(Clearwisdom.net)

In China, many practitioners' family members have witnessed practitioners being persecuted with their own eyes. Family members concerned for the welfare of their loved ones might ask, "Why not just say 'I will give up practicing' and then go back home and practice secretly. Isn't that all right?" I would like to share a little of my understanding regarding this issue.

1. We are cultivating strictly according to the principles of "Zhen-Shan-Ren" ("Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance"), not just simply doing the exercises and curing illnesses. Saying "I will give up Falun Dafa" is not truthful by itself and betrays our own beliefs. Through so many years of cultivation experience, we know that all that we have gained from cultivation, including good health, good relationships with family members, have come through the process of continuously improving ourselves and being good at the expense of Teacher's tremendous sufferings.
2. Cultivation has had a long and very profound history in China. The meaning and uniqueness of Dafa cultivation is even deeper. The fact that millions of practitioners gained good health for almost a dozen years--it has been more than 11 years now since Teacher introduced Falun Gong to the general public - testifies to its greatness. Even agents of the "610 Office" (An agency specifically created to persecute Falun gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems) know that, if a practitioner gives up practicing, his old illnesses come back or get more serious. For example, retired worker Wang Xiurong from the Sanhe City Mechanical Manufacturing Plant in Hebei Province suffered from many serious illnesses before she started to practice Falun Gong. For almost 7 years while she practiced Falun Gong, she never took any medication. Last year after she was forced to write a letter of guarantee not to practice any more, her cancer re-appeared. She spent 40,000 to 50,000 Yuan for hospitalization, and nobody cared. Ran Zizhen from Mocaoville in the town of Liqiville was forced to give up practicing Falun Gong after being subjected to forced brainwashing in March of this year. Not long afterwards, she was paralyzed in bed. She had practiced Falun Gong for more than 5 years and never took any medication. Deceived by government lies and propaganda her husband would often beat and curse her in order to prevent her from practicing, but when he saw her benefit he changed his mind and permitted her to practice to improve her health. But unfortunately those cynical police agents, who never cared about Ran's life or death, took away her only remaining Dafa books.
3. To be human, we need to abide by the human principles of kindness, courtesy, wisdom, integrity, etc. In the past we had an old saying, "One day as your teacher, father for all your life." Unfortunately it is not be enough to just say, "I will give up practicing." The authorities from local "610 Office" detention centers don't leave you alone but instead force you to curse Dafa and Teacher, to write letters of guarantee and criticism, etc. Many of those who said, "I will give up practicing" under duress deeply regretted it after they were released back home and became clear headed again.
4. "You already said that you would not practice any more but still practice secretly at home." This is not practical. The suppressors were yelling at the very beginning of the persecution that they would "eradicate Falun Gong in 3 months." Their purpose is to "eradicate" not just to make you give up. In history, did Hitler stop killing Jews when they kept silent and did not resist?

From a personal cultivation perspective, this is why it no practitioner can say, "I will not practice Falun Gong." In the meantime, cultivation is transcending selfishness and the self to achieve the ultimate selflessness. In fact we know well that "Zhen-Shan-Ren" is the ultimate root of this universe and also the only hope for the continuous existence of our humanity. When we protect "Zhen-Shan-Ren," we are also protecting the future of humanity!

Kind hearted people, think about this seriously when you get a moment: Dafa practitioners try hard to be good, are willing to sacrifice personal gain and suffer losses, and are even willing to give up their lives! Why?

I hope people will not be deceived again. Everyone should use his or her conscience to judge who is right and who is wrong.