Cultivating Myself While Petitioning for My Mother’s Release (Part I)

(Minghui.org) My mother began to practice Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong) in 1998 and introduced the practice to me. Only a small child then, I was diligent in studying the Fa and doing the exercises. But by the summer of the very next year, the practice was banned across China and the Communist regime launched a nationwide persecution. 

My mother was detained multiple times and sentenced to two years of forced labor for her belief. My once supportive father was now against my mother and me practicing. Although I didn’t give up Dafa cultivation altogether, I slowly slacked off. Immersed in the big dye vat of ordinary people, I became more and more like one of them. 

After graduating from college, I was accepted to a graduate program in a foreign country and left China. Being able to freely practice my belief, I chose to stay after getting my degree. I figured this is the path Master arranged for me. 

My Mother’s Latest Arrest

I called my mother in December 2019, but couldn’t get a hold of her. I waited until the next morning to call my father. He sounded dejected and said my mother had been missing since he got home from work the day before. He found the door to their apartment unit unlocked and the lights on. It was obvious that someone had searched through their bedroom. My mother’s Dafa books, cell phones, computer, and printer were gone, and my mother never came home. My heart sank—I knew she was arrested again.

It was not the first time this happened. The last time my mother was taken away, police officers kicked down the door in the middle of the night and ransacked our home without a search warrant. They took my mother and confiscated personal items.

A friend suggested that my father petition for her release, but he was hesitant. He did go to the police station once. An officer told him my mother was going to be released in just a few days. My father believed him and stopped pursuing her release. He waited and waited, but in the end, my mother was sentenced to two years of forced labor. 

I was only a teenager at the time and didn’t fully understand what was going on, nor could I really do anything about it. This time, I decided I would not let the same thing happen—I will do whatever it takes to get my mother released!

Coming Up with a Plan

I had never petitioned any Chinese government agencies, so I had no clue where to start. I contacted a few practitioners in my area and notified the local Falun Dafa Association. I asked the coordinator to help forward the news to our local email list, hoping the practitioners could send forth righteous thoughts for my mother and give me some suggestions.

I received an overwhelming amount of responses after the email went out. Many practitioners expressed their support. Several practitioners contacted me and shared their experiences of petitioning to get practitioners released or of their being released due to such an effort. I started to form some ideas and a rough plan of how to pursue my mother’s release. 

A practitioner, who was successfully rescued as a result of fellow practitioners in China petitioning the law enforcement agencies, gave me some great tips. She suggested that I submit the details of my mother’s arrest to the Minghui website and The Epoch Times as soon as possible, including the contact information of the perpetrators. This way, practitioners on the global RTC platform can start making truth-clarification phone calls to those involved in my mother’s case. 

She said starting a petition and collecting signatures online is also an effective way to expose the persecution to people outside of China and raise awareness. I could also write to my local Chinese embassy, government officials, ambassador serving in China, and Amnesty International to ask for help. She said Amnesty International’s involvement in her case played a vital role to her eventual release. Her experience and advice not only gave me a clear direction in where to start, but it also left me highly motivated and hopeful.

Pushback from My Father

Of course, as I set out to implement my big plans, tribulations followed right behind. The biggest obstacle I faced right off the bat was that my non-practitioner father was not willing to help. Not physically being there myself, I had to rely on my family in China to get things done.

My father knows Dafa is good, and that it teaches people to be honest and kind. Yet, having gone through my mother’s multiple arrests and forced labor sentence, my innately cautious father was now against us practicing. His resentment was further reinforced by my mother’s most recent arrest. 

After I asked, my father went to the police station a couple of times to find out where my mother was held. But after a few fruitless trips, he told me he didn’t want to go back again. He said the police told him that protocols for Falun Gong cases are far more complex and difficult than a typical criminal case—the police weren’t even sure how long of a sentence my mother would receive. 

My father was not allowed to visit my mother and was turned away each time. The only thing they told him was to wait for an official notice. Feeling frustrated, my father asked me why my mother and I had to adhere to a practice targeted by the Communist regime. He said he had given up on the government long ago.

I viewed my father’s complaints and disheartening words as interference and a test for me—the old forces were trying to discourage me from continuing my effort. I saw through their tactic and sent forth strong righteous thoughts to eliminate all of the old forces’ arrangements, leaving no loophole for them to exploit. At the same time, I eliminated all the evil elements that were controlling my father—they are not allowed to use Dafa practitioners’ family members to interfere with and persecute practitioners. 

