(Minghui.org) I was obsessed with short videos for a while. The way that short videos are set up exploits people’s curiosity, because you never know what the next video will be. As a result, people keep scrolling and are unable to stop.
Compared to the Fa, I find that the contents of short videos, including the characters, words, and actions, are all very ordinary. Even things that sound profound are based on ordinary people’s reasoning. Other content, such as jokes, funny episodes, skits, or even pornographic or borderline stuff, only worsens our attachments, having no positive effect.
Occasionally one may see a few videos with some educational value. One might think, “Look, these short videos aren’t bad. Isn’t this having a positive impact?” So one doesn’t want to give them up. In reality, this is just an excuse to not rid ourselves of the attachment. We gain nothing no matter how many videos we watch. We only waste time.
The next video you see isn’t completely random. They apply a strategy in the backend to keep users hooked. The longer you watch a particular video, the more they think you are interested in that type of video, and so they recommend more of them to you.
What I’m trying to say is that people always have attachments. One cultivates to remove them. If you watch videos and do not study the Fa, aren’t you just indulging and magnifying your attachments? The old forces will then take advantage of this and make you spend more time watching videos. You might not realize why you’re watching for so long, and you might even think what the videos say makes sense, but it’s actually because you still have that attachment, and it’s that attachment that thinks it makes sense.
They keep pushing videos of this type, making you even more attached! You cannot put your phone down! Sometimes you think, “Why am I watching this? Isn’t this an attachment?” But the algorithm knows your preferences. Whenever you open a short video, it’ll keep pushing videos of the type you are attached to.
I heard of a practitioner who was obsessed with short videos: His family (fellow practitioners) took away his phone. He thought to himself, “I have a spare phone and a spare SIM card, so I can still watch them.” I also heard of practitioners secretly watching videos, and quickly hiding their phones as soon as their family members approach. They know it’s wrong to use their phones to watch videos, so they do it secretly and don’t want others to know.
I went through a period myself when I was obsessed with short videos. Some practitioners not only watched them secretly at home, but some even refused to go home despite other practitioners’ advice. They knew it was not right, but kept doing it. Fellow practitioners! You once vowed to assist Master in Fa-rectification and save sentient beings, and were determined to come to this world. You endured immense hardship to validate the Fa, and now you can’t let go of a tiny cell phone!
I believe practitioners who are obsessed with watching videos on their phones must feel frustrated. We are at the end of our cultivation. Don’t stumble on such trivial matters. Your relatives in heaven are waiting for you. Master is expecting us at the final destination of cultivation! We’re almost there, so we can’t afford to sleep like the hare while the turtle resolutely walks on. Here, I am offering a reminder to fellow practitioners. I’m also warning myself.
Why did I start watching videos on my phone? Thinking back, I felt that cultivation was hard, and I had heavy work pressure too, so I wanted to relax and take a break. I thought watching videos on the phone for a while shouldn’t be a big deal. But this is still human thinking, a human way of solving problems. I need to think based on the Fa.
I took fatigue as a natural thing. I should look for solutions in the Fa, and not assume things are just that way, as if they can’t be changed. When I’m stressed and tired, I should do the Dafa exercises. That way, I’m grounded in the Fa, and not resorting to ordinary people’s methods to relax, such as watching videos on my phone.
Conclusion
There are various interfering factors in the world today, all of which can strengthen our attachments. All we can do is hold on to the Fa! Dafa disciples come from high levels, and the requirements are high. The things of ordinary society can only make people more addicted. We must look at all issues from the perspective of the Fa teachings. Only by cultivating according to the Fa, unaffected by the various factors of the present world, can we cultivate to high levels.
This is my current understanding. Please correct me if there are any inaccuracies.
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Category: Improving Oneself
