(Minghui.org)
Getting Rid of the Attachment to Electronic Devices
I use electronics a great deal. I use the computer to find information for my scientific research, my cell phone at work to handle tasks, and Business WeChat to communicate with colleagues. Since these devices are a necessary part of my life, I have to cultivate while using them.
I bring my cell phone home after work, and sometimes I would play on it all night. As a result, most of my Fa study was superficial. To search for information I need to be on the internet, and I could spend endless time on it if I find something interesting. I am interested in remodeling, since I am attached to buying a house; I am interested in history, since I want to be more knowledgeable. I am unaware of the time I am spending until many hours have passed. I was ashamed for not doing well in cultivation, and I would be determined to do better the next day—only to repeat the same mistakes again. Out of five days in the work week, I probably only maintained my xinxing well for one day.
On weekends, I leave all my electronic devices at work so that I can focus on Fa study. I feel my mind is totally detached from the cell phone and the computer. I always believe I will do well when the new week begins, but the reality is different. As time goes on, I lose confidence in myself. Even if I do well studying the Fa on weekends, I worry I will repeat my mistakes when I go to work.
In my dreams I am constantly kidnapped by the evil and manage to escape. It reflects my state of being trapped by the cell phone demon. In one dream Master appeared in front of me. I said, “Master, I was wrong.”
Master replied, “I just cleaned it up for you and you got it back again.” I knew it was time for me to completely stop using my cell phone.
One day I wondered, “Now that I can stop using electronic devices at home and remain unaffected by them, why do I need to use them at work? My boss pays my salary and never monitors me, how can I abuse his trust? As a practitioner I need to be a good person. How can I play with the cell phone at work?”
This reminded me of a vivid dream I had last summer. In the dream, I was laid off at the end of the year because I got two points on last year’s performance evaluation, and this year I failed it again.
In reality, I had earned only two points on my evaluation last year, likely because I had taken three months off. Was it just a coincidence that it agreed with the dream? This year I hadn’t taken any days off, so why did boss still give me a failing score? I realized that I failed because I played on the cell phone and computer during working hours. Even though my weekly reports were fine, my boss had become aware I was wasting time. Divine beings saw it as well, and Master is disappointed in my behavior.
To be considerate of others, I stopped playing with electronics at work. My efficiency greatly improved. I used to do better than my coworkers even when I played on my cell phone, although only slightly. Now that I have put down the cell phone, I have found I can easily take on more responsibilities for the company.
Eliminating the Attachment to Buying Clothes
I had another strong attachment—buying new clothes. Thoughts would automatically pop up: “What shoes will match this dress or pair of pants? Do I need to wear a different style?” These thoughts were relentless. I often found myself shopping for clothes after work, feeling as if I could not live without them. Sometimes I would grit my teeth to control myself, forcing myself to walk away from the clothing shop.
When I hand-copied the Fa at home, I would be thinking, “I have to buy those clothes before it is too late. There is a sale on now.” When I did the exercises, my mind was constantly focused on buying clothes. For a few weeks, I managed to control my thoughts and was able to study the Fa well. My whole body seemed to disappear, with my only thought focused on the Fa. Later, however, I lost control again and went clothes shopping. Coworkers complimented me on my choice of different new outfits.
After I regularly hand-copied the Fa for a few days, I found that the thought of buying clothes was a thought produced by the “false me.” When I was able to separate myself from it, I realized that the “real me” was tired and in pain under its control. It felt so easy when I was released from it, like I’d regained my freedom.
My attachment to buying clothes had been with me for dozens of years. Since college, I had been obsessed with my figure and make-up. I would save money on food so I didn’t gain weight, and spending it on clothes made me feel attractive. It was like killing two birds with one stone. Although it sounds trivial, the attachment had very deep, thick roots and even led to severe sickness karma. Now I feel that the attachment has been rooted out. My focus on buying clothes has indeed diminished. I didn’t buy any this month. Instead, I mended my old clothes and continued to wear them. Moreover, I don’t feel embarrassed to go out without make-up.
Recognizing the “False Me”
When I am unable to concentrate on studying the Fa, I copy it by hand. Initially, there was no change, but after a couple of days, a false self made up of karma appeared behind my head. This entity can think, and all thoughts that my brain generates actually come from it. It is hard and stubborn, and it stops me from studying the Fa. I cannot concentrate on studying the Fa because of it.
