(Minghui.org) When clarifying the truth about Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong) to two city workers in May, I was reported to the police. A group of officers came to my home, ransacked it and took me to the police station.
Although I was introduced to Dafa many years ago, I didn’t take up the practice until 2023. This was my first encounter with the police. Various human notions kept cropping up in my mind on our way to the police station. I recited the righteous thoughts formulas and tried to keep my human notions at bay. “I don’t know what is going to happen next,” I thought, “but I will not let Master down.” This decision instantly quieted my mind.
I didn’t cooperate with the police during the interrogation, and did not answer any of their questions. An officer took a picture of me without my consent and found my information on their database through facial recognition. After reading my profile, the police chief gave me an incredulous look, and said, “You’ve achieved such success in a prestigeous line of work, yet you practice Falun Gong?”
I tried to tell him that Dafa has spread around the world and is practiced by people from all walks of life, but he didn’t want to hear any of it. Instead, he pointed at the Dafa books, truth-clarification DVDs, and fliers confiscated from my home and threatened to throw me in jail.
I wouldn’t tell him where I got the fliers, which angered him even more. He shouted, “If you don’t tell me where you got them from, I’m going to call your boss.” Fear rose in me and all kinds of thoughts raced through my mind. What if I lose my job? How am I going to pay my mortgage? How am I going to support my family?
But I quickly overcame my fear, thinking, “This might be a good thing. If all my co-workers know I practice Falun Dafa, I can openly clarify the truth to them without reservation. This is just the breakthrough I need.”
The head of the Domestic Security Division showed up in the afternoon. The chief pointed at the Dafa books and fliers and asked the division head what should be included in the report. The division head waved his hand and left, without saying anything. The police chief told me later that only the booklets I had on me at the time of arrest were reported. As for my occupation, he put “unemployed.”
It was very kind of him to leave out the items confiscated from my home as they very much could alter the outcome of the case, making it much worse for me. I thanked him, “I’m happy to hear that. Not for myself but for you, because of your kindness. However, I will not sign the report.”
“That’s fine,” he replied with a smiled. He then left to take care of some urgent business.
The chief returned in the afternoon and told me, “You got the lightest penalty I’ve ever seen—only five days of detention.” My first thought was, “Five days is nothing. I am okay with that. I didn’t cooperate anyway.” Then it occurred to me that it was wrong to think that way, as being okay with a penalty, regardless how light, is still acknowledging the persecution. I should have denied the evil’s arrangements completely. I closed my eyes and sent righteous thoughts.
I knew Master would not have arranged any form of persecution for practitioners. I was not afraid, and could not acknowledge the persecution. When the chief came back, he was all smiles. He told me I could go home now, but I needed to report back on Monday.
As soon as I walked out of the police station, I asked Master for help, “Master, I must have a huge loophole in my cultivation for something like this to happen.” I looked within for my shortcomings. Is it my resentment? Competitiveness? Jealousy? Or the mentality of showing off? I grew exhausted mentally and physically and my righteous thoughts diminished. I thought I had been smart and careful about talking to people about Dafa, yet I was still reported to the police. I reflected on my thinking process before, during, and after the arrest but couldn’t find any loophole that could have been exploited. I questioned, “If I were subjected to persecution even without any human notions or attachments, then how could I possibly stay safe clarifying the truth moving forward?”
Just then a warning light on my dashboard came on, signaling low pressure in my front right tire. It made me realize that my thinking was not in line with the Fa. I took my car to an auto repair shop and was told, “Your tire is busted. We’ll have to replace it.”
While waiting in the lobby, I dug deeper to examine myself and the words “change completely” popped into my head. True, no matter how rampant the old forces are, Master does not recognize them and neither do I. Then aren’t all the problems and difficulties I run into good things? Isn’t Master utilizing them to help me cultivate?
I was supposed to report to the police station on Monday and stay in custody for five days. However, I didn’t plan on cooperating, nor acknowledging such a demand. I was nervous nonetheless. To subdue interfering thoughts and notions, I strengthened my Fa study and righteous thoughts.
I didn’t go to the police station on Monday. The police chief didn’t call either. I thought about how the young chief exhibited kindness even without knowing the truth about Dafa. I started drafting a letter clarifying the truth to him.
My heart was pure and my mind clear. All I wanted was for him to learn the truth. I first shared my experience of cultivating and benefiting from Dafa, then I went on to tell him that Falun Dafa is practiced by millions of people around the world. I explained how jealousy caused Jiang Zemin, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to launch the persecution and a smear campaign. I reminded him that good deeds will bring blessings and bad deeds will receive retribution. I was candid about how I’d always distrusted the police because as a child I witnessed Dafa practitioners from my village being relentlessly persecuted.
I wrote, “I arrived at the police station the other day with resentment toward you and your officers. Then I saw that the situation was only because I had not cultivated well enough. You are a kind person with a sharp mind and untainted nature. I hope we can be friends.”
