(Minghui.org) I'm 71 this year. I was arrested and sent to a detention center in 2011 when I was sending forth righteous thoughts with other practitioners near a labor camp. I was detained for one month, but with righteous thoughts and actions, I was released.
I was being forced to wear a “vest” in the detention center. I refused to cooperate. I said, “Why should I wear it? Only those who've committed crimes have to wear it. I haven't committed any crimes. I practice the Falun Gong exercises and it's my constitutional right to have a belief. I'm not wearing it!” The prison guard said, “Isn't it just a vest?!” The head inmate of the cell ordered the young inmates to pressure me to wear it. It was Master's birthday that day. I thought, “Today is Master's birthday. I'll celebrate Master's birthday by not wearing the vest. No matter what they say, I won't wear it!”
The guard got angry, “Don't think that because you are old, we can't do anything to you. We have ways to punish you. We will take measures if you still refuse to comply. Let's see if you can still hold your ground!” As I sent forth righteous thoughts, I took off the vest that was forcefully put on me. The inmates said, “You have such guts! Aren't you afraid of being punished?!” I kept quiet as they continued to talk.
The officer for security check was coming over to do checks and it was very obvious that I was the only one without a vest. The inmates were worried for me. I sent forth righteous thoughts and thought, “Master has the final say!” In the end, the prison cell door would not open.
Practicing the Exercises – Righteous Thoughts Negate Persecution
Every night, a pair of drug addicts rotated on the “small shift” in the detention center. I thought, “I can't be idle. I have to do the exercises. I'll ignore them,” and I did the standing exercises. When I was doing the third exercise, I heard the sound of the guard for night duty coming closer. I became a little nervous. At that moment, the inmates shouted, “You are still practicing?!” I thought, “A practitioner has to do the exercises. Yes, I must do the exercises!” The footsteps came up to the cell, then left.
Once, a guard walked over and said, “You better stop. The security officer will come in a while!” I thought, “What do the security checks have to do with me?!” The guard continued, “You can continue after the security officer leaves,” and he walked away.
Another time, I decided to do the exercises. I thought that since I did not finish practicing all the exercises previously, I ought to complete them today. I looked at the clock and started practicing.
I was the only practitioner among the ten people there. The inmates did not blink their eyes as they watched me. They had not seen the exercises completed from start to finish before. The surveillance camera could see that I was practicing. The guard duty room isn't far away and I could hear the door rattling. Someone walked out and went back in again. This happened a few times. I made up my mind, “These are all false appearances. I will not acknowledge you. You do not have the final say. Only my Master has it. You can do whatever you like. Righteousness will restrain all evil.” I completed the standing exercises in one hour and nobody stopped me.
Everybody went about as usual that morning and no one mentioned it. The inmates asked me to teach them the exercise verses after breakfast and wanted me to write them on the wall. I said that the verses are very sacred and cannot be just written down anywhere. I taught them to memorize the verses instead. Some of them imitated my movements and started practicing, but their movements were not accurate. Thus, I helped correct their movements. I had just finished showing them all the movements when someone shouted to me, “You can go home now!”
Constantly Testing a Cultivator's Righteous Thoughts
There was another test before I left the detention center. The director and deputy director came to take notes. My husband had come to take me home and was waiting anxiously. The director asked, “Do you still plan to practice? If so, you will be sent to Masanjia immediately!” My husband kept urging me to answer that I would no longer practice. I replied firmly, “I'll still practice!” The deputy director sitting to the side smiled and said, “Then go ahead.” I went home with my husband.
Before, I did not feel sending forth righteous thoughts was that important and didn't really understand the power of our righteous thoughts. Although I passed this test, the lesson is profound. Righteous thoughts can restrain all evil and righteous thoughts are truly effective. It's very important. I hope that practitioners will remember that sending righteous thoughts is important and address everything with righteous thoughts.
