, our firm faith in Teacher and Dafa is most fearful to the old forces.
Through these experiences, I have the following understandings on eradicating the old forces' arrangements regardless if it is “sickness karma” or other forms of persecution:
1. We should study the Fa well because it is the basis of everything. I would like to suggest that mainland practitioners make an effort to set up a Fa-study group if you haven't done so already. [But still paying attention to safety as Master mentions.] Many practitioners regard physical persecution as tests arranged by Teacher. Whether it is or not, we should make sure by analyzing it from the Fa. Teacher asks us to do the three things well, so all interference that doesn't allow us to do them is not arranged by Teacher. Teacher says that the most urgent thing for practitioners to do is to save people. If we are persecuted and aren't able to walk and are bedridden, isn't this persecution? Can it be called Teacher's arrangements? Would Teacher not let us save people at this time? Isn't it persecution, and the same as practitioners being locked up by the evil.
Teacher said in “Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”:
“Except for newer students, from July 20 of 1999 on, Master hasn't created any personal cultivation tests for you, and that's because overall your personal cultivation has changed in every respect so that it's in the direction of saving sentient beings and validating Dafa.”
2. We should unconditionally believe in Teacher and Dafa; every cell in our body should believe with indestructible and rock-solid faith.
3. Practitioners must cooperate as a whole. Our starting point in sending righteous thoughts to help practitioners in ordeals needs to be correct. I personally understand that the process of us helping other practitioners is a process for us to eliminate and deny the old forces, and a process to assist Teacher in Fa-rectification since the old forces interfering with Teacher's Fa-rectification are not acknowledged by Teacher. Furthermore, they are also persecuting practitioners' physical bodies, attempting to stop practitioners from completing their pledge with Teacher and cultivating through the entire Fa-rectification period. Therefore, when we send righteous thoughts, we should help practitioners from the basic point of eliminating the old forces' arrangements, and not to privately discuss practitioners' attachments, thus unintentionally helping the old forces persecute and push away practitioners in ordeals.
In addition, we must truly help practitioners based on the Fa, instead of human sentimentality.
I hope other mainland practitioners learn from the lessons of practitioners in my city and they can truly help practitioners experiencing ordeals deny the old forces arrangements, so we can complete our mission of saving sentient beings and witness the magnificent time to come ahead together, which won't happen again.
This is my recent enlightenment, so please regard the Fa as Master.
Heshi.
(Clearwisdom.net) I think that one aspect of letting go of self is being able to see other people's hardships as our own. With non-practitioners, this is reflected in our compassion for them. With fellow practitioners, we should try to help them with their problems. Even with our non-practitioner acquaintances, if we are able to help, that's a kind deed (so long as it's within the bounds of a normal relationship and does not affect our doing the three things). However, with fellow disciples, Master said,
“Now when we clarify the truth to others you all feel that we should treat sentient beings with compassion, then all the more so should you be compassionate among our Dafa disciples. You're all disciples in the same practice, and you're giving your all for the cosmos' Fa-rectification, so you should cooperate well with one another. Don't approach things with too many human attachments, and don't cause unnecessary conflicts and arguments by interacting with each other with human attachments. In these situations your conduct should always show Dafa disciples' tolerance, kindness, and niceness. The next person's things are your things,1 and your things are his things.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference")
Moreover, if we see a fellow practitioner struggling with something, it could be an indication of our own shortcoming. Even if it isn't, Master has told us that we must form one body, so if fellow practitioners are experiencing tribulations, we should try and help them, not think badly of them.
Ultimately, all practitioners must do their own cultivation, but support from fellow disciples can definitely help, whereas the opposite can make a tribulation worse. In my understanding, Falun Dafa practitioners should do all they can to help other practitioners who are struggling. If they do not, it is possible that they will even have to bear some responsibility for the losses caused by those disciples.
Please correct anything inappropriate in my understanding.
1 The Chinese word translated here as "things" is very broad, and it can also mean "issue," "business," "problem," "task," "affair," "difficulty," and so on.
(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, I heard that after studying the Fa, practitioners in a local Fa-study group found many problems in their exercise movements and corrected each other. After I heard this, I wondered whether my exercise movements were correct. I opened my eyes while doing the exercises, and found that my hand movements deviated at certain points. When I did “Buddha Maitreya Stretching His Back” during the first set of movements, after I conjoined my hands and raised both hands above my head, the fingers of my hands did not point towards each other when I stretched my body. One of my hands was behind the other. When I did “Vajra Toppling a Mountain”, one of my hands was higher than the other. When I did “Holding the Wheel on Both Sides of the Head” during the second set of movements, one of my hands was also higher than the other and my right forearm was not upright. My hand slightly tilted forward. When I did the fourth set of movements, one of my hands was not at the right position when I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
Before July 20, 1999, when I attended group exercises, someone helped us correct our movements. At that time, I paid attention to my movements. After July 20, 1999, when I practiced the exercises at home, I opened my eyes sometimes and corrected myself if I found problems. However, I found many problems and I did not know when my movements started to deviate. I searched inwards. These past years, I put my attention in studying the Fa, explaining the facts about Falun Dafa, and saving sentient beings. Although I continued to do the exercises, I did not pay attention to whether my movements were correct.
After studying The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa, I felt that I had not diligently studied it before. For example, “Buddha Maitreya Stretching His Back” requires “press upwards with the heels of both palms” (The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa), which I had not realized before. Master also said:
“It’s necessary to do the movements correctly when you first start to do the exercises, or the mechanisms will become distorted ” ( The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa)
Although I have practiced for more than ten years, are all of my movements correct? Do I have a problem which would distort the mechanisms? I think I really need to pay attention to the exercise movements.
Regarding doing the exercises, recently a fellow practitioner said that some practitioners did not use the exercise tape when doing exercises because of the environment around them and other reasons. When doing the third and fourth sets of movements, some practitioners did them by counting and some said they just followed the mechanisms. I wondered: if we were interfered with by all kinds of ordinary people's notions and thoughts while doing the exercises, can we reach the state of a calm heart and no action? Can we form the true “mechanisms”? Can we guarantee that we are doing the exercise exactly nine times?
Cultivation is serious. Doing the exercises is also serious. Master said:
“On the one hand, the exercises are used to strengthen supernormal abilities. What is "strengthening?" It is the reinforcement of your supernormal abilities by your powerful gong potency, thus making them progressively stronger. On the other hand, many living beings need to be developed in your body. ” (Zhuan Falun)
I would like to remind fellow practitioners to check each other or open your eyes to check if our movements are correct.
Clearwisdom Review is a weekly newsletter which presents current news about the persecution and practitioners' events around the world in a colorful and easy to reproduce two-page PDF format. The consistent format allows for duplication on both sides of a single sheet of letter-size paper for easy distribution.
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