A photo of Xiao Hu after the burn (taken in September 2009)
Zhang Dongmei, born on June 6, 1973, was living in Baisha Village, Lizhou Town of Liangshan Prefecture in Sichuan Province. Zhang Shuping, a match-maker in the village, introduced a young man named Xiao Cheng to Zhang Dongmei, and the two got married later on. Their son, named Xiaohu, was born in the beginning of 1997. Xiao Cheng worked as a salesman in Chengdu, and Zhang ran a flower-nursery business in Xichang. The family led a wealthy and happy life.
To every one’s astonishment, their life changed gradually, and was finally ruined by Falun Gong…
Zhang’s job was rather easy, thus always going to parks or plazas and making friends there in her spare hours. On September 18, 1996, her friend A’niu Muqu told her that a “living immortal” named Li Dongping had come to town, and was finding some gifted people to pass on his “magic Gong” which, if succeed in cultivation, would “bring blessings to the family”, and could “cure disease and rid calamity”. With curiosity, she went to town with A’niu Muqu. Upon seeing her, the “living immortal” claimed Zhang had innate wisdom and it would be easy for her to practice the Gong. Therefore, with the guidance of Li, Zhang started to practice and till then knew the magic Gong was called Falun Gong, and that Li was instructor of the assistance station in Lizhou Town.
Her practice did not seem to render much effect at the beginning, so Li Dongping brought Li Hongzhi’s masterpiece “Zhuan Falun” and admonished her: “You should follow strictly what was said in the book to lay a solid foundation”. Li also told her: “Master Li is the Master Buddha of the universe, whose law bodies exist everywhere to protect all his followers.” In March 1997, Li said she had cultivated the basis and should learn to eliminate the mindset of ordinary people if she wanted to be promoted to a higher level and get further advancement. Hence, she did as Li said and sat cross-legged to meditate, in ignorance of worldly affairs.
On June 22, 1999, Falun Gong was outlawed. However Zhang Dongmei deemed the ban incomprehensible and wondered why it was forbidden as it taught people “Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance” and to “become good people” and further more, practicing it could avoid people’s medical expense and ease their family burdens. She thought that it might be the misconception and prejudice of the government. Imagining that Master was “testing” her loyalty, she ignored the persuasions of his family and colleagues and secretly practiced it at an increasing frequency, expecting an early Consummation.
For several times, when her husband came back and wanted to make out with her, she always rejected: “Desire and lust are attachments of ordinary people, and we are required to eliminate them.” Such normal needs were conceived by her as the business of ordinary people and she kept explaining to her husband: “As a practitioner, and an extraordinary being, those dirty things are not suitable for me; these things are just pastime like children playing with mud.” Still she said: “after I have cultivated to a certain level, the Master’s law body will protect me if I fall ill, thus I don’t have to see the doctor nor take medicine and will save more money. Only in that way, the karma inside me can be eliminated.” In the beginning, her husband thought it was because he was out doing business for years and his wife felt neglected. So the conscience-stricken husband didn’t care much about her rejections. After a period, Zhang frequently asked her husband after she returned home: “Master said that if a couple both practice Falun Gong, they will get further advancement and can reach Consummation much quicker.” Intrigued by Zhang’s persisting instigations, her husband gave up the business he started with great efforts in Chengdu, and practiced Falun Gong day and night with her. They were bogged down deeper and deeper in the lies of eliminating karma, getting into higher levels, and reaching Consummation.
Gradually, they separated themselves from the outside world, but were intoxicated in practicing and exchanging experiences with fellow practitioners. At one time, their son caught cold. Instead of taking him to a hospital, they just stretched out their right hands upward to “send forth righteous thoughts” for the boy. Several days later, their son started to get better, which everybody knew it was because the antibodies were generated inside the boy’s body. But the couple explained: “The boy’s disease was caused by karma. In order to cure him, we have to eliminate the karma first. His healing, on the one hand, is because of the protection of Master’s law body; and on the other, has proved that our cultivation has got further advancement. To cure him completely, we have to dedicate more to practicing, and eliminating karma. So long as you let go of life and death, and concentrate on your cultivation, any disease will be cured automatically.” Their words confused the neighbors who were at a loss whether to laugh or to cry.
Finally, Zhang’s health was utterly destroyed by her year-in-year-out cultivation. Friends and relatives urged her go to see a doctor and take medicine whenever they met her, but she refused, “this is the process of eliminating karma. After Master helps me get rid of all my karma, I’ll be OK again.” No matter how others tried, the couple just refused to listen.
On December 17, 2006, Zhang telephoned her friend in another city: “My husband and I have been doing man-woman dual cultivation for a quite long period and our karma has been totally removed. Since our undertakings are completed, the day of Consummation is approaching.” But her friend failed to fully understand her words and consequently, didn’t pay much attention to it. However, three days later, the couple, following some eminent monks in the film, carried some gasoline to a remote place around the village, piled the lumbers in the shape of lotus and set themselves ablaze for “Consummation,” together with their beloved son Xiao Hu. When the villagers followed the flames to the scene, the couple had already died, and their son rolled down from the lumber stack because of the burning pain, with his head seriously burnt. After all-round rescue, the boy’s life was saved. Neighbors were all deeply grieved to learn the sad news.
Again, a happy family was ruined by Falun Gong.
