(Minghui.org) Ten years ago, I was persecuted by a particular police officer. I remember clearly how the officer found me, took me home, and ransacked my house. He grabbed my house keys and unlocked the door, saying, “We have a search warrant.” The rest of the officers searched my house, while he recorded it all on a video camera. He ordered me to face the camera. I said that the persecution of Falun Gong was illegal, that what they were doing that day was illegal and would be remembered, and that they would all be held accountable for their actions. I clearly remember how disdainful he looked when I said that.

I was taken to the police station and interrogated. He tried to make me reveal who had given me my Falun Gong materials, one minute threatening me and the next pretending to be friendly. He said I would be released if I cooperated but would be sent to the detention center if I refused. In the end, I said, “All those things belong to me!”

He threw his pen down angrily and gave me a threatening look as if to say, “Just wait until you get to the detention center.” At 2 a.m., I was admitted to the detention center after having a physical exam. The next morning, the officer came to the detention center to interrogate me again. He sneered at me, and said “How is it going?” I replied calmly, “It’s all right.” His face changed instantly and he said, “Not bad.”

I remember the details very clearly, so you can imagine what a deep impression this officer had on me. I remember when I told him about Falun Gong, he didn’t care at all and was determined to attack Falun Gong and anyone who practiced it. I felt that there was no hope for him. 

I was sentenced to several years in prison. That was ten years ago.

During the past ten years, I would sometimes think about that officer and get very angry. Later, by cultivating Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, I gradually let go of my resentment for this officer and those who sentenced me to prison. I felt that they were the real victims. No matter how hard it was for me, I was just losing my freedom and benefits in the human world. I knew what my purpose was. Even if I lost my freedom, I knew it was only temporary. The high prison walls could not steal the freedom in my heart and mind. On the other hand, these people were just passively going along with the persecution. If they don’t wake up in time, they will be held accountable for everything they do. Thinking of this, I asked myself, "Do I, as a Falun Gong practitioner, have compassion for him?" The answer made me uneasy and ashamed. So this year, when I suddenly thought about those who arrested me back then, I wanted to run into them again.

Then one morning, quite unexpectedly, I met this officer. He was supposed to stop me and there were many plainclothes police officers nearby. I was actually very happy to see him (this didn’t mean I approved of his behavior). I asked him, “How come you’re here?” Seeing me greeting him warmly, he replied happily, “Why can’t I be here? Come, let’s sit down and talk!” He gestured to some nearby stone steps and I sat down. He said, “It’s been ten years and I met my old friend again!” I replied, “Yes, it’s been ten years. How time flies!”

After a few pleasantries, I said, “Do you remember when you arrested me ten years ago, you were so vicious? I couldn’t believe it because I felt that we didn’t have any conflicts, so why were you so vicious?” When he heard this, he sighed, “We didn’t have any conflicts. Things have changed. You’re not the same person you were ten years ago, and neither am I.”

The tension between us suddenly relaxed. He said, “Some of the people are no longer around. There are fewer of you guys.” I said, “It’s not what you think. More and more people now understand about Falun Gong and have started practicing it. You think there are fewer people because you only know about those who practiced it back then, and some of them died during the persecution.” He didn’t argue. I could see that he didn’t have doubts about Falun Gong’s health benefits or mock those practitioners who died due to illnesses. He seemed mentally conflicted when he spoke about practitioners who had died. I felt that even though he had previously arrested and interrogated me, he still didn’t understand me. So, I told him why I practiced Falun Gong, and he listened attentively.

I told him that everyone has their own reason for practicing Falun Gong. I said, “I had been searching for a way to escape from life and death since I was very young. I saw the older generations living a busy life, not knowing why they were busy, yet they could not escape the inevitable end. I thought this is not how life should end. If we all have the same end, no matter how you live your life, then what is the meaning of life? I got very depressed, especially when I saw people my age who didn’t have the same thoughts as me. So not only was I depressed, but I was also very lonely. If I hadn’t started practicing Falun Gong, I would have either gone to a famous mountain, ancient temple, or a deep forest to seek immortality, or I would have become a monk. But I’d probably have ended up like the actress who played Lin Daiyu in the TV series ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ [who quit acting, eventually became a monk, and died shortly afterward] because true cultivators cannot find what they’re looking for in today’s monasteries and Taoist temples. On the contrary, the chaos there will make people completely disillusioned.”

I continued, “Falun Gong taught me the purpose of living and the true meaning of life. It changed my pessimistic mentality and I was able to live an active life following Falun Gong’s principles. So that time when you put me in jail, even though I lost some material things, I didn’t take it too seriously, because these things were not what I was pursuing in the first place (even though I didn’t deserve to go to jail or lose these things).”

I then told him briefly about the persecution I’d suffered in prison. He recoiled, not believing that what I said was possible. I said, “I guarantee it with my character, there’s no reason for me to lie to you.” Later, when I told him in detail about the persecution, he was calm and said, “You never want to go there again, right?” but I didn’t reply. I said, “I couldn’t bear the persecution and torture in prison, so I lied and renounced Falun Gong against my will. I was in so much mental anguish and pain after that.”

He was silent for a while when I’d finished talking but I sensed no ridicule or disdain from him. I suddenly realized that in my heart I no longer blamed him for the illegal arrest that led to my wrongful imprisonment and the torture of my body and conscience. For the first time, I felt that the resentment and hatred in my heart towards those people and things that I thought were unforgivable had actually been washed away, little by little, by Falun Gong’s principles during the process of my cultivation.

Then I said to him, “Let me tell you something important.” He looked at me and I asked, “Do you know how to bypass the firewall?” He said yes. I said, “Then go online and withdraw from the Communist Party, the Youth League, and the Young Pioneers.” When he heard this, his expression changed, and he said, “You’re telling me this again!” I told him that he had to quit these organizations as a matter of life and death.” I told him that the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, Marx, believed in a cult and that the Communist Party was a specter from the West, and I explained some of the history of the evil party. He said, “It’s okay for you to tell me this, but if you tell others and they report you, what will you do?” I said, “You have to believe that there are many good people in this world.”

He told me some of his views, although he did not explicitly say he would quit. I asked him if he had read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party,” and he said he had. I then asked him if he had read Master’s article, “How Humankind Came To Be,” published last year, and he said he had. I told him to read it a few more times.

We talked a lot afterward, and I felt that he opened up his heart. He also talked about his family and said that he planned to retire in a few years. I said, “Look, even though it’s your job, you can’t keep doing it for the next few years. The persecution of Falun Gong will end, but life is long. You can’t delay this important thing (quitting the CCP) because of work. Besides, you can’t take anything with you at the end of your life. You really need to think about your future.”

After I finished speaking, he thought about things for a long time, and I felt that my words had touched him. When we finally said goodbye, I told him, “I’m really happy I saw you today!” He said apologetically, “Don’t say that!” He also said, “It’s better for us to meet less often.” (He meant that he doesn’t want to meet any more, in case he is involved in the persecution again.)

This meeting and conversation with the officer left a big impression on me. In the past ten years, Master has extended the time for sentient beings to be saved. With Master’s protection, Dafa disciples have continued to tell people about Falun Gong while enduring the persecution. The change in the police officer let me truly feel Master’s compassion and that more and more people are awakening to the truth about Dafa. This reminds me of an ordinary person’s greeting to Master during the New Year, “We believe that as long as there is Falun Gong, there will be hope for this society.” 

Yes, as long as there is Falun Gong, there will be hope for the world.