(Clearwisdom.net) In the spring of 1995, I walked by a book booth. Suddenly, a thought flashed through my head: A book I have been searching for is here. I scanned the cover of each book. Then I saw a blue book with golden rays from a circle in the center; it was splendid and wonderful. After a few seconds, I saw the title: Zhuan Falun. The golden rays came from the Falun symbol. I was very curious and bought the book. It turned out that it was the first edition of Zhuan Falun.

After I read the book, I was extremely excited. I understood the principles of the universe and that we were on a path of return. The first time I did the second exercise, I felt a huge wave of energy pour down my body, from head to toe, penetrating each cell. I felt warm and tender for a long time afterward.

Imprisonment and Validating Dafa

After the persecution of Falun Gong began in July 1999, I could not bear to see Dafa's name slandered and the practice outlawed. I took a letter of appeal to the highest-level appeals bureau in Beijing. I was arrested and sent back to my hometown detention center.

The guards at the detention center wanted me to appear on television and cooperate with their lies about Dafa. They made it a condition of my release. After I repeatedly refused to cooperate, they sentenced me to prison. One day, I was studying the Fa in my cell and was discovered by a guard. In haste, I hid the book in my pocket. The guard forced me to hand over the book. I did out of fear. The guard turned the book over to his supervisor, and his boss gave me a beating. However, it didn't hurt at all, as though something was holding his baton back. I felt ashamed beyond words - I was doing so poorly, yet Master was still enduring for me.

The detention center was very cold in the winter. The windows only had metal bars. At night, the wind was really cold. I had someone bring in more than a dozen plastic sheets, which I paid for. After lunch, while no guard was on duty, I delivered them to each cell. The inmates were delighted with the plastic sheets to cover the windows. I used this opportunity to expose the Chinese government's lies and clarify the facts about Falun Dafa in each cell. Everyone learned that Falun Dafa was great. I visited more than a dozen cells. One of the cell leaders said, "Since Falun Gong is so good, why don't you move to our cell and teach us the exercises?" Of course, this was also arranged by Master. When I asked to change cells, the guards agreed.

After moving to the new cell, everyone in my cell started practicing the exercises with me. A few of them also studied the Fa. When I was staying in another cell, I also introduced Falun Gong to another cell mate, who became a practitioner. He consistently studied the Fa and did the exercises with me. As far as I know, he remained a practitioner after his release.

After I was transferred to the prison, the situation became much worse. The guards tortured us in every possible way. Once I passed out because I could not take the torture anymore. Master told me through another inmate's words, "Even when you fall, don't just lie there. Stand up and walk forward." I decided to negate the evil persecution. The guards halted the hard labor for all inmates in order to hold meetings to criticize me. I was then transferred to solitary confinement and had to wear the heaviest shackles for several days.

A while later, I was again sent to solitary confinement because I got up in the middle of the night to do the exercises. I decided to do the exercises in that room too. After a few days, the guards asked if I would continue to be a practitioner, and I said, "Yes." A few days later, I was taken back to my old cell. They picked 13 prisoners to watch me. They took turns, and each watched me for two hours a day without a break. They even took notes of when I went to the bathroom. When I tried to do the exercises at night, they held my legs and arms to stop me. This happened every night.

One evening, as I was again ready to try to do the exercises, I heard the guard on duty ask the prisoners whether I had gotten up to do the exercises yet. The prisoners said not yet. The guard said that they didn't need to stop me if I wanted to do the exercises that night. He then said that I was a good person, well educated, and cultured. He said they should allow me if I wanted to do the exercises. After that, no one tried to stop me when I did the exercises. However, they still took notes recording everything I did, including when I did the standing exercises and when I did the sitting exercise.

A few months later, they put the Falun Gong practitioners who insisted on doing the exercises in solitary confinement again. After a few days, we were transferred to different prisons well known for their torture methods. I was beaten and taken to solitary confinement for doing the exercises. I persevered, and they stopped bothering me. I heard that an official of the prison was impressed with me. Before I went to bed each night, I just told myself that I needed to get up at a certain time to do the exercises, and I would be awake at that time to the minute. This went on for several years, until I was released.

One night in prison I heard on [Falun Dafa] radio that a practitioner said that ordinary people could receive blessings as long as they said "Falun Dafa is great," and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great." I told more than 80 percent of the other prisoners. Many believed me and followed my advice. A heavy smoker with a long history of smoking told me that, because he said "Falun Dafa is great," he was able to quite smoking. Another elderly man said that he often recited "Falun Dafa is great," and his chronic diseases disappeared. A middle-aged man said that he had had insomnia for more than ten years and could find no effective remedy. I told him to say "Falun Dafa is great and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great" before he went to sleep, and he told me the next day that he slept like a baby the night before. A month later, he asked me if I thought he had changed. I told him that he gained some weight. He said that, because he recited "Falun Dafa is great," he no longer had insomnia and was able to eat better, too. He said he would continue to recite "Falun Dafa is great."

