(Clearwisdom.net) (Continued from Part 1: http://clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2011/12/20/130228.html )
5. Insisting on Telling the Truth
In 1999, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners began. Many practice site assistants were arrested in the middle of the night. Families were traumatized and frightened. I was an assistant at our practice site as well. I was on vacation at the time and was notified that I needed to go back immediately for a meeting. The Secretary of the Disciplinary Inspection Committee, head of the Party office, came in. The secretary said seriously, “I'm having this conversation with you because I represent the Party committee. You need to honestly tell us everything.” I said, “There must be a mistake. I always follow the law and the rules and receive awards every year. What are you talking about?” This secretary was usually very friendly with me. That day, he slammed his fist onto the table with a heavy blow and shouted, “Be serious and tell me everything about the anti-government organization that you're participating in!” I became angry and shouted back, “What nonsense! That's a dirty lie!” He struck the table again and stood up, “You need to confess everything. Otherwise, I will lock you up.” I said, “What you are doing is against the law, and qualifies you to be sent to prison. Don't even try to treat me like this.”
The division chief heard the argument and came over, “Please calm down and listen to me. Currently, Falun Gong practitioners are being arrested across China. You were on vacation, you might not have heard about this. Every practitioner needs to make a statement. The Party committee decided that the secretary should have the conversation with you.” Being a police officer, I immediately understood how the persecution was started across China. I said to myself in my heart, “This is the end of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It can't even tell good from bad. I have been so loyal to the Party for several dozen years. Today I have suddenly become a criminal.” The disciplinary secretary called the Party Secretary and told him I was being stubborn and refused to cooperate. The Party Secretary told him, “Bring him here. People from the city police department are looking for him too.”
The head of the Party office said, “I know you are a good and capable man. But I'm merely following orders.” I calmed down and told him that the diseases I used to have were incurable, but after I practiced Falun Gong, within several months, all my diseases were gone. I also told him that as practitioners, we do not have any organizations. We do not collect money or keep any rosters. We are only striving to become better people. I said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are the principles that I will follow forever.” I told him that this was my situation. Later, I told the leader from the city police department the exact same thing.
Several days later, a meeting was held to criticize me and force me to “confess” everything to the police officers and Party members. I said the same thing to everybody again. I said Falun Gong requires practitioners to tell the truth, be kind to everyone, be considerate of others, not pursue self interest and not development resentment, even when others hurt you. I am strict with myself to follow the requirements. I do not go after money. I do not drink, gamble or visit brothels. I maintain a high moral standard. I said with tears in my eyes, “Why is it such a hard thing to be a good person in this society!”
The police officers were all silent, and nobody criticized me. After the meeting, they did not arrange any work for me, but I realized that they were monitoring me. I studied the Fa secretly and practiced the exercises at home. I did not watch television nor did I read the newspaper because I knew they are the regime's mouthpieces, and were all filled with lies. Some coworkers said to me, “You can just do what they want on the surface because nobody knows what you think in your heart.” I answered, “Master asks us to tell the truth all the time. This is the basic requirement for human beings. Master purified my body and my diseases all disappeared. I cannot go against my own conscience to tell lies to betray Master.”
My family was suffering from the pressure. They even phoned me to persuade me to stop practicing Falun Gong. My son put significant pressure on me. He said, “Dad, between Falun Gong and me, you can only choose one.” I said, “I will practice Falun Gong. It will bring good fortune to all of us including you as well.” I was afraid that he was going to say bad words against Dafa and Master and commit a sin. In order to stop him, I slapped him. I felt so wronged and could not stop my tears. I said, “Not allowing me to practice Falun Gong is like taking away my life!” Because of this, a barrier was put between us.
Later, I witnessed just how truly evil the CCP is, because the regime perpetrators treat Dafa practitioners with false, evil and violent approaches. They know Dafa practitioners are kind and they can not find any excuses or loopholes in them. So they arbitrarily extort money from practitioners without any legal procedures. They then use the money to give out bonuses or go out drinking, gambling or visiting brothels. After they run out of money, they go out to arrest practitioners again and deceive practitioners' families to pay them bribes in order to get the practitioners released. After the practitioners are released, they are re-arrested and made to pay again soon after. They punish practitioners by extorting money, and sentencing and torturing them. The methods used are all extremely brutal.
Later, the CCP switched tactics and the persecution went underground. The regime installed monitoring equipment on phone lines and assigned informants. They have tasted the sweets of fining defenseless practitioners, but no matter how much they extort from practitioners, it's never enough to satisfy their greed and desire. However, this has brought huge suffering to practitioners and their families.
I was later transferred to another city in a remote area. There, I told people the truth and shared the stories of good and of retribution for evil. The local people greatly respected me. Later, I was transferred to a closer area. In the past year, I did not have Dafa books so I could only recite “Lunyu” and pieces of Master's lectures that I had memorized, and Hong Yin. On the third day after I returned, fellow practitioners found me and brought me Master's new lectures. Three days later, they also brought me Zhuan Falun and some materials.
I studied the Fa day and night. In the mean time, I also thought about the fear in my heart: I was afraid of hearing police car sirens. I was afraid of having conversations with my managers. I was afraid of being monitored. Why do I have so much fear? Was I afraid of going through ordeals, losing my job or losing the comfort of my human life? I realized that I have Master's protection. I will eventually lose whatever I am not supposed to have anyway. I knew I must eliminate the attachment to fear.
I went to visit those fellow practitioners who had stopped practicing. Some of their family members did not welcome me. I could understand their situation. They were also afraid of the CCP. After sharing with them several times, I said, “Even if you promised them that you will not practice any more, they will still monitor you. This is the evil nature of the CCP.” Some practitioners resumed cultivation and started telling people about the truth about Falun Gong.
When I first started distributing the truth clarification materials, I was very nervous. After studying the Fa and sharing with fellow practitioners, I gradually overcame my fear. I tell people the truth face to face. During one break time, I told several dozen co-workers the truth about the staged “Tiananmen Self-immolation Incident” and helped them understand how the CCP's slanderous lies made the Chinese people hate Falun Gong. After I spoke with them, they supported Falun Gong and often recited “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I also often shared my experience with other fellow practitioners.
Several of us coordinators frequently discuss what we've done well and what we needed to improve on. When we identify areas of improvement, we bring it up right away to be responsible to the Fa and fellow practitioners. Sometimes, when I receive positive feedback, I search within to ask for constructive feedback or any loopholes I might have. For example, a fellow practitioner in my workplace was reported. My manager came to me and said somebody told them a lot of information such as the source of the materials. I became very nervous and was afraid that the materials site would be impacted. When I went to the practitioner's home and explained what I heard, he said we were safe and only very few people knew about it. My tears immediately flowed.
I am about to retire and plan to move to a different city. I connected practitioners in our area with the practitioners who make truth clarification materials so they can form a one-body. This way, after I leave, they will not be impacted.
(To be continued)
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