Facing such difficult situations, an ordinary person may harbor negative feelings but, as Dafa practitioners of the Fa-rectification period, we have to maintain righteous thoughts and stay unaffected by others’ negativity. Moreover, we need to help ordinary people see the truth and inspire their righteous thoughts with our compassion and kindness. I promised Master that I would not let the old forces get their way—no form of interference will change my heart!

Helping My Father See the Truth

I told myself my father’s pushback might be the result of an unpleasant experience at the police station. I comforted him and asked what happened. Sure enough, he said the police used all kinds of excuses to drive him away. They either completely ignored him and left him hanging, or made derisive comments while he stood there like a fool. He said he didn’t know what the point of going to the police station was and saw it as a complete waste of time. 

Knowing my father’s inability to handle stress, I can imagine the agony and anxiety this situation caused him. I knew I needed to put myself in his shoes and be more considerate of his feelings. Seeing it from his perspective, I was able to be more understanding of what he was going through. My father’s frustration stemmed from not being able to see hope and purpose in what he was doing. 

To get to the crux of the problem, I clarified the truth in depth to my father and tried to help him understand why we petition the law enforcement agencies. Cultivating Falun Dafa and possessing Dafa books are not against the law in China—no specific article of law deems it illegal. Without a legal basis, it is unlawful for the police to arbitrarily arrest and detain my mother. To petition the police is to expose such unlawful behavior, and that’s exactly why they didn’t want my father to do so. 

Unfortunately, my father was not convinced. “In China, everything is in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). There is nothing we can do.” I told him, “To start, we can tell the police officers to reconsider their roles in this groundless persecution. Inform them the CCP just put in place a new law that holds each law enforcement officer accountable for all wrongful convictions they’ve been a part of, even after they retire. Thus, participating in persecuting innocent Falun Dafa practitioners will surely bring them unfavorable consequences in the future.

“If they keep going down that path, we will expose their crimes on the Internet. International human rights organizations are well aware of the oppression practitioners are experiencing in China and are sympathetic to their situation. They’ve provided us with tremendous help and support. A law was passed by the US congress to sanction Chinese law enforcement officers involved in the persecution of Falun Dafa. Their bank accounts in US financial institutions will be frozen. They themselves, their spouses, and their children will not be allowed into the US and its territories.

“These corrupt officials have taken hundreds of thousands of yuan in bribes. Isn’t their goal to create a good life for themselves and their family in a free country? But if they participate in the persecution, they can forget about their dreams of a leisurely retirement in the United States. Even if they have money, they will not get a visa. I’m sure they are also anxious about what they’ve done. Who knows when the CCP will abandon them and throw them out as scapegoats. It will not end up well for sure.”

My father calmed down as he listened. When I was done, he asked, “Is all this true?” I reassured him, “Yes. It’s all true. An international organization is now investigating the persecution of Falun Dafa. They created a database with a long list of Chinese officials and law enforcement officers, along with their phone numbers, addresses, family members, etc. If someone’s name is in that database, he will have nowhere to hide.” Having learned all this, my father’s confidence grew exponentially. He was hopeful about getting my mother released and told me he’d continue to help.

My Father’s Visit with An Attorney

While my mother was denied family visitation, she would be allowed to meet with an attorney. A practitioner suggested that we find a lawyer willing to represent her. This way, the lawyer can meet with her and see how she’s doing. I contacted a few lawyers who had been positively publicized by The Epoch Times for representing practitioners. I ran into a series of obstacles getting in touch with the first lawyer, but successfully secured a meeting with the second lawyer. 

My father went and met with the lawyer. The man listened attentively, sighed, and shook his head as my father told him about my mother’s arrest and detention. He expressed great admiration and respect for Falun Gong and said practitioners are incredible. He was deeply disappointed in the Chinese government, as there is simply nowhere one can turn to seek justice. 

The lawyer wanted to help and would have even waived his legal fees. However, he had sustained hefty penalties for representing practitioners in the past and was not ready to take on another case. He said the Bureau of Justice imposed a new rule that lawyers can no longer enter a plea of “not guilty” for Falun Gong practitioners in court. He told my father, “But the practitioners are innocent. How can I go against my conscience and plead ‘guilty’ for them?” 

Although we failed to hire a lawyer for my mother, the meeting confirmed what I told my father and strengthened his confidence. My father now has a much better understanding of what Dafa is and has more respect for practitioners. 

I realized it is absolutely crucial to clarify the truth in depth to our families. Only when we help our loved ones correct their misconceptions about Dafa and remove their fear of retaliation by the Communist regime, can they gain the courage to stand firmly by our side in resisting the persecution.

