(Minghui.org) After I was detained on dubious grounds, it appeared that I faced a kangaroo court. Thanks to my fellow practitioners who sent righteous thoughts for me outside the courthouse, and my courageous lawyer who put up an excellent defense, my trial went better than expected.
The power of our righteous thoughts impacted people at the trial. Even the judge, who had been selected specifically for his expertise in taking Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) cases, seemed to have toned down his adversarial behavior. I clarified the truth about Falun Gong and rebutted the false and malicious accusations against me. In the end, the outcome of the trial was much better than we had expected.
Displaying the Compassion of a Practitioner Changes Court Environment
Even before my hearing, I had already written an open letter to officials at the detention center including the resident prosecutor, the district chief and the prison guards. I also handed the same letter to the judge at the beginning of the hearing. Because I treated everyone with compassion, no one at the detention center stopped me from doing the Falun Gong exercises.
On the day of the hearing, I was dressed in new clothes and shoes provided by the inmates in my cell. I was told I looked very presentable. I took special care to appear well-mannered and courteous in my interactions with the court officials. I believe our conduct as practitioners is a righteous force that will cleanse people's minds of evil thoughts.
I shouted as I entered the court, “Dear judge, prosecutor and everyone here, it's destiny that has brought us all here today. Please remember that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good and Falun Dafa is good. The world needs this to make it a better place.” Because of the compassion I showed everyone, the judge agreed to my lawyer's request to have my handcuffs and shackles removed.
When the judge asked whether I would prefer that the prosecutor be removed from the courtroom, I replied, “As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I believe it's not a coincidence that we all meet here today, I don't want to exclude the prosecutor's presence.”
When the judge asked me why I practice Falun Gong, I said, “It wasn't because I had nothing better to do or wanted to fill an emotional void. I started practicing because its principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance raise our moral character and enables us to be good people. Having more good people can only benefit our society.” The judge fixed his gaze on me as if he had understood something.
I was guided by the Fa throughout the proceedings, as my purpose was to awaken people's conscience. Towards the end of the hearing I told the court: “I am saddened by today's long and tedious trial. I have had to go through terrible years when my husband was persecuted and tortured. Now, I have to endure the harsh treatment at the detention center, the humiliating looks of inmates who have been told lies about me, and the unsavory accusation of being a 'cult follower.'”
I continued, “I am subjected to all this, yet I still have compassion for everyone and put others first in everything I do because of the power of Falun Gong. I believe Falun Gong will never be defeated. I am certain that one day Jiang Zemin [the former Chinese leader who initiated the persecution of Falun Gong] will be put on trial to face justice!”
“You should all sue Jiang. Don't get dragged along until the demise of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For your own well-being, renounce your membership in the CCP and its youth organizations. Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is good! Falun Dafa is good!”
I also added, “This court has handed down decisions that have caused practitioners to be thrown into prisons to be tortured and brainwashed.”
I reminded the judge of the court verdict in the trials against former East German border guards. It was found that the guards should not have fired shots to kill even if they were only carrying out orders because that was a violation of basic human rights. Finally, I urged him to read the letter I had given him.
Before signing off on the transcripts of the proceedings, I added back many omissions from my testimony and made sure inaccuracies and misrepresentations were corrected. I also managed to write on the document “Falun Dafa is good,” despite strong opposition.
I was sweating a lot during this verification process and a court policeman was kind enough to keep passing me tissues. I could see that the court police's attitude towards me had changed from one of disbelief to that of respect.
Warning the Police with Kind Words
During the short walk from the court to the police van, I kept shouting “Falun Dafa is good!”
I told the court policemen, “The Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident is a hoax. I know you don't want to get involved because this appears to have nothing to do with you. Please do think for yourselves. You are the police in uniform during the day but when you get home you are also a husband and a father with a family to look after. For the last few decades the CCP had driven fear into us Chinese. We are afraid of speaking the truth for our own selfish reasons. Now, only Falun Gong practitioners are bold enough to speak the truth.”
The policemen were all very polite to me.
Looking out from the police van as I was driven away from the courthouse, I spotted a line of more than 20 police standing outside. When we drove past them, they all cheered and their voices were loud and clear. Was it because it was finally time to go home or could it have been that they were cheering from deep down in their souls since they have awakened to the truth? The driver of the van stopped before them and asked cheerfully, “Anyone want a ride?”
On my way back to the detention center, I felt my mind had been thoroughly cleansed, very much like the feeling of “Reaching the Zenith of Heaven and the Nadir of Earth” when I do the third exercise. I knew for sure then that my life is not meant for an ordinary existence, rather it is for the Fa.
When we left for the court in the morning, the police first put me in the prisoner compartment of the van, but later they moved me to the seats behind them in the front cab. The same thing happened on our way back.
As we arrived back to the detention center, I said to the policemen: “Because you have driven me there and back today and allowed me to say in court what I wanted to say, you have done a good deed and shall be rewarded. Please remember 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good', 'Falun Dafa is good'.
One of the policemen gave me a thumbs-up and said, “You are very brave!”
I kept shouting “Falun Dafa is good” as I walked inside the detention center. My voice was like a string of bomb blasts shattering all evil.
Maintaining and Strengthening Righteous Thoughts
While I was in court, guards at the detention center kept asking if I had come back. After 4:00 p.m., inmates in my cell constantly checked the time and were very concerned. They were very surprised when they found out that I had a lawyer defending me.
To sum up my experience of this court appearance, that is, it does not matter what happens, we need to think about saving people and that should be our sole motivation. I have merely done what I could at my level of cultivation and at my level of understanding of the progress of Fa-rectification.
I value my time on this earth. I have memorized many of the poems written by Master, including those collected in the book Hong Yin. That has helped me clear my mind of negative thoughts and averted many potential problems.
I have never examined myself this closely in my 20 years of cultivation. I had not taken cultivation seriously, and to continue down that path means I would have wasted this precious opportunity to cultivate my way back to heaven.
I have to catch up fast and view every tribulation as an occasion to turn something bad into something good. I hope fellow practitioners do not fail to recognize the warning signs before the rude awakening. Many practitioners have become slack in their cultivation and that would spell trouble for sure.
I would like to make a few suggestions to practitioners who still have their freedom. Look within when issues arise, don’t blame others and do not evaluate your fellow practitioners using human notions. In particular, for those who are having a hard time, you must maintain and strengthen your righteous thoughts. I have come to the realization that in order to do well, we need to have a big heart.
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