(Clearwisdom.net) Children are like sponges. They will absorb ideas that you give them. Nowadays, facing the dramatic societal changes in this chaotic world, many children are lost in the adult pursuits of money, fame and self interest. How can we find a direction for our children? The experiences of 11-year-old Chen Youhui may provide a reference for parents and teachers.
A Young Falun Gong Practitioner: a Good Student with High Moral Standards
Chen Youhui is in the fifth grade. She has been practicing Falun Gong with her parents since she was very young. Her mom said that she had not been a healthy child and was hospitalized twice prior to age four. After she grew older, she started to learn the Falun Gong exercises, and she read Falun Gong books. She steadily became stronger and was even able to take care of her younger cousins. Although she is the only child in her family, she is not a self-centered child. Instead, according to her mother and grandmother, she is a help to the entire family.
Six-year-old Chen Youhui (front row, right) practices the Falun Gong exercises with others at a Minghui School.
In elementary school, she won a "model student" award. During almost every semester, her total score across all five major subjects has been the highest among all the students. Her mother said that she did not have much time to help Chen Youhui with her homework because she was too busy at work. She simply asked her child to study well from the perspective of a cultivator. After Chen Youhui entered the third grade, she was able to do all her schoolwork quite well without being prodded even a bit by her parents.
I asked the young girl how she was able be so motivated at such a young age. She said with a smile, "Because I am learning Falun Gong." Studying Falun Gong books has given her the understanding that she should behave well and raise her xinxing level. Studying Dafa books also enables her to focus and gives her a peace of mind, enhancing and speeding up her studies. Thus, she does not lose any time by studying Dafa.
Essay about Zhuan Falun Win First Prize
During the second semester of fifth grade, her teacher asked Chen Youhui to represent her class in a writing competition about experience in extra-curricular reading. After discussing the contest with her mother, she decided to write about her experience reading Zhuan Falun. She won the first prize. The following is her composition.
Zhuan Falun was a gift from my mother for my fifth birthday. Back then, my mother taught me to read the book word by word. I still like reading the book. I do not know how many times I have read the book. Each time I read it, I find something that impresses me. The book especially makes me understand how to be considerate of others no matter what I do.
Master Li said, "the entire cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up human attachments." (Zhuan Falun). My mother said, no matter what kind of situation I encounter, I should first think about it according to the principles of Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance). When I do, I can easily find the correct solutions to problems. Zhen means to act and speak with truth, Shan means to be compassionate and kind, and Ren means to be tolerant and to forbear hardships.
I believe Ren is the most difficult of the principles to accomplish. When I was little, I easily became angry. The boys in my class sometimes bullied me, and they once even beat me with a broom. After studying Zhuan Falun, I changed from a girl who cried loudly and liked to report those incidents to a girl who could think in a different way: The boys probably did not intentionally bully me. Perhaps I owed them from my previous lives. I then was able to smile and let it go. I learned to forbear.
I found that when I let go of my mentality of competition and stopped arguing about who was right and who was wrong, I felt ease in my heart, and the boys stopped making trouble for me. Instead, they came to help me to carry my lunch boxes. After I grew older, I gradually understood that when troubles came, it was time to upgrade my xinxing. As long as I keep Zhen-Shan-Ren in my heart, things will become simple, and it is easier to make the right assessment and adopt the right attitude. Hence, troubles are good occurrences.
Master Li mentions in his book about "selflessness and altruism." ("Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature", Essentials for Further Advancement) I learned that I cannot just think about myself all the time. I should think about others. Therefore, at school, I enjoy helping others. I always feel sorry for those students who are the trouble-makers in the eyes of other students. They actually do not want to be the poor students that no one likes. Therefore, I do not feel they are annoying. Sometimes I am willing to help them.
Master Li also talked about the reason "that as a practitioner one should not fight back when being punched or insulted."(Zhuan Falun) From that passage, I enlightened to the implications of having a high moral standard. Every part of the book not only tells us the ways to be a cultivator, but it also helps me during my daily life at home and at school. Each time that I have a conflict with another student, I think about passages in the book to encourage me and to calm myself down. Reading the book has made me a gentle, considerate and warm-hearted girl instead of a little girl who tends to lose her temper. Zhuan Falun enables me to study well at school and to happily get along with others every day. It is really a wonderful book that is well worth reading.
Finding the Meaning of Life through Cultivation
Chen Youhui's mother indicated that her child benefits from cultivating Falun Gong, both mentally and physically. She became worried when she saw many children addicted to the virtual world on the Internet. However, Chen Youhui does not play on the computer. She spends her leisure time in practicing the flute. During holidays, she plays the flute in parades as a member of the Divine Land Marching Band. She does not feel tired after standing or walking for three to four hours. Her perseverance has built up after years of cultivation. More importantly, she sacrifices her leisure time, which is playtime for other children, out of her own choice. Instead, she chooses to use the time to share the wonder of Falun Dafa with others.
Read Zhuan Falun Together, and the Future is Full of Hope
Perhaps you are also worrying about your own children. Maybe your relationship with your children is tense. Reading Zhuan Falun with your children can help. You will be lighting a lamp of hope for you and your children.