My Attachment to Time

After asking around, my father was able to piece together what happened the night of my mother’s arrest and identified the perpetrators. I was given access to a database that practitioners on the RTC platform compiled over the years. It’s an extensive list of names and contact information of Chinese law enforcement agencies, officials, and officers in different regions and at different levels, including police stations, police departments, 610 Offices, and Public Security Bureaus. 

I found information on the officers involved in my mother’s case and forwarded it to Minghui.org and The Epoch Times. I also submitted an article in English detailing my mother’s arrest and detention, exposing the lawlessness of it all. 

My father learned that the police officers in charge of a particular case usually continue to support the filing process after the arrest. They have about a month to collect evidence before submitting the case to the Procuratorate, who then decides how to proceed. A practitioner told me that the first month after the arrest is critical—it is much easier to get my mother released before her case reaches the Procuratorate. After the Procuratorate makes a decision about a case, it typically is much too difficult to get someone released, and my mother would likely receive a sentence. This practitioner herself went through this exact process in China and ended up being sentenced to forced labor.

After hearing this practitioner’s story, I subconsciously set a one-month deadline for myself to fight for my mother’s release. I developed a strong attachment to time and grew more anxious each day. I constantly felt like I was racing against time to get things done, or my mother would be sentenced. The more I was attached to moving forward and making progress, the more it seemed that everything was held back by an invisible force. 

Running Into Many Obstacles

The list of perpetrators I forwarded to the Minghui website didn’t get published right away. I handled this very poorly because of my selfish notion—the earlier the list is published, the sooner the practitioners on the RTC platform can start making truth-clarification phone calls to the officers involved in my mother’s case. This would have a tremendous impact and potentially speed up the rescue process. I re-sent the same email to Minghui several times and even had other practitioners help send the same email from their accounts. The list was eventually published, but because of my attachment and impatience, I created duplicate work for practitioners at Minghui. I would like to sincerely apologize for my ignorance. 

I always felt that the timing of my mother’s arrest was unfavorable. December is when local practitioners start to get heavily involved in Shen Yun promotions. I asked a few practitioners on the RTC platform to make phone calls for my mother’s case. Regardless of how much they wanted to help, they just didn’t have the time. 

At the same time, my efforts to contact local government officials and international organizations were going nowhere. Many federal congress members’ terms were coming to an end, and they were busy campaigning before the general election. The offices were empty, and I couldn’t get a hold of any officials. 

My emails to Amnesty International, the local embassy, and ambassadors serving in China also received no response. The month of December was more than half gone, and I grew more anxious as I knew the chance of getting any response during the holidays would be minimal. My “one month” deadline was fast approaching.

The government of my country of residence operates on a much slower pace compared to China. Concerned I’d come across as being pushy, I refrained from following up on my emails right away. Just when my effort on all fronts seemed to come to a halt, a Western practitioner suggested that I don’t place high hopes on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get involved. His reasoning was that human rights violations are so prevalent in China that it is impossible for the ministry to help everybody, especially since I wasn’t even a citizen of this country. My non-practitioner co-worker said similar things, pointing out that governments around the world want to have business relations with China more than they want to get into the CCP’s business of suppressing its own citizens. 

No doubt, their honest opinions crushed my hope. Because a local practitioner was successfully rescued by Amnesty International, I had high hopes that the foreign governments and international human rights organizations would effectively put pressure on the CCP. When I didn’t receive any response whatsoever weeks after I sent the emails, and with people reminding me the chance is slim, I was no longer optimistic. 

A Wake-Up Call

I called the practitioner who was rescued by Amnesty International, hoping to get some comfort and affirmation from her. But she rebuffed me, “I didn’t say Amnesty International will definitely help get your mother released.” Dumbfounded, I blurted out, “Then why did I write to them asking for help? If they cannot get my mother released, why did I waste my time doing all this?” 

The practitioner answered sternly, “You wrote those emails to clarify the truth to them. Everything we do is for the purpose of clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. If all you want is to get your mother released, then you’re still cultivating at a very low level.” Her words delivered a massive blow to my ego and hurt my feelings. But I knew she was right—that’s exactly what my problem was. Seeing that I wasn’t enlightening on my own, Master must have arranged this wake-up call. 

Finding My Attachments

I looked within myself thoroughly. First of all, I had a strong attachment to sentimentality, and I was self-centered. Everything I did was to get my mother released. I ran around seeking help, feeling anxious and distressed. Yet with such strong human notions and attachments at play, my efforts could not be acknowledged by the righteous beings in the universe; neither could Master help me. The practitioner was spot on when she said I was cultivating “at a low level.” 

