(Minghui.org) Greetings, compassionate and revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I was persecuted and illegally imprisoned in a detention center in September 2019. I adhered to the requirements of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and treated everyone with compassion, including the guards and public prosecutors. Besides using my words and deeds to validate the goodness of Dafa, I also used every opportunity to clarify the truth. I wished to help the prison guards and prisoners quit the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), Youth League, and Young Pioneers.
Guard Captain Confirms the “Tiananmen Self-Immolation” Was Fabricated
Soon after I was sent to the detention center, the guard took me to the infirmary for a mandatory medical checkup. I told the prison doctor, “I was sick for many years, and even came close to dying four or five times. After I began practicing Falun Dafa, however, all my illnesses vanished.” Curious, the doctor asked what illnesses I had. I said, “Insomnia, allergic rhinitis, asthma, emphysema, pulmonary heart disease, persistent sore throat, chronic gastritis, intestinal obstruction, lumbar and cervical spondylosis, and mental depression.” The guard curled his lips in disbelief, “I don’t believe Falun Dafa cured all that!” The doctor said, “It’s possible. Some people say qigong exercises are beneficial.”
The guard laughed as he escorted me out. All prisoners must have their heads shaved bald, but I refused to be shaved. The guard said, “Every inmate has to be shaved. Why do you refuse?” I replied, “I didn't break any laws by practicing Falun Dafa. It's not illegal, and I did not commit any crimes. I'm not a criminal.” At this point, a middle-aged man entered the room. The guard told him, “Sir, he refuses to be shaved.” When the police captain asked why, I repeated what I told the guard. The captain told me, “We didn’t accuse you of violating the law or committing a crime. Shampoo is not provided here. Won’t you feel uncomfortable with dirty hair?”
When I heard his explanation, I agreed to be shaved. I heard the police captain exclaim, “This CCP is too evil! They even arrest good people who practice qigong. They really are done for!” A young guard replied, “But what about the Tiananmen Square Self-immolation Incident?” His captain immediately said, “It’s a lie! I was present at Tiananmen Square that day. It was all fabricated!"
Clarifying the Facts With the Prison Head’s Blessing
I was then escorted to the cellblock where I met the prison head. He asked my age and why I was there. I explained that I was incarcerated for practicing Falun Dafa. He asked in disbelief, “The CCP considers Falun Dafa practitioners criminals? Tell me more.”
I said, “I used to be very ill, to the point where I nearly died a couple of times. Chinese and Western medicine, traditional remedies, even praying to gods and worshipping Buddha—I did all that, but my illnesses continued to worsen. I then started practicing Falun Dafa and my illnesses disappeared. Falun Dafa teaches people to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Besides improving morality, many practitioners have had their illnesses resolved. Because more than a hundred million people were practicing it, the former CCP head became jealous. He initiated the brutal persecution July 1999, and fabricated the Tiananmen Self-immolation Incident. I was arrested for telling people the truth.” The prison head replied, “I see. You can tell everyone about this truth tomorrow.” My spirits rose. Master led me here to save these sentient beings!
The following day, the prison head told me, “Now, you can tell everyone the truth.” I told everyone how I clarified the facts behind the persecution to a county leader while I was incarcerated in another place. This county leader believed me and subsequently received many blessings. After hearing my story, most of the prisoners accepted the truth, and some immediately agreed to quit the CCP. The prison head said, “I've always respected your Master and Falun Dafa. I never opposed your practice.”
“After I’m released, I will read Zhuan Falun”
I frequently reminded myself to pay attention to my words as deeds and make sure they fit the standards of a Dafa practitioner. I let others borrow my clothes when the weather turned cold and shared my food. As a result, the other prisoners respected me.
Our prison head was highly educated, with a postgraduate degree. The former vice president of a company, he was imprisoned on charges of drug abuse and an MLM scam involving hundreds of millions of yuan. Through his CCP membership, he clearly understood how corrupt the CCP was, and agreed to quit the Party. However, the CCP management style and Party culture remained ingrained in him. He treated people differently, depending on their perceived social statuses. He also had a hot temper, and often scolded and beat others. Everyone deferred to him.
