By a young practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net)

Part I

On March 9, 2000, I was sent to prison for something I did not do, but to my surprise, this mistake was a blessing in disguise. Before, I had no idea what Falun Dafa was. I was only 17 years old and had heard that people would be beaten up when they entered the jail. When I walked in the cell trembling with fear, I encountered a very peaceful atmosphere. It was very cold that day. I only had on a thin shirt and was shivering with cold. One lady let me wear some of her clothes and another one gave me a pan of warm water to wash. They were so nice to me. I later learned that they were Falun Dafa practitioners.

One of them told me the facts about Falun Dafa. After several days with them, I felt that life was wonderful after all. My mother had committed suicide soon after I was born. My father gave me away to his comrade-in-arms before he left for far away places. From the time I was young, I had felt that life was pointless. I tried suicide when I was only 13-years-old but was rescued. One lady in my cell told me that their Master said suicide is sinful and explained why we should not kill. We should be compassionate to all and treasure this human body. No one comes to this world without a reason, and only beings with human bodies are allowed to cultivate, escaping the painful cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death. It was then that I first understood the true meaning of life's existence. When she recited Master's poems in Hongyin, I was so moved that I said to myself, "I must learn Falun Gong when I get out of this jail." On the 13^th day of my detention, I was sentenced to penal detention. I hated the police, but the Dafa disciples told me, "The reason you have been wronged is because you need to pay back the karmic debt that you owe from previous lives. Do not hate them." The police tricked me when my adoptive father was very ill. In order to see him, I was forced to admit that I was guilty and sign my name on their false records. To my astonishment, this forced admission resulted in one whole year in prison.

But the most fortunate thing was that I obtained the Fa. Now I can see that was the beginning of my new life. On April 12, 2000, I started learning the exercises. I would recite Hongyin every night. In 6 days I had memorized all 72 poems in Hongyin. On the 3^rd night, the most miraculous thing happened. I dreamed that I was sitting on top of one big, round plate, and a happy child, who waved at me and laughed, was sitting on another. I saw my deceased grandmother, who told me she had obtained the Fa. She was wearing a Falun badge, which I had never seen before. Ever since then, I have often seen miraculous things. Once when a fellow practitioner was practicing the exercises, and I saw a mischievous infant, looking exactly like her, playing around her like a little monkey, using her hair for a swing, very naughty.

The tribulations came next. My cellmate reported to the authorities that I practiced the exercises. A police officer called me to her office and slapped me as I stepped in. She cursed me and asked me if I would continue to practice the exercises with the practitioners. I felt my ears burning. I asked her calmly, "Is it wrong for me to learn to be a good person? If I quit the exercises, can you change me into a good person? I was a very bad girl before, but I have changed a great deal. What is wrong with that?" She beat me with a book she had on the table, while shouting repeatedly, "I'll see if you dare to practice the exercises!" When she was tired of beating me, she asked, "Will you still practice exercises?" I answered her firmly, "I will be sure to keep practicing." My health was very poor, and I was fearful that I could not bear such a beating. Suddenly I remembered Master's words, "...with the master and the Fa here what is there to fear?" (Falun Dafa, Lecture in Sydney). "My body would still sit there even with my head cut off" (Essentials for Further Advancement, Huge Exposure). The pain was suddenly bearable. In the end she cuffed both of my hands and sent me back to my cell. My cellmates said, "You are not here because of Falun Gong; why are you asking to suffer? You just tell them you will not practice with them any more, and then you will not be cuffed." I told them I could no longer speak against my conscience. After 48 hours with my hands cuffed, they became very swollen. I could not sleep well, so I recited Hongyin. My fellow practitioners helped me to eat and use the toilet. Finally I overcame the evil. I could do the exercises as long as no police saw me.

