(Clearwisdom net) á I am a 54-year-old Dafa practitioner. I listened to Teacher Li's lectures in person in 1994. On October 26, 1999, another practitioner and I went to Beijing in an attempt to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to the related government agencies. However, on our way to Beijing, we met with police who questioned us if we practiced Falun Gong, we told the truth and said "Yes." As a result, I was sentenced to one year in jail. The other practitioner was sentenced to four years in jail because she was a cadre in a provincial department. Now she is still being illegally detained in the Hefei City Female Prison.á

I was detained for a whole year in jail. During that year, I suffered all kinds of inhuman treatment in that den run by monsters. The experiences are indelible for me both physically and mentally.

I remember the day of August 2, 2000 when other practitioners and I requested an unconditional release and restoration of Dafa's reputation. Together, we recited "Lunyu" (the forwarding explanation in Falun Dafa books) and other articles by Teacher Li in the prison cell. The prison officials convicted us of "rioting," and handcuffed and shackled us for nine continuous days and nights. It was in the scorching heat of summer in August. We were not permitted to take showers and the environment in the prison was disgusting. Furthermore, the officials ordered our exercise/relief room (in which the incarcerated walk freely and breathe fresh air) to be closed, and prohibited us to buy daily items, such as toilet paper and food, including vegetables and steamed buns. The other prisoners in the detention center were instigated to attack and insult us. No matter how the ordinary people cursed and insulted us, we remembered Teacher's words, "However, we have mentioned that a practitioner should set high demands on himself, and should not return the same when being hit or abused." ("Transformation of Karma" from Zhuan Falun) and "Don't hit back when hit; don't curse back when cursed at." ("Lecture at the US East Coast Conference") We patiently clarified the truth to them with great tolerance. Some people with a conscience were moved and told us that the prison officers asked them to torture us. Those nine days and nights were absolutely a "cruel" experience for me (being handcuffed and shackled for the first three days and nights, and being shackled for the rest of the time).

During that year, I witnessed many practitioners being tortured by the police's brutal persecution. Here are some cases:á

The prison guards tortured Dafa practitioners Xiao Yu, Xiao Jie and a 52-year-old practitioner, whom we called Big Sister Xu with the "sleeping board" for three straight days. The "Sleeping Board" is a torture tool used on death-penalty felons, in which the person's hands are cuffed onto a wooden board above his or her head, with both feet fixed onto the board. One cannot move or turn his or her body at all. It's unimaginable how much one suffers on this torture tool. After three days on the Sleeping Board, one's hands and feet become badly swollen and turn black and blue, and the arms and legs hurt too much to move at all. But actually this was used on all Dafa practitioners who requested unconditional release by holding a hunger strike.

A 17-year-old girl called Xiao Minzi obtained the Fa in the prison. When the prison guard found her practicing Falun Gong for the first time, she was handcuffed with both arms behind her back for three straight days. The second time she was caught doing Falun Gong exercises, the prison guard took her out and slapped her in the face more than a dozen times, then asked her if she would continue to practice Falun Gong. Her answer was "Yes." So the prison guard slapped her ears and mouth more than ten times with the sole of a shoe. Her face became immediately swollen and one of her ears went deaf. She was asked again and her answer was still "Yes." The prison guard then started beating her with a wooden plank. Her back and waist were covered with many long red marks. Then she was sent back with both hands handcuffed behind her back. Another time, when she was found studying the Fa with us, the prison guard pulled her out of the room by her braid(s). I shouted loudly, "No beating!" Upon hearing this, the prison guard immediately slammed the iron door. Almost at the same time, the other practitioners shouted out, "No beating!" We began to pound on the iron door and loudly recited poems from Hong Yin (a collection of poems by Teacher):

Non-existence

To live with no pursuits,

To die with no regrets;

All excessive thoughts extinguished,

Cultivating Buddhahood is not difficult.

Mighty Virtue

Dafa never leaves the body,

Heart contains Zhen-Shan-Ren;

A great Arhat in the world,

Spirits and ghosts fear the most.

At that moment, the door opened and the girl came back. She told us the prison guard didn't beat her and just let her go. After that time, the prison guard never again intervened when she studied the Fa and practiced the exercises with us. Through this event, I felt the power of the righteous thoughts from the Fa. I started to eliminate the evil with righteous thoughts whenever facing crucial moments.

