(Minghui.org) Perhaps it was planned long ago that I would play the role of a teacher in this lifetime. I have a predestined affinity with children, so I experienced many events while assisting Master in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings.
I majored in Chinese. In the past several decades, traditional Chinese culture was targeted as “poison” and thus attacked by the Chinese government. I was taught Party propaganda from elementary school through college. The only few ancient poems that remained in the texts were interpreted with Party ideology. Since test scores determine one's fate, essays had to be aligned with the expected answers. The essence of Chinese culture was being lost.
For a time, I was under distress and did not know how to teach my students. I knew that I would harm the children if I taught the way an ordinary teacher in China does. However, if I taught them based on Dafa, my students would not be able to be prepared for the standard tests. One time as I was studying the Fa, Master's Fa suddenly came to me: my mission is to save sentient beings, let people know about divine beings, teach them about the Fa and thus be saved.
With Master's inspiration and the wisdom I gained from Dafa, I gradually learned to use the texts with flexibility. Except for the basic knowledge the students need to know, traditional Chinese culture and the contents of the Fa can be incorporated into classroom teachings, which are also what children like to listen to the most. Reading the textbooks, writing essays and journals became the best way for us to communicate. I see those interactions as opportunities to correct their twisted ideology and instill the Fa into their minds. During class work, I sent forth righteous thoughts toward the children to use the power of Dafa to open their restricted minds and true nature.
Master said:
“This characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is in the microscopic particles of air, rock, wood, soil, iron and steel, the human body, as well as in all matter. In ancient times it was said that the Five Elements constitute all things and matter in the universe; they also carry this characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren.” (Zhuan Falun)
When I had taught this way for a while, my students generally believed in the existence of gods and Buddhas, and accepted the concepts of fate, karmic reincarnation, good and evil, retribution, etc. Some of the students told me quietly: “Teacher, my Yuanshen left my body before, the experience of going into another dimension is amazing!” “I have the supernormal capability of precognition!” When Dafa opened up their restricted minds, some students described in their journal: “Teacher is a fairy flying in the sky.”
I was arrested before they graduated, but the children had righteous attitudes and knew the truth about the persecution. I met them again a few years later, and it was very easy to convince them to renounce their membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations.
I was not allowed to go back to school and teach after I was released from prison; thus, I tutored children outside of the classroom. Teaching at home was most convenient. Reference books were on the shelf within reach, and we were able to go on the internet to research topics, such as how the divine had created the world, how ancient people cultivated themselves, how beings reincarnated and how prophecies were fulfilled.
We researched information on traditional food, clothing, paintings, poems, architecture, and more, as well as how they are bestowed by the heavens. When my students had gained large amounts of knowledge about traditional culture from multiple channels, their mentality started to change. Atheism, Darwinism and materialism started to fade and evaporate from their minds.
I chose and organized the content I wanted to teach, then printed and gave them to my students. One of my students, a little boy, was very opinionated in his classroom. His teacher asked him where he got these ideas and knowledge. He replied that he learned them from his after school teacher and showed the other teacher the print outs I had made.
After that, his teacher asked him for my printouts every Monday and talked about the contents in his class. Thus, the boy's classmates benefited as well. Therefore, I put more effort into preparing the lessons. One Sunday, the little boy told me that this week's topic in biology class had been Darwinism, and that he had given examples of prehistoric culture he had heard from me. The class became lively as other students gave their own examples to support prehistoric culture. In the end, the students showed that the theory of evolution was wrong and the teacher concurred.
When I taught, I talked about Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and gods, and the students were immediately touched by the essence of the Chinese culture-- having faith in gods and practicing cultivation. With this kind of information, the minds of the students broadened and they became very interested. I invited their parents to listen to my class with their children. They found the topics refreshing as well and were more serious in taking notes than their children.
After Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and Disintegrating the Party Culture were published, I incorporated them into my teaching. I constantly made comparisons: gods created men and treasures them, the CCP commits murder. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism teach men to return to their true divine selves, the CCP's theories are against humanity and turn men to their evil side. Buddhism and Taoism have immeasurable power and wisdom, modern science is not only narrow minded and superficial, it is also destroying our nature. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance enhances man's spiritual and moral standards, “class struggle” doctrines lead men to hopelessness. These comparisons helped students and parents to easily distinguish good from evil, right from wrong; thus, their distorted mentality was corrected. After that, they truly had a positive understanding of Dafa and naturally withdrew from CCP organizations.
After the Shen Yun DVD became available, I taught my students to appreciate art and we watched the DVD during a lesson. I loaned the DVD to middle and high school students and they watched it at home. During the next class I gave them a quiz: Did you watch it? Do you understand it? What did you learn from it? Just like that, some children were already living in accordance with the Fa. Some of them borrowed Zhuan Falun from me, and after reading it, they pressed the book against their hearts and solemnly said: “Master Li Hongzhi, you are my master!”
Lu Ping (name was changed to protect her) was my student when I was teaching at school. To help her get into a good high school, her parents worshiped many temples and provoked some dark spirits. They then looked for a solution, but the results were even worse. Those dark spirits followed Lu Ping. Streetlights would go off when she walked at night and she saw shadows. She was very scared and her parents were unable to do anything about it.
