The Cultivation Story of a Judge in Taiwan

Mr. Chin-Nan Ku works as a judge in the Taiwan High Court's Taichung Branch Court. Born to a poor farming family, Mr. Ku had to quit middle school after three semesters in order to help tend the cows and work in the paddies. It was not until he was enrolled in the Taiwanese army that he had a chance to study and prepare for the junior level civil service examination. Upon passing the examination, Taiwan's Ministry of Examinations assigned him a pubic service position as the Directorate General of Highways under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. During his service there, Ku continued to pass senior level civil service examinations and then passed the qualification examination for being a judge. Mr. Ku stood out as the only candidate who did not graduate from a law school. In fact, he was even younger than other candidates. He passed the examination with flying colors and advanced from being a first trial judge, to chief judge of the first trial, to judge of the second trial, then to chief judge of the second trial. He has had much success in examinations and in his career. As a man who didn't even graduate from middle school, Mr. Ku has now become a judge in Taiwan's High Court. So what is is that brought a judge of Taiwan's High Court to Falun Gong? The following is Mr. Ku's story in his own words.

1. Falun Gong Cured a Friend of Mine Suffering from Terminal Stage Cancer

I was born in 1945, the year when Taiwan was freed from Japan's rule after WWII. I am 62 years old this year. In July of 2001, Mr. Kuo, who is a good friend of mine, and his wife gave me a copy of the book Zhuan Falun as a gift. Enclosed in the book was a list of Falun Gong group exercise practice sites in Taiwan. I read the list and found a practice site near my home, then contacted the volunteer for that site, Mr. Liu. That was how I started to study the Falun Gong teachings and practice the Falun Gong exercises.

Before that, I didn't know much about Falun Gong. Occasionally, I saw reports on TV and newspapers that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) suppressed Falun Gong in China. Other than that, I thought of Falun Gong as a type of exercise similar to Taichi.

Ms. Kuo used to suffer from lymphoma for years. She repeatably travelled to Shanghai to seek treatment from their famous doctors and had prescribed herbal medicine mailed to her from Shanghai for her long-term treatment. Although the cancer was temporarily under control because of the herbal treatment, it surfaced again and spread to the rest of her body and soon reached the terminal stage. Out of all the skilled doctors in China, they still couldn't find a cure and so she finally checked into the National Taiwan University Hospital and began her chemotherapy.

When my wife and I visited her after she completed the chemotherapy and returned home, she looked very frail and, in fact, was dying. She had lost all of her hair. My wife and I were laden with worry when they told us about her condition. We both felt that it would be "the bad news" if we received another call from Mr. and Ms. Kuo, because the hospital had declared that Ms. Kuo was going to live for another week or two, or at most, two to three months.

Later I learned that Ms. Kuo made a miraculous recovery since she started practicing Falun Gong. All the cancerous cells disappeared from her body. All her hair grew back, and in addition, her complexion became rosy. Now when I see her I think that her recovery is nothing short of a miracle.

When I first studied Zhuan Falun, I was deeply in awe of Falun Gong's purely selfless, profound and intricate content. Besides, Ms. Kuo's miraculous recovery has validated the content of Zhuan Falun. Her story has made me all the more determined in my cultivation of Falun Gong.

2. Becoming Healthy and Patient after Practicing Falun Gong

I was frail and prone to illness since childhood. In my times, children had to pass an entrance examination in order to gain a place in middle school. Although I passed the entrance examination, I had to quit school after a year because of my health. While nursing my health at home, I also helped my brother and father with the paddies. It was not until I was enrolled in the army that I was diagnosed with a heart problem. Because I was not allowed to exert myself with physical work due to my heart disease, I was assigned to desk work. Therefore, I had time to study and prepare for the civil service examinations and the judiciary personnel qualification examination.

