Former Art Student in China Witnesses Good vs. Evil

(Minghui.org) I used to study art at a college in mainland China. The hefty tuition and living expenses were a huge burden for my family, yet I did not learn much during those four years. Almost everyone on campus was preoccupied by making money: professors were focused on procuring side income rather than teaching, while students were pushed out in an assembly line with no regard for quality.

It was not until I began to practice Falun Dafa that I learned what life really is. Dafa not only helped me become a better person but also gave me wisdom. By correcting my distorted views on art, I was able to return to the traditional path and improve my skills dramatically. Looking back, I realized that having good faculty members and a favorable education environment are extremely important. In fact, proper education and guidance for an art student could determine his or her entire life.

That is why I feel students at Fei Tian (the training conservatory for Shen Yun) are very fortunate. Staying close to Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, they can not only improve their artistry but also learn how to be better people according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Most things in society can be valued by money, but what one gains from Fei Tian and Shen Yun–artistically, professionally, and morally–are priceless. To me, any effort to discredit Shen Yun or Fei Tian is inappropriate and futile.

Why? Like many other Falun Dafa practitioners in China, I was arrested, detained, and imprisoned for my faith. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses China’s legal system to target Falun Dafa practitioners and other faith groups. In this process, government officials collude to persecute the innocent, while we Falun Dafa practitioners have no place to speak out about the mistreatment we receive.

Even worse, because of our faith, we have been tortured physically and mentally, often to the verge of death. Guards ignored the law and said to us, “You either give up your faith or you will die here.” Prison is meant for bad people who break the law and harm others, yet Falun Dafa practitioners who strive to become better people are subjected to torture, thought reform, and brainwashing that try to destroy their faith.

It was in those dark days that I was completely awakened. I came to understand that, if a person still has a conscience, he or she would not side with the CCP’s persecution–an attempt to destroy humanity. If a person still follows traditional values and the common good, he or she would not follow the CCP to harm the innocent. As a result, I became clearer and more determined than ever to hold onto my faith in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, because this is the hope for our society.

When I read “Special Report | Our Master” on Minghui recently, I was almost in tears. Master Li’s compassion and caring for Falun Dafa practitioners are unparalleled. He has also set a good example of uprightness that always motivates us. Moreover, despite its financial difficulties and material shortages, Fei Tian waives tuition for students while providing them with stipends. Taken all together, what the students have received are unprecedented and not available anywhere else.

Nonetheless, the CCP has instigated people to discredit Shen Yun, Fei Tian, and Master Li. Living in China, I know these are the CCP’s typical tactics to divide ordinary citizens to target certain groups. All these attempts will end in vain.

One can lean from Nero’s persecution of Christians in ancient Rome and ordeals that befell Buddhism in Chinese history that those who persecute people of faith will also bring harm to themselves in the end. I hope more people come to see this principle and avoid becoming accomplices to the CCP’s persecution.