Eliminate Attachments to Comfort and Desire

(Minghui.org) Last year my husband gave me a cell phone, which made it easier for me to access the Internet. In time, however, I started enjoying everyday people’s things and constantly checked my phone for any incoming messages.

I would click the links to get details when there were interesting topics. I even excused this behavior in myself by saying that I was just gathering updated information to better clarify the facts.

In fact, from Dafa cultivation I knew how bad the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture is, and I refused to watch any political news, movies, or TV programs from China.

I then fell in love with a Korean TV drama.

In the beginning, I would watch it once in a while, but soon I was watching it every day. To defend my behavior, I would encourage my non-practitioner family members to watch Korean TV as well. I argued that the TV dramas produced in China were full of pornographic, violent, and malicious content. Although Chinese programs appeared to criticize the bad guys, they actually taught people how to be bad, while Korean dramas did not.

My argument seemed to convince my family to stay away from CCP television programs, but it also served to cover up my attachments to comfort and desire. I knew that was not right, but I was reluctant to change. As a result, my cultivation was not solid.

Interestingly, one day my phone just stopped working. I could not get online using the software system, but everyone else at my home could. I took the phone in for service--it worked fine for all functions except connecting to the Internet.

After almost two weeks of being unable to get online, I realized the seriousness and importance of Dafa cultivation.

Master said:

“You have all seen that in today's society negative things abound, and they spur on people's attachments and affect their minds and souls, continually dragging the world's people downwards. It is terrifying. Dafa disciples are human cultivators, not gods that cultivate, and so as people who cultivate, they will be interfered with to some extent. If they cannot handle themselves well, then they are just like ordinary people; and when interfered with, their behavior will be much like that of ordinary people. ” ("Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference")

“I can do all of this. Since it’s not necessary for other organisms, plants, and animals to understand the Fa, I can just convert them directly—directly re-creating or assimilating them.” ("Lecture at the First Conference in North America")

After studying the two Fa lectures above, I was ashamed of my attachments. I should treasure the time we have left and spend it doing the three things well. Wasting my time and my life would only make the evil ones happy.

In addition, the cell phone has a life. In this special period, I should use it wisely and with compassion. The phone could be saved, but I had used it to do bad things because of my strong attachments; therefore, countless lives connecting to this life may have vanished because of its wrongdoing.

True cultivation means fixing my problems when I recognize them. I begged Master to give me one more chance--I was determined to get rid of this attachment, do the three things to save more beings, and not make any more such mistakes.

The next day, I turned on my phone and the WLAN signals were back again and flashing. I have had access to the Internet ever since.

I've seen many practitioners with problems similar to mine. When practitioners live in a relaxed environment, they may start seeking a life of ease. Some practitioners spend a lot of time online involved in playing games, social media, or online shopping. They are attracted by things that ordinary people find alluring, but they are not aware of this trap.

I hope my experience can help them become aware of the possibility for these to become attachments in their cultivation.

Please inform me if I have written anything inappropriate or incorrect in this article.