(Minghui.org) I am an art teacher in my late 50s. I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1997. After cultivating for 22 years, I’ve completely changed. I understand the meaning of life, my body has been purified, and I have high moral standards. My life is happy and content.
I was persecuted in detention centers and labor camps from 2000 to 2004, because I wouldn't give up my belief. I was beaten, force-fed, and forced to do unpaid labor. During that difficult time, Master Li revealed to me beautiful scenes in other dimensions, strengthening my faith in Dafa.
I have been preparing art students for college entry exams since 2005. Falun Dafa granted me the wisdom to do it. I realize that if one wants to obtain wisdom, one has to connect with the characteristics of the cosmos, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and only then can he make a breakthrough and achieve outstanding results. So, besides instructing my students in artistic skills and techniques, I also teach them to be good people and inspire their kindness.
Where I live, most people are struggling financially and cannot afford the extra fees for tutoring. So I have been tutoring students free of charge. Many people do not understand why I would do that. They comment that, with my skills, I could have made a fortune and be living very comfortably. But for me, my focus isn’t to make money but to provide my students with the best I can offer, and help them become better people first and good artists.
While I do not charge for the tutoring, I do have expectations for my students who come for the class. They are required to pay attention to detail and diligently carry out the assignments, big or small. I also expect them to learn to think independently, be kind, be patient, and learn from each other.
Many students I tutored not only achieved outstanding academic results and created good work, they also developed critical thinking not taught in other schools in China, and were able to endure hardship.
Master taught us:
“If the human race is able to improve its character, conduct, and thinking by grounding these in moral values, it will be possible for civilization to endure and even for miracles to occur again in the human world.” (“On Dafa,” Zhuan Falun)
One student passed an entrance exam for an art institution after he learned to sketch from scratch in only 17 days!
Another student who used to skip classes and fight with other students made a rapid turnaround guided by Falun Dafa’s principles. He became very considerate and often helped his parents to do housework. He also studied very hard, often late into the night. In one semester, his grades and behavior improved so much that his teacher no longer wanted to have him expelled.
Besides his grades, his artistic abilities also improved. After the college entrance exam, he was accepted by an art school, with a design major. That was big news in his village.
Returning to Tradition with Dafa’s Guidance
One of my students wanted to attend an international art competition. She likes to play Guqin (a traditional Chinese music instrument). I suggested that she paint a lady from ancient times playing the Guqin. I took this opportunity to teach her about traditional Chinese culture and how the ancients expressed their inner feelings. She learned very quickly and her works were awarded the top prize!
Master taught us:
“A lot of cultural relics in many places of the world date back far beyond the history of our human civilization. These ancient remains have quite an advanced level of craftsmanship. In terms of artistic value, they are at quite an advanced level. Modern humankind is simply imitating the arts of ancient peoples, and their arts are of great artistic value. They are, however, relics from over 100 thousand years ago, several hundred thousand years ago, several million years, or even over 100 million years ago.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
The Fa inspired me to guide her with ancient tradition, and her work was acknowledged by the international art community.
Another girl also wanted to participate in a national art competition. I remembered what Master taught me:
“...there are frescoes engraved in many caves of France, South Africa, and the Alps that appear realistic and lifelike. The figures therein engraved look remarkably exquisite and are colored with a mineral paint.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
“Many times in the past, cultures that were as divine as they were human have appeared in this world and helped people to arrive at a truer understanding of life and the universe” (“On Dafa,” Zhuan Falun)
I realized that returning to traditional ways was the best way to guide my students. I discussed with her how to learn from the ancients, how to paint with a tranquil mind, and how to use traditional skills and create things with positive themes. She won the top prize nationwide.
