(Minghui.org) After graduating from university in 2009, I taught elementary school. As I walked into the campus and saw the children running around, I was delighted. The kids were smiling genuinely, like little angels, making my heart feel young and pure.
I was assigned to be the first grade homeroom teacher. When I entered the classroom for the first time, I saw those young faces and remembered something Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, said:
“Of course, we go about our practice in the secular world, and so we should still be devoted and respectful to our parents and care well for our children; we should be good to others, not to mention our own families, in whatever setting we may be, and treat everyone with kindness. We should treat everyone well, which of course includes parents and children, and think of others first at all times. Your heart will not be selfish, then, but will be loving, kind, and compassionate.” (The Sixth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I knew it was my responsibility to teach them and teach them well. So I told them to be truthful, kind, and tolerant (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are the principles of Falun Dafa). “That means we should listen to our parents at home and our teachers in school. Plus, we should be polite and respectful and considerate,” I explained. “Let’s treat our class like a family. We are siblings and I am your elder sister. We will have a good time together.” Some students nodded and said, “Okay.” Although they were young, they all understood.
When students talked to me during breaks, I always bent down and spoke softly. Even though they were first-graders, many of them were no different from kindergarteners. That means I was half teacher and half babysitter. Some could not tie their shoelaces, so I had to help them. Sometimes their parents forgot to pick them up, so I waited with them or took them home. Some returned from the bathroom with soiled pants, I cleaned them up and called their parents for another pair of pants. The students were well behaved. Even when they were arguing, they would stop as soon as they saw me—I did not need to say anything.
A Special Boy
After school one day, Tian’s mother, a slim woman named Hong, came to see me and asked if her son often dozed off in class or fell a lot. “I’m not sure,” I replied, trying to recall the boy’s behavior. “You know, all the boys run around when they play and sometimes fall down. Plus, it’s hot right now, and some of them do get sleepy.”
She did not say anything and just thanked me and left.
The following day, she returned with a form and asked if I could record how many times Tian dozed off in class, fell over during the break, and spoke with his tongue sticking out. I thought it a little strange but agreed I would. Then I paid attention to Tian. Yes, he did doze off, stumbled, and spoke with a protruding tongue.
Hong showed up again on the third day, eyes wet and swollen. “Are you all right?” I asked.
“The doctors said Tian has conversion disorder and asked me to record his daily activity. It’s been confirmed,” she said. “He has two older sisters and he is my only boy. Why has this happened to me?! How can we live like this?” Tears rolled down her face.
After the other students went home, I asked Hong for details. It turned out Tian was smart and agile as a toddler. He even won a dance contest in kindergarten. “Before this summer break, his uncle was playing with him and pulled his leg. Tian fell, landed on his wrist, and broke it,” she related. “His wrist was treated and healed, but he changed and was almost a different person. Ever since then he’s slept and eaten a lot. But he always seems to need more sleep and more food.”
At the same time, Tian was no longer the polite boy he once was. He easily got agitated and angry. Not only that, he took things from other people and almost never smiled. In the meantime, he got fatter and fatter. Hong had taken him for X-rays and exams, but the doctors found nothing physically wrong. They even went to Beijing Children’s Hospital, where he had a bone marrow test that showed he was normal.
“In the end, we went to a sleep center and discovered there are lots of kids with the same symptoms, including daytime hallucinations,” she continued. The doctors said Tian had the same thing and there was no good treatment for it. Such patients need life-long medication, but there is no cure. Since we had tried every major hospital to no avail, the doctors recommended fortune telling as a last resort. During the summer break, Hong consulted with several fortunetellers and they all said the same thing.
Twelve years before, Tian’s grandfather had killed a young yellow weasel, and the baby weasel’s mother was now seeking revenge. Tian’s grandfather confirmed this and said he really regretted it. “I don’t mind paying the debt with my own life—I am not afraid of death. But take pity on my grandson—he is so young,” he remarked.
“I have rat poison,” said Hong beginning to cry again. “One day, Tian and I will just die together to end this.”
Seeing the poor mother in despair, I knew I had to help. I asked if she had heard of Falun Dafa (Falun Gong). The practice tells us to be good by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Many people have benefited from it, both physically and mentally. As an example, a boy I knew who used to complain of back problems. He said his back was heavy, making it hard for him to breathe. A hospital exam turned out normal, and the doctors could not find anything wrong. A fortuneteller later said the boy’s grandmother had been extremely fond of him. After she died, she attached herself to him, which was why the boy felt heavy and had difficulty breathing. “After hearing that Falun Dafa was righteous and honest, the boy’s mother began to practice it. Not long after that, the boy returned to normal and no longer complained about his back,” I said.
“Falun Dafa? I thought the government had banned it,” Hong replied.
I explained that was because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wanted to control people’s minds and that the CCP’s ideology of hatred, brutality, and lies contradicts Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. “Give it a try and you will find out for yourself,” I encouraged her. Hong nodded and thanked me.
Hope on the Horizon
Two months passed and Hong did not come back. Knowing that Tian had a mental problem, I did not look down on him. Instead, I paid special attention to him and spoke to him more kindly. Sometimes when he did not listen, I just calmly told him the right thing to do and didn’t scold him.
