(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1999 when I was 19 years old. My outlook on life became positive after I began following Falun Dafa’s guiding principles: Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
A group of police officers broke into my home in 2008. I was arrested and taken to a detention center. I couldn’t sleep that night. I thought, “Why did I end up here? What should I do?” I dreamed that I was in a house covered in dust and spider webs. I suddenly saw a vicious monster. I screamed in terror and I woke up. My scream woke everyone in the cell.
The next morning, a young girl in my cell asked, “Did you have a bad dream last night?” After I said yes, she told me she also had a dream, in which she wore a cursed bracelet. She asked me what it meant, but I didn’t answer, as I knew all of this was arranged by the old forces. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wanted to harm me. I knew I must not allow them to succeed.
I sent righteous thoughts and examined myself for my own shortcomings. I rectified every thought. Even if I hadn’t cultivated well I should not acknowledge the old forces’ persecution, as only Master has the final say. Master asks us to do the three things well, so I should do well in prison. Wouldn’t that negate the old forces’ arrangements? No matter where I am I must validate the Fa and turn bad things into good things. Aside from eating and sleeping, I memorized the Fa, and sent righteous thoughts at the top of every hour. I also clarified the truth about the person to everyone I interacted with.
The police ordered me to memorize the detention center rules, but I refused. When they asked why I said, “I’m not a criminal, so I won’t memorize them.” When the cell leader ordered me to memorize them I just smiled and said nothing. When she mentioned it again. I said, “I won’t memorize them, I haven’t broken any laws.”
One inmate in charge said fiercely, “If you don’t memorize them, I’ll make your life miserable. Do you know how we torture other practitioners?” I said nothing, but my mind wavered a bit. I was afraid of being persecuted and interrogated. What I should do?
While lying in bed that night, I thought: our relationship with everyday people is one of saving and being saved, not persecutors and being persecuted. People should not commit crimes against practitioners. Practitioners play the principle role and we have a mission to fulfill. I began sending righteous thoughts to eliminate all the beings and factors that manipulate people to persecute practitioners. I felt my body become immensely large, like a mountain. My mind became as calm as still water, and in a moment all the evil disintegrated. I thanked Master for enlightening me. I slept very soundly that night.
Afterward, no one mentioned memorizing the rules. Many days later, when someone mentioned it again, I winked at her and said, “Just keep one eye open and one eye closed,” hinting that she should let it go. She understood and smiled.
Through this experience, I realized that sending righteous thoughts is very important: it helps prevent the evil from manipulating people to commit crimes against practitioners and aligns with the principles of the universe, so righteous thoughts are very powerful. Opposing the persecution helps save human beings. If we just send righteous thoughts to avoid being persecuted, then that’s selfish. Sending righteous thoughts with human attachments is not effective.
In my first few days at the detention center, they continually pressured me to write a guarantee statement. One guard said, “So-and-so has already written one. If you write one, you’ll be released.”
I told her, “I don’t know whether others wrote statements or not, but I will never write one. Don’t bring this up again, it’s not good for you.” She stopped bothering me. I thought that if I couldn’t remain steadfast in Dafa, nothing else mattered. I must firmly walk every step well and never bring shame to Dafa.
The environment was filled with stress, people are anxious and they argue. I understood everyone’s difficulties, respected each person, always considered others first, and took initiative to help where I could. When eggs or better food were distributed, I shared mine with the inmates. Soon, I gained their approval. They gave me snacks, but I politely declined; in a place where resources are scarce everyone struggles. The money came from their families’ hard-earned income. When I couldn’t refuse I repaid them in other ways. I tried to do well and not leave a bad impression on people.
Peoples’ relationships are karmically intertwined so conflicts can arise, which were opportunities to improve my xinxing. Since I’m a practitioner, I must do even better in such an environment, as this relates to whether people can be saved.
One young girl often harshly scolded me. Whenever that happened, I silently recited Master’s teaching: “He’s right, And I’m wrong, What’s to dispute?” (Hong Yin III, “Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong”). As a practitioner, how could I argue with others? Each time I smiled and apologized, and I still helped her. Her attitude toward me changed and she became very kind.
Others noticed this and praised me for being tolerant, and kind. One woman said, “When I get out of here, I’ll definitely read Falun Dafa books. I want to know what makes you so good.”
People asked if I’d go on a hunger strike and I said no. They said, “Right, you need your strength to fight the CCP.”
I smiled and said, “It’s not that Falun Dafa is fighting the CCP. The CCP is persecuting Falun Dafa, and practitioners expose the persecution so people will understand the truth.”
They asked, “Why are you always so cheerful? Don’t you ever worry?” The kindness displayed by practitioners subtly influences people. I noticed that conflicts within the cell disappeared.
During tribulations, it’s especially important to guard every thought. I just ate the food and I never bought any extra food or drinks. I felt that tasty food could weaken one’s will, and it was good to bear hardship. Listening to or watching ordinary people’s things could disturb a cultivator’s mind.
Every morning, inmates had to listen to someone read aloud, and at night the TV played fake news and dramas filled with violence and sensuality. I pretended that my ears were blocked. Instead of listening to the TV I memorized the Fa, watched my thoughts, and rectified myself, so I could remain immersed in the Fa at all times. After doing this for a while, my mind became clearer and clearer. Other than the Fa, nothing could enter my ears or heart.
The police interrogated me and asked if I knew certain practitioners. I said, “Practitioners are kind and don’t cause trouble for anyone. You don’t need to ask.” He closed his notebook and looked at me with respect.
He said, “Don’t give us CDs. We don’t even have players. Give us mobile phones instead!”
I replied, “Phones are too expensive, how about a memory card with truthful information on it?” He laughed.
With Master’s protection I returned home safely. I learned that during my time away fellow practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts for those of us who were detained. Practitioners overseas also called the police to clarify the truth. With their support, even in that evil environment, I did not feel fear, my heart was filled with righteous thoughts.