(Minghui.org) I had been practicing Falun Dafa for only eight months when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its persecution of Dafa. I was taken to a forced labor camp because of my belief.

When I was released in 2001, I lived in fear and did not know what to do. I decided to study the Fa and let Dafa guide me.

After I studied Master's lectures, I gradually understood that we should deny the arrangements of the old forces.

Master said:

“Should you have fear,it will seize upon youIf thoughts are righteous,evil will collapseThe cultivator’s mindis loaded with FaSend righteous thoughts,and rotten demons explodeGods walk the earth,validating the Fa(“What’s to Fear” in Hong Yin Vol. II)

I realized one of the reasons that practitioners had been persecuted was fear, so I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate my fear. I would also try to let go of this attachment whenever I sensed it. At the same time, I memorized Master's teaching about having fear.

Master said:

“Fear can cause one to make mistakes, and fear can cause one to lose a predestined opportunity. Fear is a death trap on a human being’s journey toward divinity.” (“Pass the Deadly Test,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III)

My heart gradually calmed, and I was not as scared. 

Since 2005, I have been clarifying the facts about Falun Dafa face to face. The effect was good in the beginning as I started with my friends, colleagues and neighbours. However, it became challenging when it came to strangers. Some people did not accept what I said, and some even threatened me.

With experience, I gradually became calm and peaceful in these situations. I once talked to a person about Dafa on my way to the supermarket. During our conversation, I realized he was a policeman. I grew fearful and walked away. After I left him, I felt that a practitioner should not be afraid.

I asked Master to give me another chance to meet him and help him. Sure enough, I met him again. This time, I clarified the truth to him, and he accepted it and quit the CCP. I was greatly encouraged.

It was as Master said,

“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)

In July 2005, I received a message I would be the next target of persecution. I discussed how to deal with the situation with my daughter. We felt it was not safe at home and decided to go into hiding.

Before we left home, I broke off three teeth from my comb. The number of broken teeth matched the number of people who would leave home: my daughter, my grandson, and myself.

I discussed with my daughter again, and we changed our minds and decided to face the tribulation with our righteous thoughts.

We studied the Fa and sent forth righteous thoughts more intensively at home. Two days later, three police cars and more than 20 officers surrounded my home. A policeman came upstairs and told me to go with him. I said, “I was seriously ill in the hospital in 1996 and was dying. All of my diseases were gone in two weeks after I started practicing Falun Dafa.”

I went on, “I’ve been very healthy since then. Why would you arrest me only because I practice Falun Dafa?”

The policeman left after hearing this. After a while, they sent other policemen upstairs, and I told them about my experience with Dafa as well.

My daughter sent forth righteous thoughts for me while I clarified the truth to the officers. They left after two hours. 

Three neighbours later told us they asked the police not to take me away that day. They said the police should protect society instead of arresting good Falun Dafa practitioners. These neighbours who protected me all understood Dafa and had quit the CCP. 

We appreciated Master’s help with this tribulation. I realized, however, that I did not deny the persecution and did not treat the policemen as sentient beings to be saved. I still had fear in my mind. So, I started memorizing the Fa. 

I read one lecture of Zhuan Falun and spent all my spare time reciting the Fa. I spent 13 months memorizing Zhuan Falun. It was challenging, and sometimes it took me three days to recite a paragraph. However, I improved a lot by reciting the Fa. I was very focused and came to understand many teachings.

Once, a fellow practitioner visited me after she had been illegally detained for a month in a brainwashing center. She did not sign any renunciation statements saying she would give up her belief in Dafa, but she wrote a guarantee saying she would abide by the law. (Editor’s note: No law in China makes it illegal to practice Falun Gong.)

I remembered Master's teaching immediately:

“Laws regulate the affairs of everyday people, which is not a problem. Being a practitioner is supernormal, so as a supernormal person, you must conduct yourself with supernormal principles instead of measuring yourself with those of everyday people.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)

I recited this paragraph to her, and she immediately realized she was wrong.

Another time, I discussed with a fellow practitioner how to deal with policemen who came to our home. She said firmly, “Don’t open the door. Don’t cooperate with them.” I felt what she said held some truth, but I did not completely agree with her. I then realized we should also clarify the truth to the people who persecute us.

Thus, when people who wanted to brainwash me came to my home, I offered them tea and told them the facts of Falun Dafa. A few of them understood and agreed to quit the CCP.

One day, I memorized this paragraph in Zhuan Falun:

“Let me give you an example. In Buddhism, it is said that every phenomenon in human society is illusory and unreal. How are they illusions? Real and concrete physical objects are placed right here, so who would claim that they are false?” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun) 

I enlightened that since all the phenomena in human society are illusions, isn't the persecution an illusion as well? Then why would I treat it so seriously? 

I realized that the persecution was an opportunity to get rid of our attachments and save sentient beings, and that we should take every opportunity to cultivate ourselves and save people. I was no longer fearful.

Master said: 

“Of course, we don't acknowledge any of the things that the old forces arranged--I as your master don't acknowledge them, and Dafa disciples of course don't acknowledge them either. (Applause) But after all, they did do what they wanted to do, so there's all the more reason for Dafa disciples to do even better and cultivate themselves well in the course of saving all beings. When you encounter ordeals during your cultivation, you have got to cultivate yourself and look at yourself--that doesn't mean acknowledging the ordeals arranged by the old forces and trying to do well amidst the ordeals they've arranged, that's not the case. We negate even the very emergence of the old forces and everything that they've arranged; we don't even acknowledge their existence. We're fundamentally negating all of their things, and all of, and only, the things you do while negating and getting rid of them is mighty-virtue. It's not that you're cultivating amidst the ordeals they created. Rather, you are to walk your own path well while not acknowledging them, not even acknowledging the elimination of their ordeals' manifestations. (Applause) So looking at it from this angle, what we need to do is completely negate the old forces. Dafa disciples and I don't even acknowledge the manifestations of their last-ditch efforts.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference)

I had previously read this paragraph dozens of times, but I did not understand it very well. I always wondered what kind of state I needed to achieve in order to reach the standard. 

I understood it one day when I recited another paragraph:

“I told you early on that I removed the name of every single Dafa disciple from Hell's list. Every ordinary person is listed in that registry. I have removed the names of Dafa disciples from Hell's registry. I had their names removed from Hell. So your names are not there. In other words, you are not in any way beings of the Three Realms, and you are no longer ordinary persons. That is why when your righteous thoughts are strong you can resolve any problem.” (Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles)

I enlightened that since I do not belong to the three realms, nothing in the three realms has anything to do with me, and that includes the persecution.

My heart was filled with peace when I thought of this. I understood how to deny the old forces better.

I have been practicing Dafa for 20 years. I am fortunate to have obtained the Fa, and I am so happy to practice cultivation. Thank you, Master, for saving me. I will be more diligent on my future path.

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Category: Improving Oneself