(Minghui.org) A young practitioner at the Taipei Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference said, “Falun Dafa is the sunshine that I have waited for all my life.” Her name is Tongtong, and she shared how she changed from being lazy and degenerate to industrious and principled after she began practicing Falun Dafa.
Practitioner Tongtong
Tongtong had indulged in Internet browsing since she was very young. When facing pressure, she entered the virtual world of the Internet. She browsed the Internet daily until midnight, got up late the next morning, and arrived at school late. Getting to school on time was tough for her, and she was often penalized as a result.
She often thought about Internet things and became drowsy, depressed, and irritable. She did not like learning, and felt hopeless about her future. Her parents worried about her and felt helpless.
Tongtong’s uncle invited her whole family to see the art exhibition at Yunlin's Feitian Academy of the Arts in Kaohsiung in July 2015. Tongtong was moved by the art she saw that day. She became very interested in the arts and decided to transfer to the school. After getting permission from her parents, she took a test for the transfer. She was admitted to the art department in the school.
She went to the boarding school in Yunlin by herself. The students in the school studied Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa, one session per day. This was a required course. At the invitation of her roommates, she began practicing Falun Gong. She gradually was able to get up early in the morning and had more energy. She read the book many times and followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in her daily life. Her character was changing.
Positive Thinking in Following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
Tongtong began to understand the meaning of life from reading Zhuan Falun and became happy and energetic. Her academic scores also improved. She followed the principles in daily life and eliminated bad words in her speech, as well as bad habits. She said, “I cannot remember any bad words.”
Once when she returned home, she lay on the bed in the middle of her two sisters, chatting. Her sisters started to quarrel over a minor issue. They started to curse, and neither would give in. Tongtong remained calm and told them to settle down. “Why are you arguing? Calm down and speak calmly, one at a time. Let's listen to our younger sister first and see what she has to say.”
First one, then the other spoke, and the quarrel was peacefully resolved. The three sisters laughed afterward. Her elder sister asked her, “How can you be so positive? You have changed a lot, and no longer say any bad words. What miracle has happened to you?” Tongtong smiled and said, “The answer is that I have Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in my heart. I am practicing Falun Gong.”
Improving Art Skills via Uplifting Heart Nature
One day before the end of a semester, Tongtong returned to her dormitory late. She was penalized for this by being required to mow grass in the field at noon for two days. She felt tired from the labor on the first day and complained about the teacher in her mind.
She and others studied the book in the afternoon. She suddenly understood that she should look inward and eliminate her ill thoughts and shortcomings. She went to work in the field the next day with a peaceful mind and the thought of helping the school. She did not feel tired at all. She now bravely faces unresolved issues and deals with them with a righteous mind.
The school teaches Western classical arts and has strict requirements for proportion, structure, and form. This was difficult for her when she first transferred to the school. When facing a bottleneck, she would say to her teacher that she could not do anymore. Her teacher encouraged her patiently, saying, “Your skills will improve as long as you cultivate Dafa diligently.”
She did not fully understand, but one day she read one of Master's poems and was touched. She started to like reading Dafa books and started practicing diligently. Following her teacher's instructions, her art skills improved quickly, and she finally understood what her teacher meant.
Within the last year, she has become full of hope and has peace of mind. Her grades have improved a lot. She likes the school and wishes to practice Dafa more diligently. She said, “I am full of gratitude for Falun Dafa.”
