Unconditionally Validating the Fa in the Midst of a Great Tribulation

(Minghui.org) I was arrested for practicing Falun Dafa in 2016. While being held in a detention center, I refused to participate in the roll call or wear a vest for detainees. To protest not being allowed to do the Falun Dafa exercises I went on a hunger strike. A week later the director came to negotiate with me. He eventually agreed to my terms—I didn’t have to wear the vest and I could do the exercises. So I ended my hunger strike.

Clarifying the Truth at the Detention Center and During the Trial

Regardless of where we are, clarifying the truth about Dafa and saving sentient beings are practitioners’ responsibilities. Since I arrived at the detention center, I answered questions daily about what Falun Dafa is and why it is persecuted by the Communist regime. I explained the facts to whoever asked, from different angles and in different aspects/facets to remove their doubts and confusion.

I talked to the detainees and guards about the Tiananmen Square self-immolation hoax, the peaceful petition at the government compound on April 25, 1999, the origin of the Communist Party, and how the Party has systematically destroyed China’s 5,000 years of culture.

With the wisdom I’ve gained from Dafa cultivation, I refuted the lies and eliminated the toxic way of thinking the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) indoctrinated the Chinese people with. I explained to them why they needed to separate themselves from the Party and helped them quit the CCP and its youth organizations. At first, it didn’t seem like many people understood what I was talking about. As I kept repeating these facts over and over in the next four months, some understood.

Right before the Chinese New Year in 2017, many detainees were released. Our newly promoted cell leads had both quit the Party and knew that Dafa is good. Whenever a new inmate was transferred to our cell, the first thing they asked them was, “Have you joined the CCP or any of its youth organizations?” If the newcomer said yes, they’d tell him, “Quit those organizations. We have all done so.” All the newcomers immediately agreed. I always explained to them afterward in detail why quitting the Party would keep them safe. If the newcomer had never joined any of the Party’s organizations, the cell leads taught him to recite, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”

I’ll never forget one incredible experience. It was during our 10 a.m. break one day in mid-March. As usual, the inmates first walked around the field, then they started running laps. As I watched from my usual spot in the corner, one of the cell leads came up to me, “If you join us, we’ll all shout ‘Falun Dafa is good.” I nodded and started running with them. After just half a lap, the cell lead initiated it, “One, two!” Everyone responded in unison, “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good!” The inmates from the other cells also joined in, “Falun Dafa is good!” When the shouting stopped, everyone burst out laughing together. It was such an amazing sight.

During our trial, fellow practitioners and I defended ourselves. We told the judge, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the universal principle shared by all of mankind. Falun Dafa teaches people to value virtue, be kind, and be good people. Nothing is wrong with any of it. The practice helps practitioners get rid of illnesses and karma with no strings attached. What is wrong with that? Falun Dafa restores human morals and elevates spirituality. What is wrong with that? Falun Dafa is welcomed and practiced in more than 100 countries and regions in the world. It is only persecuted by the Communist regime in China. Isn’t that strange?”

My attorneys pointed out that there was no legal basis for the persecution and conviction of Falun Dafa practitioners. It is extrajudicial and a violation of China’s Constitution. The prosecutors couldn’t come up with anything to rebut their arguments. The hearing only lasted three hours.

After I was sentenced to prison I wrote a 30-page appeal letter. I submitted it to the Intermediate Court and appealed the verdict.

At the detention center, I read the draft of my letter to my cellmates whenever I got a chance. I made it available to anybody that wanted to read it. I hoped they would all learn and understand the truth surrounding the wrongful persecution against Falun Dafa. Those who read the letter said it was well-written. They thought that I must have gone to college. In fact, all of my wisdom came from Dafa.

Transferred to Prison

I refused to get blood work done as it was part of the physical examination required to be transferred to prison. I went on a second hunger strike to protest the unlawful sentence. The guards came on the fifth day of my hunger strike. They cuffed my hands and shackled my feet. Two other practitioners and I were thrown into a box truck and taken to a prison. As the truck pulled up in front of the prison, I refused to get out. I refused to go along with the persecution. The standoff lasted for 50 minutes. Two armed prison guards forcibly pulled me out and dragged me into the building.