Lu Ping's mother came to me one day and told me about the situation. They had tried everything. Lu Ping's grandmother practices Falun Gong and told Lu Ping's mother to talk to me. I said: I cannot help you, only Master can. I told her to throw away anything they got from those people, including decorations. I then went to her home and let Lu Ping read the section about “Spirit or Animal Possession” in Zhuan Falun .
Lu Ping read the first two paragraphs and complained about an unbearable headache. I told her to keep reading. She read two more paragraphs, and her head was hurting again. She continued to read until the end of the section. Then she stood up and said excitedly: “I'm fine!” The spirit had gone and her eyes even looked different. She held on to Zhuan Falun and wanted to finish reading it, saying, “I am a cultivator from now on.” Lu Ping later told me that she told her classmates that Dafa is good and criticized atheism. She always wins the conversation if someone with a wrong understanding challenges her. I believe Dafa gave her power and righteous thoughts. This child eventually went to college, graduate school, and is now teaching at a college in America. She received an honorary citizen award in her community.
One night, I got a phone call from a parent of a family that used to live downstairs from me. The mother wanted me to talk to her son. Once in the car, she told me her problems. She wanted her son to study harder so she constantly reminded him to do his schoolwork. Yet, he did not listen to her and was annoyed, so these two had frequent arguments. Her husband did not want to stay at home and did not come home until the middle of the night. The couple started to have conflicts and there seemed to be constant fighting in the house.
I talked to her son about Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, told him stories of filial piety, to be considerate and understanding to his mother, and to respect his parents, which is a reflection of his kindness. I also talked to his mother about Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and stressed the way the ancient people used in order to discipline their children. I suggested to her to find someone that writes good calligraphy and have that person write her the word “forbearance”. Later, the word “forbearance” was posted on the door of her son's room, and everyone reflected on themselves at every moment. Ten days later, the mother called me and said: “Teacher, it worked! When I look at the word 'forbearance' before I enter my son's room, my heart becomes calm, and my son doesn't find me annoying anymore. Our home is peaceful and my husband stopped going out at night.”
While I was detained at a labor camp, the guards brought their children to me for lessons when school was out. I pitied those children. Their parents are the CCP's “tool of violence” and they receive the CCP propaganda teaching at school. Those children wondered why I was detained. I told them it was because I practice Dafa and that the Communist Party persecutes Falun Gong and its practitioners. Dafa brought out the kindness in these children, and they told their parents to release me.
One time, a child was surprised to see me: “Teacher, I know you!” That was odd, so I asked her where and when had she had seen me. “On TV, the education channel, you were teaching a lesson!”, she replied. I asked “When was that?” She said, “Now, it is broadcasting now!” I did not know whether to laugh or cry. What she was referring to was a lecture series I had recorded for the education channel. The education channel was still widely broadcasting it while I was being persecuted in a labor camp.
Naturally, I explained to the children the truth about the persecution and answered their questions during our lessons. One student said to her mother: “Mom, let our teacher go home, she should be teaching us in a classroom!” During the holidays, those children sent fruit and pastries to me, and told the guards to keep an eye on them so no one else would touch them. I hope those children will preserve their good nature.
When I clarified the truth to people during my lessons, the attachment to fear emerged. I taught at home, but officers from the police station and neighborhood community constantly harassed me. I had to let go of my fear a little bit at a time.
When I just started teaching at home, I chatted with the new students and their parents during our first meeting. I used these opportunities to clarify the truth about the persecution, and told them that I was being persecuted for practicing Falun Gong. The majority of the students stayed in my class.
One time, a mother came to my class with her child. It happened that this child's father is the chief of the medical service section in the detention center where I was detained. I told them not to persecute Dafa practitioners and treat them kindly. Another parent works in the Domestic Security Division. He listened to me sincerely. I asked him: “Can you understand me?” He said: “I can understand you from my personal point of view, but work...” He shook his head. Even though I did not get into any trouble because I talked to them, these two families did not send their children to my class. I thought, how can I save them if they don't come!
I changed my approach later. I had them start their lesson first, and gradually talked about the persecution. During each lesson, I purposely focused on changing a concept, exposing a lie, teaching a way of thinking, etc. I remained flexible and made adjustments based on each individual and circumstance.
It was not as easy to talk about the persecution when I had to teach a class outside of my home, as I didn't know the children or the adults there well. I had to figure out a way. I sometimes arrived a little earlier and left pamphlets that clarified the truth about Falun Gong outside the gate, hallway and classrooms where students could see them. I then used my righteous thoughts to tell them: find them, read them, pass them around!
The children listened to me! They brought them to the classroom, where they read them out loud so that others could hear it. Since I left pamphlets with different content, they shared the different versions with others. After that, they had a lively discussion. I pitched in a few words in the middle of their conversation. I added a few more points during the lesson, and thoroughly talked about the divine Chinese culture, and exposed the persecution, which was a natural part of it. I told the students to keep the pamphlets, give them to their teachers and parents, and if there was anything they still did not understand, they could ask me again. One set of pamphlets had such a big impact.