I went to the police station on Wednesday morning and gave the letter to the chief in person. He reminded me I had to serve five days at some point. He called me a few days later and urged me to go in so he could close my case.
The police station is right next to the detention center, and the court compound is separated only by a small alleyway. I started going there every morning after dropping off my son at school to sent righteous thoughts. I parked my car in the alley and focused my mind on righteous thoughts for two hours. I didn’t let any interference nor increase in pressure from the police deter my effort—I held on to one thought, “I am not going to cooperate with the persecution.”
A fellow practitioner knocked on my door early one morning. As soon I opened it, she said excitedly, “Master’s new article has been published.”
After studying Master’s new article “The Ordeals Our Spiritual Discipline Faces” together, we realized we had veered off the right path when it comes to clarifying the truth. Both of us have a lot of flexibility in our work schedule. I worked from home most days and had a very light workload. Approaching retirement, this practitioner also didn’t have enough work to fill her day. We had been going out together to clarify the truth in the mornings during work hours.
In fact, quite a few practitioners pointed out after my arrest that maybe we shouldn’t go out to clarify the truth when we were supposed to be working. But I didn’t think it was a big deal, “Even if we don’t clarify the truth in the mornings, we still don’t need to go to work. Then, why can’t we utilize it to clarify the truth? Wouldn’t that be a better use of our time?”
Even though in the article Master talks about issues pertaining to practitioners working for our media, I somehow felt that each sentence was directed at me. It became clear to us where our problems could be found. We decided to adjust our schedule and clarify the truth during lunch breaks and on weekends.
When sending righteous thoughts near the police station the next day, I encountered a lot of interference. I couldn’t calm my mind and focus, and therefore my righteous thoughts were weak. Just when I was getting frustrated, my phone rang and it was the chief. He demanded that I report to the station. Failing to maintain my xinxing, I responded harshly. His tone hardened as well—not nearly as calm as he usually was, saying, “I can’t wait forever. If you don’t turn yourself in, I’ll have to arrest you!”
I hung up. “When will this all end?” I thought desperately. Feeling tormented, I was on the verge of a breakdown, “I might as well give up and serve the five days.” Then a voice inside me asked, “For a quick fix? Wouldn’t you let Master down? How about the countless beings that have placed their hope on you?” It hit me that each step I take in cultivation will have an enormous impact beyond this realm. I could not afford to make any mistakes. Ordinary people may consider boldness as heroic, but it is certainly not righteous. Regardless of how difficult or dangerous, we have to stick to the most righteous path. It is narrow and may at times seem impossible, but there is light at the end of the tunnel because it is the path arranged by Master.
The fellow practitioner called me around noon, saying, “Master published another article.” After reading the new article “A Wake-Up Call,” I felt that I had let Master down. The first sentence of the article thrust directly at my heart.
Master said,
“Compassion is expressed in this world through love and kindness, and these are qualities that those who practice Dafa should always radiate from within.” (“A Wake-Up Call”)
Remembering my phone conversation with the chief, I regretted letting my emotions get the best of me. Instead of being kind, I was mean to him. The more I thought about it, the more I felt ashamed. I blamed myself and became upset. Then I thought that this is not the correct state for a practitioner either. I pulled myself together and sent righteous thoughts for a long time. I also studied both of Master’s new articles several times.
It became more and more clear to me as to what I needed to do. I decided, “I’m going to the police station. I will not comply with the evil’s demands, and will validate the Fa with compassion.” My heart was filled with a surge of confidence.
I told my son my plan. He said, “I’ll go with you, Mother.” I was so happy to hear that. I had been honest with him regarding my arrest and the development of my case and he’d been nothing but supportive.
The two of us went to the police station that weekend. Before entering the gate, I stopped and asked my son, “Are you scared?” He shook his head to say no, so I told him, “No matter what happens, we can’t have any disrespectful thought toward Master or Dafa. Can you do that?” He nodded. As we walked into the police station hand in hand, I reminded him, “Send righteous thoughts.” With that, all of my human notions disappeared. I was calm and collected and felt so big, as if the police station was only a tiny box under my foot.
The chief was not in. I called him and told him that I’d stopped by. He called every week as usual in the following weeks. I spoke to him with compassion but did not comply with his request. Meanwhile, I continued to cultivate myself and clarify the truth.
While sending righteous thoughts near the police station one morning in early July, my supervisor called me and told me to report to our bureau chief’s office, as officials from the local Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the 610 Office were to meet with us there. He told me that I needed to sign a document.
My mind went blank. There was no way around it this time. I had to go to this meeting. A thousand thoughts were jumbled in my mind. To calm myself, I picked up Zhuan Falun and turned to Master’s picture. As usual, Master smiled at me ever so compassionately.
