(Minghui.org) In China, even some schoolteachers have fallen prey to the decline in moral values. Many have collected money from and harassed their students.
However, some other teachers practice Falun Gong and follow its principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives. This article highlights three such teachers and how they have held to their faith during its 19-year persecution by the Chinese communist regime.
An Instructor in Sanhe
Song Jianguo, a former teacher at the Party School of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Sanhe Municipal Committee, was the deputy director of the teachers' office and an instructor. He graduated from Hebei Normal University in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in history.
Song had been weak and ill since he was a child. His chronic bronchitis often relapsed in the winter, landing him in the hospital every year. In his third year of middle school, he got neurasthenia. He was often so sleepy in high school and university that he couldn't concentrate. His ill health negatively affected his studies and his job for over ten years.
Good fortune came his way in 1993. On July 25, he heard from a friend about Falun Gong, and his interest was piqued. He heard Master Li Hongzhi's lecture series at Beijing Public Security University. He had some lifelong questions that were answered, and he understood why his life was full of hardship. He also witnessed many miraculous recoveries.
His chronic bronchitis and neurasthenia were gone after he practiced Falun Gong for a year. He became healthy. For over 20 years, he has never needed to go to a hospital except to visit friends and family.
After practicing Falun Gong, he was no longer always in a hurry or arrogant. He took fame and personal gain lightly.
At his teaching job, Song prepared lessons conscientiously. He was welcomed and spoken of highly. He also tried his best to improve his teaching skills. He was the first in his school to be promoted to instructor.
At school, he often took assignments that others did not want. He was sincere and tolerant in dealing with his colleagues and maintained good relations with them. Two principals wanted to promote him even though he did not seek out promotions or transfers.
An Outstanding Teacher in Guiyang
Zhou Qing was an outstanding teacher in Guiyang. In the summer of 1996, he saw a copy of Zhuan Falun in a bookstore. He was curious and bought it. Two months later, a student told him that there was a group exercise site nearby. He started practicing Falun Gong.
Zhou did not have a severe illness, but he was weak and often congested and coughed a lot in the winter. That disappeared after practicing Falun Gong. He used to have hepatitis B before practicing Falun Gong and had to avoid fatty meats. He recovered from that as well and could then eat fat without a problem.
He also changed his character and temper after practicing Falun Gong.
Before the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, he took charge of two high school classes. He followed Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in his work and life. He explained things patiently and encouraged his students. In a school survey, all 76 of his students gave him an “A.”
Once, when one of his colleagues was hospitalized, the school administrators forgot to arrange for a substitute. Zhou found out about it and offered to cover for the ill teacher.
A few days later, his supervisor gave him an envelope with money inside after verifying Mr. Zhou's additional teaching load. His supervisor also gave him a bonus of 80 yuan. Zhou thought it over and decided to return the bonus money.
He wrote a letter explaining that practitioners think of others and do not seek reciprocation. If he took the bonus, he thought it would go against his initial intention.
His supervisor read the letter and said, “I know you don't seek fame or to further your own personal interests. Our school needs that spirit of helping others. The bonus is meant to encourage others to be the same.”
The school put out a bulletin praising Zhou a few days later. At the end, it said, “It is admirable that he did not seek fame or to further his own interests.”
A Wanzhou Foreign Language School Teacher
Tan Fenghao, a former teacher at Wanzhou Foreign Language School, graduated from the College of Foreign Languages at Southwest University with a degree in English.
Tan started practicing Falun Gong in 1996 when she was a junior at Southwest. She had a severe case of kidney stones. She took different drugs and had lithotripsy to break them up, but she still had stones.
Her kidney stones disappeared after she practiced Falun Gong for 10 days. She was healthy and full of energy and found studying a breeze. In 1998, she translated a short novel, and her work was published in a magazine.
She lived according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She taught two English classes at Wanzhou Foreign Language School. She worked hard and did her best for her students.
One girl in her class had a kidney problem and couldn't have any salt. Tan invited her to her home and cooked her food with no salt for free. She offered free additional instruction to students who did poorly in class.
To keep her students interested, she bought audiovisual materials for the class with her own money. When her class held events and needed additional funds, she would use her own money and never asked her students to share the costs. The students' parents praised her and said they had never met such a good teacher.
Subsequent Persecution
Due to the communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, however, these model teachers are oppressed and abused.
Song Jianguo was detained at least six times. He was tortured in various ways and deprived of sleep for 18 days. He was incarcerated in forced labor camps twice for a total of five years and nine months. He was forced to stay away from home for two years to avoid further persecution.
Zhou Qing was fired from his job and detained many times. He was sentenced to prison for four years and tortured until he was paralyzed. He recovered after he was released and was able to practice Falun Gong.
Tan Fenghao was sentenced to prison for four years and incarcerated in a forced labor camp for two years. She was held in a tiny cell and not allowed to use the toilet. She was beaten and tortured.
In 2002, she suffered a mental breakdown as a result of abuse. From the age of 26 to 36, she spent most of that time in prison for her faith.
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