In contrast, he was very kind to me and refused to let me do certain chores or duties. He sometimes added a few words whenever I clarified the facts about the persecution. Whenever I practiced the exercises, he told others to stand in front so the guards wouldn't see me.
I often sang Dafa songs. One day, the prison head told me, “They will not be turning on the television tomorrow, so you should teach everyone how to sing those Falun Dafa songs.” I sang a few songs and asked him to choose one. He said, “The song ‘Awakening’ is appropriate. Teach everyone to sing it.”
The guards shackled my feet because I refused to wear the prison uniform. When he saw this, the prison head hurriedly asked his second in command to bring me a brand-new pair of socks and made me wear them to protect my ankles. He also ordered two prisoners to help me since I had trouble moving around. They gently lifted me up and down from the bed.
They also warned me, “Your ankles will swell up so badly that you cannot walk.” I thought to myself, “I am a Dafa practitioner, this will not happen.”
Initially I thought, “This is pretty good—I have people waiting on me day and night. I’ve never enjoyed such treatment before.” I soon came to my senses. I am a Dafa practitioner and I’m shackled; how could I practice the exercises? What if they refused to remove my shackles? I decided to go on a hunger strike to protest. I told the prison head and he said, “Stop bringing hardship on yourself. Your protest is useless! After three days, the Public Security Bureau will send you to the hospital and forcibly feed you. They could care less, even if you die from their forced feeding. To the CCP, humans are worth less than animals. Why invite suffering?”
I continued to refuse food the following day. At this point, the guard secretly instructed the prison head boss to make sure I was well taken care of. The prison head thus instructed the prisoners, “We will declare an emergency. Everyone must take turns taking care of him. Two people will be on duty at each interval, with shift changes every hour. Should any problems arise, those assigned to the shift will be held responsible.”
After some deliberation, I realized that I should not create trouble for everyone. I told them, “There is no need to care for me like this. I'm already protected by Master. These handcuffs and ankle cuffs cannot harm me.” Despite having worn those shackles for over five days, and fasting for three days, I was able to walk easily and steadily. The shackles also did not leave any marks on my skin or cause me any pain. Everyone was amazed.
The prison head told me that evening, “From your demeanor and words, I've learned what it means to be truly righteous. After my release, I must read Zhuan Falun myself.”
Falun Dafa Protects Me
I refused to shout the CCP slogans, memorize the prison rules, or study the propaganda. When the prison exercises were broadcast over the loudspeaker, I instead practiced the Falun Dafa exercises. I firmly sent righteous thoughts at the four global times to eliminate all evil factors in the detention center, so sentient beings would accept the truth and know that Falun Dafa is good.
I wore the detention center’s uniform at first but later realized that I was a Dafa practitioner, not a criminal. Why should I wear a prison uniform?
I remembered Master’s teachings:
“‘I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them’--then they won't dare to do that. So it can all be resolved. When you can really do that, not just saying it but putting it into action, Master will definitely stand up for you.” (Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference)
The phrase “putting it into action” flashed repeatedly in my mind, and I knew that Master was both enlightening and encouraging me. I resolved to remove my uniform during the guard inspection.
One day, two deputy directors, a captain, and three guards visited the prison to conduct an inspection. I seized this opportunity. While the prisoners shouted slogans, I started to take off my clothes. I threw the prison uniform on the ground and told the guards,
“I am Li Hongzhi's disciple. I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them.” (Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference)
One of the guards grabbed my collar and raised his fist threateningly. Faced with my calm and firm composure, he put his hand down and pushed me away. The other guards silently looked at each other. They walked away after one of the deputy directors said, “Let's go!” Afterwards, the prison head asked me, “Don't you still want to wear the uniform?” I firmly replied, “No. Since I’ve taken it off, I won't wear it again.”
One day, the guard in charge of surveillance forced everyone in my prison unit to stand as punishment for my refusal to wear the uniform. He also routed our prison unit’s surveillance camera to the main screen, so the prison leaders and staff could watch us being punished. I told him, “I am willing to take responsibility for my actions. However, what I did has nothing to do with them. You should not punish them.” The guard immediately instructed, “Everyone else sit down.” After standing for a while, I realized that I am a Dafa practitioner and not a prisoner. Why should I follow their instructions? I sat down. Surprisingly, the guard surveilling our unit never said anything.
