(Clearwisdom.net) I'm 58 years old. Teacher and Dafa have given me a second life. As soon as I obtained the Fa, I determined to be a genuine practitioner. I said to Teacher, "Your disciple is not literate, and I know you will only look at my heart. I will absolutely follow your words, and take the Fa as my Master!" For more than three years, I have never given in to the evil, by even a single word. For a long time I have thought that in order to validate Dafa I should share my story with everyone. However, I was painfully aware that I couldn't write my story down. I didn't know many words, and I felt guilty at my incapacity. Now, with the help of my fellow practitioners, I have finally fulfilled my wish.
Before I obtained the Fa, I had heart disease, high blood pressure, bone overgrowth, stomach problems and rheumatoid arthritis. For over a dozen years I couldn't survive without medicine. My family members had taken me to every large hospital in the province with little to show for our trouble. Later many rheumatic bone growths developed on the backs of my hands, and I could not extend my hands straight or lift things. My hands were very painful. An operation was done, but my condition didn't improve. At that time I was suffering painfully from all these diseases, and I couldn't do any housework at all. Moreover, my temper had become very short. I didn't know how much longer I had to endure such hardships in my life.
In August 1995, a friend introduced Falun Gong to me. After practicing for only ten days, my whole body felt light, exactly as Teacher says in the main book of Falun Gong teachings, Zhuan Falun, "You feel as if being pushed while riding a bike, and you are not tired when going upstairs." Dafa is so supernatural! I felt extremely good, much better than when I was taking medicine. So I kept going to the practice site every day in all kinds of weather. From then on I became healthier and healthier. If it weren't for Teacher and Dafa, I would have died a long time ago. How could I still be alive today? Moreover, Teacher teaches that raising one's moral character or xinxing is the most important. I'm not literate so I didn't understand much-- I just followed "Zhen-Shan-Ren." I would feel happy if I encountered a conflict: "Oh, Teacher has given me another good opportunity to raise my xinxing." I would take it easily even if someone swore at me. I became a nicer person, and wouldn't lose my temper anymore. As a result, my family became harmonious.
On April 24, 1999, I heard practitioners were arrested and beaten in Tianjin. I thought that since this was an attack on Dafa, it was also my responsibility to go and speak a word of justice. So I went to Beijing with several other practitioners to appeal. On April 25, both sides of Fuyou Street were filled with practitioners, in perfect order. Everyday people were amazed at seeing us and they admired us. After we left, there was no garbage on the ground. We went to report the situation, but at the same time we were validating Dafa. Later on the situation became worse and worse, and some of our local practitioners were illegally arrested. I thought there was nothing wrong with being a good person, and the government shouldn't oppress us in this way. I decided to go to Beijing again to speak a word of justice. On July 20, 1999 the train tickets were sold out. I thought I must go even if I must walk. So, along with several other practitioners, I went to Beijing by bicycle. At that time all the entrances to Beijing were blocked and watched. We were turned away and had to come back. I firmly believed in Teacher and Dafa, and knew that nothing could get in my way. Since then I have been to Beijing many times to validate Dafa. I said to the policeman in Beijing, "I will never give up coming if the Fa-rectification has not ended."
One day at the end of November 1999, a policeman knocked on my door. He said shamelessly, "Give me 500 Yuan [500 Yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China], otherwise you must write a guarantee statement (guaranteeing to renounce Falun Gong)." I said, "No guarantee statement. No money either." The very next day, I went to Beijing. I was taken back from Beijing and was detained in the office of the local police station. The person who worked there called my children to force me to write the guarantee statement. I said to my children, "Falun Dafa has given me a second life. Falun Dafa is so wonderful. I'm determined to keep on practicing." The person from the representative office said I lacked feeling. I said, "It's not true! All my diseases are gone because of practicing Dafa, which has reduced so many burdens from my children. I also babysit their children, aren't these doing them good? No one can persuade me, I will keep on practicing till the end of my life. I will never write the statement even if I die." My heart will never change. Without Dafa I would have died a long time ago. From then on all my children became very understanding and even helped me to resist the evil.
In December 1999, the neighborhood committee tricked me into going to the police station. They detained me there for 15 days and tried to extort 1000 Yuan from me. The evil policeman tried to force me to write the guarantee statement, and threatened that they would send me to the detention center if I didn't do so. I thought that it was up to Teacher, and in fact the detention center was found to be full. The policeman tried to scare me and told me he would send me to the labor camp. I thought that having learned Falun Dafa, I feared nothing. The policeman then told me not to go to Beijing. I said, "What's wrong with going to Beijing? I have freedom. I'm entitled to go anywhere I want. I was home safe and sound. You have tricked me into coming here in order to persecute me, and you also wanted money from me. You are much too irrational!" My fellow practitioners and I enlightened that we should not endure passively and blindly, so we practiced the exercises in the hallway openly and nobly. Our righteous thoughts manifested and we were released from the police station the next day.
In February 2000, other practitioners and I collected practitioners' signatures and planned to report instances of persecution to the United Nations. The police station arrested me after they heard about this. They wanted to force me to sell out my fellow practitioners and threatened, "Have you seen Da Xiaofang (alias)? If you don't tell us, we will beat you like that!" My heart wasn't moved, and I said, "I fear nothing because I haven't committed any crimes. An old woman like me would have died a long time ago if I hadn't obtained Dafa!" They didn't dare to do anything, but released me after four days.
In mid-April 2000, seven or eight people from the police station and the representative office broke into my home and attempted to arrest me. I told them, "Why do you arrest me? I didn't commit any crimes. What is the crime for being a good person? You do not have any legal procedures for breaking into private homes. Tell me, who is committing crimes? I will not go with you even if I die!" They had nothing to say and shuffled off. But later on they sent four people to eat and stay in my home to watch me. When I realized this was also persecution, I clarified the truth to them and told them the principle that good meets with good and evil with evil. They knew their actions were unjustifiable. Later my daughter drove them away.