I was carried to a cell, stripped of my clothes and shoes, and put into a prison uniform and slippers. I was then carried to the Management Division to get my picture taken. When I didn’t cooperate, two inmates grabbed my shoulders and propped me up in front of the camera. Another inmate held up the sign with my name on it and a picture was snapped. Since I looked down instead of directly into the camera, my face was barely visible in the picture.

I was carried back to the cell and handcuffed to the frame of a bunk bed. The guard knew that I had been on a hunger strike for five days. He told the inmate assigned to monitor me, “He was force-fed this morning. Watch him closely and report immediately if anything happens.”

With my hands cuffed to a bed, I was made to sit on a small stool all day. I was force-fed every three days. On the 17^th day of my hunger strike, I started feeling nauseous. As my symptoms worsened I decided to end the hunger strike.

After I started eating again, my legs and feet became swollen. I couldn’t fit into my slippers. I was only allowed to get up when eating or using the bathroom, the rest of the time I had to stay in a fixed position. I spent every second and every minute of my day reciting the Fa and sending righteous thoughts.

More than three months later, the inmates laid a flattened cardboard box on the floor and threw some bedding and a comforter on it. One of my hands was uncuffed from the bed frame at night and I was finally able to lie down to sleep. In the morning, the bedding was taken away and I sat in the same position all day.

A month later, the cardboard box was replaced by a wooden board. As the days grew shorter and the temperature dropped, the wooden board was placed on four small stools to keep it off the cold floor. One of my hands was cuffed to the bed when I slept and both were cuffed to the front of my chest during the day. Six months later, I was transferred to another cell and put on a lower bunk. The inmates assigned to monitor me slept directly above and adjacent to me.

My First Imprisonment in 2004

The political instructor and his assistant read my files from the last time I was imprisoned there. They contacted the former director and guards, including the ones that had been promoted and transferred away, and verified every detail in my files. The deputy director knew me from before and shared a lot with them.

I was sentenced to prison for the first time in 2004. When I was transferred from this prison to another prison, the current deputy director was the head of the Political Division there. In order to “transform” me, they put me in solitary confinement. Fourteen inmates were assigned to monitor me around the clock. The cell I was confined to was equipped with build-in torture devices such as an iron vest and a death bed. I was held in this special unit for 22 months. For over a month, I was constrained in the iron vest with my legs tied together. I was cuffed to the death bed in a “spread-eagle” position five times, ranging from a few hours to 18 consecutive days. The longest stretch they kept me indoors was 10 months, during which time I did not see the sun at all.

My health deteriorated and I was hospitalized at one point. After five months, I was discharged and taken back to prison. Eight inmates carried me to a cell, pinned me to the floor, and stripped off my clothes. They shaved my head, put a prison uniform on me, and left me on a bed. I took off the uniform and threw it on the floor. The acting political instructor had the inmates put it back on me. I took it off again. The instructor signaled the inmates who told the prison guards to leave. Before the guards got out of the door, the eight inmates started punching me and kicking me. The beatings only stopped when I stopped moving.

A few hours later, I was carried to the special unit and thrown to the floor. Four inmates sat around me. The next day, I was put on a pedicab and taken to the prison clinic. After being X-rayed more than twelve times, I was taken back to the special unit and handcuffed to the death bed.

I went on a hunger strike to protest the violent treatment. More than two months later, the inmates who were monitoring me reported to the guards that I was extremely ill. They told the guards that I shouldn’t be held in solitary confinement and suggested that I be moved back to a cell. I was taken, along with the death bed I was cuffed to, back to the cell. I was left on the floor for more than two weeks. The temperature dropped around the Moon Festival (October) and I was finally uncuffed from the death bed and put on a bed. More than a month after that, I ended my hunger strike and started eating one meal a day. I continued eating one meal a day until I was released three years later.

