Walking Out of the Detention Center with Dignity

(Minghui.org) In 2021, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a big campaign to arrest Falun Dafa practitioners in our area. I was arrested and taken to a detention center because they said I was a key practitioner.

Thanks to Master’s (Falun Dafa’s founder) protection, local and overseas practitioners’ help, a human rights lawyer and my family’s support, I was able to walk out of the detention center with dignity seven months later. I rejoined local practitioners to assist Master in Fa-rectification.

Reinforcing My Righteous Thoughts and Not Cooperating with the Police

When the police broke into my home, I clarified the truth to them for over an hour. As they took me and my husband downstairs, I shouted, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” When I saw my neighbors outside, I shouted, “Please remember that Falun Dafa is good.” The police didn’t stop me from speaking and listened to me quietly.

At the police station, I was determined that I would not write any statements against Dafa or betray any practitioner.

The police interrogated me three times. They asked me when I started practicing Falun Dafa and if I knew a particular practitioner. I refused to answer them or sign anything. The police were very disappointed. I knew I had done well.

At the detention center, negative thoughts kept coming into my mind: My parents could not bear the sudden news of my detention and might pass away. What would my child do without me? I was in heart-wrenching agony for an entire month. I kept eliminating these bad thoughts by sending righteous thoughts.

Another practitioner encouraged me, “This suffering is not in vain. Master is looking after us.” Although I suffered like I was in Hell, I was determined that I would not betray Master, Falun Dafa or practitioners.

I told the inmates to remember the two phrases and asked them to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. When I clarified the truth to them, I felt a warm current flow through my body. I knew Master was encouraging me.

Things Change

I was transferred to another cell. I didn’t want to leave the practitioners in my old cell, but when I had to go, I said, “We have Master and the Fa with us. We have nothing to fear.”

The inmates in the new cell were very happy to see me when they learned that I was a Falun Dafa practitioner. When they saw my swollen feet, they blamed the inmates in the other cell for being inhumane. The cell leaders were two young university students who were very kind. They gave me socks, food and other necessities and asked me to sit on the bench.

When I first met them, I said, “I practice Falun Dafa. Please remember that Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. You will be safe during the pandemic.”

A practitioner named Ying (alias) had practiced for three-and-a-half years. She did the Falun Dafa exercises and sent righteous thoughts right under the surveillance camera. She was steadfast in her belief. She was involved in a car accident in 2012 which injured her face. She recited the two phrases repeatedly for seven days and recovered. She started practicing Falun Dafa and began to clarify the truth to people.

We encouraged each other and recited the Fa together. I said to her, “Don’t acknowledge the persecution. One practitioner was sentenced to three years in the Masanjia Labor Camp. She was released in eighteen months.” I practiced the exercises and sent righteous thoughts. I clarified the truth to the inmates when I had the opportunity.

The guard showed me a list of the Dafa books, printer, etc. that they took from my home. They wanted me to sign a document saying the items were mine. Even though I had fear, I refused to sign it. I told the police calmly, “Falun Dafa is righteous. You will be blessed if you treat Falun Dafa practitioners kindly.” The young guard smiled and left without saying anything.

One day I sat on the bench and recited the Fa.

“As the Righteous Fa spreads,Untold fiends try to impede,Yet sentient beingsdo still gain salvation,And human notions change,The degenerate things purged,Brightness now shines forth.”(“Born Anew,” Hong Yin)

I realized I should change my notions. Even though I was persecuted, I could eliminate karma by suffering hardships, letting go of attachments, and elevating my xinxing. I could also eliminate the evil by sending righteous thoughts. At that moment, my body experienced a shock. I felt something bad leave my body. I didn’t feel sad anymore and felt lighthearted.

Ying told me about someone in her Fa-study group who studied the Fa and cultivated solidly and did the three things well. When I measured myself against this practitioner, I realized I thought being busy doing things and completing tasks was cultivation. My mind wandered while I studied the Fa and I was complacent. My xinxing was not good. I felt this was the reason I was persecuted.

I stayed in this cell for nine days. Everyone was good to me and friendly. I persuaded several inmates to quit the CCP. One day I had a dream where I saw fire falling from the sky into the cell. I told the inmates to repeat the two phrases. They started to recite them. I saw that in another dimension the fire was extinguished and they were saved.

I was transferred to the local detention center nine days later. Before I left, the cell leader agreed to withdraw from the CCP. Ying told me to only think of good things.