I also heard the [Falun Gong] radio talk about encouraging people to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party. At first, I didn't know what it was all about. I only persuaded those I met in prison to quit the CCP.

Once, the prison guards gave us a survey to fill out on the food made by the cafeteria, pretending that they cared about our opinions. The prison warden's supervisor wanted to know what the inmates thought. No one else dared to write anything. I wrote a long letter detailing how the prison guards gave us inadequate portions and that the quality of the food was too low. I circulated it among the inmates, then submitted it.

The warden was afraid of the possible repercussions and did not forward my letter to his supervisor. A few days later, they held a meeting and asked the inmates to elect one trustworthy person to monitor food quality and quantity. Everyone voted for "Falun Gong" (my nickname). The guard hosting the meeting said it couldn't be me. Anyone else would be OK. The inmates were upset and said, "There is no one but 'Falun Gong.' Anyone else wouldn't care about the rest of us inmates once he himself was well fed. [But 'Falun Gong' is different.]" Many protested to the guard and said they only wanted me. The guard was embarrassed. The meeting ended inconclusively.

After more than 2,000 days of persecution and my efforts to negate the persecution, the day of my release finally came.

According to convention, I should have been released at 8 a.m. However, the prison said that other Falun Gong practitioners that had been released were sent directly to brainwashing centers, and that the 610 Office made the arrangements. More than 10 of my family members waited for two days outside the prison gates. They were ready to argue with the 610 Office if I was to be taken away. At the same time, other practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts to support me. At noon, the prison still refused to release me. I sat on the bed and sent forth righteous thoughts. As I closed my eyes, I saw a lot of black matter blocking my way, like a mountain. I raised my hand to clear a path. Ten minutes later, I was told that I was released.

When I walked out through the gate of the prison, I saw that the guard seeing me off was one who had beaten me a few years before. I told him to remember "Falun Dafa is great," so that he could have a good future. He nodded.

Studying the Fa and Spreading the Facts

After I was released from prison, I tried to keep up with Fa rectification and make up for lost time. After studying the Fa for several months, I established a material production center at my house.

I looked for fellow practitioners that I knew from before. Many of them went through astonishing changes. Some had not read any new articles from Master since July 1999. Some studied the Fa even less than I did in prison. Some had not even withdrawn from the CCP themselves, let alone persuading others to do so. I quickly made a complete set of Teacher's new articles and other materials for everyone. After a while, their cultivation states improved. I delivered materials clarifying the facts to those who didn't have materials. I also helped those who had computers to establish material centers at home.

Once a neighbor gave me a spare key to her house for no apparent reason. I took it. Three days later, a group of police suddenly came to arrest me. I barely escaped by a few meters and hid in my neighbor's house while sending righteous thoughts. I disappeared right in front of their eyes. They gave up after hours of searching in vain.

One day, I was waiting for the bus on my way to my old hometown. I saw a woman waiting as well, and I persuaded her to withdraw from the CCP. Another young man came to the bus stop. I chatted with him for a while, but fear stopped me, and I did not talk to him about quitting the CCP. He told me that he was traveling to another province. A few days later, when I took the bus back, I ran into him again. He said that he had changed his plans due to an unexpected delay. I used this opportunity to persuade him to quit the CCP. This made a deep impression on me.

I often clarified the facts on buses and in taxis. Once in a shared taxi, I spoke about the CCP's evil actions and the famines and tragedies it caused. Everyone agreed. I convinced two girls sitting in the back seat to withdraw from the CCP using pseudonyms. I turned to the driver and asked why he had a picture of Mao Zedong hanging over his rear view mirror. I told him that it would only bring him bad luck. The driver grabbed the picture and threw it out the car window. I suggested that he also withdraw from the CCP using a pseudonym. He immediately agreed to withdraw, but didn't want a pseudonym. "Just use my real name," he said.

I also actively participate in other projects, such as distributing materials and clarifying the facts using yuan bills and short letters. I read the Minghui/Clearwisdom website everyday and have gained a lot in my understanding. Several of my articles have also been published on the website. Every practitioner should participate in and take care of the Minghui website.

I have lost too much precious time due to the persecution, and have missed the mark on many things. I continue to remind myself that I cannot slack off. I must save people with all my heart, and cultivate diligently.