[Celebrating World Falun Dafa Day] Falun Dafa’s Principles Guide Children to Be Good

(Minghui.org) I would like to tell you about some of my experiences after I began practicing Falun Dafa.

I heard about Falun Dafa in the summer of 1994. Falun Gong was the first book I read of Master’s lectures series. I was a high school student at that time and my thoughts were pure and simple. I wished to guide myself and treat others in accordance with Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Twenty-nine years have passed in the blink of an eye and I am now a middle-aged woman. I have grown mature in cultivation under Master’s compassionate protection and have experienced the ups and downs of life. I started working as a preschool teacher in 2008.

I worked in a boarding school for preschoolers. Children were sent to school on Monday mornings and picked up on Friday afternoons. Some of their parents were either single parents, busy with work, or simply sent their children to the boarding school so they could learn to be independent.

I was assigned to a middle-age classroom in the beginning. It was the first time I taught four and five year old children. I felt bad seeing them leave their parents at such a young age, so I decided to do my best to take care of them.

It was not until later that I realized children this age are naturally playful, mischievous and disobedient. Teachers often yell at them or take out warning sticks to intimidate them. However, these methods are only temporary and teachers are exhausted and hoarse by the end of the day.

The hardest part of the day was nap time because teachers have to tend to a big group of children sleeping together in one room. Some children nap while others don’t. Those who don’t nap bother the children who are napping. Teachers are usually unable to tend to both sides, as the children are usually quite riled up.

In order to have more rest time, the teachers send children to the bathroom as soon as lunch is over. My co-teacher had to go home every afternoon and I was left to tend to 30 children. I became anxious, wondering how I would care for 30 children at the same time.

I realized that these children need some transition time after lunch. What should I do? I remembered A Collection of Fortune Fairy Tales for Children. I thought, “Yes! Why don’t I tell them traditional Chinese stories from this storybook?”

I started to tell them stories from A Collection of Fortune Fairy Tales for Children after lunch time. They quietly laid down after listening to the story. Nap time became much smoother.

The stories inspired children to align themselves to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They benefited greatly and one day, a child said loudly, “Teacher! You have so many good stories to tell us!” I started to tell them about Falun Dafa and told them to always remember the nine special words, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”

As soon as I said this, one child shouted suddenly, “Teacher, you look so beautiful!” I knew that this child’s true self was grateful and happy. I was moved to tears and said, “You are also good children of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance!”

I started playing the piano after dinner one day. The children surrounded me to watch me play. There were too many children crowding around and I was unable to play well. I thought, “Let me just play the piano another time.” As soon as I closed the piano, I heard a voice crying out “Ahh!”

I saw Xiao Ying crying and holding her left hand. It turned out that I closed the piano on her fingers. I said, “I am so sorry. I must have closed the piano on your fingers! Are you hurt?”

Xiao Ying nodded and said, “Teacher, you did not do it on purpose. I should not have touched the piano keys anyway. I can tolerate the pain.” I was very touched at the fact that Xiao Ying was able to forbear and treat others with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

I told the children, “You are all good children of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. If you encounter any troubles or hardships in the future, remember to silently recite ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’ Everything will pass if you bear it a bit longer.”

Xiao Ying raised her left hand and said, “Teacher, look! My fingers are no longer red! It does not hurt anymore!” The children were all happy and smiled.

These children were pure, adorable and loved to learn. They were no longer picky during meal times and knew to not waste food. They also learned to share toys and take turns. In addition, they also began taking on responsibilities and became more cooperative during class time. Everyone wanted to be good.

I seemed to see a bright future for these children who are immersed in listening to Minghui cultivation stories every day. I recorded their behavior in my memo every day. We have meetings every Friday and one time the principal read my memo during the meeting and was very happy. He said, “Look at the power of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance! These principles have brought happiness to the teachers and children! Everyone should try it!”

For the principal to say something like this during a time when Falun Dafa is being persecuted reminded me of the lyrics in a Falun Dafa song.

The lyrics goes, “Falun Dafa illuminates in my heart, ever so warm and bright. It teaches me the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and to be a better person.”

(Selected Submission Celebrating the 24th World Falun Dafa Day on the Minghui Website)