(Minghui.org) I was targeted by the communist regime's authorities after the onset of the persecution of Falun Dafa in 1999 because I had been a volunteer at the local Falun Dafa Assistance Center. I also had attended two lectures given by Master Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Dafa in 1994. In the persecution, I was interrogated, put under surveillance, taken to a brainwashing center, and sentenced to prison.
After I regained my freedom in 2007, I faced a lot of difficulties. My husband had died and our son was still in college. I was dismissed from my job as a government clerk and had no income.
The district authorities and street committee harassed me, demanded that I report to them, monitored me, and tapped my phone.
Some practitioners suggested that I go abroad or move to the countryside and live with a relative. At first, I was clueless. After more Fa-study, I understood what I had to do.
Master said,
“When you encounter ordeals during your cultivation, you have got to cultivate yourself and look at yourself--that doesn't mean acknowledging the ordeals arranged by the old forces and trying to do well amidst the ordeals they've arranged, that's not the case. We negate even the very emergence of the old forces and everything that they've arranged; we don't even acknowledge their existence. We're fundamentally negating all of their things, and all of, and only, the things you do while negating and getting rid of them is mighty-virtue. It's not that you're cultivating amidst the ordeals they created. Rather, you are to walk your own path well while not acknowledging them, not even acknowledging the elimination of their ordeals' manifestations.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference IV)
Master clearly told us that he did not acknowledge the persecution arranged by the old forces. Without Master's acknowledgment, the persecution has no root in this universe, so it is just an illusion.
Master also told us that whatever practitioners of the Fa-Rectification period did would become the reference for the future lives. Thus, we must not deviate from the right cultivation path.
I also understood that I had to cultivate in the three realms. How can I be forced to hide? I would not avoid saving people in this environment. This understanding helped me gain the wisdom I needed for what I had to do.
My son was on his winter break, so we visited the leaders of the district government, to ask for my job back. In the process, several government clerks who learned the facts about the persecution quit Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
I was hired as a contract worker at a department of the district government. Although the wage was lower than that of my former job and the work load heavier, I did not care. I simply took the challenges as chances to eliminate my attachments.
Some colleagues talked behind my back, or snubbed me from time to time. I ignored it and behaved with the higher moral standard of a Falun Dafa practitioner and balanced the relationship with everyday people well. It was important that people see the beauty of Falun Dafa through my actions and words.
My son joked that I looked as if I had found a treasure and not merely a contract worker's job. He still could not understand the happiness and inner peace of a practitioner who has no attachment to fame and gain.
No one at my job, the leaders or colleagues, discriminated against me because I practiced Falun Dafa, because they witnessed the goodness of Dafa.
Many of my colleagues and officials quit the Party and some colleagues and their family members began to practice Falun Dafa.
A former leader of mine who had been promoted to the city government found me through a series of connections and invited me to have dinner with him. He could not believe that I looked as young and vibrant as over a decade ago.
He said that if he had encountered as many ordeals and setbacks in his life as I, he would have committed suicide.
“We take fame, gain, and emotions lightly,” I said. “Our heart is filled with the Fa. Thus, we have a powerful inner force, and we are open-minded and happy.”
While eating, I talked about the merits of Falun Dafa and contrasted it with the Communist Party's dark and evil history. Before parting, he quit the Party.
Many government officials of district, city, and even provincial level, wanted to talk to me in private. I clarified truth to them and they all quit the party. A few of the leaders also started practicing Falun Dafa.
The office manager of our department sat facing my desk. I found out that he was assigned by the district 610 Office to monitor me. Upon hearing this, I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors behind him every morning. He appeared normal and assigned me work as usual.
But, one day he brought documents from the 610 Office to be signed by everyone. It demanded that one promises not to practice Falun Dafa and inform the authorities if one knows anyone who is a practitioner.
I told him that throughout history no one had a good ending if one persecuted a righteous faith. “Moreover,” I said, “people of our area believe in the power of 'good thoughts'. Please don't be used by the bad people,” After I sent righteous thoughts, he threw the forms into the trash.
Before I officially retired, I passed out gifts to colleagues during the Chinese New Year. This year, they were papers with a big “Fu” character (meaning “good fortune” in Chinese) and “Zhen-Shan-Ren” (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance) characters.
Although I had never given anything to the office manager, I decided to give him five big “Fu” characters (meaning five blessings) that year. I talked to him and he agreed to quit the Party and also accepted a Dafa music CD. However, he reported me to the 610 Office.
When, I returned to the work unit for my remaining wage compensation, a former colleague warned me and said that six officers from the national security committee came to the office, and searched everyone's drawers and cabinets for the materials that I had passed out.
“Did they harass you at home?” she asked. She was surprised that no one had come to my home.
I understood that Master protected me from the old forces' interference because I had no negative thoughts and my intentions were pure.
Years later, former colleagues told me that the office manager and his family had had a lot of ailments and nearly died.
For more than a decade, my house has been the family-based materials printing site and a group Fa-study place. Practitioners cooperated with each other and did the three things well.
We had not been searched or harassed. I never have any worries that I might be persecuted. Every obstacle on my path was treated as a chance to eliminate some attachments. If I conform to the requirements of the Fa, have strong righteous thoughts and righteous actions, I can overcome all obstacles.