(Minghui.org) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I started practicing Falun Gong in 1995, at the most difficult time in my life. I had been handicapped in my leg since I was very young. I had two big surgeries but they were in vain. I had difficulty walking and was in great pain moving just a few steps. Yet I completely recovered after practicing Falun Gong. I could walk upstairs or downstairs and did not feel tired even after walking a long distance. People around me could see how my health had improved and knew that Falun Gong was the reason why.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong in July 1999. I stopped practicing because I was afraid of being persecuted. I did not understand the profound meaning of Dafa. Along with reading Minghui Weekly and other information, I came to learn the true nature of the persecution and got my thinking straight. I resumed practicing Falun Gong.
Police took me away from my home in 2006 and held me for half a month in a detention center. I was later sent to a forced labor camp and was told I would be there for over a year. However, my husband was able to have me released from the labor camp after only two days.
Experiencing the persecution, I looked inward, realizing the seriousness of cultivation. I calmed down and studied Master's teachings systemically. I became to understand more about cultivation: regarding myself as a genuine practitioner by following the Dafa principles and cultivating my thoughts at every moment.
Establishing a Group Study Site
I saw that the overall cultivation state of practitioners in my area was not very good. There was no group study environment. The reason was fear of persecution, and the coordinator was under big pressure. Some local practitioners were harassed, or taken away and their homes ransacked by police.
I thought about what I could do it. I remembered Master's teaching,
“That's how Gods think. Also, if there's something lacking in it they'll unconditionally and quietly supplement it to make things more complete and perfect.”(Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.)
So I set up a group study site at my home.
Initially, my husband and son did not support the idea completely. I could understand as there were few practitioners clarifying the facts of Falun Gong in my area; the cultivation environment was not good and the persecution was going on.
Also, the practitioners who came to participate in group study had various issues. Some of them talked loudly in the hallway or banged noisily at the door. My neighbors could see clearly as some had kept their doors open. I did not complain though I had some concern too. I shared with my fellow practitioners about the issue of safety and reminded them thinking of others is also an issue of cultivation. I paid attention to personal cultivation and compassionately shared my view with them.
Some of my neighbors talked with me about safety. I smiled and said, “I have a good relationship with the others. Don't worry.” I talked to them about Falun Gong and told them Dafa practitioners are good people.
Everyone in my neighborhood knew I was a Falun Gong practitioner. Neighbors likely knew that those coming to home were Falun Gong practitioners. Day in and day out, they got used to it. In my mind, I did not have the thought of persecution and did not thought about being persecuted. Instead, I thought whatever is incorrect would get corrected in Dafa cultivation.
Some fellow practitioners observed that we lacked sufficient experience sharing for our group, and that this affected the overall cultivation state. We then began a weekly group study and experience sharing in my home. Many issues were solved and xinxing was improved. More and more local practitioners began attending. Sometimes more than 30 people came to participate.
Coordination and Cooperation
I managed a small shop of only a few square meters selling soft drinks and liquors in my neighborhood. Fellow practitioners came to my home whenever they needed to drop off or pick up Falun Gong materials. Some were local and others from the countryside. I tried my best to meet their needs, whatever they needed.
Whenever fellow practitioners needed me to cooperate or coordinate during the past few years, I did not hesitate to do it. And they liked to cooperate with me and share with me. Some brought people who had practiced Falun Gong before the persecution. Slowly I had more to take care of.
For those who resumed practicing, some did not dare to participate in group study or take Dafa books home. I told them to read one book and return it to me after they finished. Step by step I provided them Minghui Weekly and other Falun Gong information materials. In this way, some of them wished to read. I told them gradually to clarify the facts of Falun Gong to others. Slowly they are doing better and better, with encouragement and sharing.
Getting Rid of Fear
There were many conflicts along the way in my efforts to coordinate. It took some doing, but I did feel the pressure. I looked inward and found that I had an attachment: I was afraid of being persecuted, which caused many of the conflicts to arise that had. I told Master in my mind, “Master, my relationship with the police is to save them. Though my current xinxing cannot save them, I should not invite them to commit wrongdoing. Whatever my cultivation situation is, I am taken care of by Master. There is nothing to do with old forces. Old forces cannot do anything as long as I don't move or have that thought.”
Once a fellow practitioner called me, “All the practitioners in my study group have been taken to police station. A practitioner nearly 80 years old appears to have had a heart attack and is lying on the ground at the police station.” She wanted me to go to the police station. I was anxious. I walked back and forth and asked myself, “What do you fear? Your life is saved by Master. You cannot stay home as fellow practitioners need you. You need to go.”
At the police station, I noticed that the police officer did not know what to do. I told him, “Ask his son to take her home as soon as possible. Who else can take care of her at that age?” We sent righteous thoughts and finally she and the others were released.
