(Minghui.org) I teach Chinese at an American public school. Recently, I experimented with incorporating Dafa into my curriculum and had great success. Not only did my students benefit from it, but my xinxing also improved in the process.
It all started with the Chinese animation series Heavenkid, which is produced by New Tang Dynasty Asia in Taiwan. Each episode focuses on a different topic, but all of them convey positive messages and teach good values. A friend prepared a set of DVDs of this series for her daughter when she was younger. Now, that she is in college, the friend suggested that I show it to my students.
I teach grades 6 to 12, and my students are preteens and teenagers. When I looked at the cover of the DVD set, it seemed that the series was meant for a much younger audience. Thus, I was not sure if it would be appropriate for my students. However, the series has won many awards and is produced by a professional team, so I decided to give it a try. At the very least, it would provide audio-visual input and help the students improve their comprehension. I began to show one episode to my students every Friday.
After watching just a few episodes, my students started to really get into it. They understood the stories really well, despite the fact that some were just beginning to learn the Chinese language. Most of my students could accurately tell what the story was about and what they learned from each episode. A high school girl who used to have behavior issues said the stories from Heavenkid had a positive impact on her. She expressed how much she enjoyed the series. I told her, “You’re right. It’s not just you--this series has also helped many adults, including me.”
My students looked forward to watching Heavenkid every Friday. I have a bulletin board in my middle school classroom for the students to express their feelings and emotions. When a student put his name under the feeling “excited,” I asked him, “Why are you excited today? Do you have good news?” He smiled, “I’m excited because we’re watching Heavenkid today.”
The messages in the stories truly resonated with the students. Some stories taught them to focus on the task at hand and do a good job, some taught them to not take others’ things without permission, some taught them not to bully others, and some taught them to respect their parents. Most of my students could relate to the values and moral lessons in these stories.
I also benefited from watching the series. The stories helped me to reflect on my own thoughts and deeds regularly. I was able to pinpoint the areas where I fell short in my cultivation. The traditional values presented in these stories were engaging and easy to understand. They helped me gain more insight when I read the Fa.
Some of my high school students were addicted to their cell phones or video games. Two students once told me they played video games continuously for 27 hours over the weekend. I was concerned and asked if their parents knew what they were doing. They said that their parents didn’t care. I thought maybe they just stayed in their rooms, and the parents didn’t really pay attention to what they were doing.
I learned later that some students’ parents were divorced, and some parents worked long hours and didn’t get home until late. These kids don’t have their parents around very much and have too much freedom. This is a serious problem in our society. To help the students gain peace of mind, I suggested that we do the Falun Dafa exercises together.
It was very challenging to maintain my xinxing the first few times we did the exercises together. Most of the students couldn’t stay focused or sit still. They talked, looked around, joked, and played with each other. Some even took off their socks and kicked off their shoes. I went to a local practitioner for advice, and she told me calmly, “Just keep doing it. It will get better.”
This class of students spent their two years of middle school doing remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They didn’t know how to follow the rules and behave in a classroom setting. A few had behavior issues and couldn’t focus in class. They often did their own thing and disrupted lectures. I grew more and more frustrated and told the principal a few times that I wanted to resign. Through studying the Fa and sharing with fellow practitioners, I realized that Master arranged this class for me to cultivate. Only when I accepted this arrangement and cultivated my compassion, tolerance, and forbearance could I improve.
I looked inward to examine myself and found an impetuous and self-centered me. I avoided problems and didn’t like to take responsibility. I realized that to truly cultivate is to take on the various attachments and human notions that I needed to give up. I lacked patience and kindness. I didn’t pay attention to details when I did things.
As soon as I recognized the issues that I needed to work on, my students’ behavior no longer frustrated me or made me feel helpless. I started to get their jokes, noticed how intelligent they were, and began to appreciate their good nature. I started to enjoy this class and was happy to see my students every day. I called out their names and greeted each one of them as they came into my classroom. I talked to them, connected with them, and got to know them. Over time, we developed a friendship and mutual trust.
Studying the Fa with a calm and clear mind every day helped me elevate my understanding of the Fa principles. It is just like the theme song on Heavenkid, “to do our best every day.” I see my students as Master Li’s (Dafa’s founder) family members and sentient beings that need to be awakened. They were predestined in this lifetime to attend this school and be in my class and thus were able to learn the Falun Dafa exercises and watch Heavenkid. They experienced the calmness and wonderful feeling that Dafa brings. All of this will have a significant and eternal impact on these beings and help them assimilate to the Fa.
I send forth strong righteous thoughts before each class. We started the exercises in some classes as soon as the students arrived. In other classes, we did one or two of the exercises together toward the end of the class. Most of my students could quickly calm down when the music started to play and were able to stay focused. When I saw them hold their arms in the correct position or overlap their hands in front of their lower abdomens with their eyes closed, their expressions were calm and relaxed. I couldn’t help but thank Master from the bottom of my heart for creating such a wonderful cultivation environment for me. I am truly grateful for Master’s great compassion for sentient beings. Thank you, Master, for strengthening and protecting me.
When I drafted this experience-sharing article tears flowed. My knowing side saw how Master eliminated karma for me and my students. Master has endured countless suffering for us and given us precious mechanisms for purifying and strengthening our bodies. I have no words to express my gratitude to Master. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Master for compassionately saving us.
The above is my personal cultivation experience. I ask fellow practitioners to kindly point out anything inappropriate.