Early July 2000 I wanted to go to Beijing again, but I was arrested at the train station. The policemen wanted me to give them money (1500 Yuan) and illegally detained me for 20 days at the police station. I didn't cooperate with them and didn't give them the money. Not getting what they wanted, they sent me to the detention center and illegally detained me there for 15 days.
On December 26, 2000, several practitioners and I again went to Tiananmen Square openly and nobly. While I was walking, a plain-clothes policeman suddenly stopped me and told me to swear at Teacher and Dafa. I said, "Did the Party tell you to swear at others? I've never learned how to swear at others." He then asked me whether Falun Gong is good or not. I said, "Don't you know the answer yourself? Why do you ask me!" And I kept walking. After only a few steps, I heard him yelling at some others viciously, "Catch her!" Immediately three evil policemen threw themselves at me. Seeing that I wouldn't have a chance to unfurl the banner, I yelled loudly, "Falun Dafa is good!" "Restore my Master's reputation!" While kicking and beating me, they dragged me to the police van. We, more than 30 practitioners, were sent to the Xuanwu District Detention Center. Upon getting off the van, they forcibly searched us and took all our money and personal belongings. It was a miracle that they didn't find the banner I had on me! I firmly believed that Teacher was right next to me, and I should conduct myself well. We refused to give our names and addresses, and went on hunger strike to protest. After 6 days, we were sent to the Anping District Detention Center. There were 20 Dafa practitioners in my cell who came from all over the country. Here I took out the precious banner and hung it up, which greatly encouraged the practitioners. While keeping on the hunger strike, we clarified the truth to the policemen and criminals, and gradually developed a relaxed environment for Fa-study and practicing the exercises. After 10 days I was taken back by my local police officer, and was illegally detained at the First Detention Center for three months. I spent the Spring Festival in that detention center.
I though I should be a cultivator no matter where I was. I couldn't bring shame on Dafa. So at the regular time I did the cleaning of our living environment, often clarified the truth to the guards and criminals and told them how I had benefited from Dafa. My behavior changed their attitudes toward Dafa. The criminals all said, this "Falun Gong" is wonderful. Why is the reality different from what is said on TV? Falun Gong must have been wrongly treated. Some criminals told me they would look for a Dafa book to read after they get out. Among them there was a mute person, who had observed me and often raised her thumb to me with a smile on her face, silently demonstrating her admiration of Dafa and Dafa practitioners. Later on, seeing that I would not give in, the detention center sentenced me to a labor camp. I thought I must be able to break out. I didn't have any fear at that time, and my righteous thoughts were strong. As a result, I didn't pass the physical examination and the labor camp refused to accept me. The detention center had nothing to do but to release me.
One day in December 2001, when a practitioner and I were distributing truth-clarifying materials, we were arrested and brought to the police station. We went on hunger strike to protest and didn't cooperate with the evil's "demands, orders, or what it instigates." They wanted to shake me. I said, "Don't talk about that with me anymore, nobody can shake me! Every cell of mine is assimilated to Dafa." They couldn't do anything. At that time our minds were very calm and didn't have any fear. As soon as we got a chance, we explained the facts of Falun Dafa to them. At the beginning they wouldn't listen to us at all, but we sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors in other dimensions that controlled them. Then they started to accept things we said. The next evening, they even read the truth-clarifying materials and watched the VCD, and asked us to demonstrate the exercises for them. One of the policemen told us, "We have to put you to great inconvenience and keep you for another night." We enlightened that Teacher was telling us something. So we gained confidence to break out of there. On the third day, at noontime, there was only one policeman guarding us. We sent forth righteous thoughts to let him take a nap. After he fell asleep, we calmly walked out through the main entrance. Later they chased us, but under the merciful protection of Teacher, after repeated setbacks, we avoided the chase and got back home safely.
For more than three years, as soon as the so-called "sensitive days" came, the police station and the neighborhood committee would all come to my home to harass me. I have not had a peaceful New Year or Spring Festival for three years. Sometimes I was illegally detained at the detention center, sometimes at the police station. To avoid persecution, I had no other choice but to leave home at the end of 2001, becoming destitute and homeless. I have been leading my life living in many places to avoid further persecution. Even so, the evil wouldn't let go of me. Sometimes they hide at my home or my relatives' homes trying to catch me. During the 16th Party Congress, policemen stayed close to my daughter's apartment building for 3 days. My family was very disgusted with their behavior.
No matter how crazy the evil is it cannot shake me. No words can express the heart I hold for Teacher and Dafa. Sometimes tears are all over my face when practicing exercises or sending forth righteous thoughts. I always think, "Teacher has given me so much. If I don't practice wholeheartedly, I will not only let Teacher down, but also be unworthy of myself." I cannot let myself go slack. I get up at 4am everyday, finish practicing exercises before 7am, and this has never been interrupted. Sometimes when I do the exercises, I feel my body levitating. I sleep very little every day, and seize every minute to study the Fa. I try my best to send forth righteous thoughts. In special situations, I send forth righteous thoughts every hour, 24 hours a day. When sending forth righteous thoughts, I feel as if I am a divine being as tall as the heaven. At ordinary times, when I go out, I do not miss any opportunities to clarify the truth to people. I understand that Teacher is right next to me. I often feel I'm not diligent enough, and am not worthy of Teacher's merciful protection of me. From now on I will follow what Teacher has said, and keep on striving forward vigorously.
Dec. 30, 2002