(Minghui.org) Dear Master; hello, fellow practitioners:
I would like to share the experiences I had while I was detained by the authorities for practicing Falun Gong. With solid faith in Master and the Fa, Master and protected me and kept me safe.
Telling the Police the Facts about Falun Gong
One day when I was talking to people about Falun Gong, two plainclothes officers grabbed my arms from behind. They took my handbag, pushed me into a car, and drove to a nearby police station.
My first thought at the station was: "No other practitioners will know about my arrest, and no one will report it on the Minghui website. Nor will anyone send forth righteous thought for me. What should I do?" I then immediately recalled Master’s teaching: “...with the master and the Fa here what is there to fear?” (“Lecture in Sydney”)
When the officers walked in, I didn't have any fear or hatred. I knew I needed to tell them about the beauty of Falun Gong and tell them not to participate in the persecution, so they could have a bright future.
The police ransacked my home that day and took my computer, printer, CD burner, and other items. The next afternoon, they took me to an office. Seven officers were there. As soon as I sat down, a thought came to me: “Do not cooperate.” I realized that this was Master telling me to refuse to comply with the police in any situation. I also reminded myself: "Police officers are also victims of the persecution, and they too deserve a chance to be saved."
Before they said anything, I asked calmly, “Have you had lunch?” They said they had. I said, “I haven't had breakfast yet.” Officer A said, “You can go on a hunger strike, then.” I replied, “No, I won't. I'd rather have regular meals so I can tell you the truth.” He said, “You look like a reasonable person.” Then he told another officer to buy lunch for me.
Officer A read the truth-clarification materials they had taken from me and asked where I got them. I said, “I downloaded them from the Minghui website, which I read every day. I suggest that you all read Minghui. It will help you.”
Officer B asked, “Why do articles on Minghui refer us as 'evil police'?” I didn't answer him, knowing he had been listening to the Party's lies. I had to save him and not allow him to continue helping with the persecution. I said, “Please take the materials home and read them. Please pass them on to your family, so they can understand.” Several officers nodded and said that they would do so.
After my lunch was ready, I began to talk to the officers while I ate. I said, “You all have good potential, but you are jeopardizing your own futures. I feel sorry for you.” They said, “We didn't do anything bad.” I said, “You're doing bad things now, but you don't realize it.
“Falun Gong is the Buddha Fa and teaches the truth of the universe. My Master teaches practitioners to be a good people. The self-immolation, murders, and other negative reports on Falun Gong on TV were all lies made up by the Communist Party. China’s constitution says that citizens should have freedom of belief. Your participation in the persecution of Falun Gong is a violation of the law. I hope you stop following the Party, stop harming others and yourselves.”
Officer B said, “Since the Party pays my salary, I work for the Party.” I told him, “The truth is, the CCP does not produce a penny. Its money comes from taxpayers. Your real job should be protecting the peace and people's quality of life. Falun Gong practitioners are all good people, but we are being illegally arrested, sentenced, and jailed. Some of us are being killed for our organs. I truly hope you can stop before it’s too late and find something better to do. Good begets good, evil begets karmic retribution.
“You all remember Ren Changxia, police chief in Dengfeng City, Henan Province. She was recognized by the authorities as a ‘role model’ for actively persecuting Falun Gong. In a traffic accident, she was thrown out of the car and died a tragic death. But everyone else in the car came out unscathed. Why? She committed an unpardonable sin by participating in the persecution and was punished. Her family members were also punished. Four years after her death, her husband died of cancer. Their teenage son became an orphan. In China’s law enforcement system, numerous cases of retribution related to the persecution of Falun Gong have been reported. I suggest that you read Minghui articles. You must not trade your conscience for money and harm good citizens.”
I continued, “We all know that the CCP will not protect anyone. Former President Liu Shaoqi was labeled a traitor overnight during the Cultural Revolution and thrown into jail. Police officers are not exempt. When the CCP no longer wants you, who'll protect you? You should plan for yourselves and your families. If you incur retribution and get fired, do you expect that the Party will pay you?”
I explained why they should quit their association with the CCP. I told them, “Had my children had your job, I would have convinced them to quit. For your safety and that of your family, I suggest that you find other jobs. After you cut your ties with the Party, you should recite 'Falun Dafa is great, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great' often. You will be blessed with better jobs. If you still don't want to quit, then please do your best to protect Dafa practitioners. You will be rewarded with good fortune.”
My Answer Satisfies the Police
After lunch, officer A picked up a pen and began interrogating me. He asked who made the materials. I told him I did. He did not believe me. I said, “Falun Dafa unlocks practitioners’ wisdom. Even 80-year-old peasants surf the Internet and make flyers.” “Who bought the computer?” he asked. I suddenly recalled Master’s teaching and decided not to answer his questions. If I cooperated with him, I might bring harm to him. I told him, “I listen to my Master’s teaching and refuse to comply with any police request.” He said, “Okay, now let me ask you the next question.” I gave the same answer. After several questions and the same answer, he kept saying, “Okay, that’s good.”