In May of 2000, another practitioner brought in a copy of Zhuan Falun. That was the first time I had seen Master's Fa. My heart was overjoyed. We studied the Fa together the next day. After we had finished the 4^th lecture, the police officer came in, grabbed me by my hair, and dragged me into her office. The other practitioners shouted, "No beating!" Then all the other prisoners in the 3 women's cells were all shouting, "No beating!" She dared not beat me this time, but did push me to the floor and told me that if I kept practicing, she would extend my term. I said, "That is fine. But what you say does not count. My Master told us that our destinies have all been changed." So she beat me with the sole of a plastic slipper more than 10 times and cuffed my hands behind me. My mother visited me that day. She told me that my father, who suffered from cerebral thrombosis and could not talk, was now able to speak. I knew Master was encouraging me and helping me to be more solid in believing in Dafa. Although there were many tribulations, I was able to pass them. Once when the police patrolled the cells, I hid a copy of Zhuan Falun under my clothes. The police found out and slapped me. They dragged me into the office and tried to force me to hand over the book. I absolutely would not give it to them no matter what they did. At last they had to find several men to throw me on the floor and force the book away from me. I did not know about sending forth righteous thoughts at that time, so I started a hunger strike. The other practitioners also started a hunger strike. One Dafa disciple had been sent to a women's prison, but there were still 7 Dafa disciples in our cell. During prisoners' time outside, we would recite "Mighty Virtue" from Hong Yin: "Dafa never leaves the body, Heart contains Zhen-Shan-Ren; A great Arhat in the world, Spirits and ghosts fear the most;" and "Non-existence:" "To live with no pursuits, To die with no regrets; All excessive thoughts extinguished, Cultivating Buddhahood is not difficult;" and many other scriptures. Then the other inmates started to join us in our reciting. The police became panicky. They brought out handcuffs and ankle shackles and put them on all the Dafa disciples for 9 whole days. Because I had not studied the Fa well enough to understand Fa-rectification and resisting the persecution, I told the police, "I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, too! Put them on me, too! The police said, "If we put these on you, who would take care of the others?" I thought maybe Master was giving me a hint using their mouths. Because it was hot summer time, the police deprived everyone of the privilege to get fresh air outside of our cells. They did this in order to fan the other prisoners' hatred of us. Other prisoners beat me many times, but I could face these with a cultivator's mind.

After being locked in jail for more than a year, I was about to be released. I told the police officer who had beat me up, "I actually do not hate you at all, because our Master taught us to be nice to everyone. I am about the same age as your daughter. Would you feel your heart ache if others treated your daughter this way? Not to mention that you knew I was truly willing to become good person. You should know now why your hands hurt when you beat me. I will keep cultivating from now on, and I hope you will not be hostile towards us. I do not resent all that you did to me. Please remember, once a person learns the truth and the real meaning of life, he will not regret giving up his life for it." I saw the tears in her eyes. Maybe her clear-headed side was moved by my compassion.

Part II

After getting out of prison, I have gotten together with other Falun Dafa practitioners. I found a job, and I would go out to post truth-clarifying materials whenever I found time.

Once I went to a nearby nursing school to pass out materials. The school usually closed its gates at 7:30 PM, but I did not finish until 8 PM. The guards would not let me out. I thought that I could definitely get out myself, so I climbed over the several meters high wall and did not hurt myself one bit. It was a very remote area of the countryside, and I thought maybe no one had ever passed out truth-clarifying materials there. So the next day I took more materials and passed them out in the villages. I would find new places to work every day. Gradually I expanded the areas I covered. I would get up around 4 AM to go to far away places and come back to be at my workplace by 7 AM. I passed out many Dafa materials in this region.

My colleagues all seem to know that I practice Falun Gong, because I posted truth materials in all the managers' offices. I was introverted and seldom talked to others, but I started chatting with our guards and directly clarified the truth to them, using my story as an example. One young man used to smoke and curse but changed after he had known me for several days. Sometimes they even went to pass out truth materials with me. My roommates are the same. If anyone had been deeply deceived by the lies, I would take them to my office and show them the truth-clarifying VCD's. They took the initiative to read Zhuan Falun from my example. Sometimes they help me think of ways to distribute truth materials.

On May 13, 2002, World Falun Dafa Day, I hung 2 truth-clarifying banners in the city. I grew zealous and developed a mentality of accomplishment. That night when I was passing out truth materials, the police arrested me. I did not say my name until one officer recognized me because he often goes to my workplace. The evil tried to be nice and wanted me confess where the materials came from. I absolutely refused to cooperate with their questioning. Because I forgot to ask my colleagues to put away the truth materials and Dafa Books, however, the police found and took them, and I caused losses to Dafa. I felt I had let Master down. I stayed in the detention center 13 days and came back with strong righteous thoughts. Under Master's arrangement, I returned to the path of Fa-rectification.

Posting date: 4/19/2003
Original article date: 4/19/2003
Category: Latest News from China
Translated on 4/15/2003
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.cc/mh/articles/2003/4/11/48173.html

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