(Minghui.org) I am a retired teacher in my 70s. My pension was suspended by my employer in November 2019. Thus, the village committee repeatedly urged me to get health insurance.
Then an accountant and other employees asked me to sign a statement. The statement said they had issued me over 290,000 yuan more than I should get, and I was supposed to pay it back by the end of 2020. I would be responsible for the consequences if I couldn’t pay it back. I refused to sign, and they said, “We know you won’t pay it back, and you don’t have the money to pay it back. But it doesn’t matter much to you if you sign. It is to show that we have been here to visit you.”
“I am sorry,” I said, “but I can’t sign just to finish your task. If I sign, but can’t return the money, wouldn't I be a liar? You are an accountant and you know my situation. My husband retired from the military, and moved to this city with me. He doesn’t have a job, and because we moved to the city, we lost our land and relocation compensation. Everyone says my husband is the most unlucky person.”
I continued, “He had severe liver disease associated with ascites. After he practiced Falun Dafa, he became healthy but was later disabled because of being persecuted. I had been the breadwinner and the pension was what I should get from my whole life’s work.”
I was told that the decision was made by the upper authorities. I stopped him and said I didn’t break any law. I then talked to him about the amazing healing effect of practicing Falun Dafa, and how we try to be good people. However, they left, mumbling some kind of excuse. I think nothing happens accidentally.
Master said,
“Wherever you run into difficulties you can't avoid them and go around them. Wherever there's a problem, that's where you need to go resolve things and where you need to go clarify the facts. You must remember this! Once a problem comes up somewhere, that's where you need to go clarify the facts. Don't avoid it, no matter how evil it comes across.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. III)
After I sent forth righteous thoughts, I went to the Labor and Social Security Bureau and found the receptionist window related to my case. My aim was to let them know the truth so they could be saved.
I knew that there was not much time to talk to personnel, so I didn’t mention money directly. Instead I said, “I used to be very sick with different ailments, and now I am 70 years old, energetic and disease-free.” She was surprised, “What? In your 70s? You look like you are 50 years old.”
I told her that this is because I understand how to be a good person. When I started cultivating I became kind and a good person, and subsequently I became young and healthy.
I continued, “Falun Dafa is a cultivation system of both mind and body. If a practitioner committed self-immolation because of practicing Falun Dafa, why has there been no such incident in more than 20 years?”
Then I told her that, in the video of the Tiananmen Self-immolation, you see the police officers standing to one side, waiting for Wang Jindong to finish shouting before covering him with a fire blanket.
“The story was fabricated and there were many loopholes. They didn’t dare to play it again as the play was staged and ridiculous. I suffered from many diseases before, and now I am disease-free. However, my pension was suspended just because I practice Falun Dafa.”
She immediately told me the related officers’ names, titles, room numbers, telephone numbers, and what time I was able to find them. The next day, I met up with the deputy chief in charge of pensions. She said, “We were criticized because of your case. They asked me to get the money back.”
Then she continued her work and ignored me. I wasn’t moved but looked within, and I sent forth righteous thoughts.
When she was no longer busy, I told her the persecution facts. Although she responded to my talking, her tone was harsh, “You can sue them since you were tortured and persecuted simply for being a good person. You can appeal to a higher court if you are not happy with the decision. There is no use being here, as we are doing what we are supposed to do according to the rules.”
She asked someone to copy an official document and told me to visit my employer before I retired. I strengthened sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) factors behind her and asked Master to strengthen me because I wanted to awaken her conscience.
Then I found the chief, although he also said I should talk to my employer, but he was nice. When I clarified the truth, he listened carefully. However, someone came in on business, and I had to leave.
I went to the Education Bureau, which is located inside the city government building complex. In order to get in, I needed permission from someone inside the complex.
I clarified the truth about Dafa to the guards and the gatekeeper. I told them that my pension was suspended because of practicing Falun Dafa. I also told them that I experienced big changes since I began practicing Falun Dafa, as I benefited physically and spiritually.
The gatekeeper understood the truth, so he helped contact a chief, who allowed me to go inside. There were two chiefs who already knew about my case, but they said, “There is nothing we can do. We feel sorry for you.”
I said, “The people who we should feel pity on are those who are poisoned by the CCP’s propaganda. They don’t even know how bad things will be for them in the future. Doing bad things will be punished by heaven.”
I felt that Master had opened my wisdom, so I talked a lot about persecution facts and related historical stories. I asked them to remember “Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” They all agreed.
I went to the school where I had worked. The vice principal had been my colleague for a long time, and he knows the truth. Each time I came to see him he prepared tea for me and helped me find a solution.
However, the new principal was scared when I clarified the truth to him. He immediately stopped me, and said, “Don’t say that. How can you say that? There will be no good for you.”
I said, “Thank you for your kindness. However, if a person isn’t allowed to live simply because he tells the truth, this is not right. The school is like my parents’ home, and I am here to talk about my feelings.”
Then, I gave some examples to show that atheism is wrong, but he said he was too busy to talk to me more about it. I nodded at him politely, and said, “Yes, I am sorry. I can wait and talk to you later.”
He said, “You are no longer our employee. It equals to the status of being dismissed and there is nothing we can do. You’d be better off working on necessary funds for social insurance.”
I then went to the related neighborhood administration offices, not to work on my insurance, but to use this opportunity to save sentient beings. Although most people I contacted changed their attitudes towards Dafa, they felt pity and said “it was not worth it (to lose your pension).”
I felt that I should follow up if I had a chance so that they could position themselves well and take a clear stance on this issue.
I went to the police department and talked to the director of the 610 Office. I asked him directly, “Why did you suspend my pension? How can we make a living?” He replied that he didn't know. I didn’t know whether he really didn’t know or lied to me.