The practitioners who were taken away had contacted me directly before. But I did not have any thought that their detention would implicate me. As long as I have righteous thoughts and do what Master asks us to do, I would be safe. I did not complain towards fellow practitioners' unreasonable act.
Rescuing Fellow Practitioners and Their Family Members
Rescuing fellow practitioners met with success and failure. But I have never been persecuted in the process. I just explained the facts to police, judges and prosecutors. I have improved my xinxing as a result. Some family members of the practitioners being imprisoned and some police, judges or prosecutors were saved. Practitioners in prison were encouraged and gained righteous thoughts.
Initially it was difficult to rescue fellow practitioners. Their family members were misled by CCP lies and did not receive us practitioners. Some of them threw out the gifts we brought them. Some made threatening calls and some cursed us. We were not discouraged but kept visiting them and comforting them. We accompanied them to visit police, judges or prosecutors. Some family members were finally touched and gradually started to support us and cooperate with us.
I did not dare to explain the fact of Falun Gong when I first went to visit police, judges or prosecutors. But I thought of Master and the Fa in my mind. Gradually my attachment to fear was gone. I could enter those offices like other public areas. Without the fear, I could explain the facts of Falun Gong naturally.
Once I shared with others practitioners at our group study how to talk to the police. Some said it was too difficult. I thought that if our starting point is to save them, there would be no reason to fear of being persecuted.
Once I was told that two fellow practitioners were taken away by police when they distributed Falun Gong materials in a village. It was around 10 a.m. A few of us met and discussed what to do next. We agreed we needed to have accurate information about the arrest. No one said a word. I said, “Come to my home. It is easier to coordinate.”
My husband drove the car and brought us home. After discussion with my husband, we decided two of us go to our local police station to find out what had happened. I entered the police station myself while he sent forth righteous thoughts nearby.
It was near 11 a.m. There were only two young police officers in the police station. One of them was a kind-hearted man I already knew. He joined the station a few days back. I thought, “Master is compassionate! Thank you.” I sent forth righteous thought while talking with them. I soon explained the purpose of the visit. The officer said he would find out what had happened and told me the phone number of the chief of the police branch for that village. I returned home and shared with other practitioners to go to that police station to request release of the two practitioners being detained. One practitioner said he knew the director of the police station well and would call him to explain the facts.
The police officer I knew called me and confirmed that the two practitioners were detained in the police station. I called the branch chief and told him that I was a Falun Gong practitioner. I asked where the two practitioners were detained. I emphasized, “Actually what I worry most is you and other police officers. You must not play negative roles!” He knew that several police officers directly involved in the persecution of Falun Gong had died. He said right away, “Come right now!”
The branch chief called me again a little over 5 p.m. and asked me to go. I was determined and asked another practitioner to go with me. My husband said, “Bring our son. He will worry if he stays at home.”
Three of us entered the police station while others sent forth righteous thoughts in the car after arriving there. We saw some Dafa books on the desk in one office and knew one practitioner already cooperated with police. I went to see the branch chief. I could see he was reluctant to be involved in the persecution of Falun Gong.
We went upstairs to visit the office of the director of the police station and talked with him. Master gave me wisdom. I suddenly recalled that one of his relatives was once my teacher. I took the opportunity to ask him about the teacher and started talking naturally. Then I explained the fact of Falun Gong to him.
He said the two fellow practitioners would be detained for half a month. I did not agree. A little later, he said they would be detained for one week. I did not give up. At last he said they would be detained for three days. I did not agree either. I thought, “As long as the fellow practitioners are detained for one minute, police are committing wrongdoing.” I said to the director, “You must not send them to the detention center. You would not be able to release them once they are detained in the detention center. They can endure however long the detention. The point is about you. I don't want you to suffer any bad consequences for this!” He agreed to release them at 9 p.m. The two practitioners returned home safely.
A police officer who knew me later asked, “Why do you always show up when others are arrested?” He was really asking why I was not afraid of being arrested. I told him, “I was detained before and understand fellow practitioners and their families. As a human being, I should help my friends when they are in trouble. In addition, practicing Falun Gong is not wrong.”
I further explained to him the grace of Dafa; why we save people; persecution of Falun Gong is violating constitution; and perpetrators will face retribution. I encouraged him, “You will have a good future.” He wondered why. I said, “Because Dafa practitioners are good people. You are good people too when helping them. So you should have a safe future.” He relaxed and was emotional. He admired Dafa practitioners.
I am fortunate to be a Falun Gong practitioner and assist Master during the Fa-rectification. I thank Master's compassionate salvation.
I appreciate my husband, my son and fellow practitioners for their support and cooperation! Thank you!
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