(Minghui.org) (Continued from Part II)
My cultivation state improved after I started consistently attending group Fa-study, studying the Fa more, and rectifying myself. At the same time, with the wisdom given by Master, I found a relatively new field called Cultural Economics on the website of the American Economic Association. The new topic made it easier for me to talk about traditional culture and Falun Gong in my economics classes, and easier for people to accept it as part of the curriculum.
Based on my experience of teaching over the past few years, I found that many students did not have a clear understanding of traditional culture. Some people mistakenly thought that some modern or popular stuff was traditional culture. Some even believed that sports like soccer were part of traditional culture. So I decided to spend some effort to prepare richer content in this area.
In order to help students to read the two books, Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World, better, I carefully prepared a 4-part homework with the theme “Cherish traditional culture in the process of economic development.”
I wrote in my instructions, “The first part is recognizing traditional culture. Since five thousand years of Chinese culture has influenced many countries in the world, we will use the traditional Chinese culture as an example and the main theme is to further understand the influence of traditional culture on a country’s economic development in the long course of history.” I selected over a dozen classic Chinese stories from the Shen Yun website, including the story of Pan Gu creating the universe, Nuwa creating humans, Great Yu controlling the waters, Journey to the West, Mulan, etc.
I asked students to write down the traditional virtues and values shown in each story, and then think about whether there were corresponding stories in Western culture, like Laozi vs. Socrates. Students read those stories very carefully and their answers were very detailed.
For example, one student wrote, “The story of Pan Gu creating heaven and earth corresponds to Genesis from the Bible. The story of Nuwa creating man corresponds to the story in the Bible where God made Adam out of clay. The story of Nuwa repairing the heavens and protecting people from disasters reminds people of the miracles of God separating the Red Sea and the Ten Commandments.”
One student wrote, “In my opinion, the story of President Lincoln of the United States can best correspond to the history of Yue Fei’s service to the country. Like Yue Fei, President Lincoln was loyal to the true American spirit. He cherished the country, and led the United States through many trials and tribulations in the most difficult period of the Civil War. He ended slavery and insisted on the value in his heart from beginning to end. He fought for people's rights.”
Another student wrote, “I saw perseverance, hard work, and dedication to society in the story of Great Yu managing the flood waters.”
One student wrote, “Han Xin repaid the kind woman who helped him, and didn’t bear any hatred towards those who bullied him when he was young.”
I was very touched reading the students’ homework.
I remembered what Master said,
“Let me tell you, every person in the entire world was at one point part of my family...” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)
The second part was reading the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and writing a report. With the learnings of the traditional culture in the first part, students have a better understanding of the specifics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) destroying the traditional Chinese culture and moral values.
Part three was reading How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World and writing a report. With the foundation of the first two parts, students can understand easily the tactics used by the communist specter in destroying traditional values around the world.
The last part was asking students about how to cherish traditional American values in daily life. I used an example from a website describing how the Declaration of Independence expressed reverence toward God.
My experience showed that most children from traditional families are still very innocent and trusting. A student who took three different courses I taught from freshman to senior year said, “This is the third time I read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. I still remember the first time I read it, I saw it says the CCP had killed 80 million innocent people. I was surprised and thought maybe 80 million was a printing mistake.”
One student said, “How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World is very well written, and easy to understand. The opinions expressed in the book are similar to what my mom taught me.”
Another student said, “This book has good logic and reasoning. The source of the information is clearly listed.”
A student said that many young people of his generation have been influenced by the modern and degenerated notions of freedom. He said the book is very brave to let readers hear another kind of voice.
Of course, a few students said some of the arguments in the book How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World are biased and difficult to accept. I know that was because their notions were stirred. I respected their opinions and tried to chat with them more. I tried to think of ways to give them more opportunities to get good information.
Master said,
“What we have to do is to awaken people from a positive, or good, angle.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
I realized that I have to find ways to protect the Buddha nature and good thoughts of sentient beings. I sometimes shared videos of classical music and Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra with students. Sometimes after explaining the theory of economics, or doing a long period of mathematical economic analysis, I balanced the content of the class by sharing some interesting short stories, or some videos that depicted kind and benevolent human nature, so as to offset those negative messages they got from the corrupt society.
