PureInsight | April 8, 2017
[PureInsight.org]
Greetings Respectable Master! Greetings Fellow Practitioners!
Today I would like to share with you how I got rid of my addiction to computer games. I hope those who have the same problem can take heed from this.
I started cultivating Falun Dafa in 1997 when I was 10 years old. My parents were also practitioners. At the beginning I felt Master’s teachings were all about how to elevate morality and how to be a good person. Later, my level improved, and I realized Falun Dafa is not an ordinary exercise practice; it is cultivation. At the time I always joined my parents at large-scale exercise practices in Beijing, nine-day lecture classes, and cultivation sharing conferences. My body soon revealed some cultivation states like Master mentioned in His lectures.
When the persecution started, our original cultivation environment was destroyed. In order to contact overseas practitioners and visit the Minghui website, my parents bought a computer and asked a tech savvy practitioner to teach me how to use it.
In early 2002 after our family moved to Russia, my parents bought me a new computer so that I could do translation work. After the publication of the Nine Commentaries, I took up the task of translating Russian to Chinese to assist fellow practitioners to help everyday people withdraw from the CCP.
In 2005 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees transferred us to Sweden. My parents bought me my third computer. Since then, I have been using this computer to join online truth clarification work through the Internet. Sharing a forum with many technically capable practitioners from Sweden and abroad, I learned many technical skills like how to use the Internet to talk about truth clarification. When the European Truth clarification platform first started, I participated in the European team to both assist in training and offer technical support.
As all projects were short of technical staff, I was invited to join the three major media. To work with the media you need a good quality and very secure computer, so I assembled my own fourth computer. From quitting the CCP, clarifying the truth through the Internet, Sound of Hope, the Epoch times, and the NTDTV to making films, the computer has become a tool I use to save sentient beings. It is almost like the computer is an assistant to me in clarifying the truth and Dafa projects.
My previous job was a subway driver. Over three and half years as a driver, I missed three accidents. The first time the train in front of mine had an incident. The second time right after I had just left the station, the following train had an incident. Finally in the same month a colleague swapped a shift with me and had an incident during that shift. I now know Master is protecting every Dafa disciple.
The subway company had spent at least 100,000 Swedish Krona on each subway driver’s training, and would not put us in a different role except under exceptional circumstances. Once I was clarifying the truth to my boss. I mentioned that I have many things to do for my human rights in China work and wished I could be transferred to a less demanding position. Having learned the facts, my boss was very supportive and transferred me to the ticketing office to work.
Having been moved to a less demanding ordinary job, I should have had more time to save sentient beings, and I also planned to do better on Dafa projects that I was involved in. However, I was unaware a subtle challenging test was brewing in the background.
The computer-based projects I was involved in were highly technical, which meant I was usually working alone, the work was dull but intense. In my spare time, I would play some computer games to relax.
In the big dye vat that is this modern society, electronic games have become something that is used habitually for passing time, especially for young people. Many different manufacturers spend lots of money marketing their latest products and games. The more people play, the more addicted they become. These electronic games incessantly entice and lure people in.
I participate in many events, and the pressures are sometimes great. The way I allow myself to relax is through playing these games. I always feel if I can manage my time well, I can play a little bit. Actually I am giving myself an excuse to feed my attachment. The more I play the more I cannot let go as I become more addicted.
Master had talked about this several times, yet I still persisted in doing it. The Old Forces thus used use this opportunity to drag me down. Slowly my Fa study and exercises became less, and my cultivation state became worse.
Although I became less steadfast, compassionate Master did not desert me. On many occasions He pointed out to me to improve my cultivation practice through my dreams. Practitioners around me also did not simply leave me to my own devices; from my daily life to my cultivation they always showed they cared. They would read the Fa with me or we would meet up and share. On many occasions I tried to be determined and break free from the evil enticement of these electronic games. Although I deleted the games, later I started to play them again.
After attending the New York Fa conference in May 2016, I was overwhelmed especially after I heard Master speaking to the European practitioners. I was truly awoken by Master’s heavy words! Cultivation is indeed very serious. The Old Forces stare at each and every one of us looking for every opportunity to drag us down. We simply cannot take Master’s compassion jokingly, otherwise we will be beyond regret.
Master said in Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference, “…everything in this world is attracting you, not letting you obtain the Fa. Not just you, all parents and governments in the world know about this situation, but no one can do anything! This involves not just the issue of people obtaining the Fa. People have also been so affected that they cannot work well, cannot focus on their studies, and they spend a large amount of time on the computer and electronic games—these things tempt you to watch and play them. This is no longer a human state. From antiquity till today humans have not had this state. This is aliens’ technology, and demons are utilizing it to get you hooked, get you to abandon everything you have, and have you devote yourself to it. It’s wasting your life, yet you are loath to put it down! Even from the perspective of being human you are not right, let alone in cultivation.”
Master’s words allowed me to become aware of the seriousness of this matter. Furthermore it allowed me to understand the dangers it can bring to cultivators. I immediately wiped away all the games on my mobile phone. Upon returning from New York, I also uninstalled all the games from my computer. Although I still had the thought of playing electronic games, very quickly my righteous thoughts cleared it away.
When I was taking a rest, my brain reflected many strong thoughts of loneliness or boredom because this used to be the time I would reach for the computer games. Whenever I had this itch, I would think about playing a bit in order to alleviate the boredom. Yet I reminded myself this is a test. I would use the time I used to spend on playing games to read the Fa and do the exercises, and every time I practised the exercises my body felt light and warm. I knew this was compassionate Master encouraging me.
One day, I had a thought to get rid of my high specification gaming computer. I did not want to see it any longer. Master may have seen my determined heart. A friend suddenly offered to buy my computer. Without hesitation I sold it to him at a low price. I also gave him some original games and a costly games console.
The games console controller was not working because it broke a year ago when I was playing those games. I remember thinking it was a very expensive console, yet the controller broke after a few plays, and I recalled how angry it made me. When I gave it to my friend I said, “Maybe it is repairable and can still be used.” Afterwards, I received a phone call. My friend happily told me that when he connected everything to the games console and the computer, it worked like a treat. He was so happy!
I immediately understood Master had always been taking care of me, not allowing the electronic games to ruin me, looking after me every step and encouraging me. This made me more determined to get rid of my attachment to playing games. I did not want Master to be troubled by me over this issue. Cultivation is a serious matter, and I must be responsible to myself.
Lastly I want to say this: Dafa practitioners really should no longer play electronic games, and it is the Old Forces arrangements to ruin Dafa practitioners’ cultivation practice. When we are immersed into playing these games, our attachments become more deeply rooted and our precious time is wasted. The time we currently have is made by Master having to forebear a great deal in exchange for Dafa practitioners to reach consummation and save more sentient beings! From now on I will treasure the time that we have. I will not let Master down, will cultivate myself better, and do the three things well!
Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!
Chinese version: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/155673
