(Minghui.org) I am an elderly practitioner who started practicing Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, in 1996. I am seventy-eight years old this year. Here, I would like to share my cultivation experiences over these past years of clarifying the truth to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) community officials at the local level – namely, the police, neighborhood administrative office staffers, and community committee members.
One day after the New Year of 2016, my daughter came home early in the morning and said to me, “Mom, the Comprehensive Street Management Office called me and said that you had sued Jiang Zemin [the former CCP leader who initiated the persecution of Falun Gong], and that the materials have been transferred to the National Security Division. Not long ago, a community official also called me about this issue.”
At that time, I didn’t respond because I didn’t want my family to get worried. Seeing my daughter anxious and scared, I thought, “It’s really hard for her. For so many years, she and the family have been frightened and worried for me, enduring so much.” I calmly told my daughter, “Don’t be afraid. The current government implemented a new judicial policy on May 1, 2015, called ‘Every case must be filed, every complaint must be addressed.’ We, practitioners of Falun Gong, have not broken the law; we are acting according to the country’s law and policies.” After hearing my words, my daughter felt more courageous and no longer worried so much about me.
Since the CCP’s persecution began in 1999, I have been watched by community officials and local police officers. On so-called sensitive dates, they either harassed me at my doorstep or by phone, making life unbearable. They threatened my family, saying it would affect my children’s work and future prospects.
My family has felt a great deal of pressure, misunderstood me and even harbored resentment. A police officer complained that I detrimentally affected his year-end bonus and promotion. For over a decade, I passively endured the persecution. Although I clarified the truth to them whenever they visited, my kindness was not sufficient and was tainted with resentment, combativeness, and indignation. How could I save people this way? I realized that it was time for me to improve. These grassroots officials are the real victims of the persecution and are the most deeply poisoned. They only know to follow orders from above, doing whatever they are told. Many of them were unaware of the truth of the persecution, were unwilling to listen or to look at the materials presenting the true situation. And I was also afraid to face them directly and clarify the truth, fearing it’d bring trouble to myself.
I sat down to send forth righteous thoughts at noon, asking Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, to empower me to eliminate fear and to face these local officials to clarify the truth and save them. After sending forth righteous thoughts, I went to the Comprehensive Management Office.
A young woman received me. I explained my purpose and told her that I practice Falun Gong. Soon after, two men and one woman came over. The woman, Ms. Jiang, was the one who’d called my daughter. The two men were somewhat intimidating – burly and fierce-looking.
Seeing their appearance, I was indeed a bit nervous. Wasn’t it supposed to just be Ms. Jiang? I tried to appear calm and asked, “Why did so many people come?” They ignored me, so I calmed myself and said, “Well, it’s good for more people to hear the truth.” Ms. Jiang prepared to take notes and said, “When did you file the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin? What date? Did you write it yourself?” I sternly told her, “No taking notes, no photos allowed!” Hearing how firm I was, they put away their pens, paper, and mobile phones.
I calmly said, “You mentioned that my materials for suing Jiang Zemin have been transferred to the National Security Division, so you can directly check them there. As for the lawsuit against Jiang, I wrote it myself.” I told them why I wanted to sue Jiang Zemin, what Falun Gong is, and how weak I was before I began practicing Falun Gong. I was especially sensitive to cold, wind, and unable to even use a fan during the hottest summer days. Falun Gong transformed me from someone frail and on the verge of death into a person healthy in both mind and body, with a cheerful personality.
Then, I spoke about the April 25 peaceful appeal in Beijing, the truth behind the CCP-staged self-immolation on Tiananmen Square, and how the regime has brutally persecuted kind Falun Gong practitioners. They listened quietly.