The deputy director remembered more details than I did of everything that happened during my first imprisonment. He shared these details during a meeting with the political instructor and his assistant. This deputy director has since been removed from his position and sentenced to prison.

After learning how I remained resolute in my faith despite the horrible abuse and torture during my first imprisonment, the political instructor and his assistant no longer felt it feasible to use me to advance their political careers. Their attitude changed and their tone of voice softened. They advised me to take care of my health so I could live until the day I was released.

Not Cooperating Nor Compromising

I refused to answer roll call. I also didn’t do hard labor as required of the inmates. I didn’t sign any paperwork, didn’t wait to be called when entering the office, didn’t pledge allegiance to the Chinese national flag, and didn’t shout praises to the CCP. I didn’t cooperate with any demands given by prison guards or officials during fire drills, emergency disaster drills, or inspections by high-ranking officials.

Each day, from the time we went to the workshop at 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. when we headed back to the cell, besides meals and bathroom breaks, I sat by the window without moving, reciting the Fa and sending righteous thoughts. I did the same thing day after day as the inmates and the guards watched me. In fact, this is what I did during my first imprisonment.

The prison authorities posted notice of amnesty in June. The political instructor and division head tried to convince me, “You’re the only one in the division qualified for special amnesty. The prison director wanted you to write a statement so you could be released early. Why do you want to stay here and suffer?” I told them, “I really wish I could go home. Falun Dafa practitioners don’t belong here. When I was a soldier and protected the country, I had no conditions nor any complaints. You claim that you want to give me credit for what I’ve done for the country and grant me amnesty, but with so many strings attached. I do not agree to nor accept any of them.”

When I spoke to the guards my tone was dignified and respectful. I did not answer roll call nor cooperate with any demands. I did not let the possibility of amnesty move me or change my position or my principles. My actions let all the inmates, including those who helped the guards torture Dafa practitioners, develop a greater respect for Dafa and practitioners from the bottom of their hearts.

It became much easier to clarify the truth after I earned their trust. After the inmates monitoring me learned the truth about Dafa, they helped me to save a lot of other inmates. After a complete reshuffle and reorganization of all divisions, many new inmates were placed in our division. I used every opportunity to clarify the truth to them.

Failed Transformation Attempts

A new political instructor came in July 2020. He got worked up every time he saw me not cooperating or ignoring the prison rules. He cursed and beat me at will. He tried three times to transform me but none of his incentives or threats worked.

The first time he tried to transform me, inmates monitoring me took me to his office. The political instructor sent them to guard the door outside and told them not to let anybody interrupt before he locked the door. He used all the usual tactics—bluffing, lying, bribing, and threatening. At first, he sat facing me, then he sat right next to me. He leaned in and rubbed his body against mine. He pleaded, told lies, and threatened me, but I remained calm and kept quiet. Two hours later, he gave me an ultimatum and called it a day.

The second time he sent for me, as soon as I entered his office, he said, “We should resolve the problem between us.” I asked him what problem he was referring to. He screamed, “Don’t pretend that you don’t know!” He started repeating the CCP’s lies slandering Dafa.

I let him finish, then calmly told him, “First of all, I never thought this way nor have I said anything like that. Second, these are your words and they reflect your mentality. It is what you think and how you feel.” What I said left him speechless. He paused for more than a minute, then changed the subject. He asked about my health and made other small talk. In the end, he told me, “You may go now. We’ll talk again after the Chinese New Year.”

The next time I was brought to his office he asked, “Have you thought about what we talked about before Chinese New Year?” I smiled slightly but didn’t say anything. His face darkened. After a minute or two of silence, his facial expression suddenly softened and he even seemed nice. He asked me how much longer I had until my release and other trivial things.

In the end, he told me he hoped that I could put something in writing before my term was up. He said it could be from any angle and it would help him to close my file. I agreed but didn’t get to it due to my poor health. Three days before my release, this political instructor was transferred to another division.

