"Truth-Compassion-Forbearance" Takes Root in Taiwanese Students' Hearts

Today, a student's compassionate action moved me deeply.

Last semester, I began to tell the students the principle of "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance" and to teach them to look inward to correct their day-to-day behavior. In the class, we did class projects that helped the students understand the power of compassionate thoughts. Gradually, "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance" took root in their hearts.

I required the students to write a "one-paragraph diary" every day. The diary had two key areas.

If you made a mistake during the day, look inside yourself to find your shortcomings according to "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance," and bravely face the fault and try to remedy it.

If you didn't find make any mistakes today, carefully observe the "compassionate" behavior of other people and record it, whether you know the other person or not.

Minghui diary and weekly self-check list	Some of the class publications

Every day, after I read and marked the diaries, I picked the most moving stories and let the students edit them on the computer. When the stories accumulate to a certain point, the class then prints a magazine called, "Minghui Class Magazine." At the same time, I asked the students to read the best articles in the class, hoping that the other students will follow their lead and awaken their compassionate hearts.

Gradually, surprised and excited feedback from the parents reached me: "Why did my child progress so much?" "My child has become well-behaved," "He is now more considerate," and other observations of positive changes.

My colleagues also praise my class all the time: "Your class is the one that I worry about the least," "I love to teach in your class." The school principal talked to me during the morning meeting, "Of the whole school, only the students from your class concentrated on listening to the report on the stage. Their eyes focused only on the speaker. They are really different from other classes."

But I continued to observe and wonder, "Is it that they are just obeying my requests on the surface or they really raising their character in their hearts?"

Today, I believe I have a definite answer. "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance" has taken root in their hearts and that is why they can display such compassionate behavior.

Here is the story:

Lingxuan brought several photos to share her happiness with me. They were taken on Sunday when she and Hongxiu attended the calligraphy contest at Baoan Palace in Tainan City. In one photo, she was representing all the contest participants and pinning a corsage on the Director of Education. In another photo, calligrapher Chang Binghuang was writing in public. In the center of the photo, was the paper on which were written three large Chinese characters: "Truth Compassion Forbearance."

Calligrapher Chang Binghuang demonstrates calligraphy in public

I asked Lingxuan what happened. The calligrapher had offered to give her a free sample of calligraphy. Without thinking, she asked him to write three words, "Truth Compassion Forbearance," and told the calligrapher that this was what her teacher required of the class in order for each of them to be a truly good person. She wanted to hang the calligraphy in the class to encourage all the students.

I told her this was a hint from Master Li Hongzhi.

I was deeply moved. It was not a coincidence that the student would think about the three words, "Truth Compassion Forbearance," in such a circumstance. It shows that the three words have taken root in her heart. All the people watching the writing demonstration were destined to see it. This is truly the power of the Fa.