During my explanation, Ms. Jiang frequently interrupted, asking me, “How do you know so much? Where did you hear this from?” From her eyes and tone, it was evident she was deeply indoctrinated and utterly disbelieved me; she thought she was superior to me. I handed her an envelope that I had prepared in advance filled with materials about the truth of Falun Gong, while saying kindly, “Take a look, these are significant events that happened in China which are known worldwide!” She hastily waved her hands, saying, “I don’t want it!” “Then please pass it to your superior,” I said. She reluctantly took it and placed it on the table.
I spoke to them for about an hour when one of the male police officers left. I handed the other officer the envelope with the materials that Ms. Jiang had left on the desk, patted his shoulder in a friendly manner, and said, “Hey, if she won’t read it, you should take a look. These days, understanding the truth about Dafa is beneficial. Don’t be narrow-minded!” He no longer looked mean or rude. He murmured in response and placed the envelope in a drawer.
Seeing the change in his demeanor made me happy; my trip today was not in vain. I continued to clarify the truth to Ms. Jiang in her office. Gradually, I noticed their expressions were changing. They were sensing my kindness and compassion. I knew the evil behind them was disintegrating—their arrogance, prejudice, disdain, and condescending attitudes vanished, and they were becoming friendly.
I sincerely said to them, “I hope you can learn more about Falun Gong. Look at the materials and remember, ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’ If there’s anything you have a question about, please come talk to me directly; don’t bother my family.” They nodded in agreement, promising not to trouble my family again. Indeed, in recent years, they haven’t harassed my daughter any more.
Leaving the street office, I visited the neighborhood committee. I talked to the community director about suing Jiang and gave him some informational materials, which he happily accepted.
By the time I got home, it was after seven in the evening. I felt exceptionally at ease, as if I had never been so relaxed and happy before. This was my first time clarifying the truth face-to-face to the community officials; it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined. I realized that as long as I am sincere and truly wish them well, they can feel my compassion and be saved. Most of them are kindhearted; it’s just that we haven’t done well enough and have been overwhelmed by fear.
One day, a household registration police officer suddenly told me, with a look of regret, “I have persecuted you.” I said to him, “Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted, but from another perspective, you are the ones truly being persecuted by the CCP. However, as long as you truly understand the truth and quit the Party, isn’t that like raising the gun by one centimeter?” He smiled happily. At that moment, I also felt that those who persecuted me were no longer so detestable to me.
Since I clarified the truth face-to-face to the street and community officials, I’ve always had the wish to go to the police station to clarify the truth to more police officers. However, it seemed like I never found the right opportunity to fulfill this wish.
In 2022, during the period of the CCP’s 20th Party Congress, I was distributing truth-clarification flyers in a community when someone who didn’t understand the truth reported me. Around 1:30 a.m. that night, a group of police officers suddenly barged into my home and took me to the police station.
One of the officers, wearing the CCP’s emblem, banged the table and yelled at me in a fit of rage: “You’ve got some nerve distributing flyers during the 20th Party Congress!” I calmly responded, “With the epidemic rampant and so many natural and man-made disasters, as a Falun Gong practitioner, I understand the principle of cause and effect. I distribute truth-clarification materials to save people, to tell them how to survive this great calamity.”
He then asked me where the truth-clarification booklets came from. I said, “Don’t ask; I won’t tell you.” Upon hearing this, his aggressive demeanor disappeared. After a while, he left. His note-taking partner, seeing him leave, didn’t bother to ask me anything further and took me to a room and told me to sit there. So, I sat on the chair, in the full lotus position, closed my eyes, and sent forth righteous thoughts. I asked Master to empower me and grant me wisdom and courage.
There were a few other people in the room who had been arrested, and they looked at me curiously as I sat there in the lotus position. I communicated with them in my heart, asking them to remember “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I continuously asked Master to help me overcome this tribulation. Suddenly, a warm flow of energy poured down from the top of my head, and a voice said to me, “Clarify the truth, save the police!” Ah, it was Master reminding me. Master was right beside me! I was immensely encouraged.