Pervasive Persecution

The swelling in my legs was going down but I just didn’t feel right, as if the discomfort came from a deeply microscopic level. When I walked, I felt like something was stuck to the bottom of my feet. I thought it was just karma elimination and didn’t pay much attention to it. I started to lose my appetite in winter 2019 and didn’t feel like eating in the morning. I lost 15 lbs in just a few months.

The pandemic broke out during the Chinese New Year in 2020. I realized that Fa-rectification was now manifesting in the human world. Many of my attachments and human notions such as zealotry, the mentality of showing off, competitiveness, lust, attachment to comfort, and impatience all emerged. I tried to eliminate them by reciting the Fa and sending righteous thoughts.

After the Chinese New Year break, I resumed going to the workshop every day. I still sat by the window to recite the Fa and send righteous thoughts. I felt that I didn’t have any cushioning on my buttocks. As soon as I sat down, I felt as if I was sitting directly on my bones or on my nerves. I thought it was just karma and frequently adjusted my position so I could focus on reciting the Fa and righteous thoughts.

The discomfort worsened in 2021, especially in my waist and hips. My legs were sore and extremely weak. To alleviate the discomfort, I put one leg on the other and switched back and forth. Then my entire upper body, from the waist all the way up to my neck, felt stiff. It was extremely uncomfortable. I still believed that I was just eliminating karma or developing Gong in my body. Regardless of how badly I felt physically, I sent righteous thoughts and did the three things every day.

As the weather became warmer and warmer in June, I developed ulcers that covered large areas of my mouth and my tongue. It hurt so much that I couldn’t eat. I strengthened my righteous thoughts. Sometimes I sent righteous thoughts from the time I got up in the morning until I went to bed. I almost stopped reciting the Fa. Two weeks later, my internal organs felt strange. I lost weight rapidly. I couldn’t stand and I had trouble walking.

My body was pushed to the limit in July. I often woke up in the middle of the night to find my heart pounding. I sweat profusely and my mouth and tongue were dry. I could hear my own heartbeat—it sounded like someone was playing the drum.

In September, I felt that something inside of me was bunching me from the waist up. It was grabbing and tying me up from the inside. This sensation became more and more intense—sometimes I felt I was being tied up with a rope and my upper body became tighter and tighter. I sometimes had difficulty breathing. I felt dizzy and had a headache.

The numbness spread from my lower body to my hands. My waist, hips, legs, and feet became so numb that I nearly lost all feeling in them. The bottom of my feet felt thick—I couldn’t feel or grip the ground when I walked. I felt like I was going to fall at any time. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting became more and more frequent. When I had headaches, I pressed down on my temples and propped my head against the table. Even in a state of semi-consciousness, I never stopped sending righteous thoughts.

Six days before my release, I couldn’t get up to go to the workshop. I just wanted to sleep. When the bell rang in the morning, two inmates grabbed me and we headed downstairs. I never needed help before. After a flight of stairs, I didn’t want to move. I sat on the floor until everybody went downstairs. The inmates finally helped me downstairs and we stood at the end of the line. My face was so pale that it was almost yellow. The inmates told me later that I didn’t look like myself. The division head came over and told the inmates to take me to the prison clinic.

My entire body felt extremely weak. As soon as we got to the clinic, I plopped onto the bed and almost passed out. My temperature was 102 degrees Fahrenheit and the EKG detected a heart rate problem. In fact, I had had a fever for the past two months. When I slept at night, my internal organs felt so hot that I barely used a comforter. However, during the day, my hands were cold. I kept them warm by holding a cup of hot water.

I vaguely felt that an IV needle was piercing through my skin but I couldn’t resist. I just let them do whatever they wanted. I couldn’t focus my mind enough to send righteous thoughts for more than 30 seconds. I could only drag my feet an inch at a time even with others’ help or when I held onto a wall. I had five days left before I could go home but my body was on the verge of collapsing. I felt that I could die at any moment and might not get to go home.

