(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in May 1996, when I was 32 years old. My health had been poor before this. Chronic illnesses and constant pain caused me to have a bad temper. Within less than three months after I began practicing all my illnesses disappeared, and I felt reborn! I wanted to tell everyone in the world that Falun Dafa is good and that they should practice it.
I was very competitive before I started to practice and only cared about satisfying my personal interests. I fought with others at my job in order to get an outstanding award. I also incurred many medical expenses for my employer. Since I became healthy after I began practicing, I no longer needed to take any medicine, so I no longer cost the company money. I also became more dedicated to my work.
The company I worked for was not very profitable so it could not afford a janitor, and the employees had to clean the hallway and bathroom. I thought that as a practitioner I should be a good person, so I often did the cleaning. I did it without any complaints, and eventually started doing all the cleaning. At the end of the year, when my company elected outstanding workers, nearly everyone voted for me. One worker who only received a few votes started to bad mouth me behind my back. I took it lightly and didn't argue with her. I could never have been so calm if I wasn't a Falun Dafa practitioner. The leader of my workplace constantly praised me for my good deeds and great work ethic.
I went to Beijing to appeal in December 2000, after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Dafa. I went to Tiananmen Square and saw many police officers and police vehicles. I kept seeing Falun Dafa practitioners holding banners and shouting “Falun Dafa is good,” and the police vehicles rushing to the practitioners. The police violently tore down their banners, beat the practitioners to the ground, and dragged them into the police vehicles. I also saw the police dragging a female practitioner by her hair across the ground.
I was so touched by fellow practitioners' righteousness that I also shouted, “Falun Dafa is good!” Two police officers immediately came over and dragged me to the police vehicle, which was soon filled with practitioners. We were driven to a big yard that was already full of practitioners. We recited the Fa together. In order to protest the illegal arrest we refused to give our names or addresses. A few days later we were sent to a detention center in the countryside of northern China. Several practitioners went on hunger strikes to protest the persecution.
The winter was extremely cold and it snowed heavily. One morning two other practitioners and I started to practice the exercises. In order to do them correctly, we took off our winter coats. While we were doing the second exercise two police officers came over. They shouted at us and shoved us outside, but didn't allow us to put on our coats.
We continued doing the exercises after the police left. After a while, one officer returned. This time he did not shout at us, but instead just stood there quietly and watched us. After we finished the exercises, he said, “I really admire you. It's 20 degrees below zero celsius and we can't bear the cold even while wearing heavy coats. You've been on hunger strikes for over ten days and you have so little clothing. You're not afraid of anything. You practitioners really are amazing.”
We realized that not only did we not feel cold, but actually felt warm. We knew that compassionate Master was beside us and strengthening us. We were all very grateful.
With Master's strengthening, we 19 practitioners were released unconditionally before the Chinese New Year. The day before our release, the officer who watched us practicing the exercises came to our cell and said, “I know you are all good people. Please don't hate us for mistreating you. We're only following orders.” We said, “We don't blame you. We know you're a good person. If you have the chance, please read the book Zhuan Falun. You will benefit from it. We wish you a safe and healthy life.” He repeatedly thanked us.
After I was released and returned home, I learned that the local police wanted to arrest me. In order to avoid persecution, I became homeless and destitute.
I went to work at a dumpling restaurant in the provincial capital doing miscellaneous work in the kitchen. I always reminded myself that I was a practitioner and I should be a good person no matter what situation I was in. I worked hard and even helped my co-workers.
One day while I was helping chop vegetables for the dumpling stuffing I accidentally chopped off a piece of my left index finger. I quickly wrapped my finger in a paper towel to stop the bleeding and I didn't say anything. Next, I washed the dishes. I didn't disinfect the wound, nor wear a latex glove. If I were an everyday person, my finger would have become infected. But nothing happened and I didn't even feel any pain. I was very grateful to Master for his compassionate protection.
The owner and his wife constantly praised me for my hard work and high morals. When I told them that I was a Falun Dafa practitioner the owner smiled and gave me a thumbs up. The wife said, “No wonder you're such a good person. You're a Falun Dafa practitioner. I heard that practitioners are all good people. I heard that when they went to Beijing they didn't leave a single piece of paper on the ground. They even removed all the cigarette butts discarded by the police.” I was really happy for the couple's positive attitude towards Dafa.
When I left the restaurant they were all sad to see me go. The owner hosted a farewell party. He praised me and said, “Good people like you are hard to find. It's our loss that she has to leave. Whenever you want to come back, our door is always open to you.”
I was tracked by the Internet police when I clarified the truth on the Internet in 2012, and was arrested by the city and county police departments. I was detained at the city detention center and the police ransacked my home. I felt very regretful about my omissions, and I also hated the police.
When I remembered that I was a practitioner I calmed down. For practitioners, nothing that happens is coincidental. I recalled Master's Fa:
“Imprisoned as you are, don’t be sorrowful or sadCarry on with righteous thoughts and actions, and the Fa is with youCalmly reflect on the attachments you haveRemove your human thoughts and evil will naturally die out” (“Don't Be Sad,” Hong Yin Vol. II)
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide” (“The Master-Disciple Bond,” Hong Yin Vol. II)
I stopped being sad and regretful, and recited the Fa with the other detained practitioners. We also persuaded over 30 detainees to withdraw from the CCP and its related organizations.
All the inmates saw our compassion and tolerance and knew that Falun Dafa was special. The inmates often scolded and fought with each other. One young lady told me that there were no good people inside the detention center except for Dafa practitioners. A senior woman there always accused and scolded others, but she was always nice to practitioners. We taught her to recite Master's poem,
“Life is short,You've merely stopped over at the inn.Don't forget your vow before descending here.”(“Infatuated,” Hong Yin III)
She was happy, and her attitude changed.
The beds were crowded together, so there were frequent arguments. Every time there was an argument about the beds, the guard put me in between the two inmates who had the argument. Within two weeks, I was moved twelve times. The prison guard told them, “You should all learn from the Falun Dafa practitioners. They never argue or fight with anyone.”
When I look back over my 20-year-long cultivation path, I changed from a selfish, narrow-minded, ill, and pessimistic person into a selfless, open-minded, happy, healthy, and optimistic person. Thank you Master for your compassionate salvation!