(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1996. Over ten years of cultivation practice, I fully understand that as long as we believe in Master and conduct ourselves with righteous thoughts and righteous actions, no tests can defeat us.

I would like to share with you my experience of taking the Fa as Master and eliminating tribulations under Master's merciful protection. Let's witness together the almighty compassion and greatness of our esteemed Master.

Breaking Out of the Labor Camp with Righteous Thoughts

I was sentenced to three years of forced labor in August 2002 for distributing truth-clarification materials and was persecuted at Masanjia Labor Camp for three years and three months. Just like Master describes, “China’s Labor Re-education Camps are dark dens of evil forces.” (“Suffocate the Evil” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

The authorities often exert brutal punishment and torture of steadfast practitioners under the name of “transformation.” During the end of 2002 and into 2003, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched two extremely vicious rounds of “Battle with the stubborn” to persecute Dafa disciples, including me. In addition, they tried several times in a year to forcefully “transform” me. I was forced to endure various tortures, including squatting, standing, sleep deprivation and hanging for more than 10 days, sometimes 20 days in one setting. The torture also included tying my legs in the lotus position and leaving me in the cold for several days.

During those days, I often felt that Master was suffering for me. For example, I could normally endure only an hour of sitting in the lotus position, but during torture, I was able to make it with my legs being tied in lotus position for a week. Another example: during the cold north eastern winter, I was left outside wearing nothing but a thin shirt. The guards wore down coats and took hourly shifts to watch me, but they all caught a cold except me. After repeated torture, I came to realize that blindly accepting torture could not disintegrate the persecution; I must end it by understanding the Fa from the Fa.

Reading Master's Fa,

During the Fa-rectification, Dafa disciples have a different situation from when personal cultivation was done in the past. In the face of the groundless harming, in the face of the persecution of Dafa, and in the face of the injustice forced upon us, we cannot handle things or categorically accept things as before in personal cultivation, because Dafa disciples are now in the Fa-rectification period.” (“Fa-Rectification and Cultivation” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

I came to realize that I could not let them torture me at will. Therefore, guided by the Fa, I started my journey of resisting the persecution. Now I have truly understood Master's words,

When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide
(“The Master-Disciple Bond” in Hong Yin Vol. II)

Break through the Persecution with Righteous Thoughts

In April 2004, because of my steadfast belief, the authorities wanted to label me “mentally ill” to increase the persecution against me. They publicized that I became mentally ill, and informed my family to pay for my treatment. These people were so vicious that they would not only persecute me, but also my family. They kept my family from seeing me for a long time, making them even more anxious.

Should I cooperate with them and go to the mental hospital? In order to completely break through their lies, I decided to turn their trick against them. I decided that not only would I go to the hospital, but I would also soberly and rationally clarify the truth to the doctors and expose the persecution, and obtain an authorized certificate that I am not mentally ill.

Having made up my mind, I let them take me to the hospital. In front of the medical expert, I told him about the tortures I had suffered in the labor camp and the mental persecution, including being separated from my family for long periods of time and the guards' framing me as being mentally ill. Because of my righteous thoughts to prove myself normal, clarify the facts and save people by exposing the persecution, my mind was sharp and clear under Master's strengthening. In the end, I said, “I need your authorized certificate to prove that I'm not mentally ill.” The expert replied, “Take a psychology test. I will give you a fair diagnosis.”

Under Master's protection, I finished the psychology test quickly and accurately. The diagnosis was issued in a moment: normal. The lie fell apart. With the authorized certificate, the evil could not find excuses to harm me any more.

Exposing the Persecution in the Visiting Room with Righteous Thoughts

From the “mentally ill” experience, I have seen that the evil is capable of doing anything. So I developed the thought to tell my family about everything I had suffered in detention, and let them witness the evidence of the evil persecution. In the past, I intentionally kept my sufferings to myself in order not to worry my family; now I know it was wrong to think that way. I should expose the persecution to the entire world, and follow Master's Fa to expose it.

I prepared what I would say and added a thought: “Let the two people who have persecuted me the most escort me, so I can tell them to their faces.” I pleaded in my heart, “Master, Please arrange this for me!” The next day, my family was suddenly allowed to visit me. Furthermore, the captain suddenly fell ill and couldn't take me to meet my family, so the two persecutors escorted me. Everything was developing according to my plan.