For example, at the best girls’ high school in Taiwan, all class names were named after 29 traditional virtues, such as loyalty, love, faith, diligence, and respect, etc. I asked a friend from Taiwan to help find some information about the school. He found a photo with the names of classes from this school and a video introducing the history of the school. My students saw how the traditional virtues are passed on from generation to generation in a subtle way in a different society. After the class, a student told me that this was very different from the local high school, and it was refreshing to see.
I asked students to quote a paragraph that best represents each chapter and its conclusion when reading the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World. Two students selected a paragraph that quoted Master’s article “Pacify the External by Cultivating the Internal.” I knew their innocent nature recognized Dafa.
Economic development is a very interesting field in economics. To boost students’ interest in learning, I had them fill out a questionnaire asking, “Which countries have you been to? Which countries do you want to visit most?” Based on their interest and experience, I choose a country for each student and ask the student to write an in-depth report on that country. I provide detailed instructions with the country’s statistical data of economic development in their homework. I encourage every student to collect as much information as possible and do more research on the country’s traditional culture.
I spent more time this semester and provided each student with appropriate materials that I collected for their reference. They represent the essence of traditional culture of each country.
For the student who studied India, I gave him the stories about Monk Tang who went to India to get Buddhist scripture and Shakyamuni.
For the student who studied Japan, I found the history of the envoy to the Tang Dynasty and photos of Japanese temples in the style of the Tang Dynasty.
For the student studying Korea, I showed him the video and news from Epoch Times reporting Udumbara flowers blooming on a Buddhist statue in a temple in South Korea for the first time in 1997. This student later presented his report to the class and explained that this is a holy flower in Buddhism that blooms once every three thousand years. It’s appearance indicates the arrival of a holy one.
For a student studying Australia, I found a film about cave paintings from prehistoric civilization.
For a student studying France, I found images of French cave paintings and a film about a musician who composed classic music in honor of Louis XIV’s accomplishments.
With a student studying Italy, I discussed with him several artworks from the Renaissance period and asked him to introduce them to the class.
For the student studying Greece, I found photos of Buddha statues in ancient Greece.
Master said,
“You can see that many Buddha statues of the early period had deep eye sockets, with the bones over their eyebrows and facial structure being very similar to Westerners. They had straight noses, and they had a forthright and upright appearance. The reason is that ancient Greece passed on to India the Buddhist culture of an even earlier period, which in turn was passed from India to China.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art,” Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Writing Music and Creating Fine Art)
Sometimes when I insisted on having my students study something, they would reject my ideas, or they would choose some modern contents, such as cartoons, electronic toys, or pop music, etc. At times like this, I become vigilant and look inward to get rid of my attachments. I remind myself that I must cultivate my thoughts and respect others. I should not be moved or displeased about topics that do not meet my standards. These students are ordinary people who live in the big dye vat of society. They are unavoidably influenced by bad things and that’s understandable.
5. Introducing the Swastika Symbol with Articles and Video from the Minghui Website
I thought it would be beneficial for students to understand the history of the swastika symbol. I tried to include articles and videos on the Minghui website regarding the swastika symbol in my class this semester. I told the students that Buddhism is the main religion in many countries and the swastika symbol has been found in many ancient civilizations around the world. Students were very interested.
I asked if anyone knew the history and meaning of this symbol? Only two students raised their hands. Most students didn’t know and looked at the photos and watched the videos with interest.
A student from Europe told me that this subject is rarely talked about in Europe because people don’t like Nazis. I later asked another student how she felt about studying this topic. She replied, “This is eye-opening for me. I never knew there were swastika symbols in ancient Greek. I asked my roommate if she knew, but she didn’t know either.” She then added, “We are students!” I realized that Master was giving me a hint: do not pay much attention to what others think. If it is beneficial to people, just do it openly and broadly.
6. Looking for a Video of “Nuclear Reactor Two Billion Years Ago”
In Zhuan Falun, Master mentioned a large-scale nuclear reactor in Gabon, Africa. I wanted to introduce the prehistoric civilization represented by this nuclear reactor two billion years ago, and give students an opportunity to reflect on the Theory of Evolution. When I searched for the videos using a search engine, the results almost all described it as naturally formed, which means many people do not believe that it is a prehistoric civilization.
I think that most people are obsessed with modern empirical science. It would be great if there was a credible scientist who could confirm the facts. I switched to another search engine and quickly found a video that was simple and concise, just what I needed. The film quoted the words of a professor who was also a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. He used his expertise in studying uranium for many years to come to the conclusion that the reactor was man-made. It was exactly what I was looking for.
