(Minghui.org) While working in Beijing in 1995, a person came up to me and said he had been searching for me for several years. I replied that I had never met him before, so how could he have been looking for me? I later learned that this person had been cultivating in the countryside for a long time, and wanted to adopt me as his disciple. I told him that I was already practicing Falun Dafa, and Master Li Hongzhi is my only Master. With that, I declined his offer.
At the time, two military generals were his disciples. Once, due to work obligations, I was having a meal with the two generals and a few other directors. The generals offered to promote me to the rank of colonel and bring my family to Beijing, if I would become the disciple of their master. Pointing at the Falun emblem I was wearing, I said, “I am a Falun Dafa disciple, and I will only be able to consummate by cultivating Falun Dafa. If I accept your terms, then if someone makes me a similar but better offer next time, wouldn't I have to bid goodbye to your master and enter another practice?”The generals asked, “Have you met your Master before?” I said that I had not, but Teacher Li is the only Master I recognize, and I cannot betray him for petty gains.” They laughed and said that I was certainly loyal.
Later, I had the good fortune to meet our esteemed Master in Beijing on three separate occasions. It was something I'll never forget. The following are accounts of my cultivation experiences in Falun Dafa.
Having the Good Fortune of Encountering Falun Dafa
I am from Heilongjiang, Harbin, and am in my sixties. After graduating from secondary school, I started working in a factory, and soon after I became the technical backbone of the factory. In the latter half of 1988, I was promoted to factory manager. At that time, the popularity of qigong was spreading like wildfire in China. While I was not practicing any qigong, I was very interested in doing so.
In August or September of 1994, I met my former secondary school teacher. Upon learning that I was interested in qigong, this teacher told me to practice no other qigong except for Falun Dafa. When I first heard the name Falun Dafa, I felt a strong vibration in my heart. When he mentioned Master Li's full name, I felt an unexplained sense of joy. My teacher gave me a copy of Falun Gong, and told my wife and I, “Master Li Hongzhi is spreading the law of the universe. When you're on assignment in Beijing, pick up his books, as well as videos teaching the qigong exercises.”
Later, I was sent on assignment to Beijing where I found an exercise site and began practicing Falun Dafa. When I came home, I shared what I had learned with my wife, who also became a Dafa disciple.
Overcoming Tribulations in Prison
In July 1999, Jiang Zemin and his gang of cronies began their widespread persecution of Falun Dafa. My house was searched for the first time in August 2000, and I was abducted and imprisoned in a detention center for 33 days. After my release, I was constantly watched by spies hired by the authorities. I could no longer keep my regular job and life, and my wife, elderly mother and I were forced to lead a destitute life. In August 2004, I was abducted again and sentenced to seven years in prison.
When I arrived at the prison, I thought to myself, “Since I am here, I will let these people see for themselves what Falun Dafa is, and what the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is all about. I will clarify the truth to any person who has misunderstandings of Dafa.”
In prison, the guards tried to coerce me into signing a four-fold “Statement of Guarantee” against Falun Dafa. I asked them what law required me to sign this statement? They said that they were acting on instructions from the higher levels of the party. I said, “During the Cultural Revolution, many cadres acted on the instruction of the higher levels, and persecuted many old cadres to death. Eventually, these cadres became the sacrificial lambs of the CCP, and they were executed in secret.” From then on, the guards no longer tried to force me to sign four-fold statements.
One month later, I was sent to the 11 th Prison District. In this prison, every practitioner was watched by four other convicts in an effort to separate and prevent communication between one another. To help the guards understand the truth, I wrote six pages of truth-clarification material detailing what Falun Dafa is, why the CCP was persecuting Falun Dafa, and why I practiced Falun Dafa. I actively approached these guards and told them that my illnesses were cured after practicing Falun Dafa. Subsequently, they very rarely tried to harass or cause trouble for me.
At the time, the prison rules stipulated that Falun Dafa practitioners were not allowed to have any contact with each other, and practitioners were not allowed to speak freely with other inmates. To break down these restrictions, I started clarifying the truth to other convicts. Later, I made use of our meal breaks to interact with the other practitioners. Over time, the guards got used to this and stopped enforcing the restrictions.
Convicts Start Practicing Falun Gong
To facilitate the truth-clarification process, I showed care and concern for the inmates who were facing difficulties. Due to the poor living conditions in the prison, many suffered a lot. I tried my best to help them by giving them daily necessities, and this reduced the barriers between us.
During my interactions with the guards, I took the opportunity to counsel them to quit the CCP. By 2006, more than a hundred prisoners and a large number of guards from the 11 th Prison District had quit the CCP.
A fellow inmate once borrowed my card. Upon returning it he told me, “You have two thousand dollars on your card, not one thousand.” I called home to ask my family how much they had sent over, and they confirmed they had only sent a thousand. I sought the prison section head and told him, “There is an extra thousand yuan on my card.” The section head was stunned and after recovering his wits he asked me, “What do you mean?” I explained to him, “Our Master told us that we have to be good people, no matter where we are. Please clarify with the finance division and have them take back the extra thousand yuan. It is not mine and I do not want it.”
