(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) in 1996. In my 26 years of cultivation, and especially in 1999, when Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to suppress and persecute Falun Gong, my wife, our daughter, and I experienced tribulations that ordinary people could not bear. My mother and father-in-law died due to harassment and panic because of us, and my wife died because of being persecuted.
However, we still hold firm to our belief and are fulfilling our historical mission of clarifying the truth to help Master Li (Falun Dafa’s founder) save sentient beings. With Master’s protection, we have come to this day. Everything is given by Dafa, and we are grateful to Master and Dafa.
After the onset of the persecution, we remained determined to persist in our faith in Falun Dafa, and we endured all kinds of suppression from the authorities. My wife was removed from her post, and I was stripped of my qualifications of being a doctor. Since we refused to hand over our Dafa books, our home was raided. We were followed and our phones were tapped. We were subjected to endless harassment, which included residential surveillance, among other methods. My wife and I petitioned for Falun Dafa and were arrested and detained. We both were taken to a forced labor camp, and illegally imprisoned twice.
A provincial government official came to “transform” my wife and myself. He said to me, “You have a college degree. You are a leader and a doctor. Why do you believe in Falun Gong?”
I replied in detail, saying, “I thought I was a thorough materialist and believed in science, but I couldn’t avoid sickness. When I was in the army, I suffered from rheumatic disease, which could not be cured in the local hospital or the large army hospital.
“I visited famous Chinese medical doctors. I tried Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, prescriptions, secret recipes, acupuncture, and more. None of them worked, and qigong was ineffective. For more than 20 years, I was hospitalized almost every year, not to mention how much money I spent. I had joint deformation, inflammation, and swelling. Cloudy and rainy days were the most difficult. I became “handicapped” and could not carry anything, and I couldn’t touch cold water. I was only in my 40s, but was tormented by the disease.
“By chance, I received Master Li Hongzhi’s book Zhuan Falun. I read it overnight, and something miraculous happened. I recovered from the pain in my lower back and joints. I have since no longer suffered from my rheumatic disease, and have truly felt the wonderfulness of being illness-free. Three days later, I, a heavy smoker, who smoked two or three packs of cigarettes a day, quit smoking. Being an alcoholic whose wife repeatedly threatened “divorce” in an attempt to force me to quit drinking, I soon completely quit. My relatives, colleagues, and friends were surprised by the changes in me! My biggest gain was that I understood the true meaning of life, and my resentment toward others who caused my grievances was resolved. In short, I felt, saw, and experienced everything that was talked about in Zhuan Falun.
“My daughter also started practicing Falun Dafa, and she recovered from her epileptic headaches. My wife, who has reached menopause, had dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation for decades, and recovered after practicing Falun Dafa. At my local exercise site, I have witnessed people with lung cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer, lupus erythematosus, and chronic renal failure recover because of practicing Falun Dafa, gaining new lives.
“As a doctor, I know that these diseases cannot be completely cured with medicine. It shows that Falun Dafa is an extraordinary science. Moreover, Falun Dafa practitioners follow the Dafa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Practitioners never engage in violence, but look within themselves whenever facing a conflict. They try to be good people. After we began practicing Falun Dafa, our family life became more harmonious, and we now truly feel the happiness and joy of life! I really don’t understand why the government suppresses Falun Dafa, as it teaches Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, strengthens the body and mind, and benefits society.”
The official tried to persuade me, saying, “You’re a leader at your workplace, and a member of the Communist Party. Now, the government does not allow it [Falun Dafa] to be practiced, so you should comply with the order.”
“I am no longer a member of the CCP,” I responded. “I have quit the Party. In the past, I vowed to fight for communism for the rest of my life. However, I found that the CCP does not do what it claims to do. What it used to oppose it now advocates, and what it advocated for in the past is now opposed. It even persecutes its members.
“I have participated in two battles. I witnessed heroes being treated as traitors, and intellectuals not being trusted. In the Vietnam war, a territory that cost hundreds of soldiers’ lives in my unit was later demarcated as Vietnamese territory. What is right and what is wrong, can you tell? As far as Falun Dafa is concerned, in the past, the government said it was good. The media reported that the wives of the seven members of the CCP’s Standing Committee all practiced [Falun Dafa], and all seven members of the Standing Committee have read Zhuan Falun. After investigation, the chairman of the National People’s Congress reported to the Central Committee: ‘Falun Dafa is beneficial to the country and the people, and causes no harm at all.’ Is the suppression justified? You tell me. Is it legal?”