Around 9:30 a.m., I was called into another room full of community officials, including secretaries, directors, and household registration officers. My daughter was also called in. (I later learned that she was brought in to persuade me to give up cultivating Falun Gong.)
Master said,
“I said that just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2005 Canada Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume V)
Without saying a word, it seemed as though they were all restrained; no one came to speak to me, and eventually, they all left, leaving my daughter with me.
After 2 p.m., they took me to the police department. A fierce-looking police officer said, “Because of you, I got an earful from the city leaders!” He went on to tell me how he was scolded. I thought he was also a victim, someone I needed to save, so I took the opportunity to say, “I see you guys work so hard, working more than 12 hours a day, unable to eat on time, often going hungry. It’s not easy!” I told them not to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, as it is not good for them, and shared the story of the police at the Berlin Wall in Germany, encouraging them to “raise the gun’s muzzle by one centimeter.” They didn’t say anything and listened to me quietly.
Not long after, the police officer said to me, “We won’t ask you anything, we’re just going through the procedures.” I thought this was a perfect opportunity to clarify the truth to them and save them, so I silently asked Master for wisdom.
Initially, I refused to answer their questions by saying they were “irrelevant to the case.” Later, they directly asked me, “Why did you distribute flyers in that community? What was your purpose?” I said, “Buddha saves those with predestined relationships. I distribute flyers to tell people the truth about Falun Gong. Saving people is our responsibility as Dafa disciples; wherever we go, we save whoever we can. Those who see the truth-clarification materials and understand the truth can be saved and survive the great calamity.”
They then claimed that Falun Gong is against the Party and socialism, which the state and government do not allow. I immediately stopped them, “Hold on! Falun Gong has always been legal in China, as have Falun Gong books and promotional materials. On March 1, 2011, the head of the General Administration of Press and Publication announced the revocation of Order No. 50, declaring all Falun Gong books and materials legal. Falun Gong is not a cult. It was Jiang Zemin who, during an interview with a journalist in France, made unfounded statement out of jealousy because the number of Falun Gong practitioners surpassed that of the CCP members. He said those things out of jealousy! Falun Gong practitioners practice cultivation based on the universal principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I have never been in any cult, nor have I joined any qigong associations. What you’re saying is slander and lies fabricated by the CCP, and it doesn’t stand!”
They asked what benefits I received from practicing Falun Gong. I said, “There are many benefits. First, I gained a healthy body and haven’t been sick or taken medicine in over twenty years. I’ve become a better person in society, adhering to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, not fighting back when hit or insulted, enduring the unendurable, and acting selflessly, being considerate, becoming a noble person.”
Then, I advised them not to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, as Falun Gong teaches people to be good and that Master Li is here to save people. I also kindly reminded them that they are responsible for the cases they handle for their entire lives. They said they understood.
Throughout the process, when they mentioned Master by name, I sternly told them, “You cannot directly call Master Li by his name; he is the revered Master of millions of practitioners. We respect him deeply.” They immediately corrected themselves and called him “Master.”
Later, I was taken for blood tests and a physical examination, surrounded by young people, probably recent police academy graduates. When they saw me, they said “Falun Dafa,” and I added, “You should say, ‘good,’ too!” They all laughed. I told them the two phrases, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Sometimes they mispronounced it as “Truthfulness, Goodness, Beauty,” and I corrected them, reminding them to remember the two phrases.
This arrest seemed like a great tribulation, feeling like a major disaster was imminent, but I wasn’t afraid; I was calm because Master was by my side. This experience allowed me to fulfill my long-held wish to clarify the truth face-to-face to police officers.
I deeply realized that the process of clarifying the truth to the local-level officials is also a process of my own cultivation improvement. I used to hate them, fear them, and even see them as enemies. Through this contact, my perspective has changed, my compassion has emerged, and I truly felt that they were also Master’s relatives in previous lives. Only by having faith in Master and the Fa, and earnestly letting go of ego, can I save them and fulfill my prehistoric vow.