The guards saw how weak I was and were afraid of being held accountable. They told the prison doctor to keep me on IV fluids until I was released. Without realizing it, I acknowledged the old forces’ persecution by letting them administrate IV fluids and my entire body became swollen. I had no righteous thoughts to speak of at that moment. I thought about dying and how I would be buried next to my father.

My father was an honest and kind man. He seldom spoke and never expressed his feelings. The first time I was imprisoned for my faith, he went to many government agencies and petitioned for my release. He shouldered all of the house chores, cooked three meals a day, and took care of my son. The day I was supposed to be released, four guards cuffed my hands to my back, carried me out of the prison just past midnight, and handed me to the local 610 Office. I was taken directly to a brainwashing center.

The day I was released from the brainwashing center, my mother, uncle and younger brother came to pick me up. My mother’s eyes were red and puffy. I suspected that something major happened. My mother later said that my father passed away. When he learned that I was again taken to a brainwashing center after being released from prison, my father collapsed. He had a stroke (cerebral hemorrhage) and passed away.

It was the old forces’ tactic all along to take my father’s life and leverage my sentimentality to make me commit a sin toward Dafa. I would not write any statement and would not comply with any of their demands.

As my righteous thoughts emerged, I made it home with Master’s protection.

The Power of “Falun Dafa Is Good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Is Good.”

The day I was released, the inmates monitoring me helped me to the bathroom in the morning to wash up and brush my teeth. We were back in the cell before 7 a.m. As soon as I sat down on my bed, the guards told the inmates to take me downstairs. Three inmates supported me while I walked downstairs. Two guards followed behind. The same box truck that took me to the prison was waiting downstairs—I still remembered vividly how I was thrown into it the last time. Only this time, it was going to take me home.

The truck stopped at the gate. The armed guard on duty at the entrance took my paperwork. I changed into a set of clothes brought from home and walked up to the window of the guard booth. The guard on duty examined the paper carefully. He looked at the picture of me taken on my first day, with my head hanging down and my face barely showing. He asked, “Is this really you? Where do you live?” All of a sudden Master’s Fa came to mind,

“Zhen Shan Ren—three sacred words have boundless Fa powersFalun Dafa is good—true thoughts alter all disasters”(“Couplet - The Source of All Fa,” Hong Yin IV)

I said to him, “Falun Dafa is good.” The guard on duty said, “Or you can just give me the street name.” I said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I was peaceful and my tone of voice was calm. My mind was clear and pure at that moment—I had no other thoughts.

As I said the sacred words I saw a pale yellow light radiating from my body. It was extremely gentle and soft. The light steadily radiated forward and expanded to all sides. It was a sight as spectacular as the opening scene of Shen Yun. I silently thanked Master.

The guard accompanying me looked at me incredulously. The guard on duty however seemed to not hear anything, “Wait and see what happens if you don’t say anything.” He closed the window and walked away. The guards accompanying me contacted the Management Division and after a few minutes, the guard on duty shouted, “Open the gate. Let him go.”

The gate slowly opened and I walked out.

Examining and Cultivating Myself Unconditionally

The first thing I did when I got home was to burn incense and kneel down in front of Master’s picture. I thanked compassionate and mighty Master for protecting me throughout this great tribulation. I once again walked out of the evil den with righteous thoughts.

I listened to Master’s Fa teachings, then started doing the exercises. I collapsed at one point but got up and continued. I sweat profusely and my clothes became soaking wet when I finished the fourth exercise. I knew Master cleaned out all the filthy things that were put into my body. My legs and feet swelled to the size of an elephant’s. They were numb and stiff and the skin was shiny. But I persisted and finished all five sets of exercises—I only walk the path arranged by Master.

I knew very well that I was in really bad shape. My family knew it too but no one mentioned it. When I went to sleep that night, I had a fever and a headache. All my internal organs felt like they were burning and I didn’t need to use a comforter. My mother came in and checked on me a few times. She put her hand on my forehead and tried to put the comforter back on me. When she woke me up at 6 a.m. to send righteous thoughts, my body was stiff as an iron plate. No matter what happened I was thankful that I came home and saw my family.