My fellow prisoners were also shocked upon hearing what I had done, and gathered around me. One of them exclaimed, “I have been here for more than 15 years, yet this is the first time I have witnessed a fellow inmate voluntarily return so much money. Having seen this, I am convinced that those practicing Falun Dafa are truly good people.” Some prisoners then shouted out loudly, “Falun Dafa is good!” before being forced to disperse by the guards.
The section head later informed me that, after hearing about my actions, the finance division treasurer requested a message be sent, thanking the Falun Dafa practitioner. This incident caused quite a stir among the guards and inmates alike, and was still a topic of conversation two months after it happened.
One of the inmates fell ill and I told him that Falun Dafa could work miracles in curing illnesses, maintaining good health and even teaching people how to be good. I interacted with him frequently and later he obtained the Fa, reading one lecture from Zhuan Falun every day. Gradually a number of inmates also obtained the Fa.
Once while clarifying the truth to a fellow prisoner, I suddenly collapsed and felt weak. Immediately I thought, “I am a Fa rectification period Dafa disciple, how can my body behave in this way? This situation is unacceptable.” In an instant, my body regained its strength. Surrounding inmates supported me and I got to my feet. Upon returning to normal, I discovered that I had unknowingly defecated in my pants. Later I heard from fellow prisoners that during that episode, I had turned exceedingly pale and drooled continuously, as if suffering from a stroke or heart attack.
On one occasion I was bathing in cold water when some inmates noticed and commented, “We have seen a number of prisoners who suffered the same symptoms as yours. They were rushed to the hospital, and still today they are unable to walk steadily. It is nearly winter and you are still bathing with cold water?” I replied, “From this you can see the miracles Dafa can perform. Master is constantly watching over us.” This thought flashed through my mind at that time, “If we are within the Fa, Master will always watch over us.” I also recalled Master's Fa teaching, “When disciples have ample righteous thoughts, Master has the power to turn back the tide.” (Hong Yin Volume II, The Master-Disciple Bond)
Two days later, I decided I had to use this opportunity to clarify the truth. Some guards started asking me about matters regarding cultivation of Falun Dafa, and fellow inmates also surrounded me asking various questions. I told them that even if an ordinary person were to spend ten thousand dollars, he could not hope to achieve a recovery as effective as mine. Moreover, I did not need any medication, proving the miracles Dafa can perform! Those prisoners who understood the truth started spreading the news, and at that time, more than 10 people were reading Zhuan Falun and memorizing Hong Yin .
Using this personal experience, I approached sentient beings in other prison sections to clarify the truth and spread the goodness of Dafa. As a result some inmates obtained the Fa, while others expressed their wish to cultivate after leaving prison.
Just before I left prison, around 95 percent of the people within the prison district had quit the CCP. Fellow inmates knew I was leaving, and I wanted to leave a memento for everyone. I decided to write “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness- Compassion-Forbearance is good” on a small piece of paper, and sealed it within peach pits. In doing this, I was able to fashion a protective amulet for everyone, with the assistance of some inmates. Out of 200 people within the prison compound, 90 percent of them hung the amulets around their necks.
Saving My Mother from the Brink of Death
During the later part of my imprisonment, my ninety year old mother fell seriously ill and was sent to the hospital. At my mother's bedside my younger sister asked, “Your son frequently calls you. What does he tell you?” My mother replied, “Falun Dafa is good, Falun Dafa is good, Falun Dafa is good.”
After my mother uttered these three phrases, a miracle happened. She felt her body become full of energy, and she began to request food, as she had not eaten for a few days. On the second day my mother was discharged from the hospital. In this way, my mother was saved from the brink of death by Falun Dafa. The hospital staff and patients were impressed and spread the news: 'Falun Dafa is indeed miraculous!' This incident was also spread among my friends and after my release from prison, many people came to visit, asking about the miracle that had happened to my mother.
When my mother was seriously ill, my family members and friends came to visit me in prison, bringing with them two hospital workers. The hospital staff told me, “You need not write the four-fold “Statement of Guarantee.” Just write that you will give up practicing, and we can take you home.” I replied, “That is not possible as it is a matter of principle. I cannot betray Master and Dafa just because I wish to return home. It is impossible to find a similarly great cultivation way, and this is the most righteous thing I have done in my life. It is because of the persecution by the CCP that I am incarcerated in prison, unable to see my ill mother. I thank you, but I cannot do something that goes against my conscience.”
The guards who were present also persuaded me, “Just write it and you can still secretly practice at home after your release.” I replied, “This is such a wonderful cultivation way, why should I practice it in secret?” Upon hearing my reply, the hospital workers laughed and told my friends, “True Dafa practitioners will not write such a declaration, so we will not be taking him home with us today!”
