(Clearwisdom.net)

It was heart wrenching to read on the web that the number of practitioners being tortured to death has dramatically increased recently. I would like to share my understanding on this issue.

I was moved to tears when I read Teacher's article "Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful," because we can use our supernormal abilities to eliminate the evil and protect ourselves so that we can do a better job with Fa-rectification. I also came to understand that Falun Dafa practitioners shouldn't be arrested, beaten and persecuted for doing Fa-rectification work, since "good or evil comes from a person's spontaneous thought" (Zhuan Falun).

This summer, several fellow practitioners and I were arrested while distributing truth-clarifying literature. One of the practitioners said to the police, "You shouldn't arrest us. We are here to clarify the truth and to save people. You'll receive retribution if you arrest us and beat us to death." I felt uncomfortable with what she said. I thought, "Now is the time for us Falun Dafa practitioners to eliminate evil. How can we be beaten to death by human beings?" I wanted to correct her, but she did talk about retribution, which was correct. So I didn't say a word and just kept sending forth righteous thoughts together with my fellow practitioners to eliminate the evil. Later, the police sent this practitioner to a detention center, and they tortured her to death within two weeks. Now I feel regret whenever I think of her. Why didn't I correct her at the time?

We do not fear death. We can give up anything, even our lives, to uphold the truth of the universe. Teacher said, "Even if a Dafa cultivator truly casts off his human skin during the persecution, what awaits him is still Consummation" ("Dafa is Indestructible"). Teacher also said, "In order to lessen the persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples, I have asked disciples to send forth righteous thoughts to clear away the damage these beings have deliberately done to the Fa-rectification, thereby lessening what Dafa disciples should not endure during the persecution and, at the same time, saving all beings and consummating Dafa disciples' paradises" ("The Effect of Righteous Thoughts"). I came to understand that the evil forces have been trying to take advantage of our fear. Thus, we need to face up to those vicious people when they persecute us and totally eradicate the evil factors behind the persecution. We need to get rid of our ordinary people's notions and constantly keep righteous thoughts in our minds, so that we won't leave any openings for the evil to exploit. During the Fa-rectification period, all of the persecution against us is persecution against the righteous Fa, which is not tolerated by the heavenly principles. Besides, "It's not only you who does the eliminating; if a cultivator can't eliminate it, Gods--including higher Gods--also need to take part in eliminating it" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2001 Canada Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference").

Firmly believing in Teacher's words, constantly holding powerful righteous thoughts, and completely eliminating the evil, we can overcome any danger. When I was being held in the detention center, my ordinary people's notions surfaced often. I was once detained in a forced labor camp for one year because I went to Beijing to appeal to the government to stop persecuting Falun Gong. As I was again arrested for distributing truth-clarifying literature, I thought it was very likely that I would get a three-year, or even a five-year prison sentence. The police also said so. However, when my righteous thoughts emerged, I realized that the evil was taking advantage of my human notions. Only Teacher arranges Falun Dafa practitioners' cultivation path, so I was very optimistic and calmly faced everything that happened in the detention center.

The leader in my cell was a criminal who had received a reprieve from a death sentence. She had been detained there for four years and was very malicious. All of the criminals in the cell were afraid of her. One morning, I was standing at the cell door to get some fresh air. She claimed that I was in her way and pushed me back very hard. I said immediately, "You are such a bully!" She became furious. She jumped up and started to curse Falun Dafa. I said, "It would be different if you just cursed me. Please don't curse the Fa. Otherwise, you will receive horrible retribution." She said, "I'm willing to take the retribution!" Then she came at me and tried to beat me up, so I sent forth righteous thoughts towards her. Very soon, she started to have a toothache, abdominal pains, and a headache. She suffered from these pains for a whole week.

One day, she saw that I was reading one of Teacher's articles. She took the article and tried to tear it up. I said, "Don't do that. You'll receive retribution." She didn't listen to me and tore it up anyway. I was very sad and went on a hunger strike to protest. She threatened me, saying, "We'll force-feed you if you don't eat, and I'll take that opportunity to knock out your teeth." She also said, "No investigation will be made if we beat you to death since you are practicing Falun Gong." I ignored her and kept sending forth righteous thoughts. Then I asked to talk to the head guard. She repeatedly held me back, so I pushed against the door until finally the guard heard me. I told him how she had threatened me, and he took away her title as cell-leader. Then she started to suffer from many different diseases. She had heart disease, high blood pressure, back pains, and headaches. She suffered a lot. Nobody took care of her since she was no longer the cell-leader, but I helped her, and repeated to her the principle that "good is rewarded with good and evil is met with evil." I also told her about being a good person. I explained to her about Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance and Falun Dafa. She was deeply moved and really listened. We got along very well. In this way, she was offered the opportunity to be saved.

I reviewed the process of my distributing truth-clarifying literature and discovered several attachments. First, I had the attachment of zealotry. I became complacent since I had been doing very well in distributing the literature. Second, I had the attachment of fear. I thought that it was more dangerous at night since many people came out to enjoy the cool air. I thought that it was better and safer to do it during the daytime. Third, I still had not gotten rid of my human sentimentality and selfishness. I had a premonition that day, and I didn't want to go. However, I was afraid that fellow practitioners might be critical of me, so I didn't have the courage to say no to the plan. My personal attachments caused great losses to Dafa. I swore to get rid of these terrible attachments and break out of this demon's den. I adjusted my attitude and constantly sent forth righteous thoughts. I also recited Teacher's articles, including "Dafa is Indestructible," "The Effect of Righteous Thoughts" and several others. I was determined to deny the arrangements by the evil forces and leave the detention center. On the sixth day of my hunger strike, another practitioner and I successfully passed through two security doors. However, we were caught at the third security door. Everyone said that we were in big trouble, but we remained very calm. This incident shocked the evil. The director and the head guards of the detention center became very polite when they talked to us, and they didn't give us a hard time. I thought it might be time for us to be released. Two days later, I was released, and the other practitioner was also released soon afterwards.

I hope fellow practitioners can learn some positive lessons from my experience. If we constantly maintain righteous thoughts, completely change our human notions and get rid of ordinary people's attachments, we will do a better job in Fa-rectification and fully play the role of Fa particles. In addition, we will be able to clarify the truth and offer salvation to people more comprehensively and in a deeper and more refined way.