(Minghui.org)
On the twentieth anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the public and the thirteenth World Falun Dafa Day, in order to express my gratitude for Master's compassionate salvation and to let more people know the truth, I would like to share my 15 years' cultivation experience in Falun Dafa, especially how my leaders, colleagues and students changed their attitudes and came to understand that Falun Dafa is good.
Students Said, “Teacher, You've Changed”
I am an elementary school teacher. I obtained the Fa in 1997. Before that, I had a strong mentality of valuing competency and had attachments to fame and personal interests. I had a bad temper. At a time when I stood to possibly lose my job and my husband did not understand me and was considering a divorce, a colleague gave me the book Zhuan Falun. I finished reading it in three days. Then on the same day, I found a practice site and started the cultivation in Dafa.
After I obtained the Fa, I became open and bright, and I let go of seeking fame and personal interests. My mind was peaceful, and I always thought of others. I truly wanted to be a better person. My leaders and colleagues all said that I was like a completely new person. I can still recall that during the semester in which I obtained the Fa, I was a classroom teacher. Once the school organized a recitation contest. Student Mingming in my class performed the best and should have been No. 1. The students in my class were happy and showed off a little, but the students in another class informed the Young Pioneers counselor, who then dropped Mingming's score to the bottom when publishing the results. All of the students in my class got very angry and wanted to fight with the students in the other class. I persuaded them to stop. I was calm and told myself that I needed to forbear. Afterward, I communicated with the counselor. This greatly shocked the teachers in the school. In the past, I would have gotten angry because of my bad temper and created a big stir. The principal of the school also supported me. The teachers said, “You really have virtue. If it were us, we could not have helped but argue with the counselor.”
Master said,
“We say that when you’re handling a disagreement, if you can take a step back you’ll see things in a whole new light. I guarantee things will look different.” (Zhuan Falun)
I tolerated it, and I was very peaceful. Afterward, when the counselor saw me, he felt uneasy. But to me, it felt like nothing had happened to me. I did not purse fame and personal interests.
After one semester, the students found that I had completely changed. One student said, “Teacher, before you had a wicked look in your eyes, just like a wolf's eyes. We were all very afraid of you and did not want to go near you. Now you have become very kind and peaceful. We like to talk to you.” I was very happy when I heard that. I told her, “I started to cultivate in Falun Dafa.” She said, “Oh, that is why. My parents also cultivate in Falun Dafa.” I truly experienced the magnificence of Dafa. As long as we cultivate the Fa, following “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” we will change unconsciously, and others will feel it. I was very hot-tempered before cultivating in Dafa. I even beat the students when they made mistakes, and I often said some words of sarcasm. Since beginning my cultivation, however, I have cultivated diligently and used my actions to validate the Fa.
In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched the persecution of Falun Gong. Since then, I have been arrested four times. Because I was strict with myself at work, I created a good foundation among my leaders and colleagues. They had a very good impression of me. They witnessed how I was brutally persecuted and used all kinds of ways to protect me and resist the persecution with righteous thoughts, which also helped them and their family members to choose a great future.
Changes in Three Principals
Principal Wang was the principal of my school from 1999 to the end of 2000. When I was arrested for the first time, she went to the detention center to visit me and persuade me to give up Falun Gong. She said that I negatively affected the school's chance to get the outstanding school award and caused the school to get a smaller bonus. She tried to persuade me to understand the situation and not be against the CCP. I told her of the greatness of Dafa. Later she did not argue with me anymore. I used a hunger strike to protest the persecution at the detention center, which greatly shocked her. After I was released and came back to work, I was arrested twice more and sentenced to forced labor once. After one year's forced labor, I came back to work again. During that period, my husband forced me to divorce and beat me badly. My body was full of bruises. But I firmly insisted on my belief. Principal Wang saw my firmness in cultivating in Dafa. Her attitude toward me gradually changed.
