Stories from China: How Non-practitioners View Falun Gong

By a Falun Dafa Practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) I went to a market to buy groceries, and while buying some fruit I asked the vendors: "Have you heard about Falun Gong?"

One vendor said: "I have. They said on TV that Falun Gong practitioners were involved in self-immolation and murder. That's horrible." Another vendor said: "I know some Falun Gong practitioners. They are not like what the TV says at all. They're very nice people. When buying my fruit, they never fight with me over the price like other people."

I stopped in front of a fabric booth and asked the vendors: "Do you know anything about Falun Gong? Have you met any Falun Gong practitioners?"

One vendor said: "I know them very well. I run into them quite often in this market. They're the nicest people here. I think the restoration of Falun Gong's reputation is only a matter of time. If the government continues the persecution, then the leaders are doomed. A country that cannot distinguish good from bad is doomed. I'll practice Falun Gong too after the restoration of Falun Gong's reputation."

I asked an elderly gentleman who was selling turnips: "Have you heard about Falun Gong?"

He said: "Sure. Don't listen to what they say on TV. They fabricated the story of Falun Gong practitioners setting themselves on fire. There are quite a few practitioners in my village. They are all nice people. I want to practice too."

I asked an elderly lady: "Have you heard about Falun Gong?"

She said: "Yes. There is a practitioner in my apartment building. She is such a kind person. After she started practicing Falun Gong, all her illnesses were gone, even her cancer, and she didn't need to take any medicine anymore. She became very healthy. She took such good care of her child and her parents, one of whom was paralyzed. Her whole family lived together happily. But the police kept harassing her. They put her in a detention center several times. One time, she was tortured nearly to death before being released. However, she recovered in just a few days. I think Falun Gong is very good. Why else would so many people practice it?"

I asked several clothes vendors in a shopping mall: "Do you know anything about Falun Gong?"

They told me: "We have met some practitioners. They are easygoing people. They never argue about prices. They're not like what the TV said at all." A customer also said: "My husband is a policeman and works in the detention center. He often told me that he admired Falun Gong practitioners the most because they are kind people; they don't scramble for power and profit; they really follow the teaching of "not striking back when beaten, not swearing back when sworn at;" and they risk their own safety to tell others the truth about Falun Gong. My husband asked all our family members to remember 'Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.' He said that good and evil actions will meet their due returns. He told us not to mistreat Falun Gong practitioners. Many people all over the world are practicing Falun Gong now. He also said that the restoration of Falun Gong's reputation is just a matter of time."

A co-worker was really sick. I went to visit her and asked her: "Why don't you practice Falun Gong?"

She answered: "I heard it's pretty good. But who dares to practice? Yesterday, four policemen arrested a woman who practices Falun Gong. Her husband lost a well-paying job for practicing Falun Gong. Her daughter-in-law was also laid off. People who live in the same apartment building told me that they are such nice people. They even voluntarily swept the staircases every day. Yet they were arrested and tortured. This woman was spitting up blood and had to stay in bed due to the torture. This is terrible."

One day I ran into a former colleague who I hadn't seen for a long time. I asked her: "Do you know anything about Falun Gong?"

She said: "I heard people who practiced Falun Gong got rid of their illnesses and became quite fit. But the government doesn't allow them to practice any more. Just yesterday they were trying to arrest some practitioners in my community. There were a lot of policemen all over the community. It was horrifying!"

It's been over five years. Jiang's regime launched an unprecedented campaign to slander, frame and persecute Falun Gong practitioners. I hope all people with a conscience will understand the evil nature of this persecution, recognize that Falun Gong is good, and have a bright future.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/11/24/89901.html

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