(Minghui.org) I was detained by the Communist regime in China for almost three years because of my resolute faith in Falun Dafa (Falun Gong), a spiritual practice of mind and body rooted in the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.
While I was held in the detention center, I aligned my words and deeds with Dafa’s principles as closely as I could, because I knew I didn’t represent just myself but also Dafa. I felt those who didn’t know much about the practice or were prejudiced against it due to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) slanderous propaganda would learn the truth through me. I believed it was due to strong predestined relationships that I interacted with the inmates, guards and center authorities; thus it was my responsibility to clarify the truth to them and save them.
The meals served at the detention center were not nutritious or substantial. For three meals a day, we were almost always given plain buns and a vegetable soup that was so thin you could see the bottom of the bowl. The only way to supplement it was to place a monthly order with the detention center for snacks and other food items. The center buys them wholesale and resells to the inmates to make a profit. Even though everything was heavily marked up, it was still the one day of the month that everyone looked forward to.
Some were happy and some were not. Those who couldn’t afford to buy anything watched others carry their goodies back to the cell and enjoy a feast. To cheer them up, I shared what I bought with them. I also shared what I purchased with everyone.
The first Chinese New Year I spent at the detention center, I bought a bottle of milk tea for each of my cellmates. I told them, “I know this isn’t much, but it is my good wish to you for the new year.” Everyone felt I was generous and nice. They liked me and liked to talk to me and share their thoughts with me. This trust made my cellmates more open-minded and receptive when I talked to them about Dafa.
The most challenging situation at the detention center was the sleeping arrangement. The entire cell slept on one bed that was about the size of three queen sized beds put together—it was shared by more than twelve people, sometimes up to 17. We had to lay on our sides to fit on the bed. It was overcrowded and no one slept well.
One young inmate moved around in her sleep and took up a lot of space. She often ended up sleeping horizontally on top of others. Nobody liked to sleep next to her but I didn’t mind. Another inmate in her 40’s was very combative. She always complained about her neighbors and had her spot on the bed moved several times. The guard finally put her next to the wall and put me on her other side. She liked to sleep on her back, so a third of her body was always in my space.
Although the allocated spots were clearly marked and assigned to each inmate, incidents of neighbors encroaching on others’ spaces happened often, resulting in arguments and fights. But I never got into an argument with anyone regardless of who I slept next to. The key was to be tolerant even when my precious space was infringed upon and I had to lay in an extremely uncomfortable position all night. I tried to be considerate and reminded myself that I am a Dafa practitioner. I saw most of my cellmates as children—they were still so young and clueless—this helped me to be more tolerant and compassionate.
When I truly let go of my selfishness, my compassion emerged. The other party could sense it and thus respected me even more. The two aforementioned inmates became my close friends, especially the middle-aged inmate who told me everything and considered me her most trusted friend. When I clarified the truth to them, they readily quit the CCP and its youth organizations.
An inmate in her 30’s was detained for fraud. Her family disowned her and never visited. Lonely and depressed, she often cried. I shared my toilet paper and snacks with her and comforted her. I talked to her about the Fa principles and shared my understandings of the Fa. She told me she felt much better after talking to me. Before she was released, we had a long conversation and I clarified the truth to her. She told me she didn’t know much about Falun Dafa before because she listened to the CCP’s lies. However, her views of Dafa changed because of me. She told me, “I’ve only seen positive things from you and I now believe Falun Dafa is a righteous practice.”
Another inmate in her late 20’s was aggressive, but she was also very outgoing and generous and everybody liked her. I talked to her a few times in private and offered my honest and sincere advice. I told her I recognized her good attributes such as her optimism, friendliness, and willingness to lend a helping hand. I gently suggested that she could improve herself by being a little bit more feminine and approaching things and people in a gentler way. I told her this is the way a woman should be, and was based on traditional values. The popular ideas of modern day are distorted and harmful and adhering to traditional values is the only way to be saved by Gods. I sincerely wished she could have a bright future. When I mentioned the CCP’s countless crimes including the persecution of Falun Dafa and how she could stay safe by quitting the Party, she agreed.
Another young inmate was arrested during a gang fight. I learned about her competitiveness soon after she arrived. It was her turn to mop the floor that day and when she got to where I was, she said mockingly, “Sis, please excuse me.” The way she dragged the ‘s’ and her sarcastic tone really bothered me. It wasn’t by accident—I must have done something to upset her. I suddenly realized what it was. When a few inmates found out I was almost 60 years old, they were surprised as they thought I looked much younger. One of them said, “We should call you ‘Auntie’ because of your age but that just doesn’t sound right. I think I’m going to keep calling you ‘Sis.’” Without thinking too much, I responded, “Sure. I don’t mind. Whatever you want to call me.” This inmate who had just been placed in our cell listened to our conversation but didn’t say anything.
I looked inward and found I had many attachments. I wanted to look good in front of others; I had the mentality of showing off; I was pleased with myself when others praised me. I apologized to Master in my heart and promised to get rid of these notions and attachments. I was as friendly as usual to this inmate and always said “Hi” to her with a smile. Whenever she sat close to me at meal time, I shared my snacks with her and everyone else. I was genuinely nice to her.
She came to me one day and sat down across from me, “Auntie. You are such a nice person.” I told her, “I try, but I don’t always do the right thing. Sometimes I don’t realize what I’m doing is wrong until afterward. But as soon as I realize it, I try my best to correct it.” I was able to help her quit the CCP before she was released and she gave me some of her snacks as a way of saying “Thank you.”
