(Minghui.org) I was arrested and detained in a city detention center in 2004. I am a good person and conduct myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, so even though I was incarcerated I knew I was not a criminal. I was determined to fulfill my mission of clarifying the truth to people no matter where I was.
As soon as I entered the cell I greeted everyone warmly. The inmates said, “You must be a Falun Gong practitioner, only they are calm when they are sent here.” They chatted with me and told me moving stories of Falun Gong practitioners who were previously detained there. They said the practitioners were heroes, and said how good they were, and that they were not afraid of the guards. They persisted in doing the exercises.
Good People are Locked up in Prison
I was particularly touched by one story: In the early years when the persecution first started, many practitioners were sent to this detention center. When they tried to do the Falun Dafa exercises the guards stopped them, and retaliated by torturing them and subjecting them to physical punishment. None of these tactics worked. One day, several armed police came and called for these practitioners to come out of the cell. They walked out, unafraid. Prisoners who were not practitioners, including criminals with heavy sentences wearing shackles on their legs, said they were Falun Gong practitioners who courageously walked out of the cell. The police officers scolded and beat the practitioners. The practitioners did not relent. In the end, the detention center had no choice but to turn a blind eye to these practitioners when they did the exercises. Their steadfast behavior changed the environment. The practitioners who were sent there afterwards were able to do the exercises.
Several inmates joined us when we did the exercises every day. We taught them to memorize poems written by Master Li, and sang songs written by practitioners. Most prisoners think they were unjustly accused, but when they learned the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong, they felt that practitioners suffered greater injustices because they were acting in the interest of others. In comparison, the prisoners’ felt that their own grievances were minor because they were pursuing personal gain.
One evening, guards and visitors came to inspect the detention center. When they came to the cell where practitioners were locked up, everyone sang a song written by Falun Gong practitioners in chorus, “Good people are locked up in prison, they are not allowed to speak the truth, it has become a crime to tell others to do good...” The guards and visitors turned around and walked away.
If I Hadn’t Been Detained I Wouldn’t Have Known About Falun Gong
A kindergarten teacher who was charged with “illegal fund raising” was being held at this detention center. When she learned that several prisoners were Falun Gong practitioners, she said she had never heard of Falun Gong before because she was busy. We explained to her what Falun Gong is and told her the benefits of the practice. She was interested in finding out more and often asked me to tell her more about the practice.
She wanted to memorize the teachings. I recited “On Dafa” and she asked me to write it down so that she could memorize it. She hid under the blanket that night and memorized the article. That was Christmas day. The next morning, she told me she had memorized it. I then taught her the poems in Hong Yin.
One day, practitioners outside managed to send in Master’s new articles. I shared them with the kindergarten teacher. She was moved after reading them and said she would print them and pass them on to her friends, including those who work in Public Security, when she was released from detention. One time, the detention center was collecting information on how many practitioners were in each cell. A guard opened the window to our cell and asked, “How many practitioners are in here?” She promptly gave them a figure counting herself as a practitioner.
Her uterus had to be removed years ago. However, after she learned to recite and memorize the Falun Gong teachings, her period started. She thought Falun Gong was extraordinary.
The court later found that she was innocent, and she was released. The police officer who handled her case apologized for the mistake. She said, “I should thank you. If I hadn’t been detained I wouldn’t have known about Falun Gong.”
You Talk About the Issue of Killing Too?
A tour guide initially avoided us when she learned we were Falun Gong practitioners. When someone asked why she was in prison, she said she had poured hot oil on her husband after she learned he had an affair. She then tried to kill herself by slashing her wrists.
When I overheard her story I could not help but say, “Killing oneself is a crime.” She said in surprise, “Falun Gong talks about this too?” I explained what Falun Gong is, and that the teachings forbid killing. She said, “I used to believe the official propaganda, so when I heard you say you practiced Falun Gong, I was terrified and avoided you.” She also said she used to take tourists from Taiwan to the giant Buddha statue in Leshan City. When the tourists tried to meditate there, she always stopped them. She even threatened to report them to the police.
She was on good terms with practitioners after learning the truth about the practice. She even told us she saw things with her celestial eye.
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