(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in March 1999, and eagerly studied the Fa and did the exercises. A few months later in July, Jiang Zemin, former leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), initiated the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. I traveled to Beijing twice to clarify the facts to the authorities, and was illegally detained in a brainwashing center and detention center.
In the brainwashing center, some bad people tried to pressure me into renouncing my faith, but I refused. My father-in-law also visited me and urged me to stop practicing, so I could be released to care for my family. But I still refused. Upon returning home, he had a sudden stroke and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. My wife then came to the brainwashing center very upset and was allowed to beat me with a large stick all night. When tired, she lay down in bed to rest for a while, then got up and continued beating me. She broke the stick and left my hand swollen and severely bruised.
The next day, my father-in-law passed away, and my wife wept as if her heart would break. My relatives and friends blamed me, saying that I had caused his death. In reality, it was the CCP’s persecution that was to blame. The bad people became even more ruthless, constantly demanding that I give up my faith and curse my Master. Otherwise, they wouldn’t let me go home.
My wife came to the brainwashing center again, cried and hugged me, asking me to go back with her. Relatives brought my two-year-old son to persuade me to give up my faith, but I refused to listen to them. They left my son with me in the brainwashing center. My son cried all night and wanted his mother. His heartbreaking cries pierced the darkness as it rained heavily outside, and my heart ached very much. I thought that I had reached my limit. However, I knew in my heart that Master Li is most righteous, and Dafa is good, and my faith was unwavering!
Miraculously, the swelling in my arm subsided within a day, and the bruising had faded by the third day. I believed that Master was by my side, protecting me! My righteous faith in Dafa was strengthened even more.
My brother-in-law was serving in the military. He called the brainwashing center and urged me to give up my faith so I could return home. I told him, “They won’t let me go and want me to curse Master Li, but I absolutely refuse!“
He said angrily, “I’ll come with a gun and shoot you.”
I replied, “Just come then.” I had the thought that I won’t curse, even if I’m shot. I was released within a few months after they ran out of ideas to try and get me to renounce my faith.
During the time in the brainwashing center, I recited Hong Yin and Essentials for Further Advancement twice a day. Dafa strengthened my righteous faith and helped me through the tribulations.
Sometimes, thinking of Master made me want to cry, and I felt a sense of incomparable solemnity. I believed that “Master” was the most sacred title in the universe. This painful period further solidified my righteous belief in Master Li and Dafa. The Master of Falun Dafa had infused faith into my life, so I felt indestructible.
Now, our family is very happy. Although my wife suffered from cancer, she is now cured. My son is pursuing a doctorate at a prestigious university. My brother-in-law became a high-ranking official. They are all very kind to me. I believe that their knowing sides understood that they were saved by Dafa’s mighty virtue and my steadfast righteous thoughts.
After my release from the brainwashing center, I had difficulty finding a job. Many employers were afraid to hire me because Jiang Zemin had ordered that any company that failed to “transform” Falun Dafa practitioners would result in its top leaders being dismissed. Although I had a college degree, I could only get menial jobs, such as delivering mineral water or magazines, and tying rebar in concrete at construction sites.
One time, a college classmate saw my difficulties and gave me a formula that he had developed for a company. I easily created a product based on the formula. I could sell it for over 10,000 yuan per ton, even though it only cost over 1,000 yuan to make. I also quickly found a customer who was willing to use the product. With just this customer, I could earn over 100,000 yuan a year. At the time, I only earned a few hundred yuan a month, working as a laborer. Faced with the huge temptation of profit, I remembered Master’s teachings:
“We therefore believe in following the course of nature. Sometimes, you think that something should be yours, and others also tell you that it is yours. Actually, it is not. You may believe that it is yours, but in the end it is not yours. Through this process, it can be seen whether you can give it up or not. If you cannot let it go, it is an attachment. This method must be used to get rid of your attachment to self-interest. This is the issue.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun)
The more I thought about this deal, the more it felt wrong to me. I told my classmate, “I know you have good intentions to help after seeing me struggling, but I can’t do this. You’re being trusted to research the formula. If you leak the results to me, it is not fair.” I tore up the formula in front of him and continued working at the construction site tying rebar.
Later, this classmate was promoted to university dean due to his outstanding performance in many areas. He respected me very much and was happy to help me when I needed his assistance. He knew that Dafa practitioners are good people.
In 2023, my older sister, also a Falun Dafa practitioner, was arrested again and sentenced for distributing Dafa informational materials. Previously, when she was arrested, my younger sister devoted herself to helping her sister by visiting her in prison, delivering clothes and so on. My younger sister knew that the CCP was wrong in persecuting Dafa practitioners.
However, this time she complained that my older sister should practice at home, instead of going against the authorities. She didn’t really understand so she said that her sister ignored the suffering of others. I told her, “Dafa practitioners are not going against the authorities. Back then, they held me in a brainwashing center and forced me to curse Master. If someone held a knife to my neck and asked me to curse our mother, I definitely wouldn’t, even if I would die. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Who’s evil?” My young sister remained silent. From then on, she never complained about her older sister.
Later, the prison guards asked my young sister to use family influence to persuade her sister to renounce her faith in Dafa. She refused to cooperate and defended our sister by telling the police, “She’s just a human being with a belief. Don’t be so harsh to her.”
Falun Dafa practitioners must firmly uphold their righteous belief in Dafa at critical moments, cultivate well, rectify people’s misunderstandings and spread the wonder of Dafa to the world! As Master said: “Stopping society’s downward slide”. (“Universal Illumination” in Hong Yin II)
The above are my understandings. If there is anything that is not compliant with the Fa, please kindly point it out.