Finally Letting Go of the Attachment of Watching TV

(Minghui.org) I have been practicing Falun Dafa since 1998. I have removed some of my attachments during my cultivation; however, I could not let go of the attachment to watching television. It was very difficult to get rid of because there were many human attachments behind it.

My addiction to television was not small, as I could spend hours watching. Master has pointed out my problem in my dreams many times.

I dreamed that the Silver Horned King, an evil character from “Journey to the West,” came out of the television, which scared me and I woke up. I also dreamed that a snake came out from the television and got into my body. I woke up in a cold sweat and was afraid to go back to sleep. I would stop watching television whenever I had these bad dreams, but the attachment of watching television was never gone.

I read an article on Minghui.org regarding the attachment of watching TV, as well as Master's new articles; however, this attachment was so strong, and I couldn’t control myself. I knew that the old forces could take advantage of me as long as I had such a strong attachment—I felt the pressure, but I could not let go of this attachment until this past winter.

I shared my experience with a practitioner from another town, and she helped me to totally let go of this attachment. She asked what I was obsessed with the most. I answered that I couldn’t let go of watching television for some reason. She suggested that perhaps I was treating the attachment as myself.

“I know it isn’t me,” I replied, “but I'm obsessed and am unhappy if I don't watch.”

“When you feel bad, it means that it hasn't let you go. It is the one who feels bad—not you,” she explained. “From this moment, you should be determined that you will not watch TV anymore. No matter how bad you feel, you should be clear that it is not you so that you can let it go and eliminate it completely. If you do that, you will reduce its power. In the meantime, you should also look inward and get rid of your human attachments.”

I did as she suggested, and I've dug out more attachments.

The first was lust. I liked to watch good-looking men and women on television, and I liked traditional dramas. I also had the attachment of curiosity, looking for major news and hot stories on television. I also had the attachment of loneliness. I wouldn't turn on the television if I had someone over at my house. When I was home alone, I would unconsciously turn on the television, even without actually watching it.

Master said in “Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference XI:

“People may say that it doesn’t matter what they see with their eyes, and that they can just stop looking at something if they no longer want to see it. But that’s not true. When your vision makes contact with something, that thing has entered. That’s because any thing can replicate itself in other dimensions, so the longer you look at something, the more it enters. No matter what it is, be it on television or on a computer, it enters once you look at it. As more of these bad things are loaded up in your brain and body, they end up dominating your actions. Your speech, your mode of thinking, your perspective on things—all of it will be affected.”

The current television programs have been infused with the toxins of the party culture. Large numbers of demons would flood into all my spaces after I watched for a long time. This explains why I was having a hard time studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. My mind wasn't clear when I sent righteous thoughts, either.

Some practitioners have said that wasting time is wasting Dafa resources, and it is also a crime against Dafa! I really did not know how to classify myself. Was I still a cultivator?

Now that this attachment has been removed, I occasionally look at the weather forecast on the television and turn it off right away. Four months have passed without recurrences. Sometimes the idea of watching TV flashes in my mind. I distinguish it, suppress, and clear it—after that it is gone.

Now that I have spent a lot of time memorizing Dafa lectures, I feel much better thanks to Master's great compassion. I thank the fellow practitioner for her advice, which helped me get rid of this difficult attachment.

I would like to share my experience and expose this attachment. This sharing may also help those practitioners who still spend a lot of time watching television or using their smart phones.