When I came back to work, principal Wang did not let me teach class. Instead, she assigned me to the mail room to receive the newspapers and clean the building. It was a big change from classroom teacher to janitor. All of the people talked about it and looked at me with a strange look. Some showed sympathy to me, some did not understand me, and some even watched me to see if I became mentally disordered. Because of the CCP's evil propaganda, they did not understand Falun Gong. But I had a peaceful mind, and I was always cheerful. After a while, people's attitude toward me gradually changed. They saw that I was normal, and that I was a very good person. Principal Wang started to care about me. During our conversation, she felt regret and felt that I was stubborn, but at the same time she really admired my consistency.
In 2000, the evil persecuted Falun Gong the most severely. The upper-level authorities constantly sent orders to the school requiring me to write a guarantee statement to give up practicing Falun Gong. Principal Wang tried to persuade me, but I firmly refused to write the letter. She could not control herself and got very angry at me. She said that I did not understand her work. I knew that the evil CCP used guilt by association and this affected my school greatly. I told her peacefully, “I know it is not easy for you and the upper-level authorities give you a lot of pressure. I can talk to the officials in the education bureau and explain it clearly.” Maybe my compassion touched her. She was no longer angry. I wrote a letter and went to the education bureau to hand it in to the section head in charge. My letter said that there was nothing wrong with believing in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and being a good person. As a teacher, I should be a role model to the students. I benefited from Dafa, I could not lie, and I must cultivate in Dafa until the end. In my letter, I also said that I won't write any guarantee statement or give up Falun Dafa. After they saw my letter, they did not say anything and let me go.
At the end of 2000, principal Wang retired. At her farewell dinner, she told me in front of many teachers, “I admired you the most. I am not against your belief. You need to pay attention to safety and protect yourself.” I knew principal Wang said the truth, and I saw changes in her.
The second principal came to my school in September 2001. I had been imprisoned in the forced labor camp and went back to work in November. Before I was released, principal Li held a meeting and warned the teachers to stay away from me. She said that although they could not persuade me, they should not listen to me clarify the truth about Falun Gong. She also arranged for other teachers to monitor me.
I knew that principal Li did not understand me and did not understand Falun Gong either. She was poisoned by the CCP, and I was sympathetic to her. What I could do is do my work well and be strict with myself following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She did not want me to teach a class and just assigned me to the computer room to type materials. There was a lot of typing work at the school, and many teachers came to me for help. I was very busy every day. Sometimes because of the upper-level authority's inspection, I could not rest at noon, but I did not complain, and I was always cheerful and peaceful no matter how busy I was. I also got along very well with other teachers. I used the opportunity to help them understand the facts about Falun Gong. Many of them did understand and were not hostile toward Dafa. At that time, due to the evil CCP's pressure, many teachers and especially the principal always criticized Falun Gong in their summaries and reports, using the cliches to draw a clear line in support of the CCP and against Falun Gong. When I saw those contents while typing, I always completely deleted them. Some teachers did not understand why. I clarified the facts to them kindly. Some told me that the principal had asked them to write those words. I told them that they should not be afraid and I even deleted the principal's words. After that, my school no longer had the propaganda slandering Falun Gong anymore. I also found the opportunity to explain the facts to principal Li, and afterward, the materials she wrote no longer mentioned Falun Gong. I rectified the field.
I worked diligently and did not argue about the work load. I was kind to the teachers, and I was always very responsive when they asked for my help typing materials. We got along very well. Gradually the environment changed, and principal Li's attitude also changed. Once she said to me, “Teacher Wu, you really have a good relationship with people. The senior teachers talked to me. They care about you and feel your work load is too much. And you also did not complain. They asked me to care about you and worried you might get burned out. This semester your work load will be reduced to half. You are a good and kind person. I also realized that I don't need to monitor you. You have done very well.” My work load really was reduced by half. I could also do the typing work outside of the school. My time became flexible, and no one watched me. I was just strict with myself.
As the environment at my school got better for me, I had more chances to clarify the truth to my colleagues. In addition, I had an open mind and my body was healthy. Whenever the education bureau organized teachers' basketball match or the district organized sports games, I actively participated. On the basketball court, I played very actively and ran all over the court. But I was not tired at all. I thought this was also to validate the Fa. I was over 40 years old then, but my body was very energetic. This was the result of cultivation. It is to validate the Fa. Every year in the sports games, I ran the 100 meters together with other younger teachers. I showed no sign of weakness, and I always got the first, second or third places. When my name was called over the broadcast, the whole court could hear it; almost everyone knew that I practiced Falun Gong. I was very proud in my heart, and I used my actions to validate Dafa.