Second, I was very attached to getting things done. When other practitioners shared examples and experiences of successful rescues in the past, they inspired me and gave me hope. But I also formed the misconception that if I followed all those steps and did all those things, I could count the days before my mother’s release. I approached the problem in as many different ways as I could, from different angles, and covering many fronts. I figured at least one of those things would work. I worked frantically and spread myself super thin, mistaking that for cultivation.

Moreover, I was attached to the results. I was so anxious about moving things forward and getting results that I lost sight of my true mission—to improve myself, clarify the truth, and save sentient beings. I failed to look at the situation from a cultivator’s perspective and didn’t realize my role in all of this. This loophole was exploited by the old forces—they created the illusion that none of my plans were working.

Lastly, I overly depended on ordinary people. I believe that international organizations and foreign governments had a lot of influence and power over the Communist regime in China. “If they intervene and put pressure on the CCP, my mother will surely be released.” But didn’t I elevate ordinary people to too high of a position? Aren’t Dafa practitioners supposed to be the ones who are helping Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings? How could I expect ordinary people to save us?

Minghui Articles Inspired My Righteous Thoughts

After our phone conversation, the practitioner forwarded me a few Minghui articles that were immensely helpful. I read about practitioners who, while detained and persecuted in China for their belief, didn’t have fear at all and maintained strong righteous thoughts. Wherever they were, be it in police custody, at a forced labor camp, or in prison, they saw it as just another environment in which to clarify the truth. Because, truly, we always have the choice to do the three things well regardless of our location or circumstances. 

With ample righteous thoughts, these practitioners created more opportunities to clarify the truth. Despite going through great tribulations, they placed complete faith in Master and the Fa, firmly believed that Master was in control of everything, and left everything up to His arrangements. 

Compared to those practitioners, I lagged far behind in cultivation. Their stories reminded me that my mother and I are both Master’s disciples, and we should have complete trust in Master’s plan. I don’t need to worry about my mother or what she is going through. No matter where she is, Master is watching over and protecting her. Master has arranged the perfect cultivation paths for my mother and me. 

In Dafa cultivation, nobody can cultivate for another person. I just need to tell people what happened to my mother and clarify the truth to them. Meanwhile, I should also work on getting rid of my attachments and improve myself.

Getting Rid of My Sentimentality Through Studying the Fa

I identified my attachments and made up my mind to do better, but it was easier said than done. My sentimentality toward my mother was not something I could let go of right away, just because I wanted to. I missed her and worried about her. I found that I was preoccupied with her and couldn’t stop thinking about her. This created so much agony, and tormented me. I often burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably, gasping for air. As soon as I opened my eyes each morning, I felt this immense weight on my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. This persisted day after day.

All I could do to strengthen my righteous thoughts was to study the Fa. When I read “Transformation of Karma” in Lecture Four of Zhuan Falun, I asked myself, “Am I not sustaining a lot of pain right now? Then that means my karma is being transformed into virtue. The more I endure, the greater the transformation. If I can get rid of my sentimentality and substance of qing, I will be improving and moving up in levels. Then wouldn’t my gong also increase? What a great thing—I could benefit from it in so many ways.” I believed I could break free from the pain of my sentimentality. I knew I could do it!

I maintained strong righteous thoughts, and I strengthened my Fa study. One morning, I woke up and my sentimentality for my mother was gone, along with all my worries. The substances left my body and no longer affected me. I felt calm and relaxed for the first time since my mother’s arrest. I was so grateful—Master must have lifted the substance of qing from my body. Master helped me and pushed me forward because he saw that I really wanted to improve. 

The next morning, however, I fell right back into worry and sadness. But the intensity was reduced. As I continued to strengthen my Fa study, it was all gone again. After a few rounds of back and forth, the pain diminished more and more. In the end, there simply wasn’t enough of the substance to affect me or interfere with my righteous thoughts. 

While working on letting go of my sentimentality and attachment to results, I kept pushing forward with the petition. I sent additional information to Amnesty International and various foreign government agencies. Although only Amnesty International responded positively, I knew my effort would not go to waste. When I write to foreign governments and their agencies, aren’t I clarifying the truth to them? 

They will learn that Falun Dafa practitioners in China have been relentlessly persecuted for the past 20-plus years. Now, with another case right in front of them, will they uphold human rights and liberty? Or will they choose not to provoke the CCP and continue to turn a blind eye? Given the choice between right and wrong, good and evil, choosing to do nothing is also going along with the evil. When I write to these government and international agencies, aren’t I giving them the opportunity to choose their future?

(To be continued)