During the visit, when the two chiefs spoke, I seized the moment and stood up, telling them loudly, “Just because I believe in Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, you have forced me to squat, to stand, and forbid me to sleep. You hung me up and left me in the cold during winter...” All the guards in the visiting room panicked and tried to move me out of the room, but many visitors stood up and encircled me. I struggled to gain my way back and continued, “If I die here some day, you must avenge me by telling the truth!” I concluded with a shout, “Falun Dafa is good!” as I exited the room. Everything was arranged by Master to accommodate the thought of mine the other day. Except for the last statement “Falun Dafa is good,” everything played out exactly the way I had planned. Master's power is boundless! Master has the say in everything!

The two evildoers who followed me back said, “This time your righteous thoughts are strong. No one dares to harm you any more.” I knew it was Master using their mouths to encourage me. Master forbade the evil to persecute me anymore. Indeed, as it turned out, the visiting room episode did not bring me any additional persecution. Moreover, on my way back that day, I felt that my whole body was light and I could walk very fast and lightly. I felt Falun constantly rotating over my ears that night. I felt I was extremely tall as if Masanjia were under my feet. I achieved a tranquil mind in an instant and it was a wonderful experience that I had never had before. I knew Master was encouraging me!

Negating the Evil and Protesting the Persecution Collectively

By late 2004, as the Fa-rectification progressed, we sometimes were able to read Master's new articles despite the harsh environment. Practitioners exchanged understandings, and our understanding of how to resist the persecution improved.

Master said,

“No matter what the situation, do not cooperate with the evil’s demands, orders, or what it instigates. If everyone does this the environment won’t be this way.” (“Dafa Disciples’ Righteous Thoughts are Powerful” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

We realized that obeying the commands of the authorities and participating in forced labor was acknowledging the persecution and cooperating with the evil. Furthermore, only by refusing it could we truly reject the evil, and only by demanding our unconditional release could we truly resist the persecution and save sentient beings.

My understandings of the Fa principles were straightened out. With such righteous thoughts as “Good people should not be locked up in labor camps,” “Believing in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is not a crime,” “I should not be locked up here; it is they who are committing crimes,” I refused to work and expressed my demand to be unconditionally released because I'm innocent of any wrongdoing. Soon, all practitioners in the entire squad and the entire division, as well as two other squads, joined the effort of resisting the persecution with righteous thoughts. Guided by the Fa,

“The Fa power of their righteous thoughts
pounds the demons’ dens”
(“Besiege and Annihilate” in Hong Yin Vol. II)

we refused to work or wear the prison uniform.

No matter how insanely the authorities persecuted us and tried to intimidate us, we were not shaken. The labor camp authorities had to return all work orders. They put all the practitioners who refused to work and wear the prison uniform in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions, and the 1st and 2nd Division became Strictly-Controlled divisions. Each division consisted of six squads, and were equipped with two female guards and one male guard watching over 40 practitioners in two separate rooms. The authorities forbade us to eat in the dining hall, walk in our rooms or talk with each other.

During this effort, I was locked up in a small cell for refusing to wear the uniform. I suffered force-feeding and beatings for carrying out hunger strikes to protest the unreasonable restrictions of personal freedom. In my room, more than twenty practitioners were forced to sit on the floor without a mat for half a year. No matter what tactics they set out to do, including extending our terms, nothing shook our righteous thoughts of disintegrating the labor camp.

Master said,

“It's cultivation, so don't be intimidated by difficulties. No matter what, no matter how hard it is, you are definitely able to come through on the path given to you by Master. (Applause) As long as you raise your xinxing you can make it through.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference” 2003)

As fellow practitioners and I were carrying on anti-persecution efforts inside the labor camp, my mother, who is also a practitioner, started trying to rescue me by exposing the persecution on the outside. She wrote about what I had suffered in the labor camp in a letter of accusation and mailed it to the relevant departments. She repeatedly visited the provincial Procuratorate to expose the labor camp's criminal acts of seriously violating the criminal law. The provincial Procuratorate heard the accusations and came to the labor camp to investigate and verify.

I truthfully revealed all the persecution I had suffered in the labor camp. Because our resistance was based on the Fa, under Master's strengthening, the Procuratorate filed a case and voided my term extension. I was finally able to break out of the labor camp in November 2005.