The official was speechless. When he left, he said, “If you think it’s good, then practice well at home.”
My wife and I went to the provincial Party committee in 2000 to petition for Falun Dafa. Before we could speak, we were arrested and detained for a month. After I left the detention center, my wife was taken to another detention center by her workplace. I was locked in a room by my workplace, and lost my freedom for more than 280 days.
To protest this persecution, my wife and I resigned from public office and stayed away from home. My daughter was later forced to stay away from home too, due to constant police harassment. The police issued arrest warrants, set up roadblocks, and looked for us everywhere. After we were found, our family was taken to a forced labor camp because we refused to renounce our belief.
While in hiding, we received help from many friends, army colleagues, and kind people, including the police, judiciary, and government officials. They all said similar things, like, “We know that you are very kind. We are not afraid of being implicated, so you can stay in my house however long you want to.” But we didn’t want to cause them trouble, so we often moved.
We used the money given to us by our friends to buy mobile phones, computers, printers, and other equipment. With their help, we set up a materials production site, and did what we should to save people.
Many friends have been rewarded for their good thoughts and deeds. One friend is the manager of a company. For a period of time, he arranged housing and meals for us, and also asked his friends to help us. He was blessed for his good deeds. When driving an off-road vehicle downhill at a fast speed, a small animal suddenly appeared in front of him. Trying to avoid it, the car flipped and rolled over. The people in the car were fine, and he just had some scratches on his hands. The car was intact, with no scratches at all.
When the persecution began, a former middle school teacher of mine received a “letter to teachers and classmates” from us. She knew the truth about the persecution very well and sympathized with us. When my wife was incarcerated in the forced labor camp, the teacher was not afraid, and visited my wife with the help of her former student, who is a police officer.
The teacher’s family called us in 2011, saying that the teacher had been diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the uterus, and because of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, her condition was serious. There were many complications, so the local doctors invited experts from other places to consult and prepare for surgery the next day.
My wife and I rushed to the hospital. My wife went into the ICU and told the teacher, “As long as you sincerely recite ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,’ you will be fine.” She also gave the teacher a Dafa amulet. My wife said to the teacher’s husband, son, and daughter-in-law, “We can’t help much. The only thing we can tell you is that if you sincerely recite ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’, you will be protected by gods and Buddhas.”
After the surgery, the doctor showed pictures of the tumor to the family, “Look at it, the tumor cut off is malignant. You should prepare for chemotherapy.” However, three days later, the doctor obtained the pathology report and said to the family, “How strange! How can the tumor become benign!” The teacher soon recovered at a speed the doctors and nurses did not expect, and was discharged. The teacher later told my wife that she held the amulet tightly in her hand throughout the operation.
Our family was arrested and sentenced to prison again in 2012. In the courtroom were 610 Office officials and public security personnel. In my own defense, I pointed out that the persecution of Falun Dafa had no legal basis. In court, I recounted the confession of a death row inmate who heard about the principles of Falun Dafa, and wanted to be a good person. He asked me to give the judge a letter saying, “If I had known about Falun Dafa earlier, I would not have embarked on the path of crime.”
Finally, I told them Master’s words:
“...if people’s minds contain thoughts that resist Dafa, once this evil drama is over a large number of people will begin to be weeded out, and people who were destined to obtain the Fa or an even larger number of innocent people might be weeded out.” (“A Message,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)
I told them that there are only two kinds of people who can survive the catastrophe when it comes. First, those who have quit the CCP, because heaven will destroy the CCP. And second, those who recognize the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I told them to remember “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” and good thoughts will bring them and their families a wonderful future!
When I said this, the courtroom was silent. I believe that everyone heard the heartfelt exhortations of Dafa practitioners. When defending herself, my wife said, “Every person and every life in the world, including everyone involved in the persecution of Falun Dafa, are the objects of salvation of Dafa practitioners. I have no grudges or hatred for anyone involved in the persecution. I just hope that you can understand the truth as soon as possible, and do less in persecuting Falun Dafa, which will bring hope for yourselves into the future.”
