Growing Up in Falun Dafa, Maturing Through Hardships

By Falun Dafa practitioner Ao Xue in China

(Clearwisdom.net)

I began to practice Falun Gong when I was fifteen. While I was so excited about the huge changes that Falun Dafa had brought me, both physically and spiritually, the evil persecution against Falun Gong started. Instantly, various pressures from family and school fell upon me like an avalanche. I knew deep down that no matter how my family members reacted my firm will in practicing Falun Gong would not waver.

Qiong, a girl of my age, has had her Celestial Eye open since childhood. Upon seeing me she said, "I finally found you." When she was very little, her friends in the heavens and who accompanied her told her that when she became so tall (making a hand gesture), she would find the one she descended with, and read a poem to her. By using her supernormal ability of precognition and retrocognition, she has seen many of our past lives, during which time we had been waiting for the Fa to be disseminated.

In 2000, Qiong and I decided to go to Beijing to appeal for an end to the persecution. Before we left my father suddenly fell ill. At that time I was stunned, but I quickly thought that Falun Dafa is my primary concern no matter what difficulties might arise as a result. We unfolded a very long banner containing some words in support of Falun Gong at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. After we had unfurled the banner we were arrested and sent to a detention center. During the following eight months in the detention center, parents, staff at school and the detention center staff ceaselessly tried to brainwash us, but failed; at last they had to hold a court hearing. Before that, the lawyer persuaded me and then unconsciously said, "I hope you are a good disciple." I knew Teacher was giving me a hint. I said to myself that I would certainly strive forward. I diligently recited the Fa and practiced the Falun Gong exercises every day. I also took this opportunity to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to the inmates. Several predestined prisoners began to practice Falun Gong, and one of them was beaten by the guards for practicing the exercises. Afterwards the guard asked him whether he would practice again, he firmly replied: "Yes!"

The meals in the detention center were very bad. In the beginning, one prisoner often stared at me in a daze whenever it was time to eat. Later he told me, "I feel sad when I see you suffer so much and yet you are so young." I smiled and wrote on the wall of the courtyard: "Cleaned out by the sea a thousand times, it is originally the gold, after hammer-hardened by all means, I am the steel." Once he said to me: "You will certainly achieve the Right Fruit in cultivation." He said he saw lights around me when I practiced the Falun Gong exercises.

On the day of the trial all the teachers and students in my class came. Many cadres also attended. During the court hearing, I firmly told the judges: "Falun Gong is totally harmless and brings boundless benefits to both the people and country!" When those judges were listening to me, I could see from their looks that their compassionate sides were moved. Subsequently, the court set us free under the excuse of my young age. After we left, Qiong told me that her friends in heaven really admired us because they did not have the opportunity to perform such great acts. She saw a very long sealed book that recorded every Falun Dafa practitioner's pledges of the things they needed to do after they came down, up to now. We returned to school, but they threatened to drive me out of the school if I did not give up the practice. Although I yearned for the campus, my teachers and friends, I still resolutely left the school when I was faced with such a choice.

Because the main local coordinators had been sentenced and sent to forced labor camps, we were very short of truth clarification materials. At that time, Qiong and I undertook many responsibilities for Falun Dafa, therefore, we often endured the hardships of an arduous journey. Later, we were illegally sentenced. During the three years of detention in prison, regardless of the pressure I faced, I always maintained faith in Falun Dafa. Teacher said:

"Just by having your heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)")

For a period of time, the Department of Justice ceaselessly added pressure to the prison, demanded forced "transformation" and seduced the staff with big bonuses and promotions. The police lost their minds, and long-term physical punishment, nightly interrogations and violent beatings flowed forth. When they compelled me to write the so-called "confession," I wrote with ease: Born to get my life, Die for my belief! I steadfastly told them: "If I do as you ask, it will be the biggest shame of my life, it would be an insult to the truth." Moreover I seriously warned them: Treating Falun Dafa kindly will accumulate boundless virtue, while persecuting Falun Dafa will bring retribution for the evildoing! During my last nightly interrogation, I again sternly warned them that if they carry out any illegal acts against Falun Gong practitioners that our practitioners outside of China will certainly expose them. They saw no other way, so they gave up "hope" on me.

During those darkest days and nights, a practitioner in his twenties was persecuted to death (already exposed). Before he died, he was tortured with "Digging in Bamboo Sticks" (1) by the wicked criminals. Another firm practitioner who started to practice Falun Gong in prison was cruelly raped by another prisoner.

Under such difficulties, we have still managed to walk our paths with the merciful protection of our Teacher. He told us:

"You need to treasure it--you have to treasure the path you've walked. Only when you treasure the steps you've taken can you do well on the path ahead." ("Teaching the Fa on Easter, 2004, at the New York Fa Conference")

We must treasure the path we've walked, only when we treasure the steps we've taken can we do well on the path ahead. No matter how difficult the rest of our path is, we must follow Teacher until the completion of our cultivation and walk our paths to the end, fulfilling the most magnificent page of history.

A kind-hearted policeman once praised me by saying: "If you attend university, you will certainly be outstanding." I thought at that time: although I can't accomplish my dream of attending university while I am young and during today's relentless persecution, it doesn't matter since I have the chance to practice Falun Dafa -- in the final period of the universe. It is during this time that the people of the new cosmos are created for the future!

1. "Digging in Bamboo Sticks": The police hammer sharp bamboo sticks into the fingers of the practitioner through the tip of the fingernails. In the process of the hammering, the fingernail will get torn off completely. As one's fingers are extremely sensitive, the hammering process causes the kind of excruciating pain that one cannot even begin to describe. The police first hammer the bamboo stick into one finger. If the practitioner still refuses to submit, the police will hammer bamboo sticks into more and more fingers until they reach all 10 fingers.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/5/29/102899.html

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