(Clearwisdom.net) I had become less diligent in my cultivation over time, and as a result I failed to understand the Fa from the perspective of the Fa. In October 2003, the evil exploited my attachments: the police arrested me and took me to a detention center. During the illegal detention, I went on hunger strike for 35 consecutive days. As a result of Teacher's compassionate protection, I was released unconditionally from the detention center at the end of the 35 days.

I. Summary of My Illegal Detention

On an evening in October 2003, a group of police officers broke into my home. Without even showing their badges or any court search warrant, they ransacked my home and confiscated all of my Dafa books, truth-clarification materials, cash, my accounting ledger, my bankbook, my motorcycle, and anything in my home of any value. Then they abducted me and took me to the detention center. On the way to the detention center, I kept sending forth righteous thoughts and silently reciting "Lunyu," but I did not find any opportunity to escape. In hindsight, I suppose it was because I did not have very steadfast righteous thoughts.

As I searched inward for my attachments that night, I started to calm down and seemed to finally fathom my responsibility as a particle in the Fa-rectification. Then I suddenly remembered Teacher's word: "Can't you overcome such a petty tribulation? Everyone can make it." ("The Issue of Pursuit" in Lecture Two of Zhuan Falun) Then I had a sudden premonition that a most diabolic test awaited me.

When I woke up the next morning, I no longer felt sullen like yesterday. I felt Teacher was reinforcing my righteous thoughts. I also felt as if I was enveloped with the Fa's immense radiance. I remembered Teacher's words: "No matter what the situation, do not cooperate with the evil's demands, orders, or what it instigates." ("Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful") Next, the staff at the detention center started to inspect each cell. Although every detainee was required to wear an inmate's uniform, I refused to put it on. When a disciplinary staff and the head of the detention center questioned why I disobeyed their rule, I replied, "Cultivating in Falun Dafa is perfectly legal, so I refuse to be treated like a criminal. I will not memorize the rules of the detention center or wear a prison inmate's uniform." The disciplinary staff and the head of the detention center saw my determination. They hurried out of the cell without a word. Immediately after their retreat, the prison inmates in my cell hailed me with loud acclamations, and put their thumbs up.

The prison guards observed that I had skipped two meals in a row, and started to sense that I might be making some kind of statement. I declared to them, "I did not commit any crime, and I should not be here. I will go on a hunger strike. I will protest with my life that Falun Dafa has been wronged." The prison guards were completely indifferent to my statement. Instead, they sneered with triumph that practically spelled, "We will see how long you will last." After I refused to eat or drink for three days, the prison guards started to panic. The staff from the Public Security Bureau and Procuratorate, as well as the health care staff at the detention center, repeatedly tried to talk me into stopping the hunger strike. I took the opportunity of each conversation with them to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa. Because there were few Dafa practitioners in this area, most of the staff at the detention center had never heard the truth about Falun Dafa. While I clarified the truth, many of the staff would drop their work at hand and come hear about Falun Dafa.

Five days later, I was transferred to a detention center in a larger city. It was not until I arrived in the larger city's detention center that I realized I had been put on the Public Security Bureau's most wanted list. The police had abducted several practitioners there that I have been keeping contact with, and had been torturing them savagely. The police could not care less when they heard during the transfer that I had been on a hunger strike. They even challenged me jeeringly, "If you die here, we will simply announce that practicing Falun Gong had led you to cultivation insanity and suicide." I ignored their scoffing, however, I knew now I would face an ultimate test of life and death here.

During the detention, I recited "Lunyu," Hong Yin, and Essentials for Further Advancement over and over again every day. When I became completely dissolved into the Fa, I no longer felt hunger or cold. I also sent forth righteous thoughts at every set hour to eliminate all the evil elements in the area and the evil's persecution against me.

One day, a cold front hit the area and caused the temperature to drop suddenly and drastically. By then I had already been on the hunger strike for over 10 days and was feeling extremely frail and weak. As the weather changed, I developed a high fever and had a body temperature of 104 ^oF. I embraced myself and shivered in the corner of the cell. Then one day my genitals suddenly turned red and gave me insufferable pain. I thought, "Why is this happening? I don't have any attachment to lust. Why?" Then I started to review my physical conditions for the past few days, and realized that I had an attachment to cold. I remembered Teacher's words, "You're cold, and you try to make me cold-are you trying to make me freeze? I'll be even colder than you, I'll make you cold." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference") So I decided to persist in sending forth righteous thoughts despite my physical condition. Three days later, my genitals stopped hurting and my fever disappeared. As I persisted in studying the Fa, practicing the Falun Gong exercises and sending righteous thoughts, the prison police and the inmates in my cell improved their opinion of me. When I detected their improvement in attitude, I took the opportunity to reinforce my truth-clarification efforts. Now they were quite interested in hearing the truth about Falun Gong, and no longer treating me with hatred.