Master enlightened me as I was preparing food to cook at home. I found the carrot was hard to cut. Inside, I saw it resembled tree rings. One of the rings was similar to wood and very hard. I then understood that I have an isolating layer in my body, and I must diligently study the Fa to eliminate it. So I finally exposed this layer of a false me. It sometimes tells me in my mind that I am old; sometimes it tells me I have serious illnesses and I am dying. The old forces control the false self and impact our thoughts and actions. Some practitioners are confused by their false selves and have passed away due to sickness karma. Now that I have recognized it, it cannot affect me anymore—it is time for it to die.
My will has become much stronger when I study the Fa. Whatever circumstances present themselves, I am able to remain sitting still as I study. If my concentration wavers, I will read one word at a time and continue, and if that fails I will hand copy the Fa. No matter how badly I am disturbed by demons, I sit there motionless. I send forth righteous thoughts on the hour daily. With persistence, I always regain my concentration, and my cultivation enters a new realm. The stubborn obstacle is removed, I am elevated, my sickness karma is eliminated, and the attachment behind it is exposed and dissolved.
Some practitioners say they study one lecture a day, others study at least three lectures. So how many lectures is enough? Master said, “You must study the high-level Fa thoroughly and know how to cultivate.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
My understanding is that Fa study must be thorough. It doesn’t matter how many lectures one reads, one needs to understand deeper levels so one’s level can be raised. The mind needs to meld into the Fa, not just have a superficial understanding. The Fa permeates into microscopic places in the mind, allowing attachments to be exposed at an even deeper level, be recognized and eliminated.
When I study the Fa, I feel a strong power pushing inside the back of my head, making a cracking sound just like rock fracturing. It is the fake me comprised of granite-like material that is disintegrating. I find after studying the Fa that I am renewed. I have a new appreciation of cultivation each day. So I keep myself in check afterward by asking myself, “Have I studied the Fa thoroughly today?”
I recently had a dream in which I was unable to answer any questions on an examination but managed to earn over 600 points. Then, in another dream, I only got over 500 points. Although I still passed the test, it was not a high score. I enlightened that it was because I struggled so much trying to rid myself of my attachment to cell phones.
Getting Rid Off the Notion of Disliking To Cook
Because I work away from home, I used to eat out because it saved time and the trouble of washing dishes. Now I start to cook as soon as I get home from work, and I save some of whatever I prepare for lunch the next day. When I ate out in the past or called for a delivery, I would choose lavish dishes and developed a taste for gourmet food. Now, however, I use whatever ingredients are in the refrigerator. Things have become much simpler.
I feel my digestive system is cleaner and that this is the right way to live. It doesn’t take much time. Coming home right after work also saves time. I listen to Minghui broadcasts when I cook, and I have more time to study the Fa. Not eating out or shopping for clothes saves a lot of time and money. The thing I feel best about is that I can look inward when I encounter problems. My cultivation has returned to an upright away.
Telling People the Facts About Falun Dafa at Work
My company is located in an economically prosperous area and is a leader in its field, advancing at a fast pace and making good profits. It is considered a pioneering company, one of the top in the nation. Its employees are well paid and have a sense of superiority—they set their sights high and consider travel, opera, and gourmet food as recreational pastimes. Whether something is right or wrong does not concern them—they aspire to live the high life. It has been difficult for me to tell them the facts about Falun Dafa. They trust only those whom they consider their equal.
I am a senior engineer in the company, and over the past two decades of the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), I have lost my jobs several times. I often did low-level work while my coworkers got ahead in their fields. The technology has greatly advanced over the past 20 years and had left me behind due to the persecution. When I joined this company, however, everyone sought me out to solve difficult problems, and I was able to do so in a short time. I know it’s Master and divine beings helping me. Gradually, the senior technical persons came to me to resolve their problems, too. One of them said in the group chat that I was the “key figure,” a “god” in the company. I thought he was exaggerating, but then I thought, it is his knowing side telling me, “You’re a practitioner, an immortal, a most critical person in the company.”
