Minghui—A Beacon in the Darkness, the Home of Falun Dafa Practitioners

(Minghui.org) After the historic appeal by 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners outside the central government compound on April 25, 1999, it was even more unclear whether or not we could continue to practice Dafa in China.

An older practitioner at my practice site shared his view that the regime wouldn’t let the appeal go so easily (without seeking retaliation). I was still young and hadn’t lived through the Cultural Revolution under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Deeply impressed by the compassion and courage demonstrated by the practitioners in the appeal, I didn’t take his words to heart, and I didn’t understand what “persecution” meant.

A practitioner who had a computer at home later told me that a new website called Minghui had been set up in the U.S. and that it had news about Dafa from both inside and outside of China. Back then, the CCP hadn’t yet created the internet firewall. As long as we were connected to the internet, we could browse any website, both inside and outside of China.

Before I got a chance to read any Minghui articles Dafa practitioners had written about the current events, that practitioner moved to another city. Personal computers were quite expensive back then, and no other local practitioners had one, so we lost our access to the site before the persecution started.

When the CCP launched the persecution on July 20, 1999, all the media in China, including TV, radio, and newspapers, were filled with propaganda that slandered Dafa and Master Li, the founder of the practice. Most of the coordinators at local practice sites were arrested. Some didn’t dare to contact us after they were released. All the channels through which we had received and distributed Master’s articles and books were cut off. Officials where we worked and residential committees kept pressuring us not to contact each other, not to get together for our regular practice sessions, and not to go to the government to appeal.

It was very difficult for us to exchange information or deliver Master’s books and lectures. We all longed for Master to publish new articles to guide us, only to then receive fake lectures circulated by CCP agents. After that incident, our desire to get access to Minghui grew even stronger. We believed that Minghui would provide us with the most authentic and accurate news about Dafa, as well as sharing articles by other practitioners about what we should do in China.

Without access to factual information, we explored our path in total darkness, surrounded by all kinds of danger. Getting onto Minghui became our sincerest wish.

In the spring of 2000, I found an internet cafe, a phenomenon that began to emerge in China with the rapid development of technology. We didn’t have to show our IDs, and it cost only one or two yuan to browse the internet for an hour. I sat down in front of the computer, navigated my way onto a proxy server (the CCP had already enacted the internet blockade by then) and finally got onto Minghui! I was so happy when I saw Master’s photo! I tried my best to contain my joy so that the people around me wouldn’t notice what I was reading.

Thinking about it now, I can still remember how excited I was to read Master’s new articles. That was the first time I was able to access Minghui.org. In the darkest days of the persecution, that sense of happiness despite the danger around me was unforgettable.

In that endless darkness where I couldn’t see the path before me, I suddenly saw a beam of light. Having endured being separated from fellow practitioners and hated by my family members and friends, Minghui lit up my heart and melted away my profound sense of loneliness. It was like an oasis in the desert, a beacon in the dark, and our most trustworthy home.

Not long after that, fellow practitioners and I began to acquire our own computers. We have never lost contact with Minghui since. Every day, we would read experience-sharing articles on Minghui. Also, because we were able to read the articles every day, we didn’t feel lonely despite the harsh persecution and separation from other practitioners. It always encourages us to see so many practitioners around the world still cultivating with strong faith in the Fa. It also helps to strengthen our own faith and gives us courage to face the persecution head-on and clarify the facts about Dafa to those who harass us.

After I was arrested and lost my computer when my home was raided, I always thought about how to get a new computer and find ways to connect to Minghui after I was released. It usually wouldn’t take me longer than a week to set up the computer and install all the required security software to browse Minghui.

Every time I visit Minghui, I’m always touched to see the pure and clean layout, Master’s photo that is so compassionate and majestic, as well as genuine sharing from fellow practitioners.

Minghui.org, the one-of-a-kind lighthouse for the soul and “base camp” for millions of Dafa practitioners, will forever shine in the new, eternal universe.