One day when sending forth righteous thoughts, I saw a round hole in front of my eyes. I knew that the round hole must be a symbol of loophole, and that it was a hint to me that I had a loophole in my cultivation, but I could not think of any. The next day the police summoned me for interrogation, and told me that they had decided to permanently confiscate the more than 40,000 yuan of cash in my bank account. [500 yuan is the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.] As I argued with them that they had no business confiscating my personal savings, it struck me with disbelief that they would willfully make up a lie that my cash must have been provided by an overseas "Falun Gong organization." They also questioned if I had any US currency in my possession. I decided that I had to clarify the truth about my source of income to the police in order to get my money back. So I told them honestly how I had earned the 40,000 yuan from my small business in the past few years. However, I failed to see my attachment to wealth had created a loophole for the evil to seize upon. One honest confession led to another. I accidentally admitted that I had been to this city in order to deliver truth-clarification materials to my fellow practitioners. When I realized what I had done afterwards, I was overcome with guilt and anguish. My unintentional compromise with the evil led me to a clearer understanding that the evil would stop at nothing to exploit all of our loopholes. Through this experience, I also discovered my attachment to wealth.

As I continued my hunger strike and sending righteous thoughts every day, the evil was afraid to approach me any more. One day I was suddenly inspired with an idea that I ought to safeguard my own rights with the law. Then I filed a complaint to the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court via a Procuratorate's branch office inside the detention center. In the complaint, I pointed out each and every illegal action that the police had taken against me, and demanded justice and punishment for the police who had violated the law. I thought at least whoever read my complaint would have a chance to know the truth about the persecution. My other intention was that besides eliminating the evil in other dimensions, I must eliminate all loopholes in this dimension that help breed the evil.

Then I was suddenly struck with intense pain of hunger. The detention center almost never improved the prisoners' diet, but it struck me as oddly coincidental that they chose this very moment to improve the prisoners' diet. Several well-off inmates in my cell were able to afford the deluxe meals that cost extra money. When they savored their meals in the cell, the fragrance of steamed rice and meat promoted my hunger. I knew that this must be the old forces' test for me. I tried to contain my hunger and silently repeated the formulas for sending righteous thoughts. Still, several times I almost blacked out. Then I told myself, "You are a Dafa disciple. There is countless Fa-rectification work that requires your contribution. You must not die here." Thus I overcame the prospect of death. For several days in a row, I would experience a battle with death once a day. I often heard a voice in my head, "Will you give up the hunger strike?" I kept cautioning myself that I must not compromise and that it was a duty as a Dafa practitioner to resist the evil in all aspects. I recited Teacher's Fa repeatedly, "If you don't firmly hold to your faith you will gain nothing in this life. No one knows when there will be another chance. It's very hard!" ("Determination") Thus, I overcame death over and over again every day.

When it was almost one month since my arrival here, the "610 Office" notified the detention center to release me. [Note: "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.] Moreover, they did not fine me, and returned all of my money and personal property. Their decision struck me as most astonishing. On the other hand, it was not surprising at all. With my righteous thoughts and Teacher's compassionate protection, I fundamentally denied the old forces' arrangements and walked out of the detention center.

II. Lessons from the Illegal Detention

I think the primary reason why I was released from the detention center was that I persisted in studying the Fa every day. Studying the Fa helped reinforce my main consciousness. In addition, when each and every thought was on the Fa, I would not leave any loophole for the evil to exploit. I believe that I shouldn't even waste any time reading newspapers, no matter how little time it might take. In a special environment such as the detention center, any slightest digression from the Fa could lead to grave danger. When I held fast to the thought that my mind must be on the Fa at all times, the external environment seemed to have gone through a great transformation. For example, when I practiced the exercises, sent forth righteous thoughts, or studied the Fa, I was not distracted by conversations or TV programs. Apparently, Teacher had made such an arrangement for me to have a "quiet" environment to study the Fa, practice Falun Gong exercises, and send forth righteous thoughts. Another thing that I believe to be necessary for Dafa practitioners facing the persecution is to safeguard our rights via legal channels.

The old forces are being fundamentally eliminated during the Fa-rectification. What remains are those rotten demons and the old forces' behind-the-scenes helpers who are exploiting the loopholes in our thoughts. The Fa-rectification in the human realm is looming. As Teacher gave us more Fa lectures in the past few years, we have gradually come to a clearer understanding on the Fa. In addition, our divine side, the parts that have been successfully cultivated, have begun to create an increasingly profound impact on the Fa-rectification. Teacher said,

I think we have overlooked this passage of the Fa for a long time:

It follows that Dafa practitioners in China haven't tried to safeguard out rights with the law. The evil persecution is completely against the law in China. Teacher said,

When it comes to the details of the persecution, the police in China have never complied with the most basic laws and regulations in China. If we use the laws in the human dimension to safeguard our own rights, we will leave no loopholes in the human dimension for the evil's exploitation. For example, because of the ever-increasing number of lawsuits against Jiang Zemin overseas, attempts to persecute Falun Dafa have been gradually reduced. Take my own case as another example. During my detention, I filed a legal complaint against the police officers' illegal persecution, and, thus, left no loophole in the human dimension for the evil's exploitation. In just a few days after the filing of the legal compliant, I was released from the detention center.

Another lesson I learned from this experience is cooperation and coordination among Dafa practitioners as one body. Since I was abducted to the detention center, fellow practitioners who I had been in contact with kept denying the old forces' arrangement of my detention with their righteous thoughts. Several of them had even visited the local "610 Office," demanding my immediate, unconditional release. It was because of the mutual cooperation and coordination among Dafa practitioners that we had eliminated the evil in other dimensions responsible for my detention and succeeded in helping Teacher rectify the Fa.

This concludes my experience of validating the Fa in a detention center and the lessons I have learned. Please kindly point out anything erroneous.