(Clearwisdom.net)

Having read a lot of articles on the web regarding practitioners' getting themselves released from forced labor camps after going on hunger strikes without food or water, I had some thoughts that I would like to share with fellow practitioners. I think fellow practitioners' steadfastness in Dafa is indeed worthy of respect. In our area, we also have two practitioners who were released from forced labor camps after going on hunger strike without food or water. One of them was barely alive when she was allowed to go home after having been on a hunger strike for fifteen days. Through studying the Fa and practicing the exercises, she quickly regained her health after going home. Their experience is a testimony of the evil's contemptible deeds and the miracles of Dafa. Recently, I heard one practitioner say, "If I am caught, I'm determined to resist persecution and go on a hunger strike without food or water to get myself released from a detention center."

Isn't this kind of thought too absolute? My understanding is, we should not form a notion, thinking that this is the only way to break through and eliminate the evil persecution. Dafa is boundless. In fact, a lot of practitioners have already made it through on their own paths. Not only have they maintained their righteous faith and righteous thoughts and validated Dafa in this human dimension, they have also overpowered the evil with their supernormal abilities. Some of them were released after having made consistent efforts to clarify the truth while in prison. Some directly used their righteous thoughts in clarifying the truth, and were able to eliminate the demonic tribulation before the evil tried to arrest them.

In the course of Fa-rectification, our most benevolent Teacher has opened up our supernormal abilities, and also bestowed us with the all-powerful Fa-rectification verses. Also, in the article "What Are Supernormal Abilities," Teacher explicitly tells disciples, "Dafa disciples have already been bringing their supernormal abilities into full play in Fa-rectification. For instance, while doing Fa-rectification, when the righteous thoughts are very pure, their supernormal abilities are comprehensively utilized. Moreover, with righteous thoughts many disciples are able to use them at will--whatever they want to use, they almost always have it. For example, to freeze those wicked evildoers that persecute Dafa disciples, they just need to say, 'freeze' or 'stay there and don't move,' or point to the group of evildoers, and then they definitely won't be able to move; afterwards they just need to think 'release,' and it will be lifted."

Since at present we already possess such supernormal abilities, why have practitioners in some areas not yet been released after being on hunger strike for a long period of time? Why have they not yet "gotten themselves released?"

The evil has been utilizing the attachments that Dafa practitioners still harbor to persecute them cruelly. This is something we absolutely cannot acknowledge. There are many reasons why the evil has been able to continue persecuting some disciples for a period of time. There is the reason of the evil becoming more rampant as the final stage approaches. There is the reason of everybody's cultivation path being different. Meanwhile, we cultivators should look inwards at ourselves for our own reasons. When we calm our minds to look inward we will discover that perhaps there are the following reasons.

After reading a lot of articles, some students thought, "If I am arrested, I will also go on a hunger strike without food or water. I will never cooperate with the evil." Some students didn't really have a specific idea of what to do, and when the tribulation came they went on hunger strike without their thinking being fully based on the Fa-principles. Sometimes, they passively endured it and unwittingly regarded this as ordinary human persecution against human beings, and they handled this with a pessimistic state of mind. Here is where I think they simply have failed to view problems from the perspective of Fa-rectification. Fa-rectification cultivation is more serious than anything among ordinary human beings, and should not be looked at shallowly.

Resisting persecution is absolutely not just limited to not cooperating with the evil resolutely after being arrested and persecuted by the evil. The most important thing is being able to stay "calm in tribulation" when one suddenly encounters a demonic tribulation. Nevertheless, it is not easy to be able to really accomplish this in actual practice. "An inadequate state of mind--such as fearing the evil, wavering in your thoughts when you use your supernormal abilities, or doubting whether they will work--can affect or interfere with the outcome of the supernormal abilities." ("What Are Supernormal Abilities") Under these conditions, how big of an effect can our righteous thoughts possibly have?

There is the compromising mentality. Some students have a lot of truth-clarifying materials in their homes. When the police suddenly searched their homes, in order to protect the materials, they went with the police on their own initiative, complying with the persecution. Thinking about protecting the materials first, they would then go on a hunger strike without food or water to get themselves released, thus allowing the existence of persecution to a certain degree.

Some students don't want to escape from forced labor camps and get on the police's wanted list because they would have to become homeless to avoid persecution. They would rather stay in forced labor camps and hold hunger strikes without food or water to the point where they are on the brink of death so as to be released by the police.

Teacher does not acknowledge this persecution. "A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces." ("Dafa is Indestructible"). Such a state of mind is extremely precious while students are maintaining their firm belief in Dafa and Teacher amidst tribulations. Yet, we realize that in the entire course of a students' being detained and being sent to forced labor camps, our compassionate Teacher must have arranged a lot of opportunities for us to escape safely. It is only that in a lot of situations, students have been obstructed by their notions and have failed to utilize these opportunities well.

First of all, upon encountering persecution, our first reaction should be to not allow the old forces to persecute Dafa practitioners. We can first "freeze" the evildoers who are utilized by the old forces, instead of thinking of human ways to "escape." We should handle ourselves well in terms of the relationship between a Dafa disciple and the Fa-rectification and between a Dafa disciple and the old forces. Just as a fellow practitioner stated in an article, we are "Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples." We are assisting Teacher in Fa-rectification. The evil forces should be the subject of complete elimination, should be the degenerated beings that need to be rectified, and should be the subject of the "Fa-rectification." They should be the ones who are afraid. "Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos's Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples' rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil, and the light of Truth it emanates makes the unrighteous elements in all beings' thoughts disintegrate. However strong the righteous thoughts are, that's how great the power is." ("Also in a Few Words")

If you failed to pass the first test well which led to your being arrested, don't be confused by the superficial display of the evildoers, which makes them appear to be strong. At this time, you should calm you heart and send forth powerful, righteous thoughts. For example, let the guard fall asleep, let the car engine stop running, make them unable to see you or freeze them at this time, etc. In brief, at this time, do not just think, "I will go on a hunger strike without food and water to get myself out of this." Because this one thought may well be the reason that you get put in a forced labor camp.

In case you are sent to a forced labor camp or other places where they detain Dafa practitioners, you should definitely not allow the evil gangs to beat or torture you rampantly and cruelly. Dafa has solemn dignity and Dafa disciples also have solemn dignity. Having suffered extra persecution, you should be even more clearheaded. Do not be skeptical of righteous thoughts just because several of your previous attempts at sending forth righteous thoughts didn't seem to work. Instead, you should promptly make continuous efforts to purify yourself. Meanwhile, you should persist in sending forth righteous thoughts and studying the Fa. You should firmly resist all of the evil's persecution. Imagine, if every practitioner who is being detained could continually send forth more and more pure, righteous thoughts every day from their hearts, and clarify the truth--could the evil take it? Could they continue to hang on?

I am writing this article with the hope that we can improve ourselves through discussion of the Fa-principles and elevate ourselves as a whole.