My mother, also a practitioner, pointed it out to me that these thoughts of mine were not aligned with the Fa. She shared her personal experience with me. She told me while mopping the floor one time, she all of a sudden felt discomfort in her heart. Her first thought was, “If Master wants me to die, then I’ll die. But if Master did not arrange this, no one can touch me.” She sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the old forces’ interference. What strong righteous thoughts she had!

In the following weeks, my mother and I sent righteous thoughts together at the four designated times. We also sent righteous thoughts for long periods of time to completely eliminate the old forces’ arrangements imposed on me. My body changed every day—I could feel it when I did the exercises. On the 10^th day, when we did the 30-minute version of the second exercise, my MP3 player stopped three times. My mother and I realized Master was urging me to do the longer version. We started doing the 2^nd exercise for an hour the next day.

I took up Dafa cultivation to get rid of illnesses. Thus whenever I had discomfort or pain in my body, I assumed it was caused by my karma. All this time I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the old forces and the CCP’s specter, I never realized I should also send righteous thoughts to clear the evil substances in my body.

While imprisoned, I recognized my attachment to zealotry, my inclination to show off, my competitiveness, lust, and my impatience—but I never consciously focused my righteous thoughts to eliminate these attachments. Although I constantly reminded myself to place complete faith in Master and the Fa, I focused most of my time and energy on countering the persecution instead of cleansing and cultivating myself. That was one reason why the old forces were able to persecute me.

I had to deny the old forces’ persecution entirely. Even if I lose my physical body, nobody can shake my devotion toward Dafa. My conviction has not changed since the CCP launched the persecution in 1999. When the CCP and its state-run media fabricated lies to slander and smear Master and Dafa, standing up for Dafa and refuting those lies was the very least a disciple should do.

However, I realized letting this thought creep into my mind when I was imprisoned created a loophole in my cultivation.

“If the populace doesn’t fear death, what good will it do to threaten them with death?” (“Pacify the External by Cultivating the Internal,” Essentials For Further Advancement)

I still thought about death. Even though I was not afraid of death, I accepted the possibility that I could lose my physical body. This was a human attachment. Master doesn’t even acknowledge the old forces’ existence, then why do I need to lose my physical body? Isn’t this acknowledging the persecution imposed by the old forces? I did not meet Master’s requirements for Dafa disciples during Fa-rectification. After studying the Fa and examining myself, I realized that this was also one of the reasons why the old forces could persecute and harm my body.

Thanks to Master’s guidance and help, I found yet another attachment that was exploited by the old forces—my notion of being superior to others. My mother pointed this out before and reminded me a few times. However, I ignored it and did not try to get rid of it. I met many practitioners in prison who gave in to the pressure and gave up on Dafa cultivation. They were bossed around by criminal inmates and rejected help from other practitioners. I placed myself above them and looked down on them. Sometimes my expression of disgust could be more hurtful than the physical pain inflicted by the inmates and guards.

When I interacted with other practitioners or clarified the truth to members of other religious groups, this attachment also surfaced. I knew something was not right but I was never able to pinpoint it. This attachment to considering myself superior often caused me to go to the extreme and not have sympathy for others. I was not humble and often looked down on other practitioners and ordinary people. This was the root cause of why I couldn’t develop compassion. This strong human attachment was exploited by the old forces to persecute me.

Another practitioner also kindly pointed out to me that I did not hold myself strictly to Dafa’s requirements in cultivation. I frequently moved from one place to another and caused disruption to other practitioners’ cultivation. I didn’t pay attention to or cultivate my speech. I was still very competitive. At one point I forwarded articles written by practitioners who had been transformed and given up on Dafa cultivation—this is a disruptive divergence from the Fa. All these things gave the old forces excuses to persecute me.