Soon after that, I visited the CCP Party secretary in the education bureau because of some issues about my salary. When I clarified the truth to him, he did not reject it. The atmosphere was harmonious. He said, “Teacher Wu, your principal told me your situation. You did the work well and got along with people very well. We all know this. We will try our best to resolve your difficulties. I am a history major. If we have a chance in the future, we will discuss this further.” I saw their changes and knew that they gradually understood the truth. The evil that controlled them became less and less. Since then, I almost became good friend with principal Li. We talked about everything. I solved her puzzles and confusions. She didn't participate in the persecution.
In 2003, principal Li was transferred to another job, and the third principal came. We got along for over eight years and went through rain and shine together. She finally became a saved life. This principal is also named Li. Immediately after she arrived, she talked with me. Then she started to let me teach classes.
Soon the education system asked the teachers to sign the labor contracts. She heard that there were some contents in the contracts regarding Falun Gong, so she talked to me upfront and told me to be prepared. I said that if the contract was against Falun Gong, I wouldn't sign one. When the contract came in, it included content about not allowing the practice of Falun Gong, so I would not sign it. She found me and told me it was the uniform rule of the education bureau and it was not specifically against me. I said, “If I did not work well and was not allowed to sign, that would be fine. But this is against my belief and it is not reasonable. It is forcibly imposed. I won't sign it.” The principal was very puzzled. She thought of many options for me. For example, she told me that I could apply for a retirement due to illness, which was considered better than losing a job. Or I could retire, which could give me an income of a few hundred yuan every month, which was still better than no job. I said that I needed to discuss it with my family members.
I discussed it with my husband, and he also asked me to sign the contract. He said, “They make the rules. There is no other way for us. You can still practice the exercises at home after you sign it.” I was confused. If I did not sign, I would lose my job and my life would be negatively impacted. If I signed, it was wrong. I am a Dafa practitioner. I could not drift with the trend. If it is mine, I won't lose it. If it is not mine, I could not get it even if I pursued it. I could not sign the contract, and I could not apply for retirement because of sickness. Dafa disciples do not have illness, and I could not quit the job. All of those are detours that involve making a mean compromise with the evil. I benefited from Dafa. If I could not even say a just word about Dafa, I was not even worthy of being a human being. I made up my mind that no matter what difficulties I had, I was not afraid. I wouldn't sign and would just let things happen naturally.
From the second day onward, the principal asked my colleagues, good friends and family members to persuade me. I used this opportunity to clarify the facts and let them further understand Falun Gong. She saw that I was not moved. Then she found two leaders from the education bureau to persuade me. I was also not moved. After almost a month, on the last day, the principal brought the contract back from the education bureau. She told me that she had discussed the matter with the upper-level authorities. They compromised. They changed the contents of the contract and removed all the content related to Falun Gong. She asked if I could sign it. I happily agreed. I had refused to sign it before because it was not reasonable, but I still needed to support my family and needed the job. So this big storm passed by. The day after I signed the contract, my colleague praised me, “Falun Gong won again!”
I suddenly understood Master's Fa,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide”
(“The Master-Disciple Bond,” Hong Yin Vol. II)
Falun Dafa is magnificent. I was truly grateful for Master's compassionate protection. From this process, the principal could see my firm determination in cultivating in Falun Dafa.
In 2004, another thing happened that greatly shocked the principal. I had just become the teacher for a new class. Since I was anxious, I started to clarify the truth before I got familiar with the students. The students were still young, and they told their parents. One of the parents was against Dafa. He started to unite many parents and planned to report to the school and the education bureau. Then, 27 parents gathered outside the school. While they were discussing the matter, a former deputy principal of my school happened passed by and heard it. He immediately called my school and asked them to handle it well and protect me. Soon, two deputy principals found me and told me, “We know you are a good person, and we want to protect you. You could temporally leave this class. We will figure out a way to persuade the parents.” I agreed. Then the school asked the class teachers, dean and other teachers to persuade the students' parents separately. I told the practitioners to help me to send forth righteous thoughts. After two workdays, on Saturday and Sunday, the students' parents finally agreed to withdraw. A disturbance passed. My friends and colleagues used righteous thoughts to protect me.
