(Minghui.org) I have practiced Falun Dafa for 30 years. Immersed in Dafa’s grace, I’ve been purified both physically and mentally, my moral standards have improved, and I’ve gone from being introverted and withdrawn to cheerful and optimistic.
When I first had to collaborate with Xia to teach our classes, I sensed that she did not understand me. She was prejudiced against me, because I was a Dafa practitioner. Xia was arrogant and domineering. I could often hear her reprimanding her students or banging on the table. Whenever she talked to me about her students, she always frowned. To her, when students made mistakes, they usually did so intentionally to cause trouble, so they could only be kept in line using high-pressure tactics and a forceful approach.
As a Dafa practitioner, I followed the xinxing standards of a cultivator, so my teaching philosophy was vastly different from Xia’s. I could understand my students in a compassionate way and tried my best to bring out their positive sides and inspire their compassion. I considered their feelings and avoided saying or doing things that might hurt them. Of course, I also set strict requirements for them. It was just that I spoke softly, I was gentle, and I won my students over with reason. My relationship with my students was harmonious—we got along well—so they were able to learn effectively.
A parent told me that her child had complained that her math teacher, who wasn’t a good teacher, blamed our head teacher for being too nice to us.” That was when I realized that my students were not doing well in their math class, totally unlike how they were doing in my language class. I thought it might be because they didn’t respond well to Xia’s way of teaching. I knew that she did not agree with my method of teaching, but I thought that, since she was a strong-willed person who would be bothered by the fact that her students weren’t doing well, I should help her.
I started to ask my students how they were doing in their math class and quietly helped Xia sort things out. I also talked to her often and incorporated the students’ performances in their math class into my reward system. Initially, Xia was unimpressed by my subtle, unobtrusive approach, because she thought that one should be tough on students, that they would only respect a strict approach. However, she gradually discovered that the students were changing under my influence.
Xia asked me to help her make a request to the students, because she didn’t get any response despite mentioning it in class many times. I went to the class and made her request clear. The next day, she said, “Amazing! The whole class did what you helped me ask of them! How come the students listen to you so well?”
Another time we were chatting in the office, when a language teacher casually mentioned that an educational expert had described me as the best Chinese language teacher in the school. Xia was so astonished that she couldn’t help but let out a gasp, her eyes widening in disbelief.
After these incidents, Xia started to pay attention to how I spoke and behaved, how I managed my class, and what others thought of me. She said, “I’ve noticed that whenever students have a conflict, you always guide them with patience, reason with them, encourage them to put themselves in the others’ shoes, and consider the feelings of those around them. Whenever a student’s grades start to drop, you ask why they think they are falling behind, address their gaps in knowledge, and provide patient guidance. To boost their motivation, you frequently dip into your own pocket to purchase small prizes for them. When they behave poorly, you don’t criticize them endlessly, but instead turn the situation into a teachable moment, sharing stories that inspire goodness, thereby encouraging them to correct their mistakes of their own volition.
“I’ve also noticed that the parents treat you with great respect and are quick to step in and help with any class issues. During every spring cleaning, the parents vie with one another to clean the classroom, leaving it absolutely spotless. Right before the New Year’s Day celebration, they decorated the classroom beautifully. They even purchase affordable exercise books for the entire class, according to the students’ needs.”
Xia also learned that the parents felt fortunate that their children were able to have a good teacher like me, who never accepted red envelopes [with money inside as a “bribe”] but still did my job with dedication and treated the students fairly and selflessly. She also heard more than once from the subject teachers that our class’s students are both well-behaved and engaged. On top of that, she learned that my class’s language scores rank first in the grade every semester.
All of these things made a profound impression on Xia, perhaps because she had never realized that her school employed such a truly exceptional teacher. Given the intense pressure and the multitude of administrative chores, the teachers in the school were generally quite frazzled. Shouting at the students was the norm for many, and they possessed little patience to hold a genuine, heartfelt dialogue with the students. The relationship between the teachers and the parents was also similarly superficial and could even be characterized as mutual wariness and antagonistic at times. My sincerity and kindness flowed like a bubbling spring into the hearts of the students in my class and their parents, opening up a world that was entirely different.