He wrote my answer under every question on the sheet. The interrogation went on smoothly. When I truthfully answered a trivial question, he immediately complained, “Haven’t we agreed on not answering the questions? Why did you began to answer?” I realized that Master used the officers’ words to remind me. So I replied, “I'm sorry. I won't answer any more.” He said happily, “That’s good.”
When he asked me to sign on the paper, I said, “I listen to my Master’s teaching and refuse to comply with any police request.” He said, “Okay, good.” He didn't ask me to sign anything else that day.
Officers A and B took me to a small room, and we sat down at a table, me between them. They showed me some documents and said, “Please do two things for us: We need to take a photo of you and get a fingerprint.” I calmly answered, “I listen to my Master’s teaching and refuse to comply with any police request.” They immediately said, “That’s okay.” I was taken back to the other room.
The next day, they began a new interrogation. I told them the facts about the persecution. When they asked me any questions, I always answered, “I listen to my Master’s teaching and refuse to comply with any police request.” They were always satisfied with that answer.
At the end, they asked me to sign the paper. I refused, “If I sign this, it will hurt you. Without my signature, the paper is not valid, and you are safe.” They did not insist. In the following days, they no longer asked for my signature.
No Strip Search, No Prison Uniform
When I first got to the detention center, several female officers told the prisoners to undress completely for a body search. Two prisoners in front of me complied without a word and put on the detention center uniforms. I thought, "Since I didn't do anything wrong, they should not search me." I told the officers, “You shouldn't strip search an old woman like me.” Surprisingly, they said, “Okay.” During my entire detention, I never wore a prison uniform.
“Your Rules Don't Apply to Me”
While a guard entered my personal items into a computer, I began to clarify the truth to her. She told me some of the rules of the detention center and said I was not supposed to do the Falun Gong exercises. Every morning, I was supposed to sit still on a bench to recollect my “mistakes.” She reminded me that I had to comply with the rules.
I said, “Your rules don't apply to me. I didn't violate any laws by practicing Falun Gong, and I'm not subject to these rules.” She insisted, “No matter why you're here, everyone in here must obey the rules, no exception.” I told her, “In the persecution of Falun Gong, police officers are also victims. I choose not to comply with the rules because I want to protect you and prevent you from persecuting practitioners. If you do this, you will receive karmic retribution. Of course, I also need to reflect on myself, but that's different from the rules. I need to see what omissions I have in cultivation. By the way, I will do the exercises because I am a practitioner.” She gently replied, “Please don't push this.”
I maintained a firm thought, “I am innocent; the rules do not apply to me; I will not recite them.” Every morning the guards picked certain inmates to recite the rules, and they yelled at those who could not say them. But they never bothered me.
Practicing Falun Gong with Dignity
Before my detention, I routinely started my daily exercises at 3:50 a.m. There was no clock in the detention center, and I had no watch. The first two days, I woke up at dawn to meditate on my blanket. The inmates and guards did not do anything. On the third day, I was moved to another room. The inmates there asked me not to do the exercises early in the morning, so their sleep would not be disturbed. I agreed and told them that I was a practitioner, so I must put others’ interests first.
On the morning of the fourth day when the inmates were sitting on a bench to “reflect,” I stood up and started to do the exercises facing the opposite direction with the inmates behind me. A guard asked the inmates, “What is she doing?” They said, “She's practicing Falun Gong.” The guard told me to stop. I turned around and told her, “For your own safety, please do not interfere with my practice.” She left without a word.
Later another guard came to stop me. I repeated what I told the other guard. She also left without saying anything. I suddenly realized that I should turn around and face these people, so they all could see me practicing Falun Gong with dignity, including the guards and inmates walking by. So I did. No one else told me to stop.
The inmates were all brainwashed by the CCP and did not want to listen to me when I clarified the truth. But when I did the exercises, they began to watch and commented, “The Falun Gong movements are beautiful. It must be wonderful to be healthy.”
On the fifth morning, I was about to do the exercises when a woman prosecutor showed up and asked, “Your name is so-and-so and you just arrived recently, right?” “Yes,” I replied. “If you insist on practicing," she said, "you may do it.” “Thank you,” I said. She was walking away when she suddenly stopped and turned back: “I have a question. You are saying that the Party will be destroyed according to heaven’s mandate. But many Party members are good people who do not deserve to die.” I told her, “Yes, that is why we keep telling people to quit the Party and its affiliated organizations.” She said, “Okay, I get it.” After that, I could openly do the exercises every day.
One day a guard took me into an office and asked, “Would you stop doing the exercises?” I replied, “No, that is part of my cultivation of Falun Gong.” She asked me how much time I needed each day. I said two hours. She asked me when I usually did the exercises at home. I said I did them every day at 3:50 a.m. I told her that I changed it to late morning so the inmates would not be disturbed. But then I noticed that the guards came to the cells frequently in the mornings, so I changed to the afternoons. I told her that Falun Gong practitioners put others’ interests first. She said, “You should not do the exercises today, because the leaders are coming for an inspection. If they see you practicing, they will criticize us, even cut our bonus.” I told her, “Don’t worry, I will tell them you are doing a fine job. Your leaders also deserve to be saved. I will tell them the truth.”
