(Minghui.org) Due to the lockdown in Shanghai at the end of March this year, I started to closely watch the development of the pandemic. I used an application on my mobile phone called “NetEase News” to stay up-to-date. The viewpoints of the articles published in this application looked formal and upright.
As the pandemic progressed, my heart also fluctuated with the developments. The application kept sending me all types of related news and also other attractive reports. I unwittingly became attached to my mobile phone. I would take a look at my phone after I did the Falun Dafa exercises and studied the Fa. I would also pick up my phone to browse the application for a few hours when I finished work. Sometimes, I would even take a few looks at my phone while eating.
I felt that this state was not correct. However, I would often comfort myself, saying that I’d gradually browse less down the road. In actuality, I was addicted to it. Thinking back, I used to detest seeing my son glued to his mobile phone and criticized him. How ironic that I picked up similar bad behavior.
After the pandemic lockdown in Shanghai came to an end, I started to follow a story about some women who had been beaten up in the city of Tangshan. I would often talk about it with my wife, who is not a practitioner. I gradually got stuck in this state without realizing it.
It wasn’t until one day last month when I woke up in the morning and suddenly discovered that my vision was blurry and distorted. I realized that I made a big mistake and that it must have something to do with caring so much about everyday people’s news and being addicted to my mobile phone.
I realized the seriousness of the problem and immediately deleted the application from my phone. Just before deleting it, a tinge of reluctance flashed across my heart. After a few days, a shadow that I had been seeing gradually went away, but the things were still blurry and distorted, seriously affecting my ability to read and write. I was a bit anxious and did not know what exactly happened to my eye.
After my wife repeatedly insisted, I went to the hospital and got an X-ray to see what was going on. The results alarmed me. The diagnosis was a macular hole, which is the forming of a crack in the middle of the bottom of my retina, which resulted in a hole in my retina. The doctor suggested I have an operation. If I didn’t, it may develop into retinal detachment in the future.
I returned home with a heavy heart. I thought that the hole was an indication that there is a very big loophole in my cultivation. I looked within and indeed found that I was greedy over petty gains and I hadn’t practiced the second Falun Dafa exercise for 60 minutes because I thought I couldn’t make it. Isn’t this seeking comfort? All these are loopholes in my cultivation.
Looking within made me realize how serious cultivation is. I was determined to start making up for my shortcomings. That day, I told my wife that I was not going to have the operation anymore. As my wife has understood the truth about Falun Dafa and heard that the operation was risky, she didn’t bring it up again. That night, I turned on the 60 minute exercise music for the second set of exercises and much to my surprise, I made it to the end. I am thankful to Master Li for empowering his disciple.
I am considered a veteran practitioner but I still made such a big mistake when using my mobile phone. I am really ashamed that I found excuses for myself and sought comfort. I haven’t made it through this tribulation and thought about writing about it after I passed the test. However, today I suddenly thought that there may be some practitioners who are experiencing similar situations, being in danger without realizing it. After much hesitation, I wrote this article.
I hope that fellow practitioners with similar situations like mine can quickly realize the danger they’re in and how serious cultivation is.
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Improving Oneself
