(Minghui.org) I'm fortunate to be a Dafa disciple, and I feel deeply honored to be saved by Master. I would like to share my understanding and experience with fellow practitioners.
1. Asking for the Release of a Fellow Practitioner in an Upright and Dignified Manner
My mother, a Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested while handing out truth clarifying brochures on January 2, 2000. Coincidentally, another practitioner witnessed this, and he phoned me, warning me to keep things in my house in a safe place, in case the police came to conduct a search. I was preparing dinner at the time. My thought was that I would go to the police station after I finished making dinner.
Master said,
“...whereas real Buddhas are guardians of the cosmos and are responsible for all righteous elements in the cosmos.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western US Fa Conference” from Guiding the Voyage)
I could not let sentient beings sin against Dafa, and planned to demand my mother's release without fear. I went to the police station and saw two officers playing poker. I did not see my mother. I asked the officers, “Did you arrest an elderly lady who practices Falun Gong? Where is she?” They replied, “No, we don't know anything about it.” I didn't know what to say and walked out of the station heading back home, feeling dejected. As I walked, I kept feeling that something was amiss, and I thought that this wouldn't do. I needed to go back and find out more.
I returned to the police station and questioned the two officers on the whereabouts of my mother. One of them quickly said, “The old lady refused to say anything, so we sent her to the detention center.” I told the officers, “You detain people without any evidence. If you don't release her within 24 hours, I will sue you for breaking the law.” They quickly answered, “We are not responsible for this. It was decided by the Politics and Law Committee head. You should go and find him.” It was already past 5:00 p.m. and after office hours. Thus I decided to go to the leader's house.
At the committee head's house, I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I had no choice but to return home. On the way, I saw my cousin, who is also a practitioner. I said to her, “I just went to his house and knocked on the door, but no one answered. I want to go back again, do you dare to come with me?” She answered, “Yes.” I told her I would keep knocking on the door until someone answered it. This time when we reached his house, the door was open. I said it was Master who opened the door for us. I felt a warm current run through my body, and I knew I had done the right thing. Master was encouraging me. We walked in, and his wife came out to meet us, asking what was the matter. I told her about the arrest of my mother. She said her husband had gone out for a meeting, and she told us to find the person who arrested her. I explained that I had just come from the police station and was told that her husband had authorized my mother to be detained at the detention center. I asked her where he went for the meeting, as it was the first day of the New Year, which was a public holiday. She didn't answer my query directly. I saw his shoes on the floor and knew he was inside. He did not want to come out and see me. I said to his wife loudly, “Please let him know that in the morning, I will go to his workplace to see him. At night I will come to his house. I will continue to pursue the matter until my mother is released.”
At night, while reading the Fa at home, I read this sentence in Zhuan Falun,
“Perhaps everyone has heard this statement in Buddhism: "When one’s Buddha-nature emerges, it will shake ‘the world of ten directions.’" Whoever sees it will come to give a hand and help this person out unconditionally.”
My husband asked me about my plans for the next day. I told him I intended to go to the police station to clarify the truth to the police officers who arrested my mother.
The next day, I went to the police station to see the officers who arrested my mother. I was told they were afraid to see me and were hiding. I said to the other police officers, “They have done a bad deed and are afraid to see me due to their guilty consciences. In the future, don't arrest Falun Gong practitioners. It will implicate your future generations and bring them retribution.”
On the third day, I went to the office to see the committee head. Upon walking into his office, he asked me, “What's the matter?” I replied, “I'm here for someone.” He asked, “Who is it, I don't know anything.” I told him my mother was arrested and taken to the police station the day before. The police officers told me you gave the order to send her to the detention center. He had nothing to say. I continued, “Release my mother quickly. If something happens to her while in detention, you will bear all legal responsibility.”
After leaving the committee office, I thought to myself, “I must go to the detention center and demand that they release my mother.” At the detention center, the head of the center immediately called me in and asked if I had come to bring something for my mother. I told him, “No, I came to ask for her release. My mother has not committed any crime. I came here to tell you not to get involved in persecuting Falun Gong. You will be blessed for treating Dafa disciples kindly. Although you did not give orders to arrest my mother, she is nonetheless detained here. If something happens to her, you will bear full responsibility.” He said anxiously, “You need to go to the police department and tell them to release your mother.” I replied, “I've been to the police station as well as the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. I'm just waiting for you to release my mother.” That night two police officers came to my house. They asked me to come and bring my mother home. My mother was detained for two nights and one day. Protected by Master, she returned home safely.