Returning to Work after Thoroughly Clarifying the Facts

At the end of 2005, the first test after over three years of forced labor was getting back to work. I was a music teacher in an elementary school. Upon my release, I needed the Education Department to allow me to go back to work.

My mother and I exchanged our understandings and came to an agreement that, all I needed was to do the three things well following the requirements of Master's Fa. First, I should study the Fa more and do the exercises more to make up for all the losses during the persecution in the labor camp. Then, I should send forth righteous thoughts more to negate the old forces' arrangements and disintegrate all the evil beings that were trying to persecute me and keeping me from going back to work. Thirdly, I should be clear that the process of searching for a job is one of exposing the persecution. The process of truth-clarification and saving people requires me to let go of my human attachments and take the results lightly, do well what I'm supposed to do and believe that everything is up to Master's arrangement.

Therefore, I started truth clarification in the form of writing letters to the director and deputy director of the Education Department. In my letter, I focused on my personal sufferings of corporal punishment and torture to help people understand how evil the persecution against Dafa disciples is. In addition, by describing my physical and mental pain and that of my family during the persecution, I tried to awaken people's conscience and sympathy. I also described my exemplary work history, and the fact that I had received an award for excellence as a teacher. In combination with the relevant provisions of the law, I said that I hoped the upper management of the department would resolve my job search properly, and I sincerely expressed my desire to return to work.

Following Master's requirements of “Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth3 with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy....” (“Rationality” in Essentials for Further Advancement II) I displayed to people a Dafa disciple's indomitable spirit. In the end, management told me, “Take a break first, your work will be arranged next semester.”

At the beginning of the following semester, I went to the Education Department but was told, “Your work files have been transferred to the city, that will arrange your work.” This meant I would have to leave the education field. This was another form of persecution against me, using people to commit crimes against a Dafa disciple. I could not acknowledge this.

Since my job had to be decided by the city, I needed to clarify the facts to a higher level. Master said, “Wherever a problem arises, that's where you need to clarify the facts.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference” 2003)

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have the opportunity to clarify the facts to this level of government even if I wanted to, but the current situation gave me the excuse of “job search” to clarify the facts to them. At the same time, I enlightened that Master was using the “job arrangement” matter to give them an opportunity to know the truth. Therefore, I sent the same letter to the secretary of the municipal party committee, the mayor, and the personnel officer, and strengthened my righteous thoughts: “Forbid the evil from manipulating people to commit crimes against Dafa, continue to eliminate the evil in other dimensions that are persecuting me.”

I heard that my files had been sent to the Bureau of Parks. I thought I would follow Master's arrangements and go wherever I am needed. I continued sending forth righteous thoughts.

In June, I finally heard that my work files were transferred back to the Education Department. I returned to my original school and started teaching again. My salary for the six months of searching was also paid.

During this process, I did not use any everyday people's methods of pulling strings. My job was restored without my having to spend a penny.

This once again proved that, amidst tribulations, only by steadfastly believing in Master and walking the path of Fa-rectification righteously can one break through the evil's persecution.

The Brainwashing Center Dared Not Accept Me

At 8 a.m. on September 18, 2011, I was working at school when someone told me, “The Secretary is looking for you, come with me.” As I walked upstairs, a group of people walked toward me. I saw among them three strong middle-aged men that I didn't recognize, as well as the party secretary of the school.

One man said, “We are from the Committee of Political and Legislative Affairs and the Domestic Security Division. We're taking you to the provincial reeducation class. It will last a month, and we have informed the Education Department.”

I was alarmed immediately – isn't this abduction to a brainwashing center? I said, “I'm not going.” The leader of the three men said viciously, “We came here today to take you. You will go no matter what.” He signaled the other two men and all three of them seized me and dragged me downstairs. As soon as I shouted, “Falun Dafa is good!” a hand covered my mouth and I couldn't make a sound. They dragged me to the gate of the school and I saw a large bulletproof police vehicle that had “SWAT” written on it parked in front of the gate. What a big action they were taking!

I had no fear. In the vehicle, I demanded their names and scolded them for arresting good people like me in the school, while leaving bad people alone. Later on I found out that one of the three men was the head of the Domestic Security Division, another was the political instructor of the Domestic Security Division, and the third was the director of the Office of Stability Maintenance. There were two other people in the vehicle. An additional man got in the vehicle later on, who turned out to be the head of the City's 610 Office.

