By a practitioner in Jin-zhou Labor Camp
December 19, 1999

I am 30 years old. I am from Jin-zhou City of Liao-ning Province. I am now detained in a labor camp of Jin-zhou City because of theft.

I have a dark history. I left school when I was only 10 years old. I was sent to the City Labor School because of theft when I was 15 years old. 2 years later, I was given a sentence of 1.5 years in jail as a thief. When I was 19 years old, I was given a sentence of 10 years in jail, again because of stealing. I got released in 1996. In 1999, I was given a detention of 15 days as a thief and I escaped from the window. 10 days later, I was caught and taken back to the detention center and detained together with some Falun Gong practitioners.

At that time, the government was criticizing Falun Gong madly on TV and newspapers and claiming that Falun Gong had spread "bad thoughts" that were harmful to people. Therefore, I was very curious about Falun Gong practitioners, and I would like to know how bad they were and whether they were even worse than I. However, the truth was beyond my expectation. They were from all walks of life. There were workers, peasants, officials, and doctors etc. They got detained because they had gone to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong or practiced Falun Gong in the parks. They did not look down upon me just because I was a convicted thief. Instead, they told me to be a good person and not to be a thief and not to commit evildoings anymore. I was deeply touched by their words. Especially, some of them had no hatreds or complaints when they were being cursed or beaten up by the guards. They always treated those guards kindly and told them the principles of becoming a good person. I was very surprised and also perplexed. The TV had been saying how bad Falun Gong was. Then how came so many people had become so good after learning Falun Gong? I had to admit that they were really good people from what I saw.

I suddenly felt so regretful that in the past ten years I had committed so many bad deeds. How wonderful it would be if I could be a good person like these Falun Gong practitioners! Then I told my thoughts to Yan Li, Li Huan-bao, Liu Wan-sheng and other practitioners in my cell. They gave me a copy of "Zhuan Falun" (the main text of Falun Gong). I finished reading it with great eagerness. Then, I had a sleepless night. My past life as a thief for a dozen of years appeared in my mind. I had committed so many unforgivable wrongdoings.

I remembered that my neighbors had praised that I was a kind child. However, when I grew up, all kinds of bad thoughts in society and the desire for money started to pollute me and control me and push me into the sinful abyss. In jail, I had been educated about laws and forced to accept labor education. Some good guards had also tried to help me to change. However, these were all useless to me. Those evil thoughts still controlled me and I could not free myself from evildoings. After finishing reading "Zhuan Falun", I understood that all the laws and policies in the human society could only change one on surface, only the Buddha Law could change one's heart and make one become good. I was really lucky to be able to learn Falun Dafa in jail. I decided to be a good person from now on.

In 2 days after I had that thought, I saw a golden and shining image of teacher Li. I was very curious and asked a fellow practitioner in my cell, he said, "You have seen teacher Li's law body. Teacher Li is taking care of you." I was so grateful and tearful. "Teacher Li, I am a dirty person. In such a dirty environment, you are still compassionate to me. I swear that I will learn Falun Dafa well and be worthy of the name of a Falun Dafa practitioner."

Later, I was sent to a labor camp in the Jin-zhou City. I was worried very much that I might not be able to meet other fellow practitioners because I still wanted to ask them many questions. Surprisingly, however, I met many other practitioners there! I suddenly realized that Falun Dafa would shed light to every corner of the world and would save every person with predestined affinity.

When my family members came to visit me, they become very angry after they learned that I had started to practice Falun Gong. They said, "how come you learn Falun Gong here?! Now the whole country is attacking Falun Gong." I told them, "You do not understand the truth. Falun Gong is not like what is said on TV and Newspapers. Falun Gong teaches people to become good people and is supernormal." However, they didn't want to listen to me. They even threatened that they would not visit me again if I continued to practice Falun Gong. I cried on the spot. However, I realized immediately that it was a test for me. I will become a good person by learning Falun Gong and in the future my family members will then know that Falun Gong is indeed good.

Fellow practitioners, I have learned Falun Dafa for three months. The guards and criminals in the detention center and labor camp all know that Falun Dafa practitioners are good people.

[Translated from Chinese original on March 3, 2000]