This professor’s name seemed familiar to me. I looked up and found out that this was the same professor commemorated at the memorial center at the entrance of the classroom building where I used to teach. He was born in a city not far from here, and later moved to another place to study and teach at a research university. He was also an adviser to several former presidents. The school and local residents respect him very much and are very proud of him. So the memorial center was established in his name to commend his contribution. It turns out that such suitable material for validating the Fa was right in front of me. Yet I was completely unaware of it. I need to pay more attention in the future.
One student searched the Internet and saw many videos that explained the reactor as natural. Another student replied, “There are many things we do not know in this world.” Later I thought Master had mentioned Newton and Einstein in his lectures. I looked up their stories and told students that even accomplished scientists like Newton and Einstein had to face many doubts and challenges when they put forth their theories. I hope this perspective can inspire the students.
7. A Special Abacus
During the final exam of this semester, I reminded the students to take time and check their answers. In my mind, I silently recited “Falun Dafa is good; truthfulness-compassion-forbearance is good,” and wished them a bright future.
As students lined up to turn in their exams one after another, one student took out a big abacus from his backpack and handed it to me, “Professor, I want to thank you for being my teacher. I want to give you this. Please accept it.” I was so surprised, as I had not seen an abacus since I left China. I can see that this is a special gift he had carefully prepared. I was so moved that I didn’t know what to say. At the same time, I saw another student waiting in line with a card in his hand.
I took the abacus and put it on the table, thanking him from the bottom of my heart and wishing him a happy summer break. I recalled this boy as one who seldom spoke to me or asked questions. Like most cheerful and confident Western young men, he always chatted with his friend after class. But he never missed class and his grade was also very good.
In the book report after reading How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World, he wrote, “This book not only made me understand the many problems that communism and socialism have brought to our society and economy, but also made me realize that the process of communism and socialism infiltrating our country is like the Trojan horse in Trojan War.” He said that because most people hate communism, those with ulterior motives then used the word “socialism” as a disguise. In fact, they mean the same thing and represent a very dangerous ideology that poses a great threat to this nation.
After class, I wrote an email to him to thank him for the gift again. I told him I cherish this special gift very much. It reminds me of the happy memories of my parents preparing the abacus for me for school in my childhood.
His reply was, “Professor, I am glad you like my gift. It really makes me happy knowing that you feel my gift is meaningful. I found this in a store and it was made by a company called Lotus, which specializes in making wooden Chinese abacus. This is a nostalgic Chinese abacus. It reminds me of economics because it was used for mathematical calculations. I really appreciate what you have done for your students. I can see that you care about us and how hard you work, and want to give students a good education and many virtues. I really like this class because not only did I learn about economics, but also learned about communism and the Chinese Communist Party, as well as classical music.
“I love my father very much. He often tells me about his life in the former Soviet Union and what communism is. My father used to be a professional pianist in Romania. He traveled all over the world and participated in piano competitions. He also composes classical music. Therefore what you taught in class is significant to me.
“I think learning these is also important to other students because the CCP has a great influence on China and it has a close relationship with our country. Also, classical music is good for students’ brains and bodies. Do you know research has shown that letting plants listen to classical music can help plants grow faster and bigger? In contrast, the plants listening to rock music and other music in the control group did not grow well. When you let students listen to classical music, it helps them grow better and make them smarter. I really appreciate what you teach.
“It makes me happy to know that you like my gift, and I hope it can be a gift you will cherish in the days to come. This is my way of expressing my gratitude to people who are of great significance to me.
“Thank you for your teaching in class. I really appreciate everything you have done.”
I was moved to tears reading his email. I printed out his email and placed it in front of Master’s picture and dedicated it to Master. I believe that one day in the future, people will see and thank Master for his mercy and salvation.
Conclusion
Master said,
“You are actually by my side every day...” (Teachings at the Conference in Europe)
“Cultivation is about people’s minds, about changing their ways of thinking. However pure your thoughts are, that is your Attainment Status.” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Zhengzhou,” Zhuan Falun Fajie)
I am grateful to Master for watching over me, giving me hints when I am not doing well, bestowing me with wisdom, and arranging my path to clarify the truth. I am grateful to Master for saving me and all sentient beings. I am also thankful to fellow practitioners for their help over the years.
Master extended the time for us to save more people. I wish I could really cultivate myself well and do the three things with a purer heart and walk the final path well. Thank you Master for your mercy and salvation!
Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!
(2021 International Online Fa Conference)
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