Two practitioners besides me were arrested too. The three of us constantly clarified the facts to the men in the vehicle and told them the principle that good is rewarded with good and evil meets with karmic retribution. I sent forth righteous thoughts non-stop, “Eliminate all evil that persecutes Dafa disciples. 'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them.'” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”) I made up my mind that I would absolutely not cooperate with the evil and would validate the Fa no matter where I was.

When we arrived at the brainwashing center. I started shouting “Falun Dafa is good” as soon as I got out of the vehicle and continued shouting wherever I went, non-stop. In the anteroom, I opened the window and continued shouting. My righteous thoughts were very strong and I had no fear. I was not shaken by any of the evildoer's threats. I loudly pleaded that heaven and earth and the heavenly beings be my witness, and knelt before the window and vowed for Master, “Master, today your disciple will make you proud.” I stood up and felt my body full of energy. Wisdom poured out with my righteous thoughts and every sentence of mine hit the evil on the head.

I stood arms spread and walked back and forth in the anteroom, loudly reciting the poems – “Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions” and “When the Fa Rectifies the Human World” (from Hong Yin Vol. II) repeatedly. I recited “Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions” to let everyone feel Dafa's majesty and divinity and Dafa disciple's fearless and unstoppable faith. I recited, “When the Fa Rectifies the Human World” because even though my third eye was not open and I couldn't see anything in other dimensions, I knew every sentence of Master's Fa was powerful.

I told the brainwashing center staff that this place was a notorious den that turned good people into bad people. I wanted to reveal the true face of the “Thoughts Education School” and let people see through the true nature of the brainwashing center. When the head of the brainwashing center asked the head of the 610 Office while pointing at me, “Has she been in there yet?” I immediately told her I had been persecuted in Masanjia for three years and three months, and that I had been tortured, including being hung up, frozen, forced to squat and stand for long periods, and deprived of sleep.

While filing paperwork, the head of the brainwashing center pointed at me and said, “Her, we won't accept. Not only can we not “transform” her, but we'll also risk losing others to her influence.”

I knew this agreed with the example Master gave in “Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference.” I knew the evil dared not accept me. But my heart was not moved and I did not develop any attachment to zealotry. I continued to recite the Fa loudly, even in the hallway.

The head of the brainwashing center yelled at the people that escorted me, “Why are you still letting her shout here? Take her with you.” The director of the Office of Stability Maintenance dragged me and said hastily, “Stop shouting. They will sentence you.” My thoughts were, “As long as I'm doing what's right, Master will call the shots.” So I continued shouting and reciting the Fa non-stop until they put me back into the vehicle.

Master said,

Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos’s Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples’ rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil, and the light of Truth it emanates makes the unrighteous elements in all beings’ thoughts disintegrate. However strong the righteous thoughts are, that’s how great the power is. Dafa disciples are truly stepping forward out of ordinary humanness.” (“Also in a Few Words” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

My breaking out of the brainwashing center with righteous thoughts shocked the people that had brought me there. The evil elements were gone. The driver got in the vehicle and said excitedly, “Today was eye-opening for me!” Other people followed him into the vehicle also said, “Learned something. I indeed learned something today.”

On the way back, the driver said to the head of the Domestic Security Division, “In the future, don't call me for this kind of thing. I won't do it anymore.” The latter also said to the director of the Office of Stability Maintenance, “Don't call us any more for this kind of thing in the future.” The director said, “We won't send people here anymore.”

Only the head of the 610 Office remained unchanged. Failing to have delivered me to the brainwashing center, he got in the vehicle and tried to hit me. People stopped him. He ordered the head of the Domestic Security Division to gather materials about me in seven days so he could have me sentenced. As soon as he got out of the vehicle, the latter said, “Would arrests and sentencing all be carried out just on his words? Does he have the say? What kind of person is he!” Their righteous thoughts emerged. I was truly happy for them.

An act of persecution vanished into the thin air under Master's protection. I was driven back to my workplace at 4 p.m. and it was time to go home. So I went home.

Master said,

“The fruits of your cultivation, your position, your mighty virtue, and everything of your future is also established in this opportunity of Fa-rectification. Then, if you don't do everything well, you're really letting yourself down!” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston”)

Let's advance diligently in the Fa and walk more steadfastly on the path of assisting Master to rectify the Fa!