Young Practitioner: Eliminating the Attachment to Reputation and Money

(Minghui.org) I grew up in a family of cultivators. Although I understood the principles of Falun Dafa from a young age, I did not genuinely cultivate myself and follow them until two years ago.

In the big dye vat of ordinary society where morals are rapidly declining, the sacred profession of teaching has become a place where many compete to make money. Guiding students is no longer the focus—instead, making money is. Teachers at tutoring centers contact students privately. They tutor students privately during holidays or on weekends to make money, instead of going through the school. Teachers also make things harder for students who do not take private lessons from them. Some public school teachers also run “summer camps” and “winter camps” and charge high tuition fees. It’s also normal for teachers to accept money and gifts (bribes) from parents. 

I worked as a middle school teacher after I graduated from college. I was not really following Falun Dafa’s principles when I taught my first class and I was swayed by the temptations of reputation and money. I created a lot of karma and feel ashamed when I think about it now. 

Many teachers accept bribes and tutor students privately. They charge each student 200 yuan (~USD$29) for every two hours. The tuition fee is considered low. If a teacher tutors more than twelve students, and makes 2000 yuan (~USD$290) it’s considered easy money. One can make tens of thousands of yuan each month. Many young teachers were able to purchase a house in a couple of years just from the income they make from tutoring students. 

I was not mature in my cultivation at that time so I could not help but feel envious of those young teachers. Two teachers planned to hold private tutoring sessions during a long school break. They suggested I do the same and said, “We can barely live off the salary we make in school as teachers.” I used to substitute at a tutoring center in the past. The compensation I got for teaching one private lesson was more than I made substituting at the center for an entire day. So, I asked my students if any of them wanted to sign up for private lessons. Several signed up. I only taught one student per day and felt quite accomplished when I made money so easily. When I think about it now, I feel quite remorseful. I was so easily tempted by making money that I indulged myself and felt complacent. I even thought I was “capable” and “able to make money.” 

Perhaps the principles of Dafa were embedded deep within my heart from a young age—I felt uneasy making money this way. So, after the school break I stopped giving private lessons. However, I already created karma. I felt that I did not live up to the standards of a Falun Dafa disciple. I also felt that it wasn’t my place to tell them the truth about Falun Dafa and the persecution. 

I was touched when I listened to practitioners, who were also teachers, talk about their experiences on Minghui.org. I felt that I hadn’t cultivated myself well when I compared my behavior to theirs. Not only were they selfless, they also excelled in their duties as teachers and did not take any bribes or “gray” income. They tutored students at no charge. They also clarified the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa to students and parents and were guided by Falun Dafa’s teachings and principles in educating their students. Their students and their parents were grateful to these practitioners. 

Rectifying My Behavior

Two years ago, I diligently began following Falun Dafa’s principles and gradually rectified my behavior. I understood that what I did in the past was unethical and I created karma. Master (Falun Dafa’s founder) asks us to always think of others. However, my actions and behavior were sometimes worse than that of a non-practitioner. It may seem as if I benefited materially by teaching private lessons and receiving gifts. However, I have given away my precious de (virtue). Accepting gifts may have also caused financial burdens on students’ families and in doing so, I created karma. 

I no longer spend my weekends tutoring. Not only was tutoring at private centers against the rules of being a public school teacher, violating the rules is also not aligned with the principles of Dafa. Teaching at the tutor centers took time away from my classroom planning and I was not being responsible to the school or to my students. Master has prolonged the time so we can better save people. How can I still think about making money and be attached to an ordinary person’s “happy” life? I also no longer did private tutoring. Master arranged for to take this job as a school teacher. It’s an opportunity to cultivate myself while displaying the goodness of Dafa and to tell people about the persecution. It is not right for me to make money and accrue karma. I no longer wished to receive any gifts from parents. Instead, I looked inward for my attachments to making money. Perhaps I still have an attachment to returning favors? Or perhaps I was still greedy and wanted to take advantage of others.

I am a young teacher and many students like me. They used their savings to buy me gifts such as flowers, lollipops, crystal balls and small decorative items in the past during teacher appreciation day. I thought that it was okay to receive gifts from students since it was a token of appreciation and the gifts had little monetary value. 

Many of my colleagues posted the gifts they received during teacher appreciation day on social media. I thought, “What is there to brag about? I received more gifts than everyone else just by teaching one class. This year, I taught two classes and I received even more gifts. I didn’t even post the gifts I received.” I detected that my attachment to showing off and vanity surfaced but still felt unsettled when I got home. I regretted not posting the gifts. My mother, who was also a cultivator, said, “Did you feel the negative substance from your show off mentality?” Indeed, I have genuinely experienced the living matter behind every attachment. Those negative living matters refuse to leave our bodies, so we feel uncomfortable.

When I read the Falun Dafa teachings, I enlightened that I should not receive anymore gifts from parents. In order to avoid gifts during the next teachers’ appreciation day, I subtly informed parents not to give me any gifts. I had a “gloomy” teachers appreciation day when parents and students did not send in any gifts. I felt envious when I looked at the piles of gifts on my colleagues’ desks and felt unsettled. I was able to better balance my emotions this year since I studied the Fa more. 

I realized I should not receive any gifts from students either because Master mentioned the Fa principle of no loss, no gain. By accepting the gifts, I was exchanging them with my de, or virtue. There is an old saying, “If it does not belong to me, I should not take anything, not even a speck.” As a cultivator, how can I not understand this principle! In addition, receiving gifts from students might have also caused a burden on them. They needed to do their homework, but thought about what gifts to buy me. This might also cause competition among them when they compared what they bought me. I only cared about how I felt and disregarded my students. 

I withdrew 10,000 yuan (USD $1455) from the bank several days before graduation. I put the money into separate envelopes. I discreetly told my students who attended my winter tutoring classes, to take it home and give it to their parents on the day of graduation. If I did not practice Falun Dafa, I would have never done this. To my surprise, I was deemed an exemplary teacher the next day. I knew I did the right thing and that Master was encouraging me. I have received a huge encouragement from Master even though what I did was so little.

I also told my students not to take any tutoring classes because I would be responsibile for teaching them all the materials. I also said that it is good to be grateful to your teacher on teacher appreciation day, but I would not accept any gifts. I told their parents that I will be responsible for each student in my class, but would not accept any gifts. 

I am grateful to Master’s compassionate salvation and for not giving up on me. Master has awakened me many times and encouraged me to keep up with Fa rectification. I will make use of every opportunity and follow the Fa rectification process, save sentient beings and return home with Master!

This is my cultivation experience sharing at my limited level of understanding. Please point kindly out anything that is not aligned with Falun Dafa’s principles.