Being a Genuine Falun Dafa Practitioner While Tutoring

(Minghui.org) I returned home after suffering the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution in a forced labor camp in 2006. The school unilaterally terminated my employment contract and fired me. My former colleagues and friends asked me to take care of their children, and from then on I started tutoring after school.

It was like a snowball that grew by word of mouth. At the peak, there were nearly 40 high school students. I like children from the bottom of my heart. From the beginning, I felt that every student I met was predestined with me, and I cherished them very much. I held myself to the standards of a practitioner, so I got along very well with them.

Wisdom in Teaching

Because I am a practitioner, I teach patiently, in detail, and clearly, and the students all approve of me. But after all, since I had only worked intermittently for four or five years and had never taught a senior class, it was still very difficult for me to teach senior students in the early days, and I had to rely on self-study.

In just two years, I went through all the textbooks of all the grades from middle school to high school, learning and teaching at the same time, and I made rapid progress. But I just followed the school’s teaching methods step-by-step, without much of my own characteristics.

One day, I studied the Fa and was touched by Master’s teaching,

“We simply treat the issue of personal, vested interests with indifference, while in other areas we are very wise. In terms of conducting scientific research projects or carrying out assignments from our supervisors or other duties, we are very clear-minded and perform them very well.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)

I thought to myself that I should be wise and outstanding when teaching. As soon as I made this wish, my teaching made substantial breakthroughs and improvements, and my classes became more popular with students.

Talking to People about Dafa

Because I cherished the predestined connections, I would find opportunities to clarify the truth and encourage almost every student to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. After their withdrawal, the changes in the students surprised me. Once a junior high school girl exclaimed, “Teacher, I haven’t been so happy for a long time!” I know that is the joy experienced after a life is saved.

I think the essence of education is to awaken the pure and kind nature of students and allow them to become better. Therefore, I often remind students to be kind, help each other, respect their parents, and inspire them to pay attention to their thoughts. One parent said happily: “Since my child has learned from you, he has not only studied well but has also become more sensible in life.” Students shared the good news of extraordinary performances in the high school and college entrance examinations every year.

Because the classes were paid, I always tried to make up for the time I used to clarify the truth. One time, I was deeply impressed. This was a boy in the final year of an ordinary high school. While I was clarifying the truth, the boy used his mobile phone to go online and search about Falun Gong using a program to get around the CCP’s information censorship. He told me that he must read Zhuan Falun when he goes to college.

I said, “I’m sorry for taking up your time today. I will find time to make it up to you.” But he said, “What you said is the most important thing in my life. It can’t be compared with any tutoring. There is no need to make up for it.” After hearing this, I was moved to tears.

Another time, I explained a lot of truth in class. The next day, a high school student looked at me sincerely and said seriously that he saw a Bodhisattva.

Of course, some didn’t accept it, or whose parents warned me not to do so. When encountering such situations, I sent more righteous thoughts and looked within. I especially made a point to clarify the truth to all of the senior students. Generally, I did it one-on-one or one-on-one, which made it easier to clarify the truth. Before clarifying the truth every time, I asked Master for blessings to give me wisdom and strength.

Not only did the students benefit, but their joy and kindness after withdrawing also made my heart feel cleansed, warm, and clear, and I deeply felt the Buddha’s grace.

Getting Rid of the Attachment to Fame and Self-Interest

One summer break, four senior students from a high school were in my class. We reviewed 15 formulas in class, and I repeatedly told them to review them when they got home, because there would be a quiz in class the next day. When we took the quiz the next day, one student only got two of the formulas right, and the good student only got five right. I couldn’t stand it anymore, and I got angry at them, “You are already in the final year of high school, but you still can’t remember the formulas. You just reviewed them, and now you are taking the test, and you still got such a bad score! Isn’t this obviously disrespecting the teacher?! Are you worthy of yourself and your parents?!”