The guard came and told our prison head that the prison unit’s surveillance camera was now screening the Provincial Public Security Department Hall’s main screen. I thought to myself, “This is a good opportunity to send righteous thoughts at close range to eradicate all the evil factors that persecute Dafa in the CCP’s Provincial Public Security Department.” I concentrated and sent forth powerful righteous thoughts. A powerful energy field instantly surrounded my body, and a wave of heat engulfed me. Master’s teachings kept appearing in my head,
“Even with just one Dafa disciple, if your righteous thoughts are strong, the power is enough to split a mountain—just one thought will do it.” (What is a Dafa Disciple, Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
I sent forth righteous thoughts without any interference.
It was routine to report our attendance every morning and evening during assembly. When I refused to report my number, the prison head told me to stand aside. One day, the detention center’s director, deputy director, and a few others conducted a surprise inspection during our assembly. Seeing that I refused to call out my number, the deputy director asked, “Why do you refuse to report?” I replied, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. I did not break any laws. I am not a criminal.” The deputy director asked, “If you didn't violate the law, why were you sent here?” I said, “I'm here to validate the Fa. Falun Dafa is righteous, and Dafa’s Master is here to save sentient beings. Please remember: ‘Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’.” The detention center director mulled over my words before turning around and leaving. The others followed him.
“Falun Dafa Is Good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Is Good”
Everyone thought the guard in charge of my prison unit was the fiercest of all the guards. He had an unpleasant looking, aggressive appearance, and had a bad temper. The others said that he personally gave a toothbrush to an elderly murder convict. This convinced me that he still had a kind heart.
When he stopped by our prison unit I said, “I heard you gave that elderly convict a new toothbrush. You really are a kind person!” A slight smile suddenly appeared on his face. He happily replied, “I am a kind person, aren't I?”
The third day after I started my hunger strike to protest being in shackles, he called me to his office and invited me to sit down. “Today, let us talk as though we're friends.” Such a statement from him was unprecedented. He said, “I won’t talk about work, and you won’t talk about Falun Dafa. How about it?”
I replied, “I'm incarcerated for practicing Falun Dafa. Other than talking about Falun Dafa, what else can I say?” He smiled and said, “You do the Dafa exercises every day, but you can't keep doing the exercises all day long!” He thought I was exercising when I was sending forth righteous thoughts. I tried to correct him, “The exercises require more than two hours to complete. This position (I demonstrated with my single palm upright) is not an exercise position. This (I displayed the lotus mudra with my hands) is a big lotus mudra.” The guard laughed and waved his hand, “Alright, I get it.”
I spoke loudly, as the microphone on his desk would transmit our conversation outside, allowing anyone passing by to hear my words. As we talked, five or six guards trickled in. Finally, their deputy director came in and said, “Unfasten his handcuffs.”
One of the guards laughed and pushed the deputy director out the door. After closing it, he turned to me and said, “Tell us about Falun Dafa.” I told them about Falun Dafa and why the CCP was persecuting practitioners. As I talked, they kept asking questions. I answered every question and advised them to remember, “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
As it was almost time for lunch, the guards started to leave. The guard in charge of our prison unit invited me to have a drink of water. I declined and said I was not thirsty. He exclaimed, “What can I do to make you drink?!” I replied, “Let me perform the Dafa exercises freely.” He immediately agreed.
He suddenly asked, “What was the phrase you said earlier?” I replied, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Falun Dafa is good.” He said, “I got it. Will you drink now?” I picked up the water bottle and swallowed a few mouthfuls. Then he asked, “And will you resume eating?” I agreed and he said happily replied, “Okay, remember to keep your word.” I said, “I promise! But in return you must tell the rest not to interfere when I exercise.”
The guard agreed and unlocked my handcuffs. He then squatted down to unlock my ankle cuffs. He then suddenly raised his head and asked, “Truthfulness-Compassion, and what else?” “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Falun Dafa is good.” He happily replied, “I’ll remember it!”
(Minghui 17th Mainland China Dafa Practitioner Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)