It has been almost 40 years since I entered the judiciary field after completing military service. For decades, I had been troubled with chest pressure, a heart problem, digestive problems and allergies. I often caught colds and developed bronchitis. I went to the hospital so often that I had to renew my public health insurance card about three to four times a year. [Note: In Taiwan's public health care system, each insured Taiwanese citizen is given a health insurance card, which may be used for six hospital visits and renewed after six visits.]

Since I started practising Falun Gong, all of the physical pains disappeared before I even realised. For six years, I have never had to go see a doctor or get a physical examination. Even when I occasionally catch a cold when the seasons change, I completely recover in a day or two. My health condition is completely different than before I started practising. My hair used to be half gray, but now I have only a few strands of gray hair, and my hair loss rate has slowed down. Moreover, new hair started growing. I have become all the more healthy and energetic. Because of my transformation, those colleagues of mine who used to misunderstand Falun Gong because of the Chinese Communist Party's hate propaganda against the practice realized that Falun Gong is not at all what the CCP has made it out to be, and that Falun Gong is a profound and intricate cultivation school.

Falun Gong teaches its students to follow the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance", to remain kind and peaceful at all times, to search inward and improve when encountering conflicts, to be thoughtful of others and to emphasize cultivation of their minds and hearts. That's why I feel that besides the health benefits, the greatest part of practicing is improving my morality. My perspective on life has changed completely as I keep studying the Falun Gong teachings. I have become more positive and cheerful. I am no longer bothered by small losses or being taken advantage of, and I no longer fight over trivial matters.

I used to be very impatient when I drove. I kept checking the time, anxiously wanting to arrive at my destination as soon as possible. When I saw a green light, I would step on the gas so I would cross the intersection before it turned red. When I saw people violating traffic laws or driving aggressively, it really got on my nerves. Studying the Falun Gong teachings, the Fa), enabled me to see my flaws and helped me gradually rectify them. I am now learning to yield when I drive. I try to leave home early so that I won't have to rush. When I drive with a peaceful and tolerant mentality, I feel all the more relaxed and comfortable.

In the past, I would make personal long-distance calls from my office. But now I carry my mobile phone with me and will only make personal calls with my own mobile phone even if I am in the office. I will never take advantage of my office again. My colleagues noticed it and are now very impressed with Falun Gong's teachings. Many of my colleagues, after they came to understand what Falun Gong is really about, were interested in practicing Falun Gong. Some of them have been to Falun Gong group exercise practice sites to learn the Falun Gong exercises.

Before I studied the Fa, I was always under a lot of pressure to process the cases at hand. It was very difficult for me to relax because I was constantly hurrying to finish processing the cases. The truth is that there will always be new cases no matter how fast a judge processes his cases. There will never be a lack of work. Now that I am studying the Fa, I have changed the way I conduct myself. I am no longer overcome with anxiety to process cases. I can now react to significant or high-profile cases in a peaceful and calm manner, and I won't become impatient when a case is complicated or tedious. I can think more clearly and listen to trials more patiently, and I am impervious even when the defendants or prosecutors get emotional. This really helps the trials to go smoothly and improves the quality of my judgments.

3. My Wife Started to Practice and Introduce Others to the Practice

I used to be a typical "man of the house." I was never a violent man or verbally abusive, but I would make sure that everything I said was followed in the house and I didn't allow any differing opinions. After starting Falun Gong practice, I almost never lose my temper with my family. My wife and I started practicing Falun Gong together. She too witnessed the miraculous power of Falun Gong in Ms. Kuo before she decided to practice Falun Gong.

After my wife started Falun Gong practice, she became altruistic and selfless. She does things for others without seeking return and does not make a fuss over trivial matters. Therefore, she gets along with our daughter-in-law very well. She also takes our three granddaughters to study the Fa and practice Falun Gong exercises. My entire family has benefited from practicing Falun Gong.

Although my wife has good health, she was a little apprehensive of her health as she got older because her parents were bed-ridden towards the end of their lives and suffered a lot of pain. She said to me, "There are many hidden illnesses in each of us. They are like time bombs waiting to go off." Hence, she gets up early every day to practice the Falun Gong exercises, and she is even more diligent in studying the Fa.

