Why I Don't Carry a Cell Phone

[PureInsight.org] In Zhuan Falun,
Lecture 7, Master talks about how monks weren't allowed to eat onions,
ginger, or garlic, because the odors would disturb people's
tranquility. I don't carry a cell phone for the same reason. How am I
going to get anything done if I am allowing myself to be disturbed all
the time? It disturbs my tranquility and those around me.

 

I have noticed that practitioners will take cell phone calls anytime,
from dinner, to Fa study, to righteous thoughts. The evil knows that if
they want to get to practitioners then they just have someone call them
on their cell phones.  I know one practitioner that is so attached
to his cell phone that he has it with him 24/7 and will always answer
it. This attachment became so bad that Master had to address it at the
Atlanta Fahui, suggesting that practitioners set their phones to
voicemail during Fa study. But I haven't noticed that most
practitioners have followed the suggestion.

 

Why not? Because there is a deeper attachment connected with cell
phones, and that is a anxiety about urgency and missing out. They fear
that if they don't answer their cell phone, they may miss out on some
urgent event or information. But they don't stop to think that by
taking that call they are taking their focus away from something like
Fa study, the most sacred thing in the cosmos, for an unknown.

 

I used to have a strong attachment to a cell phone. In fact, I had an
unlimited minutes plan and logged something like 12,000 minutes a
month. Most of this time was listening to the girlfriend I had. I was
scared to turn off my phone in case she might "need me" for something.
Eventually, I got rid of the cell phone and stopped seeing the young
woman. They were both like an attachment to eating meat that I had to
let go.

 

Now, I could get a cell phone if I wanted, since I don't have the
attachment, but I still don't see the need as now I have the freedom to
work undisturbed instead of being distracted. I suggest you try going
without a cell phone for a week and see what happens. I think that if
you will try that, you will have a sudden liberation.