As I struggled to quiet my mind on way to the bureau, Master’s Fa popped into my head, “Just by staying unaffected you will be able to handle all situations.” (Teachings at the Midwestern U.S. Conference)
When I got to the bureau chief’s office, he told me that the officials were running late. While waiting alone in the conference room, I sent forth strong righteous thoughts. All my worries went away and I was taken over by a calm energy.
The deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee arrived shortly after. My bureau chief introduced me as “sharp-minded, highly efficient and competent.” The secretary listened, then turned to me and asked what happened that day at the police station after my arrest. I told them and put in a good word for the young police chief. The deputy secretary nodded and the atmosphere became more friendly.
When the Domestic Security division head arrived, the deputy secretary gave a speech reiterating the CCP’s propaganda slandering and smearing Falun Dafa. I tried to stop him and tell them the facts. This irritated the deputy secretary, as he commented, “Listen to yourself! You are still defending the practice. You’ve been deceived and aren’t going to change your mind, are you? I can tell you are a good person and highly intellectual, but why are you so muddleheaded when it comes to Falun Gong?” I wanted to say more but the division head stopped me.
The deputy secretary clearly didn’t know the truth about Dafa, yet he had no intention to further persecute me. I asked for his phone number so I could talk to him about Falun Dafa in depth another time. Also, nobody brought up the issue of signing a document. In the end, I was told to go home.
The deputy secretary called me a week later and asked me to meet him in a park. I speculated that he was going to ask me in private to sign a guarantee statement renouncing Dafa, so he could close the case. I needed to use this opportunity to clarify the truth to him, so he would no longer aid the CCP in the persecution.
When we met, after brief greetings, he cut to the chase, “I wanted to ask you a question but you probably wouldn’t tell me. Where did you get the fliers?” I smiled but didn’t say anything. He went on singing the praises of the CCP. I reminded him of the many political movements the Party has launched that killed millions of innocent Chinese people and wiped out traditional Chinese culture. He grew more and more aggravated and said I was brainwashed by “anti-China” activists.
We went back and forth trying to convince each other. As soon as I mentioned that the CCP had brought destruction to our nation and the Chinese people, he jumped up and shouted at me. He said he would go to my workplace on Monday and make me sign the guarantee statement in front my bureau chief. I told him, “I will never sign it.”
His tone was menacing as he said, “I’ve been in charge of [handling] Falun Gong for more than 20 years. None of you can get away without signing the guarantee statement. It’s impossible.”
I repeated calmly that I would not sign it. He sneered, “That’s fine. I’ll have your bureau chief withhold your salary. You don’t get paid until you sign it.” I looked him in the eye, and told him that if I don’t get paid, I don’t even know where I’d come up with my mortgage payment for the next month. But even so, I still wouldn’t sign it. He paused to collect himself, “I’ll see you on Monday. Why don’t you think about it and give me a call if you change your mind?” I smiled and shook my head.
After dropping off my son at school the next day, I went and parked near the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, and sent righteous thoughts. The sun peeped out from behind the clouds in the east and rays of sunshine came through. The clouds could never stop the sun. The deputy secretary called me after I sent righteous thoughts for a full hour. He was almost apologetic, saying, “We talked so much yesterday. Still, you wouldn’t change your mind. I’m not going to your workplace on Monday. But you’ll have to promise that you’ll be careful and keep your future in mind.”
I appreciated his kindness and told him sincerely, “Thank you so much. You asked me yesterday why I asked for your phone number. I wanted to tell you not to participate in the persecution against Falun Dafa anymore.” He didn’t say anything so I continued, “Do you honestly think Dafa practitioners are bad people?”
He replied, “They are not bad people. They are all very straightforward and genuine. However, the government banned the practice.”
I was pleased that a Party official who had been handling Falun Gong cases for more than 20 years recognized that we are good people. I wished him the best of luck and hung up.
The two-months-long tribulation was resolved by Master. I was given a great test and endured a lot of mental anguish, which in turn helped me relinquish my human notions and attachments. I was committed to rectifying myself in the process. I never cried because of my own suffering, yet each time I thought of Master, I broke into tears. I felt deeply ashamed that I had let Master down. My knowing side knows too well how much Master has endured for me.
I heard a practitioner’s sharing article, “Bringing Hope to Everyone with Kindness in the Midst of Chaos,” on Minghui Radio one morning. The practitioner shared that the law enforcement officers involved in the persecution aren’t all hopeless. They knew before coming to this world the consequence they must face if they played such a role, yet they came because they had faith in Master’s plan. Yet, given all kinds of factors, many have indeed lost their way and committed grave sins. The author wrote, “When we descended to the human world together, we reminded each other that if anyone got lost, we should wake them up so that we could return to heaven together.”
Tears covered my face, and I completely let go of the self at that moment. All I wanted was to follow Master’s arrangements and help Master save all who could still be saved.
My thanks to our compassionate Master. And my thanks to practitioners for their selfless help.