(Minghui.org) I started to practice Falun Gong in 1996. I wish to share some of my cultivation experiences from this past year.
I am a teacher at a county high school. I clarified the truth to my students during class several years ago and was then threatened by the school administration. They stopped my course stipend. I was deprived of the right to teach. They tried to isolate me.
I knew this happened because I studied the Fa very little, and even when I studied the Fa, I was not focused and my righteous thoughts were insufficient. The old forces then took advantage of my loopholes.
Because the school had a teacher shortage, the principal had to restore my position and had me teach two Chinese language classes. More than once he emphasized that I was not allowed to tell my students about Falun Gong. I did not cooperate with his request, but I had fear and worry in my heart.
I started to teach the two classes when the students were in the first year of high school and followed them through the third year. As a Falun Gong practitioner, I knew that the students in these classes were waiting to hear the truth about Falun Gong and were waiting to be saved. I knew that I should take good care of them. In the beginning, my fear prevented me from talking about the persecution. But on several occasions I relaxed enough for my teaching topics to flow naturally into the topic of Falun Gong.
The students were to graduate in a month, but I still had not told them about withdrawing their memberships of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) youth leagues. I was fearful, and because of my notions, I did not clarify the truth to them and left this important aspect of saving them to the very last moment. I was worried and also felt it was a difficult to do. I became very anxious.
One night there was a blackout. I was scheduled to have my first class. A few candles were serving as lights when I came into the classroom. It was fairly dark. Many students were unable to read or write, so some of them asked me to tell them stories.
I told them the story of an old angel and a little angel and explained to them the principle of karmic retribution. One student asked me to tell them stories about my life. I knew it was time for me to tell them the truth. I asked them to guess if I had lived a happy life. All of them said yes in unison. I told them that I indeed have lived a happy life, though those who knew me would think I had lived a miserable life.
The students asked me why. I told them that I had been illegally detained several times because I went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong and that I was once sent to a forced labor camp. My salary had been greatly reduced. For three years I had to live on a monthly allowance of 180 yuan (US $26.50). I told them how practitioners were tortured in the forced labor camps and gave them examples.
The classroom was very quiet and the students were shocked by the stories. They had never heard of such cruel things and could not believe that their teacher had experienced such severe persecution. They looked at me with tears in their eyes. Their main teacher came in to light more candles for them. They urged her to leave quickly so that I could tell them more stories about my life.
I said that I had something very important to tell them, and it might determine their life or death. I talked about how heaven would eliminate the CCP and how hundreds of millions of people had already quit the party. I told them the reasons for the elimination and why people had to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations to keep themselves safe. I mentioned the stone found in Guizhou that was inscribed with the Chinese characters the “Chinese Communist Party will perish.”
The students surrounded me after the class. Some asked me earnestly what they should do if they were members of the CCP's youth organizations. The next class was about to start, and I thought I did not have enough time to ask them one-by-one whether they wanted to withdraw. I thought I would use another class to clarify the truth to them some more and ask them to withdraw. I now realize that I should have asked them to withdraw immediately. Some students even asked me how to practice the exercises. I told them to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, to be a good person and look within if there was a conflict. One student said, “Teacher, you are really nice and patient.”
I decided to ask the students to express their wishes to quit the CCP in the evening class the following week. I had fear in my heart. I feared that the administration staff would find out or that the students might report me. I also feared that some students might think that I was wasting their precious time because their final exams were only a couple of weeks away. However, I then remembered that they came for the Fa and for salvation. Their knowing sides were waiting for Dafa practitioners to save them. I should not disregard them because of my human notions. Master's Fa came to mind.
Master said:
“I am rooted in the universe. If anyone can harm you, he or she would be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this universe.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I tried to reinforce my righteous thoughts.
As I came into the classroom, a student named Luo started reading a poem from a textbook written by CCP founder Mao Zedong. I did not teach the students this poem. Actually I did not teach them any of Mao's articles, because his writings were filled with lies and there were evil factors behind his words. I did not want to poison the students. As a Dafa practitioner, I have to save them. I came up with some logical excuses to skip these articles. I sometimes only used the title to allow them to understand the CCP's true history.
The students had learned a considerable amount of facts. I sent forth righteous thoughts and then talked about the movement of quitting the CCP again. I then asked the students to write their names on slips of paper I gave them if they agreed to withdraw from the CCP's youth organizations.
