(Minghui.org) I am a young Falun Dafa Practitioner in China. I started practicing Falun Dafa in 2008, and I have read some experience sharing papers about the harm incurred from playing computer games. I quit playing computer games in high school, however, I slacked off in college and started playing games again. I'm sharing my lesson with fellow practitioners, to help them become aware of this problem and also take this opportunity to eliminate my attachment.
I discussed with some practitioners the reason why young people enjoy playing computer games. We see how computer games allow people to indulge themselves in their attachments. One can kill and rob in a game, and get money and women that he can't in real life. These games are harmful to cultivators.
Master said,
“Other people also come to worship the Buddha statue. With this type of worship, they will gradually give it some amount of energy. It will be more dangerous if a practitioner worships it, for this worship will gradually give it energy and enable it to form a tangible body. Yet this tangible body is formed in another dimension.” (from Zhuan Falun)
Thus, as I understand it, when people (especially practitioners) play computer games, they give the games energy. The spirit utilizes people's attachments which strengthens them. This works against the goal of cultivation.
Karma is directly related to one's attachments. Some practitioners think that killing in a computer game is probably considered killing in another dimension. I think it is even worse, because it builds up thought-karma. When you have the thought of stealing, robbing or killing in a game, it will form thought-karma and become an obstacle in your cultivation. Every time I played a computer game, I experienced dizziness, felt agitated, lazy and annoyed, even after I deleted the games. All my attachments, especially to comfort and lust were strengthened. Sometimes, I couldn't resist the urge to visit adult websites after playing games.
Master said,
“People have to think in leading their lives. Because one is lost among everyday people, one will often develop in one’s mind thoughts for fame, benefits, lust, anger, etc. Gradually, these thoughts become the powerful thought karma.” (from Zhuan Falun)
This new thought-karma makes it even more difficult to cultivate ourselves. If we are agitated, lazy and pursuing our desires, how can we offer salvation to sentient beings?
Whenever I had free time or felt tired, a thought would arise, “That game isn't bad. I'll take a break and play for a little while.” The so-called “isn't bad” is already a degenerated standard in modern society. As a cultivating practitioner, the addiction to card and chess games is also an attachment to comfort.
Master's teaching is very clear,
“Smoking is also an attachment. Some people say that smoking can refresh them, but I call it self-deception and deceiving others. When feeling tired from work or from writing something, one may want to take a break by smoking a cigarette. After puffing a cigarette, one feels refreshed. Actually, it is not true. It is because one has taken a break. The human mind can create a false impression and illusion that later can indeed become a concept or false impression that smoking does refresh oneself. It cannot do that at all, and neither can it have this effect. Smoking does not do the human body any good. If a person smokes for a long period of time, at the time of autopsy a doctor will find that his or her trachea and lungs are all black.” (from Zhuan Falun)
My understanding is that taking a rest by playing games is a type of illusion driven by one's attachment. Practitioners can listen to Dafa music or watch Shen Yun Performing Arts shows instead, which are free from the interference of degenerated culture. On the other hand, practitioners in the Fa-rectification period should be busy when we are truly responsible for sentient beings. How can we ever be bored and waste time on entertainment?
Living in modern society, especially among students, I find it hard not to be influenced. Sometimes I couldn't help watching others play games and talking about games.
Master said,
“It is that your mind is being controlled by a foreign spirit. Yet you may still find it quite good and you want it, as you are happy about it. The more you are pleased, the better it controls you.” (from Zhuan Falun)
Whenever I enjoy watching and talking about the games, it is equivalent to pursuing it. The spirit in the game will come into play and bad thoughts will be reinforced. The more I do this, the harder it is to control myself. I think that practitioners shouldn't listen to, watch or talk about computer games.
Besides computer games, a variety of games are available for cell phones and other electronics, and practitioners should avoid playing with them too. The harm mentioned above applies to all of them. Falun Dafa practitioners should make advancement on cultivation diligently. How can we find excuses to indulge our attachment? The time left for our cultivation is limited. Let's treasure this time and become true Dafa practitioners.