One time I asked someone to pass the Teacher's article to the practitioners in the male section of the jail. The chief prison guard found it on him and sent it to the prison head. He brought a big shackle to the officer in charge of our prison cell and ordered, "Find out who did this and shackle her." When we were questioned, I stood up and admitted that I did it. The prison guard then wanted to shackle me. I calmly said to her, "I cannot wear this shackle. It is for your own good. What I delivered was the Buddha's Fa so what I did was the most sacred deed. If you shackle me, you will attain huge karma and it will not be good for you at all. I hope you can leave yourself a way out." She couldn't respond to my words. Then she said, "If you don't wear the shackle, then you have to write a statement to guarantee no more such behavior." I said, "That is impossible. You know, I didn't even sign on the custody warrant. How can I write such a statement?" Patiently, I went on to tell her the truth of the Fa. Finally I convinced her and she said, "All right, all right." And sent me back. All other people in the cell were very surprised. They said, "We thought this time you must return shackled, but we didn't expect..."

Another time we wrote a letter to practitioners in other cells to suggest a group hunger strike for requesting an unconditional release. A fellow practitioner was found passing the letter, and the prison guard ordered someone to handcuff his hands to the back. At that time, I suddenly said, "I passed the letter!" The prison guard said, "Then we'll handcuff you!" I firmly responded, "Never!" Although very angry, the prison guard gave in again and simply sent me back. I thought, this was my divine side working. This event made me feel the power of righteous thought again and helped me to make progress in practice, and to strengthen my righteous thoughts.

After being illegally detained for one year, I was released. My husband and my child came to pick me up with a big bouquet. The prison guard said, "She hasn't renounced [Dafa] at all, how can you give her flowers?" My husband and my child smiled, and I smiled too. I understood in my heart that it was Teacher's hint. Because I was steadfast in believing the truth, they presented me with fresh flowers. Everyone has a clear-minded side. As a good person among the ordinary people, they both knew it was the most disgraceful thing to betray a pure and righteous belief. I felt happy for my husband and my child who positioned themselves well in front of the righteous law of the universe.á

On the early morning of April 11, 2001, I received a long distance call from the United States. The person on the other end said, "Here is Teacher's new article. Please listen." I held the phone and listened to the recording of Teacher's article. Because I was closely monitored by the public security police, my phone was possibly being tapped. So, right then I sent a righteous thought, "To those who can hear Teacher's article, it is the righteous Buddha law. It is your fortune to hear it. Please treasure the moment." The call lasted for five minutes without interruption. This call from abroad helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of the Fa. I realized we should not hang up the phone just because the call might be monitored. Fearing to face evil indicated disbelief of the Fa and Teacher. Teacher said, "If anyone can harm you, he or she would be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this universe." ("Characteristics of Falun Dafa," from Zhuan Falun) "Human beings want to be in charge, but they have never, ever been in charge." (unofficial translation of Falun Dafa Lecture at the Conference in Switzerland)

Once a local policeman came and asked me to go to the police station on the next day and that I should bring two photos of myself for their file. I was also asked why I didn't report to the police station after I was released. I said, "I didn't commit any crime. Why should I report to you? You violated my human rights. I was just walking on the street and said true words and you gave me a one-year sentence. I'm over 50-years-old and still was dismissed from my workplace. I want to sue you people for doing such illegal things. How dare you come and harass me?" I stood in front of the door of my home and loudly told of their persecution. I told the policeman that I was a good person everywhere, and the neighbors also said, "She is indeed a good person." The policeman felt himself to be unreasonable and changed his tone. He said, "My assignment came from higher authorities. I don't have a choice." I saw a change in his attitude and invited him inside. We talked for almost two hours and I used the opportunity to tell him the truth. He became much more clear-minded in the end. Before he left, he asked, "How should I report this to my boss?" I said, "If he doesn't ask you, you don't say anything; if he asks you, you just say my state is very good!" He asked again, "What if he asks for pictures?" I said, "You tell him what I said, 'No photos! Only my life! I hope all of you can turn big problems into small problems and small problems into no problem at all. Leave a way out for yourselves.'" And the police left me for good.

The Teacher has said, "A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces." ("Dafa is Indestructible") As a Dafa particle, of course we shouldn't accept any arrangements made by the evil forces, and should not cooperate with any of their commands and instructions. We should clearly distinguish the degenerated arrangements made by the corrupted high-level beings and the degeneration in our own small universes, which are all kinds of human notions formed after birth. Then we can truly free ourselves from the evil persecution. We should not passively endure all in a helpless manner. Fundamentally eliminate our own distorted thoughts and "Forbearance is absolutely not the limitless giving of free rein, which enables those evil beings who no longer have any human nature or righteous thoughts to do evil without limit."("Beyond the Limits of Forbearance")

It is time to completely eliminate them.á