By Shan Zhong

(Clearwisdom.net) I was shocked to hear that not long ago, a few AIDS patients in Tianjin City pricked passers-by in the streets with syringes containing their own virus-infested blood. This caused extreme panic in the city. Since reports of such incidents started to appear one after another, people in Tianjin became so frightened that they didn't dare to go out shopping, causing great losses to shop owners. The reason for such conduct by the patients was said to be revenge on society for the injustice they suffered. Almost all the cases of farmers in Henan Province being infected with AIDS resulted from cross-infection due to lack of basic preventive measures at the blood stations where they donated blood. The government is fully responsible for such cases. However, when the large-scale infection was discovered later on, the local government tried to block the news from leaking out. As a result, the AIDS patients and their families suffered even more hardships, with many people unable to afford medical treatment and hopelessly waiting for death.

This reminds us of an even more cruel on-going persecution involving a great number of people. None of these people who were persecuted took their revenge. They are the Falun Gong practitioners. Since two years ago when the persecution started across the country, they have suffered unprecedented, brutal persecution. The news media constantly created rumors to tarnish their reputations. They faced prospects of losing their jobs and their homes, of being arrested, beaten and tortured, and even being sent to forced labor camps or prison without any valid cause or reason. According to current statistics, the number of Falun Gong practitioners tortured to death has exceeded 350. What is inconceivable is the fact that they all were able to live up to their high morality and never resorted to violence. Throughout this time when more and more horrific cases of Falun Gong practitioners being tortured to death by the police are being reported, there was not even a single case of Falun Gong practitioners hitting back. Please think about it. In China, there are between 70-100 million people practicing Falun Gong. If each practitioner, after suffering such horrific and inhumane persecution, took revenge on society like those AIDS patients did in Tianjin, wouldn't Chinese society come to an end, followed by great chaos? Then, why is it that the Chinese society still exists and is stable? The very reason is that Falun Gong practitioners indeed played the role of the cornerstone for social stability.

What is most admirable is that under such severe, prolonged and extensive persecution, not only have the majority of Falun Gong practitioners kept up their morality, but not even a single person has taken revenge. This is most remarkable. In today's society, moral values are going downhill at an alarming speed, and nobody is willing to suffer losses, while everyone is trying to profit at other people's expense. "You bully me and have supporters. All right, I have mine too. Let us fight. Vengeance is met with vengeance. You are bad to me, and then I will be worse to you." If people behave like this, then wouldn't society become more and more chaotic and unstable? Contrary to such behavior, Falun Gong practitioners are able to live up to the principles of "Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance" under such an immoral and defamatory persecution, and they have truly withstood the immense pressure from the government at various levels and society. Under such grievous injustice, they have still strictly upheld their high morality, effectively stabilizing society and consequently holding back China from a possible upheaval. Therefore, I dare say that the Falun Gong practitioners in China are the true immense factor that stabilizes Chinese society.
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/2/1/24160.html