Refusing to Say Anything During Interrogations

While I was detained in another city, I was interrogated via video call due to the COVID pandemic. They asked if I knew any practitioners. I said I didn’t. I told them that they didn’t have the final say. They became angry and said, “We will bring your child here. You will stay here forever.”

I was very worried about my child, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I believe Master has the final say.

During the video interrogation, they tried to coerce me and make me admit that I was guilty and should be penalized. I said, “I didn’t commit any crimes. I didn’t do anything that hurts other people. You are persecuting me.” They asked who persecuted me. I shouted, “The CCP!” They became silent. After the interrogation was over, the guard in the corridor said loudly, “She is a determined Falun Dafa practitioner.”

They interrogated me nine times. They said that my husband gave up Falun Dafa and told me to follow suit. My husband was detained at the same time as me. I said, “Everyone makes his or her own choice. That was his choice.” I warned them that good is rewarded and evil punished.

They threatened me and said, “The CCP rightly persecutes you. If you die here, then you are just a pile of protein. What you say today will determine how many years you will be sentenced. If you don’t tell us what we want to know, somebody else will.” I told them I wouldn’t say anything and demanded that they send me back to the cell.

The procuratorate returned my case to the detention center due to insufficient evidence. A guard from the Domestic Security Division continued interrogating and investigating me. I didn’t cooperate with them. In the end, they almost begged me to say something because they knew that I made truth-clarification materials. I said, “Please treasure your lives! Please release me and the other practitioners immediately!”

Letting Go of Attachments Through Memorizing the Fa

There were six practitioners in my cell. The inmates knew Falun Dafa was good and quit the CCP. We got along well. We studied and recited the Fa every day and sent righteous thoughts around the clock. The guards didn’t care.

After I did the chores in the cell, I spent all my remaining time memorizing the Fa, sending righteous thoughts and meditating. I examined myself and found many attachments such as jealousy, resentment, seeking fame, personal gain, etc. I sent righteous thoughts to dissolve the bad elements.

I often lost my temper at home. I knew it was demon nature coming out when I got angry but I could not control myself. I constantly eliminated it until it was gone. I didn’t lose my temper once the entire time (seven months) I was detained. When others lost their temper with me, I didn’t take it to heart and looked inward.

I gradually became less and less attached to my child. Master told us that every being has his or her own fate. Master gave me a hint in my dream that my child was very good and that my husband was good as well, so I should let go of my attachment to them.

Through constantly memorizing the Fa, every practitioner had stronger righteous thoughts. We didn’t acknowledge the persecution. We knew Master was taking care of us.

I shared the cell with the practitioner who I looked down on and the practitioner who I was jealous of. I eliminated my negative thoughts—we memorized the Fa and looked within together. The bonds among practitioners are sacred. We should cherish each other, help each other, cultivate diligently together and fulfill the mission of saving sentient beings so we can return to our heavenly homes.

Walking Out of the Detention Center with Righteous Thoughts

When I heard that other practitioners hired lawyers, I wanted to as well. One day a guard said, “Your trial is coming up soon. Your child wants to defend you.” I was surprised and said, “No need. I will defend myself.” He showed me three copies of the Letter of Authorization and asked me to sign them.

However, I saw a human rights lawyer’s name instead of my child’s name there. The other practitioner said, “See, practitioners are so good. They hired a lawyer for you.” I was very thankful to the practitioners who got me an attorney. I had a bad feeling that the practitioners who were not jailed and my family members deserted me, so when I learned they got me an attorney, it really boosted my morale.

Some practitioners got the complaint while I didn’t. My heart was moved and I asked a practitioner when I could go home. She said, “You can go home when you have cultivated well enough.”

A practitioner’s lawyer visited her and was going to apply for bail pending trial for her. I didn’t want my lawyer to do that for me and I demanded that I be released unconditionally.

On the third day I didn’t take a nap. Instead, I sent righteous thoughts that I would be unconditionally released. In the afternoon a guard shouted my name outside the cell, “Pack up quickly. You will be released.” Everyone thought it was a joke. One inmate confirmed with the guard who repeated what he said before.

I told the inmates, “Please remember that Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”

I told the guard, “Please remember that Falun Dafa is good.” Every time I was illegally interrogated, I told the guards who brought me out to remember that Falun Dafa is good. Many of them were good people. Some listened to me quietly and some said that they knew Falun Dafa practitioners were kind.

Since my release happened very suddenly, the detention center notified my family members to come to pick me up in a hurry. I waited in the reception room for half an hour before they came.

Thanks to Master’s protection and the help of fellow practitioners, the human rights lawyer and my family, I walked out of the detention center with dignity.