Enduring a Bitter Cold Winter Night in Jail, Strengthening Righteous Thoughts with a Determined Heart Dafa Practitioner from Hainan Province (Clearwisdom.net) In the winter of 1999, I was illegally detained in a small prison cell
that was dark, damp and cold. Common criminal inmates were encouraged by the police to torture and
humiliate us. Several criminals were assigned around the clock to monitor each practitioner. For the
Dafa practitioners who persisted in cultivation, recited Dafa books, and talked to each other, the
prisoners would slap their foreheads, calling it "brainwashing." The criminals also
stepped on practitioners' chests or back and called this "stepping on the brake." They
also forced Dafa practitioners to memorize prison rules and to read "Detainee's Code of
Conduct." Practitioners were made to do the prison exercises, squat down, and to stay in line.
They also forced Dafa practitioners to mop the floor, wash dishes, and do laundry. I remember one night before the 2000 New Year's Day. It was a windy and extremely cold night. The
prison looked especially gloomy and miserable in the winter night. A head prisoner snatched the warm
clothes sent by my family. At night, I was hungry and cold. I had never felt this miserable in my
entire life. At night, I was made to share a thin blanket with a violent criminal. The blanket was
wet, dirty and smelled terrible. There was no bed and people slept on the concrete floor. Unable to
sleep, I put on a shirt and went to a corner of the cell, sat in double lotus position and began the
sitting meditation [one of the five Falun Gong exercises]. The head prisoner (a drug addict)
saw this and he poured cold water on my head. I kept on sitting in lotus position and remained calm.
I did not feel cold, nor was I bothered by his behavior. I had a smile on my face. The head prisoner
was surprised. During my detention, every time I stood by the window and looked out, I would feel the pain and
loneliness of having no freedom. Many times the policemen forced us to write repentance letters and
guarantee documents*. If the letter met their requirements, they would report it to their superior
requesting for a release. A mere repentance letter would set people free. It was quite a temptation
to anyone. For several nights I was thinking: Could my faith in Dafa be shaken by temptation? Should
I believe the lies of the evil? Could I pass the tests of life and death by accepting the evil's
demand? Should I be practical and flexible? Should I manage to get out and then practice Dafa again?
I did a lot of deep thinking. One night, I had a dream. I was climbing a big mountain with all my
energy. Every step was difficult and heavy (I realize now that I had strong attachments). The path
got steeper as I climbed further, and it became harder and harder. I wanted to turn back but was
reluctant to do so. At that moment, I heard a compassionate voice --- somebody was reciting a poem
by Yang Wanli of the Song Dynasty: Don't talk of the easiness of going down a mountain ridge, I felt a huge relief when I woke up. I was determined that I should keep on climbing. No matter
how difficult and dangerous every step was, as long as I had Teacher and Dafa in mind, I feared
nothing. At that moment, I was as if situated halfway across a high mountain ridge; I should not
think that turning back would be easy and comfortable. "Climbing high stairs, a path of thousands of feet, ("Climbing Mountain Tai," Hongyin, draft translation) "When it's difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it's impossible to do, you can do
it." (Zhuan Falun) Enlightened by the dream, I rejected my wrong thoughts of turning back while facing hardship. A
firm righteous thought rose in my mind that I would overcome all difficulties and cultivate to the
end. It was just as Master Li said in "Coercion
Cannot Change People's Hearts," (Essentials
For Further Advancement II): "The evil no longer has any way to change the determination that Dafa disciples have
developed from their true understanding of the Fa through cultivation and from their Buddha-nature
after the elevation of their benti in actual cultivation." Soon after that, I was released and returned to my family during the Chinese New Year. The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out any mistakes. Nov. 25, 2002 Note: * Three statements (also called guarantee or repentance statements) are documents coerced under
extreme pressure, torture and brainwashing, designed by Chinese authorities to ensure that detained
Falun Gong practitioners be appropriately brainwashed. The statements consist of a letter of
repentance, a guarantee to never again practice Falun Gong, and a list containing names and
addresses of all family, friends and acquaintances of the detainee who practices Falun Gong. This
system was concocted by the "610 Office." "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute
power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems. Posting date: 2/27/2003 |