(Minghui.org) I have loved reading since I was a child. The bookcase in my room is filled with books, but only one book has been with me for 20 years and is the one I read every day—Zhuan Falun.
The Book Opened My Mind
As a child, I read Zhuan Falun with my grandmother every day. I didn't understand much back then and only thought Zhuan Falun was a very good book that I especially liked.
The subjects that were mentioned in the book, such as prehistoric cultures and the supernormal abilities of plants opened my eyes, and helped me develop interests in the areas of literature, arts, and the human sciences.
I read about literature, philosophy, and science in elementary school. I began to write and had short pieces published from time to time.
When the persecution of Falun Dafa in China started, many Falun Dafa books were destroyed. Due to the propaganda from mainland China, even my parents had a negative attitude toward Falun Dafa. For several years, I stopped reading Zhuan Falun.
During my teenage years, my writing was filled with sadness and a lack of deeper meaning. I read many books, trying to find the purpose in life. Like other girls my age, I wished for love, but was overwhelmed by all sorts of emotions. My grades also suffered.
My grandmother stayed with us for a short time in 2004. Upon seeing what had happened to me, she put Zhuan Falun into my hands and wanted me to read it again. To my surprise, the flower bud on the back cover of the book had opened.
I re-read Zhuan Falun over the course of a week. All the questions I had were answered in this book. I knew that I would never put this book down again. I understood that all the conflicts in the world were caused by people themselves. The important things are to improve one’s character and to have peace and calm in one's heart.
I was no longer cynical or depressed. I began to see the world with compassion. I cherished everyone around me and was grateful to them. I remained optimistic and complained less. I did not worry about whether someone liked me or not. I always gained new insight when I read Zhuan Falun each day.
I also noticed that my writing was improving. I set up my own blog in high school. Many of my friends commented on the depth of my writing and how much they liked it.
I was assistant editor of our school publication in college. I received many awards on my writings, including my graduation thesis. I know my inspiration came from reading Zhuan Falun.
The Book Helped Me at Work
I became a teacher after college. The class I was assigned to teach had the most troublesome students. Almost all my colleagues thought I would not be able to maintain discipline in my classroom.
At first, I felt a lot of pressure. One day I read:
“Take a human being as an example. The Tao School considers the human body a small universe. A person has a physical body, yet a person is not complete with only a physical body. One must also have human temperament, personality, character, and Primordial Spirit in order to constitute a complete and independent person with individuality. The same is true with our universe, which has the Milky Way, other galaxies, as well as life and water. All things and matter in this universe are aspects of material existence. At the same time, however, it also possesses the characteristic Zhen-Shan-Ren. All microscopic particles of matter embody this characteristic—even the extremely microscopic particles have this property. ” (Zhuan Falun)
I thought that if these children all have the nature of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I should bring out their good natures instead of punishing them. I stopped complaining that they were difficult and put my heart into helping them with their studies and their lives. I encouraged them and let them know that I believed in them.
I once said some hurtful words to a student who had been negative toward me. Afterward I sincerely apologized to him.
He lowered his head and said, “I was wrong.”
At that moment, I knew I was following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I also felt the power of trust.
Gradually I have established good relationships with the students and guided them on a righteous way. The students saw how I treated them and showed their gratitude through pictures and words.
I have read Zhuan Falun from the time I was a child to adulthood, as a student and as a teacher. It has been with me through every stage of my life.
I feel extremely fortunate. I hope more people will get to know this book.