I continued, “Which laws have I broken? The Constitution says that every citizen has freedom of belief and speech and the right to appeal, gather, and demonstrate. Do we have it now?” He told me that I didn’t know anything about Falun Dafa. I said, “What I know is, there is nothing wrong with being a good person and living by the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
Then I listed a few good things I did and he nodded, “Yes, you did well, but...” I didn’t argue with him but continued to talk to him based on the law. However, he was beating around the bush; I couldn’t save him. When I looked within, I realized that it was due to my lack of mercy, attachment to fighting, and even fear of being persecuted.
What should I do? I knew I should cultivate more to let go of my human notions and help him awaken to the truth. I talked with fellow practitioners, as I thought that it might be better to write a letter to him. So I wrote a six page letter, printed 10 copies, and sent them to the related departments. Although they all shifted responsibilities, their attitude had changed.
I visited the deputy chief of the Labor and Social Security Department that I had met previously. She was nice to me and said, “For your case, you’d be better off talking to your employer and asking for cash assistance.”
“Yes, you are really working hard,” I replied and then clarified the truth. I said, “The most unfortunate people are those poisoned by lies and are scapegoats.”
I said, “For a human being, the most precious thing is life. Don’t believe in atheism. And don’t die together with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I am giving you a pseudonym for you to quit the CCP.”
She smiled, very happily, and said, “Good, good.” I then told her how to protect the whole family to be safe.
She reminded me, “It will be raining. Be careful at your age.” She sent me to the elevator and pressed the down button. She waved to say goodbye to me until I entered the elevator.
In the elevator, I changed the direction to go up, and found the chief. This time he was very polite and asked me to take a seat. I talked to him more and asked him to quit the CCP, offering him a pseudonym. He agreed and was very happy.
Two days later, after I sent forth righteous thoughts, I went to the department again and met with a director. After I introduced myself, I asked him whether he had read the letter I sent him. He said no. I was surprised and talked to him for more than half an hour. He listened to me patiently, however, he emphasized that he didn’t have any way to help me, as he worked within the system.
Finally I said, “Let me tell you a joke. Whether a person is within the system, or outside of the system, can he say a plastic bottle full of gasoline won’t burn in a fire, and hair won’t burn in a fire? Director, it is dangerous to listen to lies, so please don’t risk your life, and please quit the CCP.” He did quit the CCP.
I received a reply in May 2020 regarding my request for a pension because I visited the Division of Complaints and Appeals. They said I would get half of my pension for my daily living expenses, an amount they'd decided on during several departmental meetings.
However, soon after, people from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, the 610 Office, and a TV station came to my home to interview me.
I told them the truth. The first question the reporter asked me was, “How were you cheated by practicing Falun Dafa?”
“I was not cheated,” I said. “Because my husband had hepatic ascites, he had been looking for treatments for quite a few years. In 1996 he was sent back home by hospitals, and then a friend introduced Falun Dafa to us. Half a month after practicing Falun Dafa, all his lab tests returned normal.”
At that time, I was also in poor health. I went on and on and shared my story of how I benefit from practicing Falun Dafa. My words were not what they expected so they stopped the interview.
They went outside for a discussion and then came back. Then they asked, “Weren’t you looking to improve your health when you started practicing Falun Dafa?”
“Yes, I was,” I said.
“Then you eventually got involved in politics, didn’t you?” They asked.
“No, we are not interested in politics or power at all,” I replied. “There are no lists of names and no fixed places. No one charges me anything, and practicing Falun Dafa gives me a healthy body. I have no regrets at all. I don’t feel any guilt --I just want to be healthy and a good person.”
The reporter didn’t ask any more questions. Other people got angry and said, “Aren't you grateful to us? We all work hard for you...” I was worried that they were poisoned by the CCP propaganda and wanted to tell them the persecution facts, but they left in a hurry. I wanted to use the so-called interview to expose the evil, so I went to the Department of Complaints and Appeals.
I wanted to find the director who hadn’t heard the persecution facts from me. The guard said it was not easy to find the director.
So I talked to the guard, “You see, if I tell lies based on what they request, I will get cash for living expenses. I can’t get cash assistance when I tell them the truth. How can this happen in the world?”
I was speaking aloud so one person in the lobby asked me to talk to him. He was the chief who had listened to my truth-clarification previously.
It was he who helped me connect with the director. The director said, “Hasn’t your cash assistance been solved?” I said, “Not yet.” So I told him the whole story about the interview. He said, “Of course, this is your problem.”
The chief who helped me meet with the director tried to teach me how to say things “nicely” by being deceptive. I said, “No, I can't do that. I act as my conscience dictates. If I say something against my conscience, I will bring harm to myself, because doing good deeds will be rewarded and doing bad things will incur punishment.”
I then listed some examples. He agreed and said, “That is good. But what you meant was that you gave up the cash assistance. You also let another chief down. He did a lot for you.”
I was still worried about the interview in case they decided to fabricate some stories, so I called the 610 Office. The director got upset and screamed, “Don’t ask me for anything in the future.”
I said, “Please don’t lose your temper. It is not good for your health.” I then asked him which program covered the interview.
He got angry and said, “What report? There is no report. No.” I persuaded him kindly and he hung up. I knew the plan to slander Falun Dafa had failed.
I read a Minghui article, Breaking Through Economic Persecution, and I felt my cultivation was still far from our fellow practitioners’ cultivation.
It also gave me a lot of encouragement, as I was unclear whether the suspension of my pension was breaking the laws of the constitution or other legal issues. I also thank fellow practitioners who sent forth righteous thoughts for me and gave me support. I feel as if Master is with me all the time, giving me courage, strength, and wisdom.