He continued to eat and sleep a lot. He had a thick coating on his tongue and very bad breath. He often dozed off in class and stumbled and fell when he was running around. When he spoke, his eyelids were heavy and his eyes were bloodshot. I could tell he did not want to sleep, but he just could not help it. I asked the other students to wake Tian up gently if he dozed off and to help him up if he fell and not laugh at him. The students were nice. They respected Tian and were willing to help him.
Another month passed and Hong returned. “Now I understand everything – Falun Dafa is good and what is on the television are lies,” she said.
“So you must have read the [Falun Dafa] book,” I said, very happy to hear that. She said she said had and told me what happened.
Although she’d heard about Falun Dafa from me three months before, Hong was too stressed to look into it since all she thought about was Tian’s problem and continued to give him Chinese medicine. The herbs were very bitter—even Hong could not swallow it—and she felt so sorry for Tian. She and Tian’s father found a talisman that worked for a few days, but all the symptoms came back within a week.
When all these attempts failed, Hong remembered Falun Dafa. “I went to an aunt in my village and borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun(the main teachings of Falun Dafa) to read. It has really helped. The book talks about the purpose of life and much more.” Hong also learned the exercises from her aunt. “The gentle exercises and beautiful music are amazing. I have practiced for a month now and feel so good,” she said.
“I see. No wonder you look much better now—almost like a new person!” I said.
“That’s true,” she said. “You know, when we met last time, I was thinking of dying with Tian since life is so difficult. Now, I won’t think about that anymore. I know what all these things are about.” I was glad to hear that and encouraged her to continue.
During class break, I asked the students about their dreams. Some said they dreamed they found money on the ground, some dreamed they traveled far away on vacation, some could not remember anything, and some said they had no dreams. When it was Tian’s turn, he said he often dreamed of ghosts and monsters chasing him, trying to kill him, so he did not dare go to sleep even though he was very tired. Even in the daytime, he could hear strange sounds. I asked if he often watched cartoons or played video games. He shook his head.
“All right, Sweetheart,” I said softly, “when you have that kind of dream again, just call out ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’ and that will drive those ghosts and monsters away. Okay?” “Okay,” he answered.
A Breakthrough
Time passed and Tian was a second grader. Now he seemed happy every day. He still had the condition, but he was much better. One day Hong talked to me about him again. “I understand it now,” she said. “My worrying won’t help with anything since everyone has his or her own fate—I just have to do my best as a mother.”
I told her something from the Falun Dafa teachings: “One thing you should know is that others benefit just by virtue of your practicing, since what you practice is a true Way.” (The Sixth Talk, Zhuan Falun) An even better way would be to ask Tian to practice with you. That will not only improve his health but also make him a better person.”
Hong agreed and followed my advice. “Tian has taken the medicine for such a long time that it doesn’t work anymore,” she thought. “It makes sense to stop the medicine.” But Tian’s father, Hai, disagreed.
Poisoned by the CCP’s hate propaganda, Hai misunderstood Falun Dafa. But from Tian, he had heard I was a nice person and a Dafa practitioner. More importantly, I was very kind to Tian. Most children with this condition would be discriminated against, which could in turn lead to lower self-esteem and a worsening of the condition. Seeing how nice I was to Tian and how his symptoms had improved dramatically, Hai repeatedly invited me over for dinner to thank me.
“Master Li told us to be good to others unconditionally. I just did what any practitioner would do,” I said to him during the meal. I explained that Falun Dafa is different from what the CCP’s defamatory propaganda claimed. Hai was relieved and said Tian could practice with his mother. But he insisted he should continue to take the medicine.
Hong asked me what to do, and I said the decision had to come from Tian.
“The medicine tastes terrible and it did not help me anyway,” the boy said. “I will practice Dafa and be relaxed and happy.”
So Tian began to do the exercises and read Zhuan Falun every day. When he felt he might lose his temper, he just forbore and suppressed it. Hong still prepared the medicinal herbs for him, but after Hai went to work, she poured it down the drain. This went on for six months. Meanwhile, Tian improved further. He could sleep and eat like everyone else. The thick coating on his tongue was gone, his bad breath disappeared, and no one could remember the last time he’d had a temper tantrum.
When he saw that another student had forgotten to bring a pencil or notebook, Tian often helped out. He also invited other children to his home and shared his toys, snacks, hobbies, and happiness. He exhibited no signs of his diagnosed condition. “We are so fortunate to know Falun Dafa and benefit from it,” Hong always said to me thankfully.
The progress of Tian’s family also motivated me in my practice. There is a saying, “Helping people makes a person happy.” From Tian’s experience, I have witnessed how extraordinary Falun Dafa is. So I made up my mind to better align myself with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance so that more people, children and adults alike, could be inspired and blessed like Tian’s family.
A Stubborn Father
But that is not the end of the story. Following the principle of Truthfulness, Hong and Tian decided to tell Hai about what happened to the medicine in those six months. Hai was angry worried about his son.
