(Minghui.org) In my youth, I was interested in science, especially mathematics and physics. I had little talent when it came to languages, and it was particularly difficult for me to learn my native language, German. I almost failed my German course. Later in college I chose to major in science.
I had worked on my German for as long as I could remember, but my language skills had not improved much with the passage of time.
A decade ago, a good friend told me about Falun Dafa, and I soon began practicing it. What Master wrote about the universe captivated me. When I was in high school, I was very interested in quantum physics, so when I studied the Fa, I could understand some deeper meanings easily. I also saw some very interesting things. Those images still show up very clearly in my mind today. Those were a few moments when the universe unfolded before me.
As I continued to practice, new areas of interest opened up to me. I began taking photographs, painting, listening to a lot of classical music, and going more often to museums, opera houses, and the theater. I also grew to love my native language and German culture in general. Looking back, I felt like I was waking up from a big dream.
In a flash, I realized that I had made a fundamental change. I can still recall that moment clearly. It was a Saturday afternoon. I was sitting at my desk, looking through the window into the garden, when I suddenly felt an inner urge to write a poem, so I picked up my pen and wrote this:
In the Space Where We Are Lost
One is lost and wandering in this world.With blurred vision in the fog, he struggles to take a step.Drowning in desire and greed.Following fake principles, one survives in the dirt.He is searching for inner peace.Enduring the ridicule of the bad beings.Each step determines whether to be happy or sad.He forgets his true homeland.Time flies.The universe is changing rapidly.Light is suddenly appearing in the darkness.The heavens become pure and a new universe has opened its door.The Creator is in the great dome, and the matter is complete.
After writing the last part, I put down my pen and asked myself, “What is this?” Looking at the paper, I realized I had just written a poem. And so my first poem was born.
Thirteen years have passed since that moment, and in that time, I have learned to appreciate and love my native language. It is so powerful and so distinctive. It is precise, but at the same time delicate and tender. Goethe, Schiller, and many other German writers realized this and used it skillfully.
I have now published more than 700 poems, some of which have been included in anthologies, and I am currently working on a book of poems.
In the course of my practice, my book collection has grown exponentially. I love to read poems by Goethe and Schiller, and you can find many German poems on my bookshelf. My horizons have gone far beyond the technical and scientific fields. Today I believe that if I had not practiced Falun Dafa, I would not have been able to open up the treasure of the German language and have access to this vast and profound culture and German poetry.
I thank Master from the bottom of my heart for this gift. I feel like I am back home.
Thank you, Master!