(Minghui.org) It was reported that a prison in Heilongjiang Province tortured a Falun Gong practitioner and almost caused his death.
This news worried me a lot, as it reminded me that I rescued a jailed practitioner several years ago. I'm sharing my story here in the hopes that more practitioners will get involved in the rescue of imprisoned fellow practitioners.
Mr. Qiang (alias), a fellow practitioner was detained in my city several years ago. He was held in solitary confinement for several days, tortured, and almost lost his life.
Mr. Qiang’s family members could visit him only three times during his first five years of imprisonment. Most of his family members were practitioners, and many were arrested and detained many times as well. Mr. Qiang’s mother was forced to leave her home, for example, and wander about for many years. The prison guards even threatened to jail Mr. Qiang’s family members when they visited him.
The night after I heard about Mr. Qiang's situation, I was unable to sleep.
Master told us,
“The next person's things are your things,1 and your things are his things.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference”)
In order to rescue Mr. Qiang, I convinced my husband to visit the prison's administration bureau in the provincial capital with me. My husband is not a practitioner, but he can articulate well in any situation. He agreed to accompany me three days later. Still, after I looked within and found I was relying on an everyday person, I decided to go alone.
Master said:
“As long as you are doing things out of a wish to validate the Fa and save sentient beings, I will affirm all that you do. And when you go do those things, there will be my Law Bodies or gods there to amplify it and make what you do yet more magnificent and extraordinary, and they will assist you.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference”)
While I held righteous thoughts, I went to the provincial capital. My husband joked and said that I was walking into a trap. My fellow practitioners were proactive and sent righteous thoughts to help me. I knew that Master was encouraging me.
Upon arriving in the capital, I found a secluded place where I could rectify my mind. I felt that there was a very powerful energy that surrounded my body, which gave me confidence.
When I stepped into the administration section bureau, I felt my body was super large and that the people were much smaller. Master gave me confidence.
Everyone had to register to enter. However, the security guard at the door did not ask me to show any paperwork, nor did he mention my registration. He just smiled and asked me what work unit I belonged to.
I told him that I needed to talk to the leader of the prison guards. When I was told that only Mr. Qiang’s family was allowed to visit him, I responded that Mr. Qiang’s parents had asked me to come.
The security guard took me to the reception room and talked to the people there on my behalf. He told me to let them know that Mr. Qiang's parents asked me to come.
The receptionist turned down my request because I was not a family member of Mr. Qiang. I responded that he was tortured, and if anything happened to him, he (the receptionist) would have to accept responsibility. I then asked to talk to his supervisor.
The supervisor came and we shook hands. I told him that Mr. Qiang was held in solitary confinement, tortured, and denied family visits. The man asked if I had any proof for my accusations. I responded that we could take him to a hospital for a check up—his wounds should be sufficient evidence.
He asked me to take a seat and relax. “How can I not be emotional?” I said. “Mr. Qiang was put in solitary confinement and tortured. I called your people many times and yet nobody has taken care of this situation. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?”
During this conversation I also sent righteous thoughts
About five minutes later, he told me that Mr. Qiang was released from the small cell, and his family could meet with him the next day. One of Mr. Qiang's family members also told me later that he indeed called from the prison and confirmed his release.
The head of the prison called Mr. Qiang’s family three times and claimed that he had hurt himself. Therefore, they could not visit him for another two weeks. His family then thought that it might be better not to see him.
Master taught:
“When you really cultivate on a true path nobody will dare to just go and give you trouble, and what’s more, you have my Law Bodies protecting you, so you won’t run into any danger.” (Zhuan Falun)
I did not accept their attitude and told them that we should visit him tomorrow. This was our right, and we should not give up our efforts, I reminded them
“Our efforts are not only to rescue Mr. Qiang,” I said, “but also to help resolve all the evilness and eliminate the persecution of practitioners in that prison."
Mr. Qiang’s family called my home and talked to my husband. He was shocked to hear our plan. He called me many times to ask me to come home immediately. However, my only thought was that I had to rescue a fellow practitioner, and that I had no time to be afraid.
Master told us:
“If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
My husband called the next morning and said he had arrived in the capital. He said he was taking a taxi to the prison's administration bureau. I worried and asked Master for help to stop my husband from coming to the prison.
Master also told us:
“I said that just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2005 Canada Fa Conference”)
Soon, one of my relatives called me and said that my husband was ordered to do an important job by his boss. I put my hands together to thank Master.
I went to the bureau that supervises all of the prisons in the area, while Mr. Qiang’s family went to the prison. After they got there, they told me that they might not be able to see Mr. Qiang. I lost contact with them at that point for about half-an-hour. I was worried that the family members might have been arrested too.
A gated residency was located next to the bureau. I walked there and accidentally pointed at the door. A security guard opened the door with a smiling face.
I walked in to find a place to sit down. I began to send righteous thoughts to rid the evil from behind the prison guards and to ask Master to strengthen the righteous thoughts of Mr. Qiang and his family.
Three children ran toward me to give me a flower. They also piled a bundle of wild flowers on the bench where I was sitting. I knew that Master, once again, was encouraging me.
I still had not made contact with Mr. Qiang’s family. However, I went to the bureau and told the receptionist that I wanted to meet with their supervisor. A few minutes later, the supervisor told me that Mr. Qiang was meeting with his family.
One of Mr. Qiang’s family members also confirmed at that time that they were going to meet with him. The guards, nevertheless, delayed the meeting for about three hours. Only after they faced pressure from their boss did they finally allow the meeting to take place.
Four of Mr. Qiang’s family members walked into the prison. Six guards watched them and took away their purses and cell phones.
Mr. Qiang was emaciated and his hands and legs were wounded. Even though the family was allowed to see him, they were separated from him by glass. The guards also cut the connection before Mr. Qiang had a chance to answer many of his family's questions.
Three days later, the family got to visit him again. This time, the guards were not as uncooperative as they were before.
Mr. Qiang’s family and I went to the bureau shortly after that. The official two levels higher than the former supervisor talked with us. Yet, maybe we still had an attachment being taken advantage of by the evil, because this official decided that Mr. Qiang had to serve his entire prison term.