2. Doing What Master Wants and Elevating in the Fa
The persecution in my district is still rather severe. One of the reasons for this is because we have not paid enough attention to exposing the evil locally. Master said in “Master's Comment on a Student's Article” on November 15, 2003,
“Exposing the wicked policemen and bad persons and publicizing their evil deeds is extremely effective at shocking and restraining those irrational, wicked people. At the same time, by clarifying the facts to the people on a local level it most directly exposes, and generates public awareness of, the wicked persecution. It is also a great way to save the people who have been poisoned and deceived by the lies. I hope all Dafa disciples and new students in Mainland China will do this well.”
Arranged by Master, a fellow practitioner came to me and asked that I write about the persecution I experienced to expose the evil. He also asked me to work with another practitioner to gather all the persecution cases that took place in my county and expose them.
I thought that since this is what Master wanted, then I should do it well. First of all, I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate all interference. Then I went to visit practitioners in towns and villages to exchange views on exposing the persecution. I asked them to write about their personal experiences and promised to help them if they had trouble writing it.
I once had to go to the largest village in my district. I got a practitioner who previously lived there to go with me. Upon reaching the village, we found a local coordinator. She was organizing a Fa study group, and three practitioners attended it. I asked them to contact other practitioners who had been persecuted. She found two of them, and it was obvious that they were scared. Soon after, 18 practitioners came, one after another. The local practitioners were surprised. These practitioners didn't typically see each other often, yet on this day everyone gathered at the coordinator's house. All of them said they didn't know why, but they felt like coming to this practitioner's house. Everyone reflected on this incident and were moved. This was Master's arrangement.
We sent righteous thoughts together, then shared our views on how to cultivate well, eliminate fear, and expose the persecution. Six practitioners wrote their persecution experiences right there. Through this sharing, the gaps between practitioners living in the county and village were removed.
It was a lot of hard work participating in this project. I had to go many places to gather information, and then return home to type it out. I once went to a distant village to collect persecution statistics. The local coordinator took me around for the whole day on a motorbike. To save time, we didn't stop to eat anything for the entire day. It was November then, and the weather was freezing. I was sitting on the motorbike, hungry and cold. I recalled Master's teaching about how to treat hot and cold, and said to Master in my heart, “It is not me who feels cold and hungry, I don't want this feeling. Master, please help.” In a short while, my back, legs and foot felt warm and extremely comfortable. I no longer felt cold or hungry. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
The most difficult task for me was typing and editing the articles. I had no foundation whatsoever in writing. Yet Dafa unlocked my wisdom. Initially, I sometimes spent the whole night typing an article, and because I did not know how to save it, I hit the wrong button, and everything was erased. Thus I had to start all over again. Gradually, I became more familiar with the entire operation and learned how to finish the article, and send it to the Minghui website editors all by myself. During that period of time, I was so busy that I often ate only one meal per day, but did not feel hungry. Every day I slept two to three hours, yet my mind was exceptionally clear. I truly experienced the happiness of being immersed in the Fa.
In the process of editing the fellow practitioners' articles, many of my attachments were exposed. I once was editing an article that was supposed to expose the persecution, but the practitioner had written it as an experience sharing article, and it was rather long. The more I edited it, the more vexed I became. In the end I put it aside. Sitting in front of the computer, I raised my head and saw Master's portrait. I knew that there was something wrong with my feeling irritated. Just then, I remembered Master's article “Further Understanding” from Essentials for Further Advancement. Master said,
“...in any environment or under any circumstances, I will use any troubles or unpleasant things you come across—even if they involve work for Dafa, or no matter how good or sacred you think they are—to eliminate your attachments and expose your demon-nature so that it can be eliminated, for your improvement is what’s most important.”
I have practiced cultivation for 14 years. Thinking back, indeed I have many things to write about. Fellow practitioners, please kindly point out if I've written anything inappropriate.