However, half a month later, I was arrested by the police at my workplace without any reason. My colleagues were very angry that the CCP only did bad things and persecuted good people. Some came to the principal and said, “We cannot leave it like that. She did not do anything. If she is detained or sentenced this time, her family will break up.” The principal was also very angry. Out of her conscience and kindness, she had the courage to speak a lot of good words about me at the education bureau meeting. She said that I was a very good person and that my work at school was impeccable. She praised me and tried her best to protect me. In addition, my family members tried their best to request my release. I was released half a month later.
Witnessing the CCP's persecution of me, my colleagues and leaders tried their best to protect me, since they knew that I was a good person and they were against the persecution of good people.
Deputy Principal Protects Me All the Time
I used every opportunity to clarify the truth to students, and I often encountered trouble. Once, I clarified the facts to a student. He was a third-grade student and very simple. Afterward, he went home and asked for a Dafa book, saying that he also wanted to practice Falun Gong. His parents were frightened. They wanted to report to the education bureau and the 610 Office. When his father talked about this in the Mahjong game room, a retired teacher from my school heard it. She immediately stopped him and told him, “This teacher is my good friend. She is very good and kind. You should never report her.” After that, she found another retired teacher and the former deputy principal who had helped me to get my salary back and persuaded the 27 students' parents not to report me. They visited my home, told me about this situation and asked me to pay attention to safety. After the Labor Day holiday, I found that the student was gone. Later, I learned that the retired teachers and the former deputy principal helped to transfer the student elsewhere in order not to affect me.
The deputy principal protected me all the time. Once people from the police station came to my school to seek information about me. She rebuked the police, “Don't you have anything else to do? She leads a good life and educates the students well. Why are you always harassing her? You really have nothing to do!” The police felt embarrassed and left. Another time, the deputy principal had a fight with the deputy chief of the police department as she helped me get a fine back. The deputy chief did not have a good attitude. The deputy principal told him, “What are you? You are just bandits. I am not a Falun Gong practitioner. You just bully the Falun Gong practitioners. Why do you take her money and then not return it to her?”
Students Help Me Persuade People to Quit the CCP
I taught classes over the entire school and had contact with many students. In the classes, I paid attention to moral education. I often spoke of Chinese traditional morality and told them about the divine Chinese culture and how to respect their parents. I also told them about the greatness of Falun Dafa. For example, I told them the surface meaning of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and told them the principles of how to be a good person. Most of the students understood the truth. They not only withdrew from the CCP and related organizations, but also persuaded others to quit the CCP. From two classes, almost all of the students quit CCP. A dozen students quit the CCP after they read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and understood the facts. Another time, nine students quit the CCP after they watched the video about the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident at my office.
A female student understood the facts and went back home to ask her parents to quit the CCP, too. Her grandma refused, and she was not happy. She came back to tell me and asked me how she should talk to her grandma. I taught her what to say and finally her grandma quit the CCP. Later she asked her maternal grandmother from the countryside to quit the CCP. She asked her to attend the family meeting and said they had to listen to her. She persuaded eight to nine people in her family to quit the CCP. Some students also visited me after they had graduated from school. They also brought their classmates from middle school to have me persuade them to quit the CCP, too. Some students asked me to write the graduation message. I told them to remember “Falun Dafa is good” and to be a good person. Many students wrote me graduation messages like this one, “Teacher Wu, you are a good person. I liked attending your class. Thank you for teaching me the principles to be a good person.” Some said, “Teacher Wu, we support you to cultivate Falun Gong.” Some students even directly called me godmother, because it made them feel close to me. I know that their knowing sides thanked me.