My wife used to stay home most of the time, but nowadays she often visits prisons or detention centers in Taiwan with fellow practitioners to spread the Fa to prison inmates and teach them the Falun Gong exercises. She said, "Every one has a kind side. Often times people commit crimes because they are unable to control their bad side. I hope that being in prison will not deny them the chance to understand Falun Gong or practice Falun Gong. I hope that they will start their journey of returning to their true, innocent selves." During the process of teaching inmates to study Falun Gong and practice Falun Gong exercises, my wife says she feels her character elevating! She once said to me, "The Fa teaches us to let go of all attachments and follow the course of nature, including family, children and work. Once I have vented the pressure, I feel clear-minded and cheerful. I can now take more things in stride and my work efficiency is higher. I now lead a very full life. After having studied the Fa for a few years, I now feel lighthearted and truly happy!"

In over 30 years of my career as a judge, I see that the crime rate keeps climbing each year. People start to commit crimes in their tender years and the crimes are becoming increasingly heinous. The morality of society is sinking. There are trends of degeneration. People fight with and cheat one another. Although I try hard to be a fair judge, I feel powerless before the chaos in society. When I studied Zhuan Falun for the first time, I was very shocked. I believe that only Falun Gong can save a person's mind from degenerating and rectify the chaotic society. Many inmates have made incredible improvements after they started practicing Falun Gong. Their transformations have proved Falun Gong to be truly powerful.

4. The CCP Violates the Chinese Constitution and Trashes Human Rights and China's Judiciary System to Suppress Falun Gong

As a judge, I think that it is impossible to justify the CCP's suppression of Falun Gong according to the law. The decision to ban and suppress Falun Gong has never gone through any legislative process. All it took was a written order from Jiang Zemin, then Chairman of the CCP and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, to instruct the CCP's political, military, public security and judiciary systems to completely eradicate Falun Gong. After Jiang Zemin's speech at the Central Political Bureau about eradicating Falun Gong was compiled into a notice, the Ministry of Civil Administration immediately made a decision to ban Falun Gong and the Public Security Bureau (PSB) issued a public notice to ban Falun Gong. The 'Gestapo' like 610 Office was established from central to local governments throughout China to arrest Falun Gong practitioners at will and put them in prisons, detention centers, forced labor camps or even psychiatric institutions, where they face forced brainwashing, torture and abuses. The CCP even ordered the judiciary system to deny Falun Gong practitioners any legal assistance. The PRC's Supreme Court ordered all the courts of law to deny Falun Gong practitioners' lawsuits and complaints and notified the attorneys through the attorney associations to forbid any legal representation on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. The 610 Office and its suppressive measures are in utter and complete violation of the PRC's Constitution and laws. The persecuted Falun Gong practitioners are unable to seek justice and are deprived of their human rights.

According to Article 5 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC), "No law or administrative or local rules and regulations shall contravene the Constitution. All state organs, the armed forces, all political parties and public organizations and all enterprises and undertakings must abide by the Constitution and the law. All acts in violation of the Constitution and the law must be investigated. No organization or individual may enjoy the privilege of being above the Constitution and the law."

However, Jiang Zemin overrode the PRC's Constitution and law for his personal vendetta against Falun Gong.

Article 35 of the PRC's Constitution says, "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration."

Article 36 of the PRC's Constitution says, "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities. No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state. Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination."

Article 37 says, "The freedom of person of citizens of the People's Republic of China is inviolable. No citizen may be arrested except with the approval or by decision of a people's procuratorate or by decision of a people's court, and arrests must be made by a public security organ. Unlawful deprivation or restriction of citizens' freedom of person by detention or other means is prohibited; and unlawful search of the person of citizens is prohibited."

Article 38 says, "The personal dignity of citizens of the People's Republic of China is inviolable. Insult, libel, false charges or frame-up directed against citizens by any means is prohibited."