Feng was attractive and used to be a doctor. She felt superior and talked to others in a condescending way. She started many arguments with other inmates over space on the bed. The team lead didn’t like her and the inmates marginalized her. She was under a lot of pressure as her embezzlement case had become increasingly complicated. She often wept and was on the brink of a mental breakdown.
I found opportunities to talk to Feng and told her it would all pass one day. She sought me out during every break and told me, “For some reason you calm me. I often feel like I’m about to lose it but as soon as I am near you, I relax.” I clarified the truth about Dafa to her and suggested that she recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” often. I told her it would benefit her physically and mentally and may even bring a favorable outcome to her case. She did and sure enough, she was soon released on bail.
Gin was in her 20’s and was arrested for drug dealing; Hong was a college graduate and was arrested for organized prostitution. When I first learned how these two young women ended up at the detention center, I thought, “What a shame! They are so young and could have done anything with their lives. Why did they choose to go down this path?”
Then I realized that they were victims of society. Since seizing power in the late 1940’s, the CCP has ruled with violence and lies. They created a money-driven culture that permeated the Party and beyond. The public has been brainwashed and indoctrinated with atheism and the theory of evolution. Traditional values are nearly wiped out. Many people, especially the younger generations, can no longer distinguish right from wrong and good from evil.
How many young people nowadays truly know how to conduct themselves properly? Without a sound moral compass, they stop at no evil for personal gain. In order to gain wealth, power and fame and satisfy various desires, they don’t flinch at selling out others—not even their own souls. They don’t even think it’s immoral when they commit these wrong-doings. They are the true victims.
With this realization, my prejudice vanished. I felt a strong sense of responsibility to wake them up and help them with the wisdom and kindness that I’ve gained by practicing Falun Dafa. I reached out to the young women, listened to them, and got to know them. I found that they were not bad people at all—just naive.
To inspire their goodness, I told stories of traditional cultures and values so they could learn how a human being should conduct oneself. I explained the principle of goodness being rewarded and bad deeds receiving tribulations. I shared my belief that one reincarnates through many lifetimes until one either ascends to higher levels or becomes completely extinct. I told them one gradually upgrades one’s level by doing good deeds and being a good person. This way, he or she will receive blessings even in the next lifetime. When a person does bad deeds, however, they hurt themselves the most.
I told the young women what they had done harmed others and themselves. It might have seemed that they gained something from it but it’s all ephemeral—what they lost was the most precious thing to a human being, virtue. Virtue is the most wonderful thing and should be cherished. Virtue can be exchanged for health, wealth, and a happy life. I explained the principles in the most straightforward way I could so they could easily understand them. They both listened attentively and told me no one ever told them these things before. They were deeply touched because they could tell I cared.
Hong told me she believed everything I said. She said if she had known all this, she wouldn’t have made those bad choices and committed those crimes. She regretted it very much and felt ashamed. Before she was released, she said, “Thank you so much. I will remember everything you taught me and I won’t do those things again.” Gin told me, “I wish I met you sooner.” She told me she would recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” every day and learn how to practice Falun Dafa after she was released.
Yan held a graduate degree and traveled to many countries. She piqued everyone’s interest the first day she arrived because she shared stories from her travels and the many different cultures and peoples she met. The inmates surrounded her during break and listened with great enthusiasm. She was funny and animated, a great story-teller. I complimented her, “Wow. Listening to you is better than watching a travel show on TV. Nowadays, the state run media’s productions are full of fillers and ulterior motives.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the news on TV constantly attacked the United States. Yan had just come back from the states so I asked her, “What was your experience like? Is America really as bad as the news claims?” She chuckled, “Not at all. Things are pretty calm and orderly over there. People go shopping and travel as they wish. There are no signs of economic downturn.” The inmates were shocked to hear all this as it was in stark contrast to what the news claimed. I really liked how frank and outspoken Yan was. She obviously had seen through the CCP’s lies and propaganda.
I asked Yan a few more questions, regarding public security, education, medical care, and people’s general well-being in the U.S. She answered each question objectively. As the conversation went on, I asked her, “Did you see Falun Dafa practitioners in other countries?” She nodded, “I have.” I asked, “Are you familiar with Falun Dafa?” She hesitated and said, “I don’t want to talk about this.” She didn’t make eye contact with me after that and became much quieter. I was surprised to see such a big change in her demeanor.
In the next few days, Yan avoided me. I was confused, “If she’s been to so many countries and seen through the CCP’s lies, why does she not seem to know much about Falun Dafa? She even seems prejudiced against the practice.” I wanted to clarify the truth to Yan but I knew I had to be patient, otherwise I’d push her away. I waited for the right opportunity.
One night before bedtime, Yan came to me. She sat down across from me and when our eyes met, I smiled and she did too. After some small talk, I moved to sit next to her and asked gently, “Did I say anything wrong the other day? Or something I did that made you uncomfortable?” She was honest and didn’t try to hide anything, “I have a negative view of Falun Dafa. When I saw Falun Dafa booths in other countries, I always avoided them.”
She said she’d been observing and watching me for the past few days and didn’t think I was irrational like the CCP’s propaganda labeled Falun Dafa. I told her what Falun Dafa is and what practitioners are like. I explained why the CCP launched the persecution. She listened quietly. For the next few days, she sought me out during breaks as I continued to clarify the truth to her in depth. She understood the truth about Dafa and agreed to quit the CCP and its youth organizations.
When some inmates mistreated a detained practitioner, I stopped them and reported the incident to the guards. Yan supported and encouraged me. She helped me pass on a message to the practitioner and helped with whatever she could. I was happy that she chose to do the right thing.