Students Like Me and Like to Attend My Classes
I am always strict with myself in following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I treat every student with kindness. I teach the class diligently and try to be the students' friend after class. When they make mistakes, I never yell at them or beat them. Instead, I tell them the principles of how to be a good person and the reason they made mistakes. All students are very close to me. When I come to a class, the whole class applauds. Sometimes, even the class teacher has felt jealous. My class is not the primary subject in the school. But when just one class was canceled, the students were not happy. After class, the students told me words from the heart, such as “Teacher, I love you (the elementary school students are very pure and simple),” “Teacher, I like to attend your class,” “Teacher, my parents fought with each other and wanted to divorce.” They told me everything and asked for my help. When I appeared in the playground, many students came over to say hello to me and hold my hands. The principal and the other teachers all saw this. I am not the same as other teachers. I am patient with the students, and I never yell or beat them. I often tell them the principles of how to be a good person, and I care about them. I never use the students as punching bags. The students can feel my compassion.
Colleagues Protected Me With Righteous Thoughts Again and Again
Once, a student's parent who was a police official came to school and said that I had spoken to his child about Falun Gong. The teachers persuaded him to go back home. Later, the class teacher of the student also addressed the parent. Another time, a student's grandfather came to school to report me. The principal also persuaded him to let it go. The class teacher often told me that the students' parents had called her, but she told them not to report me. She told me to pay attention to my safety. I thanked her. Once the students said in their Chinese language class that Mao Zedong did many bad things and was a bad guy. The teacher asked who had told them that, and they said that I did. Afterward, the colleague told me this and worried about me. I comforted her and said it was all right.
Three Principals Resisted the Harassment from Authorities
Once, the deputy principal of my school found me and told me that the 610 Office wanted to talk to me. I said that I did not want to see them. I also asked the deputy principal to call the 610 Office and ask why they wanted to see me. She called the 610 Office and said, “Our Teacher Wu does not want to see you. She dislikes this, and she won't see you.” Then I looked for the principal and told her, “I did my job well. Why do they want to harass me? I won't see them.” The principal was also sympathetic to me. She called the education bureau and rejected a visit directly. In the end, I did not need to see the personnel from the 610 Office.
In 2010, two principals told me that the provincial and city 610 Office wanted to see me. I said that I did not want to see them. The principal said they insisted on coming. I said that I would take a day off and turn off my cell phone. The principal said it was a good idea, and she let me take a day off. Later, I thought that practitioners did not have enemies. I should just let things happen naturally.
The next day, the principal called me to the office again. I went to her office and saw the deputy director and two CCP officials from the district education bureau and two 610 Office officials. They all came to persuade me to see the provincial and city 610 Office officials and told me not to say the wrong words. I said that I did not know what they would ask so I did not know what to say. I used the chance to expose the persecution. I said, “Over the years, I have been arrested four times. I was innocent. I tried to be a good person, and I did not break any laws. The persecution has caused great damage to my family and almost broke up my family. Right now, I just want to be a normal citizen and live my life. I don't want to be harassed by others. Is there any end to the harassment?” The 610 Office personnel felt very uncomfortable when they heard this, since they were all involved in all the persecution. The director of the education bureau immediately said that they wouldn't harass me anymore.
The next afternoon, two officials from the provincial and city 610 Office came. The deputy principal called me to the office. He told me quietly, “Teacher Wu, you know we all want to protect you. You need to control things well.” I comforted him, “You don't need to be afraid of them. I will be fine. I will control things well.” When I arrived at the principal's office, I saw eight to nine people in the room. My mind was peaceful. The 610 Office personnel just said a few words and they left. After that, the principal told me that I was removed from their list and they wouldn't harass me anymore. I was very happy that people all gradually understood the truth and their lives were saved.
Above is my cultivation experience at my workplace over the past years. What power keeps me insisting on my belief? The answer is simple, “Falun Dafa is good!” On the May 13, 2012, World Falun Dafa Day and the twentieth anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the public, I wish to use this way to give thanks for Master's compassionate salvation. I also wish that more and more people will come to understand the truth and be saved. I hope there will be more and more good people in the world.