Hong explained to him patiently, “Without taking the medicine for six months, Tian did not get worse. In fact, he improved so much. Look, he is now such a happy, active, lovely boy. This is because Falun Dafa is truly great.”
Hai did not say a word. Several days later when the summer break started, he hatched his own plan. Without telling Hong, he took Tian to the train station. By the time Tian called her on the phone, father and son had already arrived at a special hospital in Jilin Province. Although dumbfounded by Hai’s “plot,” Hong knew Tian would be just fine because he was a Falun Dafa practitioner.
Hai arranged for Tian to be put through all kinds of tests and brain imaging. A week later, he asked Hong to come and help out so that he could go back to handle some issues at work. When Hong arrived, she saw many elderly people there plus one child. They all behaved similarly—just like Tian used to.
But now, Tian was totally different: modest, kind, and polite. When Hai went back to the hospital, the prescribed medicines for all the other patients had been picked up, except for Tian’s. When the doctor asked why, Hai replied hesitantly, “He [Tian] is too young. Let’s wait and see.”
After they returned home, one of Tian’s friends came to play with him. They’d been diagnosed with the same condition and had gotten to know each other when their parents took them for treatment. But Hai now saw that Tian was as different from his friend as day is from night. Hai was reassured and stopped mentioning medicine. “Falun Dafa is good,” he often told friends and relatives from then on. “If any of you want better health, Tian’s mother can help teach you exercises.”
Despite the great changes in his wife and son, Hai still had no interest in practicing. Then he called me one day and asked, “Could you call Hong and speak to her? We just had a fight—she is being unreasonable!”
“Really?” I asked, hardly believing what I was hearing, “She is a practitioner. All right, I will call her.”
I called Hong and asked what happened. “Well, Hai fussed at me for doing the exercises and reading Dafa books. Since he does not cherish what he has now, I thought I would remind him what kind of person I used to be so that he can decide which way he likes better,” Hong explained. “Trust me. I was not really quarreling with him, just teaching him a lesson. I know how a practitioner should behave and I will get there,” she assured me.
After I hung up, I couldn’t help but laugh for a long time – what a cute and lovely couple!
Grit and Perseverance
I was later transferred to another school. I said to Tian, “Please always remember you are a Dafa practitioner who follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” He said he would.
About a year later, Hong and Tian showed up at my door. “Sis, how are you?” Tian greeted me. “I am fine,” I replied, wondering why he would call refer to me that way.
After we read Falun Dafa books together and shared cultivation experiences, Hong said Tian hoped to spend more time with the practice and do it better. That is why he considered me his “big sister” who could guide him in the practice
Later on, Tian went to a middle school. It was a boarding school and he could return home only on breaks and holidays. During summer break, he came to my place every day on a mountain bike, so that we could read together and discuss cultivation. It was a long ride and by the time he arrived, his T-shirt was wet. During winter break, his face often turned red from the cold. When it snowed, he could not ride the bike and had to walk with it.
But he never complained. Noticing my “little brother’s” grit and perseverance, I was very touched. Falun Dafa not only helped him regain his health and saved a family but also built a young man, one with compassion and determination.
Once as we were talking, Tian said he’d had a dream: In the morally degenerated society, many people were struggling in a flood. His school was submerged and his classmates were in danger of drowning. In the dream, only he was safe since he was on an upper floor.
“Maybe you could tell your classmates about Dafa,” I suggested. “You can talk about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and why they are important to our society and our future.” Tian agreed and I knew he would.
Family Blessed
Hai always had a lot of time and energy, and he wanted to run for a village office. Hong tried to stop him but couldn’t. In the end, Hai won the election.
“All right, since you are now an elected official, please promise me you will do things on behalf of the villagers—not like those corrupt CCP officials,” Hong reminded him. “Also, many people are quitting the CCP organizations these days for a safe future. You won’t join it. Right?” “I know,” Hai replied.
Later on, there were indeed opportunities for him to become a CCP member, but he just let it go.
In 2015, many practitioners inside and outside China submitted criminal complaints against former CCP leader Jiang Zemin for persecuting Falun Dafa. Both Hong and I prepared the documents. “Are you afraid [of retaliation from the CCP]?” I asked.
“No,” she replied, “My family was nearly broken, and it is Falun Dafa that saved us. I have to be honest and tell the facts.”
In late June, we mailed out the documents and received confirmation they had been delivered to the Chinese Supreme Court.
Two months later, the police started to go after those who’d submitted the criminal complaints. Because Hai was a government official, the police told him that Hong’s name was on the list. Hai told them to cross out her name and my name. No police officer harassed us after that.
I was happy that Hai had followed his conscience in this matter and thanked him. After some time, he resigned from the position. “The CCP is rotten to the core,” he explained. “The more you see how the system works, the more hopeless you feel.”
Hai has now been busy managing his own business. Lots of industries were affected by the pandemic, but his business has done surprisingly well, and he attributes his success to the blessing of Falun Dafa.
Tian is in high school now. He is tall, strong, and polite. He was chosen as the head of his class and a member of the school’s sports committee. Of course, he often shares the beauty of Falun Dafa with others, from his misery to health and from a broken family to continued miracles.
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