One of the classes I taught only had ten lessons, so I had to use my time wisely to blend into the classroom materials what I needed to say about the persecution. Some students understood quite well and withdrew from the CCP organizations. I wondered what I should say in the last class? I suddenly remembered the way Master conducted his lectures; therefore, I implemented questions and answers. I invited students to ask me questions, while I sent forth righteous thoughts, and the children asked everything I wanted them to ask: Is there really such a thing as divine beings? What about the man who burned himself on Tiananmen Square? Is Falun Gong practiced in other countries? This went on for two hours. They kept asking questions, and eventually all the students withdrew from the CCP organizations.
In the sixth grade teaching subject “Ideology and Morality”, a picture of Liu Siying was depicted, in which she was wrapped in a bandage and being interviewed. Since this “self-immolation” case was exposed as being staged, the new editions had altered the picture. The color of the bandage was changed to blend in with Liu Siying's skin, and her arms appear unnaturally thick. One can tell right away that the picture had been altered. I showed my students the two editions of the text and let them compare. The students noticed right away and stated: “Aren't they deceiving us in such a clumsy way? The Tiananmen Square self-immolation is staged! What else are we being deceived with?”
I had told my students my own childhood story countless times: When I was young, I wore the red scarf and vowed on Children's Day, because “children in Taiwan were starving to death on the streets just like the little girl in Little Match Girl. I will save Taiwanese children after I grow up.” My students laughed at my foolishness because they knew that the children in Taiwan were not starving and that this was a lie.
One of them said: “Teacher, you were deceived! You were too naive!” I said: “You are just like me when I was young. You are also being deceived; furthermore, those who deceived me are also the ones who deceive you.” They wanted to know: “Who is it?” This opened up a dialog and we talked about well known names, as well as historical events, such as the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, the staged self-immolation on Tiananmen Square and more. Once the truth is placed before people, they will instinctively choose well.
In order to reach out to more students, I used the mail approach for quite some time. I found lots of addresses of teachers, professors and students, from kindergarten to universities, which were printed on school contact lists and publications. I mainly focused on teachers and prioritized rural, coastal and minority areas, including locations that have very few Dafa practitioners. I tried my best to mail letters to schools. One letter can open a lively conversation in a classroom. I added a note on the back of the letters stating “please forward it to teachers in xxx department”. This way, teachers in an entire department learned the entire content of the letter.
When I wrote those letters, I used different envelopes and wrote on them with different colored pens, I also used different stamps. I also randomly selected provinces and cities this way, and slipped seven or eight completely different letters in the same mail box. I was able to send out up to 80 letters a day. During the most intense times, many mail boxes on the streets were taken down, and I had to walk very far to find one. At the post office, plainclothes police officers guarded the mail box. When I walked up to the mailbox and dropped in my letters, the police never saw me doing it. I noticed the foolishness of the police and their fear was beyond ridiculous. I mailed these letters with a pure heart, and many recipients acknowledged my letters.
One time, my daughter wrote a letter to an upper level official at the university she was attending. She forgot to alter her hand writing, and was discovered by personnel of the school's office. My daughter was called into the office and questioned. She started to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to the teacher in the office. Then she started to cry and said: “Teacher, I am doing this for you!” The teacher was moved and hugged her. She reminded my daughter to be careful and played this incident down.
I had a thought: Maybe the saved sentient beings emit a light! Those students who understood the truth about the persecution brought their classmates to me and told them: “Listen, listen to this teacher and accept her ideas.” A parent was very grateful that her child had changed for the better, but complained to me about her marital issues. I replied that Dafa teaches people to be kind to each other and talks about the ancient people's concept of marriage. She felt good afterward and her heart was more open. She also withdrew from the CCP organizations.
A previous student of mine sent her child to my class after learning the truth. She also threw away everything in her home that was of a devious nature.
A parent used to practice Falun Gong, but she stopped when the persecution began in 1999. I talked to her from different angles every time, and she brought her child to the class. She agreed with the truth, but did not believe that Master is here to save people. I thought: Master, please enlighten her, let her have a dream.
Sure enough, she called me and said she had a dream, but she could not tell me about it on the phone. She visited me on a Saturday and could not wait to tell me her dream: She saw the dark universe and galaxies. Suddenly a speck of light appeared far away. It came closer and closer, then she saw Master sitting on a lotus flower and flying toward her. She said it was so real! She completely believes now.
This is the 15 th year of Master's Fa rectification, and much has changed! I remember at the beginning of the persecution, I walked to the top floor of our school building during recess and looked down. The playground was full of children who were being deceived, poisoned and destroyed. However, I knew I was unable to save that many people. There are hundreds of millions of children in China, how could I save them all? I cried silently, but made it through! With Master's compassion and the tireless efforts of disciples, the evil beings are being eliminated and sentient beings are being awakened.
I thank Master! These are stories about my students and I, and they will have a good ending.
I thank our great Master on behalf of all the children!