(Minghui.org) Editors’ note: In both Western and Chinese culture, the principle of karmic retribution, that is, being held ultimately accountable for one's own actions, is widely accepted. The fundamental teaching of Falun Gong is for one to assimilate to the characteristic of the universe: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The universe will reward actions that are in harmony with this principle, while actions such as beating, torturing, and murdering people will incur karmic retribution. Stated another way, good deeds will be rewarded with good, while evildoing will meet due retribution. Articles such as this are meant as a compassionate reminder of this principle to those who would commit wrongdoing. While many of those who persecute Falun Gong are merely “following orders,” the universal law requires that they, too, be held responsible for their actions, and that only by reversing the course of their behavior may they escape retribution.

Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong in July 1999, many people, out of their desire to look after their own self interests, committed grave crimes against practitioners. As the principle that good and evil will receive their due dictates, many of these people have met with retribution, and sometimes their evil deeds even implicated their families.

One example is Sun Jianli, who was born in 1952 in Qiaotou Village, Rongcheng, Weihai City, Shandong Province. He moved to Beigela Village in 1984 and began operating a stone quarry. The business prospered, and he soon became rich and built a new house in the village.

Sun’s older son suffered from epilepsy, and the family made every attempt to conceal the illness. After he got married, however, the epilepsy resurfaced and his wife left him. Sun’s son couldn’t bear this blow and he fell into a deep depression. He smoked at home and was always in a stupor. One day he dropped a lit cigarette on the carpet and caused a big fire.

After the persecution of Falun Gong began, the CCP launched a propaganda campaign to mislead people and incite hatred toward the practice. The authorities collected any disinformation or fabrications that could be used to slander Falun Gong. Sun was selected by the local officials to publicly denounce Falun Gong. Despite the fact that none of Sun’s family were practitioners, the officials told him, “Tell everyone that Falun Gong caused your son to become muddleheaded and set fire to your house.”

Sun knew this was a lie, but out of his desire to pursue his personal interests, he followed along with the authorities. His fellow villagers, however, knew the truth. Seeing him lie on TV, they said with a sigh, “Sun will meet due retribution for such lies.”

Soon after Sun spoke on TV, his wife divorced him. His older son died, and his younger son broke all ties with him. Sun was then stricken with liver disease and died in May 2013.