By Beijing Dafa Practitioner Chu Jianjun

(Clearwisdom.net) I am Chu Jianjun (female), 53 years old this year, residing at Room 308, Kouzhong Beili Block One, Xicheng District, Beijing. I work at the Central Office of the National Environmental Protection Department, China Environment Science Institute. I suffered from serious illnesses during the prime of my life. As I graduated from college, I was looking forward to a wonderful life. I never imagined that I would be tormented by serious illnesses for twelve long years.

At the end of 1979, I suddenly became ill with a rare and unpleasant affliction known as lupus, and was admitted to the Peking Union Hospital, the best hospital in China for treating skin diseases. No medicine could control the rapidly spreading condition. In only one month, the red rashes spread from my head to my toes. There was not a single patch of skin on my body that was not affected, and I was rapidly losing my hair. All the hair of my eyebrows dropped off and skin was flaking off my whole body daily. Because my body was unable to replace the skin fast enough, my flesh began to split and ooze. The itch and pain were unbearable, and my suffering was beyond description. I could only sleep by consuming sleeping pills. Despite being in the Peking Union Hospital for six months, my condition deteriorated.

After being discharged from the hospital, I traveled all over China seeking a cure. I consulted the famous Tanggangzi Hot Spring Physiotherapy Hospital in Anshan, and the Wuda Lianchi Cold Fountain Recuperation Hospital in Heilongjiang Province to no avail. All types of folk remedies also did not work. I had been physically weak and full of illnesses since I was very young. I suffered from low blood pressure, rhinitis (inflammation of the nose), chronic pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat), rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of the joints), dysmenorrhoea (menstrual problem), migraine headaches, inflammation of the shoulders, and Meineire's syndrome (ringing in the ear). With the onset of lupus, my health became even worse. After consuming large quantities of both Chinese and Western medicines year-round, I developed heart and liver problems, stomach convulsions, weak kidneys, and very often caught colds, with a continuous slight fever throughout the whole year. I could not bear the hot or cold weather. When the illnesses became severe, I was unable to get out of bed and could not take care of myself. I added much burden to my family members and pressure on my work unit. The incurable diseases made me lose courage to face life.

One day in May 1993, when I was at the end of my endurance, a friend of mine who was very keen in qigong gave me the book Falun Gong. I immediately read it. I did not realize that my face was covered in tears, but I finished reading the whole book in one sitting. Because of the long-term illnesses my eyesight was not good, and when I read, everything appeared blurry. But, in reading this book, the more I read it, the clearer I could see. I began to perform the exercises by following the diagrams shown in the book. Having learned the movements of the exercises, I found a practice site at a park the next morning.

In July, I attended a lecture by Teacher at the Public Security Hall for the first time. [Note: I had participated in various qigong classes and had paid very high fees, but only Teacher Li Hongzhi charged extremely low fees for attending his lectures. Veteran practitioners paid 20 yuan and new practitioners paid 40 yuan for the series of ten lectures.] Every word that Teacher said touched my heart and spirit. I was like a child who had lost her way. That day, I had found my way home. I listened to six of Teacher's lectures and at every lecture I shed tears. My outlook of the world changed tremendously, as I understood that the purpose of my being a human is to return to my true origin. It also solved the numerous questions that I had always wanted answers for, but was never able to understand.

I had not worked for the previous twelve years. After I practiced Falun Gong for only two months, my body and mind were cleansed swiftly. At the end of July 1993, I went back to work. From that point on, I bade farewell to being a chronic invalid. I experienced the feeling of being free from illnesses and the taste of light-heartedness.

I have practiced in accordance to the requirements of "Zhen, Shan, Ren" (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance) as instructed by Teacher and to elevate my character continuously. At the work unit, I took the initiative to perform duties avoided by others. Before I learned to practice Dafa, I was very ill tempered, never gave way to anyone, and was in conflict with one of the leaders whom I had not spoken to for many years. After I started practicing Dafa, I strictly required myself to "look within when confronted with problems." I took the initiative to be friendly with him and often helped him with his work. Thus, I didn't have any more conflicts with my co-workers, and we got along very well. When someone had a problem, they would approach me saying: "As you are what 'Zhen, Shan, Ren' is about, we feel assured in whatever you do."

Since July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin, out of jealousy, initiated this unprecedented persecution of Falun Gong and fabricated charges to frame Teacher. I went to the Appeals Office and was forcibly dragged by armed policemen to a vehicle that took me to the Shijingshan Stadium. The stadium was already packed with Falun Gong practitioners who also had gone to appeal. I was released and went home after midnight. At about 2 to 3 a.m. on July 22, more than ten plain-clothes policemen from the Fuwai Police Station and the director of the Residents Association Committee came to my house and confiscated all of my Dafa books, Falun diagrams and Teacher's photos. Soon after that, I was taken to the Fuwai Police Station. It was about noon when the leader of my work unit was allowed to get me from the police station.

After July 21, my house phone was put under surveillance. On so-called sensitive days and holidays, my husband and I would be either unlawfully taken into custody at the police station or not allowed to leave our house. Sometimes we were detained for a few hours and sometimes we were detained for up to one month, and our home was searched on many occasions. My work unit was also pressured into persecuting us. The police often harassed my relatives on our account. To avoid unnecessary inconvenience and mental pressures on our relatives, we dared not go home or visit our relatives for the past three years, and we went from place to place to avoid persecution. There are thousands upon thousands of Dafa practitioners being unlawfully detained in prisons and forced labor camps, where they face inhuman, savage persecution for long periods of time.

I appeal to the authorities to immediately cease the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and re-instate and recognize the reputation of Falun Dafa and our Teacher.