(Minghui.org) In the fall of 2012 I was relocated to a teaching post at a primary school in the countryside. The school has over a hundred students coming from five different villages, but we have less than ten teachers on staff.
Since coming here I soon found out that the people here have not received positive information about Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, since the persecution started in 1999.
Not Afraid to Let People Know about Dafa
We have three dormitories for staff only, and during recess all of the teachers congregate in the dorms. I have never shied away from the fact that I am a Dafa practitioner, and I place Dafa books and desk calendars neatly on my desk and at my bedside. I hang a calendar with information about Dafa on the wall, and lay out informational materials on my bed.
In addition, I have New Tang Dynasty (NTD) TV installed, so my coworkers can watch news that is different from the state-run media, to dispel their misunderstandings on the issue of Falun Dafa. The place is full of information about Dafa that people can see as soon as they come in.
One day, the principal came to my dorm. He picked up the book Essentials for Further Advancement from my desk and flipped through it. I said to him, “I have practiced Falun Dafa for over ten years now. I live by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The persecution was started because Jiang Zemin [former head of the Chinese Communist Party] was jealous of the popularity of the practice. I will not give up my belief.”
“I will not interfere with a person's beliefs,” he replied.
Most of the teachers and students did not know the truth about Dafa, and avoided the topic as much as possible.
I continued to practice Falun Dafa in an open and dignified manner while holding myself to the standards of the Fa, and soon won their respect.
A history program was being broadcast on NTD when a new teacher commented, “How come this station always plays counter-revolutionary programs?”
Another teacher replied, “It's not counter-revolutionary, it's counter-communism.”
After many conversations and discussions, all of the teachers, including the principal, quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations. The principal even said, “In the past, I avoided telling anybody that I had Falun Gong practitioners on my staff. Now I'm very proud to tell them that I have a Falun Gong practitioner working here, who is an outstanding teacher, cooperative and kind-hearted.”
People Learn that Dafa is Good Through Our Actions
Despite the positive environment, my shortcomings in cultivation led to some problems.
One day, during recess, I saw a few village cadres visiting the principal. I was later told that they had complained that I talked to the students about Falun Gong, which they were opposed to. The principal cautioned me about a fellow teacher who may have reported me, and advised me not to confront the teacher.
I looked within, and realized that I had not done a good job of clarifying the facts to the teacher. I was argumentative. We are supposed to save people. How could we have conflicts with them? I was ashamed of myself.
Master said,
“Wherever a problem occurs, that's where you need to clarify the facts.”(“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
I said to the principal, “It's my fault. I am appreciative of my coworker. I will make it up to him.” I also told the principal that we welcome people to find out about us.
My faith will never change, nor will I avoid problems that I come across in cultivation. I believe it is important for people to witness the benefits that the teachings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance have on society.
I told the principal that I would talk to the village cadres in person to tell them about Dafa and the persecution.
After I talked to them, the Party secretary of the village told me that he was not against freedom of belief and agreed to quit the CCP.
At one of the staff meetings the principal encouraged all teachers to be cooperative with each other. He said that if everyone was practicing Falun Gong the working relationships among teachers and the quality of the work would be much improved.
After the meeting, a few teachers said to me, “So the principal asked us to learn Falun Gong from you. You were praised for practicing Falun Gong.”
Also, after I changed my notions, the teacher who reported me became a good friend of mine.
Over the past few years I have tried to incorporate concepts of morality in my classes. I have taught my students to remember “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good; Falun Dafa is good.”
Although I am over 50 years old my students find me young at heart and love to be around me. When, at times, I was about to lose my composure, they reminded me that Dafa practitioners do not get angry!
Periodically, I update my coworkers with new materials on Falun Dafa. Around New Year’s time, I bring them new calendars. When I came back from invigilation at a different school one time, the principal complained that he'd never received a calendar from me. I immediately gave him a wall and desk calendar with Falun Gong information.
I have had three principals over the past seven or eight years. Because of my diligence, cooperation, and kindness, they have trusted me with many things. I have been nicknamed “Assistant to the Principal”, “Office Manager”, “Vice Principal”, and “Director of Teaching”. All these titles do not mean much to me, as Dafa practitioners never pay attention to fame and gain. Other than doing my job well, I am only interested in my cultivation.
Letting More People Know about Dafa
In 2015, I sent a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin to the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. The authorities sent several people to talk to me, in an attempt to persuade me to withdraw the complaint.
One of them even took me out to dinner, hoping that I would change my mind. I did not succumb to their requests, and instead, let them know about Dafa and how practitioners have been persecuted, including myself.
I helped them to understand that every citizen should bring Jiang to justice, and that if people treat Dafa with kindness they will be rewarded.
In addition to letting people know about Dafa at school, I work with other local practitioners and go to nearby villages to clarify the facts to the people there.
Practitioners are particles of Dafa. The purpose of my life is to do the three things well. Although I slack off sometimes, with Master always near me, I will improve and advance diligently.
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