Since the beginning of the persecution, we have been pressured and harassed by all sides. They have visited us on all the sensitive dates and holidays. Among them were the director of the Provincial Women’s Federation, the head of the Domestic Security Division, the director of the 610 Office, personnel from the judicial office, the Comprehensive Management Office, officers of the police station, community officials, and so on.
Master said,
“Let me tell you, every person in the entire world was at one point part of my family...” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)
The people in this world today, which are also our relatives, are all lives that came for the great Fa of the universe. We will treat them as lives to be saved, and tell them the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa and the unfair treatment our family has received because we persist in practicing Falun Dafa. Many police, community officials, and staff understood the truth and quit the CCP organizations.
One year, on April 25, a deputy community director and a staff member came to my house to “offer condolences.” I said, “I knew you were going to come today.”
The deputy director asked me, “What is this ‘April 25 Appeal’ all about?”
I replied, “You don’t even know about the ‘April 25 Appeal’! It means you don’t even know what you’re here for.” So I told him about the peaceful appeal of Falun Dafa practitioners in Beijing at the State Council’s Office on April 25, 1999. In conclusion, I said, “Falun Dafa practitioners believed in the government, and wanted to tell the government about the injustices they had suffered, in accordance with the law. They only appealed for a normal cultivation environment. The issue was properly resolved under the personal intervention of the Prime Minister. But, Jiang Zemin [former CCP leader], out of jealousy of Falun Dafa’s Master, slandered this incident as a political event to eradicate the practice.”
I also told them that quitting the CCP organizations would bring them safety and health. The deputy director happily quit the Party. Another staff member quit the Communist Youth League.
One year, on May 13, Master Li’s birthday and World Falun Dafa Day, two police officers, who understood the truth and quit the Party, came to wish Master a happy birthday! They shared a birthday cake and fruit.
During my time spent in detention centers, labor camps, and prisons, I persisted in doing three things well, clarifying the truth, and helping to save people. As a result, many guards, inmates, and hundreds of others learned the truth and quit the CCP organizations, while some even wanted to practice Falun Dafa. Some people have gotten rid of their bad habits and said they want to be new people. Some sincerely recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” and received blessings.
A detention center guard in charge of my cell quit the Communist Youth League. He took great care of me. In addition to allowing me to do the exercises and study the Fa freely, he also asked me to give daily lectures to the detainees on the principles of being a good person.
The environment in my cell was very good. There were few fights, and everyone got along and helped each other. A gangster, who was detained for injuring people in fights, fought with others in the cell. He completely changed his attitude after I told him about Falun Dafa and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When others beat him, he did not fight back. The guard in charge said to me with emotion, “I really admire you for making such a punk change.” He also said to me, “I too will learn to endure.”
I responded, “It’s not me. All the credit belongs to the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
I once told everyone the truth about Falun Dafa during a break. A detainee was listening. He was hospitalized that day, and later I heard that he had “leukemia.” After about a month, he returned from the hospital, recovered from the leukemia, and became more energetic.
One day, he asked me, “When I first came in that day, I heard you say that reciting ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’ can bring one health and safety, so I did it. But I only recited Falun Dafa, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, but didn’t include the word ‘good’. Will this have an effect?”
I said to him happily, “Haven’t you recovered from leukemia? Although you didn’t say ‘good’, gods only look at people’s hearts. If your heart is good and you believe in gods, Master Li will help you.”
He responded excitedly, “When I go back home, I will definitely ask the whole family to recite ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’ He was soon released on bail and later given a suspended sentence.
I was fortunate to obtain Dafa. Dafa made me truly understand the meaning of life - returning to one’s original, true self. Over the past 22 years, although we have suffered many disasters, our family has been arrested, our home raided, and we have been detained, locked in a labor camp, and sentenced twice to prison, we have no regrets.
As Dafa disciples, we understand the true meaning of life and walk on the divine path. Although we have lost almost everything in ordinary life during the suppression, we know very well in our hearts that what we have lost was only attachments to fame, profit, and affection. Yet what we have gained is spiritual enlightenment, and the title - Dafa disciples.