Xia started to change. I seldom heard her bang on the table in her class. She also became very willing to tell me how sweet the students really were. Her brows were no longer tightly furrowed, and she was quick to smile. I also saw that she dipped into her own pocket to buy prizes, and the students were happily going to her for rewards.
I once had to go into her classroom to settle something, and I saw that she was telling the students a story from the book she was holding! This had never happened before. I was really happy for Xia from the bottom of my heart. She had changed. Not only did she become happy herself, she also won the respect of her students, and their math grades naturally improved.
In fact, although I was not impressed with Xia’s teaching methods in the past, I had never thought of changing her. I just did well based on the requirements for a cultivator, but that awakened her innate kindness.
Xia and I got along increasingly well, and she also saw the lofty realm of a Dafa practitioner in me. For instance, when I volunteered to demonstrate lessons for young intern teachers, I remained unperturbed in the face of rude behavior from colleagues. I never allowed the fact that the school treated me unfairly to compromise my wholehearted dedication to my work. The misunderstandings that Xia used to have about me totally vanished. She also quit the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Youth League and Young Pioneers, thereby choosing a bright future for herself.
Due to CCP’s persecution, I was forced to leave this job that I was passionate about. When Xia learned that I would rather give up my job than give in and renounce my faith—and also learned the consequences that I was going to face—her eyes filled with tears. She was profoundly reluctant to see me leave. After I left, I learned indirectly that, whenever someone mentioned me, Xia always teared up. I believe that, in the heart of such a kind person, the distinction between right and wrong had already become crystal clear.
After leaving the school, I went to work in a small shop. Although the salary was low, there was a lot of tiring work to do. I kept in mind that I was a practitioner, so I often took the initiative, was not afraid of hard work, and let go of the sense of superiority I’d derived from being respected when I was a teacher. I genuinely devoted my heart to the shop’s development and earned the affection and praise of the manager and other employees.
The store manager, Xiuxiu, is a spirited and hardworking woman who never shies away from putting in effort. However, she had a bad temper, frequently grumbled, and spoke in a sharp, abrasive tone, giving the impression that she was perpetually unhappy. I later learned that she had a strained relationship with both her mother-in-law and her sister-in-law. Whenever she met her mother-in-law, they would ignore one another and they harbored a sense of pent-up frustration. This greatly affected her quality of life.
One day, Xiuxiu said to me, “After you came to work here, I felt that I really needed adjust my attitude.” She had seen how calm and positive I was, that I was steady and conscientious, even though I was going through such a great tribulation. And she was absolutely green with envy when she saw how my mother-in-law and husband came to the shop just to visit me because they felt sorry for me.
I took the opportunity to talk to her about many principles and offer her advice. I said that it was fate that her mother-in-law was now her family, and that is a relationship we must cherish. The elders always hope to gain the younger generation’s respect, so we should show our concern for them and resolve conflicts. When others treat us badly, we should not take it to heart. We should just treat it as if we owe them and are repaying a debt. In addition, being in a bad mood will also affect one’s health. Xiuxiu agreed with what I said and was convinced. I also explained the truth behind the persecution of Dafa to her clearly, and she quit the CCP organizations.
Xiuxiu gradually changed. She used to frown and grumble, but her expression has now softened and she no longer loses her temper so much. What is most gratifying is that she said that she had made up with her mother-in-law. She even bought her a wool sweater and cleaned her house. They now get along well.
If I had not cultivated Falun Dafa, I might have ended up just like the old Xia and Xiuxiu. Due to the CCP’s destruction of China’s traditional culture, Chinese people nowadays only care for their own feelings and seldom think about others. They also vie to come out on top in any conflict. Falun Dafa taught me how to be considerate, to find my own shortcomings when encountering problems, and to be someone who benefits society and other people.