(Minghui.org) I was once in charge of the administrative office in a small town. I was delighted to begin practicing Falun Dafa in 1996 and was strict with myself according to Master's requirements. I didn't embezzle public property or take things that belonged to others. I didn't use public funds to eat sumptuous meals, and I didn't drink, gamble or visit prostitutes. I became a local public official whom everyone recognized as a good person.
I was illegally imprisoned in a detention center in February 2000 because I went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Dafa after the persecution began. One afternoon in April, the section chief of the Politics and Security Department brought me to the office of the director of the detention center. He said, “I will advise you as if I were your older brother. Many leaders have urged you to stop practicing Falun Gong but you haven't listened. You insist on continuing. You have been discharged from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), removed from your administrative position and locked up repeatedly. You've been locked up for more than two months because you went to Beijing to appeal. We are considering what to do with you now. We are going to do a thorough investigation on you and explore your past as an administrator. You will be finished if you've broken any rules.”
I asked, “I haven't treated anyone badly and haven't violated or broken any laws. So why are they punishing me?” The section chief said, “It's not that they are punishing you. It's Jiang Zemin who is persecuting Falun Gong. The pressure is coming from above. You are at the administrative level. You are a leader among Falun Gong members. (Note: This is a misunderstanding on the part of the official, as Falun Gong has no membership, nor official leaders.) Because you refuse to “transform,” our county has been criticized many times in the provincial meetings. The administrative officials in our county could not keep their posts as officials if they didn't punish you. Everyone is afraid. I urge you to lie and declare that you don't practice Falun Gong. No one will supervise you and you can practice in the privacy of your home. Otherwise, they will severely punish you as soon as they ferret out illegal behavior on your part. You will be sentenced and discharged from your public office.”
I said, “It doesn't matter. I practice Falun Dafa. I'm very clear about what I'm doing. I've never done anything to violate or break the law, or gone against my conscience, so you don't need to worry.” He said, “How is that possible? If you don't listen to me you will regret it. As soon as they find something out of order, they will persecute you severely.”
The Discipline and Inspection Commission arrived approximately two weeks later to verify the status of two receipts for capital loans that I had written. One was a note I wrote to the financial office because I asked an on-duty manager to handle an affair for the government and told him to directly get funds from the financial office. I suggested that they speak with him. Another was to express appreciation to a work unit for their support of government work. The two team members from our side held a meeting with the management team of that work unit. We gave funds to express appreciation to that work unit. No one knew how much it was since it was enclosed in a red envelope. They said, “Who on your team knows how much it is?” I said, “The person in my team who knows has already passed away. Only the head of that work unit knows. I think he can tell you clearly.”
The head of the work unit gave me a call the next afternoon and said, “Brother, the Discipline and Inspection Commission came this morning to do an investigation of the funds. They looked into the bookkeeping accounts because I was entering the number into them at that time. Everything was cleared up so you don't have to be concerned.” I said, “Thank you calling me and letting me know, and giving testimony on my behalf.” He said, “I understand everything now. Please take care of yourself.”
The section chief of the Politics and Security Department found me after a short while and said, “We wouldn't have known if we didn't investigate. We now know that you are truly a good person. You are a prisoner. The management and colleagues in your work unit now, as well as in your past work unit, all give you high evaluations. I never imagined that there could be someone like you.”
He continued, “First of all, you rarely go out to eat or drink with guests. What's even more significant, you don't chase after women. Many people are bothered by this and have tried to corrupt you. But they have all failed. On one occasion you accompanied seven or eight guests. After they finished drinking they pushed you into a house of prostitution. They all went in but you went downstairs and watched TV in the main parlor. The proprietor said that you were stupid, and must be mentally and physically ill. Also, another time, colleagues of yours urged you to go into a whore house with them but you just waited late into the night in your car.
“Secondly, regarding personal gain, you don't give or accept bribes. You don't take other people's money or spend public property. When your work unit was constructing a building, the person responsible for the renovations visited your home. You wouldn't accept gifts from him and he refused to leave. Not only wouldn't you accept gifts, but you treated him as a guest in your home. While dining with him you explained the reasoning behind Falun Dafa practitioners' refusal to accept gifts. Afterwards this person began practicing Falun Gong. The contractor that built the building laid bricks for a few of the people in management without charging them but you insisted on paying him.
“Thirdly, you handle matters impartially. You are the person at work that is able to settle problems that involve significant personal interest and conflicts. Your colleagues say that you are a good person and have handled many things well. During the investigation, not a single person said that you were bad. There was just the issue of those two receipts for loans in the bookkeeping regarding receiving and paying out funds. Knowledgeable people said that you didn't use the money for your own personal use. It was either for official business or else other people used the funds; over time, people no longer could remember. What they said was the truth. In the end they said that they didn't understand your intentions or reasoning. They couldn't understand that you didn't use your public office to advance your own position and that you don't lead a dissolute life. You do your work well, and fulfill your duties and responsibilities. We all can't follow your reasoning!”
I said, “I practice Falun Dafa. I understand the meaning of life. I want to practice. I want to return to my original true self. I choose to live according to the principles of Falun Dafa and Master's teachings. I must be a good person. If I abuse my power for personal gain and lead a dissolute life, eating, drinking, visiting prostitutes and gambling, I would be violating the moral principles of cultivation. This would be disgraceful. These are the things that practitioners should give up first. This is the common ground and basic starting point. Otherwise one can't practice Falun Dafa.”
The section chief shook his head and said, “This is inconceivable.” I said, “ If you really want to understand, read Zhuan Falun.” He said, “A person like me who dares to do anything, I can't read your book.” He gave a long sigh when he left and said, "You are a good person. A truly good person. Only Falun Gong could produce this kind of person.”
From the Call for Submissions to Commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of Falun Dafa’s Introduction
