(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, Dear Master! Hello, practitioners!
I have practiced Falun Dafa for 15 years. Now I would like to report to Master my ten days' experiences in a detention center earlier this year. I hope practitioners will point out my shortcomings.
1. My arrest
I have been arrested more than ten times since the beginning of the persecution, the most recent in April 2010. An evildoing person deceived my son into calling an emergency ambulance to take me to a hospital where I was later arrested and sent to a detention center.
Once there, the police told me to put on a prison uniform. I refused. They stripped me of my clothing and left me with a thin sweater in the chill of winter. All the police officers and inmates wore winter coats. I protested, "You do not have any human feelings, insulting a 60-year-old woman in front of all the criminal inmates." I could hardly bare the insult; my eyes were filled with tears. But suddenly I recalled Master's teaching,
"Forbearance is the key to improving one's xinxing. To endure with anger, grievance, or tears is the forbearance of an everyday person who is attached to his concerns. To endure completely without anger or grievance is the forbearance of a cultivator." ("What is Forbearance," Essentials for Further Advancement)
"Forbearance (ren) is not cowardice, much less is it resigning oneself to adversity. Dafa disciples' Forbearance is noble; is the manifestation of beings' magnificent, indestructible, and diamond-like solidity; is tolerance for the purpose of upholding the truth; and is mercy toward and salvation of beings who still have human nature and righteous thoughts." ("Beyond the Limit of Forbearance," Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I calmed down. A sense of tolerance to uphold the truth and have compassion to rescue these people filled my heart. I no longer felt any hatred or grievance. I did not feel any pain.
If I did not follow Master's teaching and overcome my bitterness, I could not save these people.
2. Who is in charge amidst a tribulation?
"Now that I was in detention," I thought, "I might as well cultivate myself and do the right thing."
When the team leader told me to get ready for an interrogation I said, "No, I am not guilty. Why do you need to investigate me?" She said, "If you refuse, we can give you an eight to ten year-prison sentence." I said, "You are not in a position to decide." She left without a word. An hour later an investigator arrived with a grin, "Let's walk downstairs." "Do you plan to interrogate me?" I asked. "No, I just want to chat with you." I followed him downstairs. During our conversation I told him about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. He took notes. Finally he said, "I will not interrogate you anymore. I am not a Party member, and I do not believe what the Party's says. I am doing this for a living, so I pretend to do my job."
The next day the detention center guards ordered a blood pressure and cholesterol check for me. I told them no. They said, "You must do it; look at how high your blood pressure is." My blood pressure had been 180 to 200 in the past. They called in a prison doctor, but I still resisted.
I remember Master said, "No matter what the situation, do not cooperate with the evil's demands, orders, or what it instigates." ("Dafe Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful," Essentials for Further Advancement II)
The prison doctor said, "You should practice the Falun Gong exercises to lower your blood pressure." I said, "I must go home to practice." The team leader said, "You have to take medicine, because your blood pressure is too high." After they forced the medicine into my mouth I spat it out.
3. Offering inmates salvation with righteous thoughts
I knew I had to make a good impression if I wanted to offer the inmates salvation. I clarified the facts and promoted Dafa teachings. I also sent righteous thoughts to clear out the evil influences in the detention center. The head inmate was a rough, illiterate person. The No. 2 inmate head committed financial crimes and had some education. The No. 3 inmate was a simple and straightforward person. No. 2 believed in Buddhism, so I told her to stop assisting the evildoing police. I also told her of the beauty of Dafa.
No. 3's home village is near mine. I told her, "Have you heard about 'Obedient Son Village' and 'Grow Heart Village' in our county?" "No." "Let me tell you the story."
I raised my voice so everyone could hear the story: Once upon a time a mother and son stopped at a place. The mother had a terrible pain in her heart and could not walk anymore. The son cut out his own heart to feed to his mother, because he believed his heart could cure his mother's heart disease. The mother ate her son's heart and regained her strength. After she walked to another village nearby, her son's heart grew back in his chest. People later named the first village 'Obedient Son Village' and the other 'Grow Heart Village.'
No. 3 was very touched, "Auntie, I will never hit others anymore." Everyone else was also deeply touched.
I went on, "Falun Gong practitioners cultivate according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Despite the Communist Party's brutal persecution, their faith remains rock solid. They are the best people in society. Many historic prophecies predicted today's big troubles, and that some people will practice great compassion. In the future, if something happens, you should recite, 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.'" Some of them nodded. I knew they understood my message.
An inmate who had made counterfeit official seals told me her story. She once carved a seal that said "Falun Dafa is good" for a practitioner. I went on to tell her more about Dafa and encouraged her to repeat "Falun Dafa is good" whenever she could. She was eventually able to leave and regain her freedom.
A drug addict was in the detention center for a few days. One day she had a craving for drugs. She said, "I feel like thousands of ants are eating my bones." I told her, "I practice Falun Gong." She immediately asked, "Please, teach me." I told her this was not the right place to do the exercises and suggested that she repeat, "Falun Dafa is good." Three hours later she dashed to the restroom and vomited. She was a bit nervous. I said, "Don't worry, I know you recited the words with your heart. You may have diarrhea soon." The second day she indeed had diarrhea. Later she told me that she had not eaten for days. I told her that our Master was purifying her body. She said, "That's truly amazing. After I leave this place, I will begin to practice Falun Gong."
Master told us in Zhuan Falun:
"Only the energy field from cultivation practice in a righteous way can produce this effect. Therefore, in the past there was this saying in Buddhism: 'The Buddha-light illuminates everything and rectifies all abnormalities.' This is what it means."
4. Awaking people's consciences
After I had clarified the facts to everyone near me, I began a second hunger strike and did not feel hungry even after three days. The police attempted to force me into a hospital for an IV drip. I refused and sat there in the lotus position. A male inmate asked me questions about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. I shared my thoughts with him and recited aloud Master's poem "The Red Tide's Wane" for him.
A policeman saw me sitting in the lotus position and openly chatting with others. He said, "You should leave this place." "Do you agree that I should leave?" I asked. "No, No, No." He was speechless. A doctor and the police planned to tie me to a bed and inject me with drugs. I protested loudly, "No way! You can't do that to me." They all turned quiet and sent me back to my cell. A policeman said, "Could you eat some food or take some medicine?" "No! I am on a hunger strike. I demand unconditional release." "Ok, I will tell the authorities your request."
The next day detention center head Wu came to talk to me, saying, "I know your situation. Why do you have to do this? Are you not afraid of death?" I said, "You have seen many practitioners and should know that we are all good people. But many young practitioners have fallen victim to organ harvesting, and many were beaten to death. I do not want to die, but I am not afraid of death either. My Master is the best person in the world. I am his disciple. Even if I die defending my faith, I have no regrets." He said, "But we cannot afford the responsibility. You cannot die here, you should get out of here in good health." "Then you should let me go." He said, "Please give me one more week. During this time you may continue the hunger strike, but you should drink water." I said, "One week is too long. I will not drink a drop of water." He put a bottle of water in front of me, "It's been four days (that you have not drunk); you can drink a little when others are not watching." I laughed, "Thanks for your kindness. I am a genuine cultivator; how could I drink the water secretly?" The next day they released me.