Towards the end of my five-year imprisonment, I changed from an unwavering disciple who placed 100 percent faith in Master and the Fa to someone with no righteous thoughts whatsoever. I nearly lost my life in the last few days leading up to my release. What a grave lesson. I had forgotten to look inward and examine myself which weakened my faith in Master and the Fa and caused me to stumble and fall in my cultivation. The reason I did not look inward was that I neither studied the Fa enough nor solidly. Studying the Fa well and always looking inward are the magic tools of a Dafa cultivator.

Cultivating Diligently and Fulfilling Our Prehistoric Vows

With a pure heart, I recited “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” before walking out of the prison. At that moment, Dafa revealed its mighty power and helped me get through the great test of life and death. Master gave me a new lease on life. Thank you Master for compassionately saving me.

I fell hard on my cultivation path but have since awakened and enlightened. I will be more diligent. My 100 percent faith in Master and the Fa is my motivation to tirelessly strive to be diligent. Keeping strong righteous thoughts and righteous action and saving sentient beings is a Dafa practitioner’s mission and responsibility. Selflessness and always putting others first is the realm and standard for lives in the new universe. Unconditionally looking inward and improving oneself is the sure way to stay on the right path in cultivation. Only when we completely assimilate to the Fa, without leaving out even the slightest notion, and fulfill our vows can we consummate.

As a Dafa disciple, I will cultivate as if I had just obtained the Fa. I will study the Fa solidly and cultivate diligently. While saving sentient beings and fulfilling my vows, I will cultivate my compassion, keep up with the progress of Fa-rectification, and never let Master down.

I would also like to say “Thank you” to my father, my mother, my brothers, my wife and sisters-in-law, my children, and all my relatives who have been supportive and cared for me in the past 23 years of persecution. Thank you for all your help and support. Thank you for your sacrifices. Because of me, you were harassed, pressured and threatened. All your sufferings and sacrifices will become your blessings in the future.

I was imprisoned for a total of 13 years for my faith. Regardless of where I was held, my mother brought the entire family’s love to me. When I was at the detention center, she came every weekend, rain or shine, and never missed a visitation day. When the weekends came around, my cellmates reminded me excitedly, “Your mom’s goodies are coming.”

When I received those chicken legs, fried twist dough snacks and other goodies, I always shared them with others. The moment I handed some of “mom’s goodies” to them, everyone sincerely believed, “Falun Dafa is good.” Your efforts have contributed to a lot of them learning the truth about Dafa and being saved.

To get me released, you petitioned the police, the Domestic Security Division, the court, and the prosecutor’s office. No matter where you were, you maintained strong righteous thoughts and righteous actions. You validated the Fa and safeguarded the Fa in an upright and dignified matter which shook the evil to its core.

When I was imprisoned, you visited almost every government agency, from the People’s Congress, the Committee of the Political Consultative Conference, the Letter and Proposal Administration, the Department of Justice, Prison Management Bureau, to the prison where I was held to clarify the truth. You sent righteous thoughts just outside the prison to reduce the ill-treatment and torture Dafa practitioners, including me, were subjected to. I walked out of the evil’s den twice, partially thanks to you.

Mom, you were the one that introduced me to Falun Dafa. You financially supported me when I went to Beijing to petition the central government. You were the one that clarified the truth to our entire family and got everyone on board to hire an attorney for me. You didn’t even flinch when the police came knocking and tried to ransack our home. You told them to get out and saved our Falun Dafa books. You visited so many government agencies and tried every possible channel to rescue me.

Keeping Master’s teachings close to your heart, you are fearless. You never backed down in the face of imposed obstacles and threats from the Communist regime. While validating the Fa, countering the persecution, and saving sentient beings, you walked on the path of cultivation with dignity—a cultivation path that is uniquely yours.

Thank you Mom, as a fellow practitioner, for accompanying me along this wonderful journey of Dafa cultivation. It is my blessing to have obtained the Fa because of you, cultivate alongside you, and have you as family. I will cherish this sacred predestined relationship. Let us be more diligent in our future cultivation and work together to fulfill our vows.