I work alone at the company located in a different province, where there are no fellow practitioners. No one can help me when I am in a poor state, and there is no Fa study group that can help me correct my state quickly. I have to rely on solidly studying the Fa. I sometimes did poorly and felt I let Master and sentient beings down. Several times I considered quitting my job, thinking I might improve more if I could return to the group environment. However, Master has given me hints that I should stay and save the people here. Master allowed me to see that, in just a few years, I had become outstanding in the company. I understood that Master has encouraged me to stay to help others.
I also realized that, if I cultivate myself well and maintain a high standard of performance in my work, people will realize the goodness of Dafa and quit the CCP.
Mr. Zhang, a key employee in the company, uses the equipment in my area. I found him straightforward and honest, so I looked for opportunities to tell him about Falun Dafa. I certainly did not expect him to react so strongly. From then on, he stopped talking to me, and his eyes were filled with hatred whenever we met. I was at a loss how to move forward.
One morning while doing the Dafa exercises, Master enlightened me through his instructions to the exercises: “Feel kind in your heart and maintain a peaceful look.” I realized Master wanted me to spend more effort to save Mr. Zhang, and that is why Master led him to me multiple times. Instead of being over-eager to tell him the facts, I put my energy into helping him with his work. As a result, he respects me a great deal and confides in me. But his resistance to Dafa still needs time to dissolve.
Many employees in the company are like Mr. Zhang. They are young and have been deeply influenced by modern notions, CCP culture, and scientific concepts. They hold high social status and are arrogant. They are misguided modern people. Although they are not bad, they have been harmed by demons. Helping them to change takes more effort and patience and time—just a few words won’t do it. Sometimes I admire the authors of Minghui articles who seem able to share the facts about Falun Dafa so effortlessly with strangers. My circumstances are different. I work at this company, and I can only walk my own path. I need to focus on studying the Fa more and learning how to save people. Some people are more receptive. For example, visiting engineers are often easier to talk to.
Cultivation Means To Cultivate Oneself
My husband and daughter also study the Fa, but they often clash, sometimes to a point that is almost unresolvable. Because I work away from home, I sometimes return to utter chaos—I can often feel the tension on the phone before I get there. My husband once said, “It is all your fault. I would not be upset if you didn’t say it that way. Since I was upset, I didn’t handle things well with our daughter. That is why she acted that way.”
I responded, “I am a practitioner, not an immortal. How can I do everything well?”
He became even more upset, saying, “You’re still arguing. Why don’t you look inward. What does it mean to look inward unconditionally? Do you know?”
“Ok,” I replied, “let’s both look inward.”
But he retorted, “I am an ordinary person. Don’t ask me to look inward. I don’t do that. You do that.”
I was left speechless. “Alright,” I thought, “I will look inward.” I realized my argument was wrong. How could I use the excuse that I am not an immortal and cannot do any better? I need to hold myself to a higher standard and expect more of myself. Consummation requires goodness, and I can’t look for excuses. Master has also hinted that everything that happens at home reflects my cultivation state. The turmoil at home is the result of the old forces exploiting my gaps. Master wants to save everyone, and those involved in a tribulation have a chance to improve. If someone doesn’t cultivate, he remains an ordinary person. My husband’s words—that everything stems from me—are a reminder that I need to cultivate myself. Master is teaching me to follow his guidance, look inward and cultivate myself. Enlightening to this, I lowered my head in shame. I realized that every unpleasant thing that happens in my home, no matter who caused it, originated from my own heart. Who else can I blame?
By cultivating my heart and continuing this way, I have gained strong righteous thoughts and some abilities. I am able to resist interference and persecution and not allow them to happen in my dimensional field. Those in the company whom I thought were hard to save have become hopeful. It is now easier for them to accept the truth about Dafa.
Master encourages me to write and submit articles, often giving me hints. I not only write experience sharings but also commentaries to help save people. However, I prefer fellow practitioners not know I do this, lest they develop jealousy. It is simply an ability that Dafa gave me. It is nothing compared to the practitioners who endure all kinds of weather to clarify the truth to people face-to-face. Practitioners sometimes exclaim, “You know, our local practitioner Ms. So and So has an article published on Minghui.” Actually, being happy for oneself or others is a form of zealotry. True cultivation requires a calm, peaceful mind. There is no point in spreading such news, which may cause trouble for oneself or fellow practitioners.
Please point out anything not in line with the Fa.
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Category: Improving Oneself