Article 39 says, "The home of citizens of the People's Republic of China is inviolable. Unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a citizen's home is prohibited."

Article 40 says, "The freedom and privacy of correspondence of citizens of the People's Republic of China are protected by law. No organization or individual may, on any grounds, infringe upon the freedom and privacy of citizens' correspondence except in cases where, to meet the needs of state security or of investigation into criminal offenses, public security or procuratorial organs are permitted to censor correspondence in accordance with procedures prescribed by law."

An average democratic nation will have nearly the same articles to protect its people's basic rights.

It is explicitly clear that the CCP's suppression of Falun Gong has completely abandoned the PRC's Constitution and bypassed its judiciary system. The CCP established the 610 Office to execute all the illegal searches, arrests and imprisonments of Falun Gong practitioners. The 610 Office does not even have to go through a court of law or the judiciary system to put a Falun Gong practitioner in jail. The 610 Office even denies any court of law or attorneys from providing legal defense or representation for Falun Gong practitioners. These are severe violations of the PRC's Constitution, laws and human rights.

In terms of the CCP's suppression of Falun Gong, the PRC's Constitution and laws have lost all of their place because they cannot protect the PRC's citizens' basic rights. The PRC's laws are used to suppress and persecute its people. The PRC's Constitution stipulates that the citizens of the PRC should enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration; should enjoy freedom of religious belief; and should be treated with respect and dignity. The PRC's Constitution also warrants that the PRC's citizens' homes shall not be searched illegally and that they shall enjoy the freedom to communicate by mail. But it is explicitly clear that none of these articles in the PRC's Constitution are followed by the CCP. These things show that the CCP completely trashes the laws and human rights. The CCP has never changed its brutal, murderous and evil nature.

5. It is an Intolerable Crime for the CCP to Harvest Internal Organs from Falun Gong Practitioners for Profit - I Have Joined Others to Protest the Persecution of Falun Gong

I am currently a judge in Taiwan's High Court. I used to be in Falun Gong's Human Rights Group to help bring people's attention to the CCP's human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners. Now it has become the Human Rights Law Association in North America and I am one of the consultants on its committee, working with the association to help protect basic human rights.

It has been eight years since the CCP started to brutally ban Falun Gong and persecute its practitioners on July 20th, 1999. In 2004, the CCP's shockingly heinous crime of harvesting internal organs from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners for profits was revealed. The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) wrote letters to one of the most famous human rights attorneys in Canada, David Matas, and a former member of Canadian Parliament and former secretary of state, David Kilgour, to help investigate the CCP's alleged crime of imprisoning Falun Gong practitioners and harvesting their internal organs for illegal organ transplants while they are alive. After careful investigation, they concluded that the allegations are true and the crime still continues. It has now been verified that in China there is a huge organ bank consisting of living human beings, and that these people are incarcerated Falun Gong practitioners. The CCP's heinous crimes continue to be exposed as more and more people read the investigation report. This helps curb the heinous crimes of organ harvesting and trading.

Knowing the CCP's brutalities against Falun Gong, I shall persevere in protesting the persecution and clarifying the truth until justice is served!

Closing remarks

Judge Chin-Nan Ku said, "Falun Gong is not an structured organization and does not maintain a membership list. Every one is free to practice Falun Gong and free to leave at any time. Learning Falun Gong is completely free. Falun Gong teaches its students to improve their hearts and to let go of all worldly pursuits, whilst still living a dignified and respectable life. It is a high-level cultivation school. One will benefit physically and spiritually as long as one solidly cultivates. The results are very quick. Mr. Li Hongzhi has opened a most convenient door in order to teach people how to cultivate in everyday people's society. It is the righteous Buddha Fa that will save people's minds from degenerating while rectifying social disorder. I hope that those who have the great fortune of knowing Falun Gong will cherish it, even though it may be easy to start. I also hope that they don't wait until they are at death's door to think about cultivating solidly."