Luo kept interrupting. He said he had to study and did not want to waste his time with this, and he also cursed the students who wanted to withdraw. He even said that Falun Gong practitioners did these things for money.
I knew he was doing these things on purpose. I smiled tat him and said loudly, “Falun Gong practitioners make materials with their own money. They do so from their hearts and risk their lives to tell people the truth. If I gave you money, would you do it?”
“I might do it,” he said cynically, “Money is omnipotent. Without money you cannot do anything.”
“Luo cannot understand what I said,” I said to the class, “I hope he will understand in the future.”
I thought Luo was hopeless and could not be saved. I had told him so many facts, but he was still muddle headed. Many students were talking among themselves. Some hesitated. I repeatedly emphasized the importance of quitting the Party. Only a dozen students handed in their notes. Most of them did not.
I looked within and found that I was attached to how many people would withdraw from the Party and wanted a good result. I still had fear. I did not do it purely for the sake of saving them.
Luo started to misbehave in class. He talked to the students beside him while I lectured. He also looked at me with provocation and ridicule in his eyes. I also sensed his fear and that he was putting up his guard against me. He sometimes slept on his desk, which he had never done before.
I worried that he would affect the students around him, even though they had already withdrawn from the CCP's affiliated organizations. I sent strong righteous thoughts to clear the evil factors behind him to prevent him from influencing other students. I had already regarded him as someone who interfered with my saving people and as one who had been poisoned to the bone by the CCP.
I asked the students to study by themselves for the last few classes. I called students to my desk one-by-one to clarify the truth to them and persuade them to withdraw from the CCP's affiliated organizations. I could only talk to two or three students during each class because I had to spend time at the beginning of each session clearing the bad thoughts and human notions that prevented me from clarifying the truth. I recited Master's Fa in my mind and kept reinforcing my righteous thoughts and eliminating the bad beings and elements that prevented the students from being saved with righteous thoughts. I had no intention of talking with Luo again.
I was reciting Master's Fa “Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in spring” (The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos, Hong Yin II) while I was sending forth righteous thoughts one day in class. My heart was full of compassion and righteousness. I looked at Luo and realized that I should talk to him. He was so badly poisoned and needed to listen to more facts. The truth would dissolve the bad elements in his thoughts. So I called him up to my desk. He felt a bit shocked and reluctantly went.
“You have given me a lot of good memories,” I said to him sincerely and with compassion, “You gave me a big hug last Christmas Eve. You actively answered my questions in class. You read the textbooks with feeling. All of these acts moved me. But I feel regret because I am not able to eliminate your misunderstandings toward Falun Gong. I was incapable in this regard.”
“Teacher, I believe what you said actually,” he said, “But I am confused. I am like at a crossroad and don't know which way to go.”
His reply really surprised me. He looked moved. I told him more about Falun Gong and about the CCP's brutality and lies. He agreed that Falun Gong is good and the CCP is bad.
“As a just person, “ I told him, “ You should discard those organizations and keep away from them. Would you like to withdraw from the CCP's youth organizations?”
He said he would withdraw by himself online. I was anxious that he would change his mind. I realized that I was impatient. It was time to let it go. The old forces might still interfere with him being saved, so I sent righteous thoughts in my heart. I told him that I respected his decision and told him that he must use anti-firewall software to visit overseas uncensored websites if he wished to withdraw.
I gave him a USB with anti-firewall software on it several days later and told him how to use it. He then asked me to help him withdraw from the CCP's youth organizations. I asked him if he would like to use his real name or an alias. He hesitated and said, “I have to think about it. Teacher, I will let you know once I come up with a name.”
I thought it was best to help him withdraw there and then because the evil was constantly interfering with him. I gave him the alias “Gao Xiang.”
“This name means you are flying high and freely,” I explained to him, “I hope you will fly high and freely throughout your life.”
He agreed happily and sincerely thanked me.
He completely changed after that. He was no longer impetuous or restless. He was no longer hostile towards me. He became quiet in class. He embodied the calmness and happiness of a being who had been saved. I nearly missed saving him. I felt regret that I had thought he was so hopeless. Thank you Master for giving me hints and making me let go of my bad thoughts and for letting compassion fill my heart so Luo could be saved.
I learned a lesson from this incident. Do not judge a person by his behavior. Do not give up on him or her because he or she manifests bad behavior for a short period of time. Treat sentient beings with the greatest compassion. Thank you Master for your infinite compassion toward disciples and sentient beings.