The more I talked, the more unsatisfied I felt. I asked each student to say why this had happened. Finally, a boy said sincerely, “Teacher, I need to look inward.” Only then did I calm down. Yes, wasn’t this Master using him to enlighten me to look inward? I saw my impatience and badness, and that I had no tolerance.

The next day, a girl came to class and said, “Teacher, after you talked to us yesterday, I didn’t want to come again.” I was immediately upset because this girl and I had a good personal relationship. I didn’t understand at the time, and asked the girl sadly, “Shouldn’t I talk about you? Is it wrong to talk about you? Isn’t it for your own good? What should I do then?” The student said, “I didn’t do well on the quiz, and I was already in a bad mood. You then criticized us, and I was depressed and in a bad mood!”

After class, I was distressed. What should I do? What exactly was the problem? Generally, teachers will get angry and blame the students when they encounter such poor performance. I also blamed the students. Am I not the same as an ordinary person? How should I deal with such problems as a practitioner? I was depressed and puzzled.

Finally, I thought to ask Master. I suddenly understood that the fundamental reason for my anxiety was seeking fame and personal gain. The basis for this was my selfishness. How can I really teach for the students? Since I realized the problem, a similar situation has not arisen.

Compassionately Dealing with Students

I was often anxious and disappointed with my students. I once frightened a boy in the second year of high school and made him have a fever for three days. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t get rid of my attachment.

I met a girl who had been studying with me from the first year of high school to the second year. I worked a lot for this student. But no matter how I explained the material, she kept asking about the most basic things and kept getting them wrong. She would often ask again after I had just finished explaining a simple question. She just didn’t understand it, and I almost had to stay in class to explain it to her every time. I also didn’t understand that the student seemed to work very hard, and I taught her attentively, but every time she asked me about things that everyone else knew, she kept asking me repeatedly. Every time she took an exam, she was at the bottom, and she never made any breakthroughs.

I was helpless, and gradually developed a fear of difficulty and lost confidence in the student. I didn’t want to teach her anymore, but her parents had paid the tutoring fee and this student never left me. No matter how I changed, she just followed me. Sometimes, I said harsh things to her and felt very angry in class, but this student never got angry. She just tried harder to learn from me.

It was her second semester of the second year of high school. One day, I had enough time in class, so I talked about withdrawing from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. The student agreed with the idea very much and withdrew from the Communist Young Pioneers. I suddenly felt that the student was so cute. Apart from her difficulties with learning, I found that the student had many positive traits. She was kind, sensible, never petty, and had a positive outlook on life. I couldn’t help but speak my true feelings from the bottom of my heart, encouraging and affirming her. She was also very happy that day.

A few days later, it was the school’s monthly exam. The student improved by more than 20 points for the first time, and it surprised me. Her parents were also very happy. I was not sure, but I thought, “Maybe this part of the course is simple.” When the final exam results came out, she had continued to improve steadily. I understood that after the student withdrew from the Young Pioneers, Master had opened her wisdom, helped her remove many of her learning obstacles, and made her open her mind in the subject I taught.

This incident made me understand from the Fa that the students and I have a connection, and it's all for hearing the truth and being saved. I must know how to cherish this and persist. I also need to break out of the secular perspective and let go of all the gains and losses of human beings so I can unconditionally appreciate every student I meet and love them sincerely. The students will definitely feel it and become better. I now feel that I will never become anxious and angry with the students again, and cherishing life makes my heart extremely gentle and loving.

The standard of the new universe is altruism. Only when we can truly be selfless can we have the greatest joy and happiness in life, and only then will we have compassion. The impatient and negative emotions will disappear in an instant. Focusing on the attachment itself has a limited effect of helping get rid of the attachment. Only by improving xinxing, improving in the Fa, and being selfless, will the difficulties we are suffering suddenly disappear.

The above are some of my experiences while teaching. I know that I am still far from meeting the requirements of Dafa, but I will work hard to improve myself and strive to do better.