To prepare for the leaders’ inspection, the inmates took a day off from work. In the afternoon, I began to do the exercises in front of the inmates. A moment later, a guard yelled, “Stop doing those exercises.” I said, “Please do not interrupt me for your own safety.” She left. A moment later, a second guard yelled, “Our leaders are coming, please stop.” I answered, “I'm a Falun Gong practitioner, I do what I think is right.” She also left. All the inmates sitting on the benches raised their thumbs in encouragement. I completed the exercises, and no one bothered me again.
“You Are Taking Living Falun Gong Practitioners’ Organs”
When I first arrived, a guard brought a form and asked me two questions: "What diseases did I have in the past and what diseases did I have now." I thought these questions could be used to prepare me for organ harvesting. I told myself, "With Master and the Fa here, I have no fear. I will take this opportunity to validate Dafa." I told the guard, "I used to suffer from heart disease, pneumonia, liver swelling, ptosis, uterine fibroids, kidney disease, atopic eczema, and a number of others problems. Because of Falun Gong, all these conditions were cured." They took my blood pressure, which was normal, and my pulse was good.
In the morning of the fourth day, a doctor and a guard came to take my blood. I protested, “I am not sick. Why do you need to take my blood?” They didn't answer. I realized that this must be a routine for identifying potential organ harvesting candidates. I shouted as loudly as I could, “I know that you are harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners!” The doctor lowered his head. Both of them froze and were silent.
I went on: “Falun Gong practitioners are good people who have not violated any laws. The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong is illegal. Doctor, please do not follow the Party's dictates to commit crimes! That will bring you retribution!” They still stood there. I continued, “I listen to my Master’s teaching, and refuse to comply with any police request.” The doctor and guard left. I asked the other inmates, “Have any of you had blood tests?” No one spoke. After a long pause, one person said, “Some did, some did not.”
The next day, another doctor and a guard came again. They stood outside the door and asked me to give a blood sample. I said, “I listen to my Master’s teaching, and refuse to comply with any police request.” They left without a word.
The following day, they asked again. I told them exactly the same thing. They left again. After they came three days in a row, they never asked to do a blood test again. I believe that, because my answer was according to the Fa, Master protected me.
A Guard Was Sobbing
One day a guard came and said, “You have a visitor downstairs. But per the rules here, you must wear the detention center uniform. Otherwise, our bonus will be cut. Please put on a uniform just for the visit and take if off later. OK?” I said, “I have no uniform.” She said, “We can find one for you.” I refused and said, “I will not wear it.”
She yelled at me, “Do you want to go or not?” At the moment, I had no attachment to anything, including life, death, and sentimentality. The only idea in my mind was to save people. I replied, “I'd rather see you safe now than regret your actions later.” She opened the door and said, “Okay, Let’s go.”
She followed me down the stairs. Suddenly she said, “Hold your head with both hands.” I replied, “No, I have never done that. Don’t worry, I will not attack you.” She said, “What if you do?”
I told her, “Falun Gong practitioners have no enemies. My Master said, ‘If you cannot love your enemy, then you cannot reach consummation.’ ("Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia," May 1999) Therefore, I treat all of you as my family.”
I suddenly heard sobbing from behind. She was moved to tears by my compassion. I recalled Master’s teaching:
“I often say that if all a person wants is the well-being of others and if this is without the slightest personal motivation or personal understanding, what he says will move the listener to tears.” (“Clearheadedness” in Essentials for Further Advancement)
“You Are an Immortal”
On the day of my release, officer B pulled out a thick file and asked for my signature. One at a time, he showed me the pages and asked me to sign. I repeated the same answer over and over, “I listen to my Master’s teaching, and refuse to comply with any police.” Each time I refused, he said, “Okay.” At the end, another officer called me over and said, “We need one last signature here.” I said, “I have never signed any papers. I listen to my Master’s teaching and will not comply with any police request.” He said, “That’s okay.” He took several steps toward me, gave me a thumbs up, and said, “You are an immortal.” He then bowed deeply in front of me and left.
I know that the real protection comes from Master and Dafa. Master said:
“With such an enormous Fa here, the Fa will be with you when your thoughts are righteous, and this is the greatest assurance. But on the other hand, when your righteous thoughts are inadequate and not in line with the Fa, you will be cut off from the Fa’s power, and it will seem like you are alone and getting no help. Even if the things you are doing are Dafa things, you still have to conform to the Fa or else the Fa’s power will not be there.” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan,” 2006)
Master also taught us:
“And this is even more so for the Dafa disciples in mainland China. For them, amidst the tremendously harsh persecution, every single thought and idea is critical. Whether you’ve done well or not; whether or not you’ve been susceptible to being persecuted; whether or not you’ve handled things correctly and to what degree you have been persecuted—all of this is directly connected to how you have walked your path and how you have thought about things.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
I truly understand that, without Master’s careful protection, without Falun Dafa, I would not have made it to this day. Words cannot express my gratitude to Master. I will be more diligent, and maintain the original momentum I had at the beginning of my cultivation. I will do the three things well, save more people, and fulfill my prehistoric vows!
Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
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