Lessons Learned From Being Attached to Browsing on My Phone

(Minghui.org) Sometime this year—although I can’t recall exactly when—I started looking at my phone more and more frequently. It started innocently enough: just during mealtime, or when I felt tired or in a bad mood. Browsing my phone seemed to help me relax. I convinced myself it was harmless since I only read the news and I didn’t play games. But the phone seems to know exactly what your attachments are and what you like to see. Over time, I found myself scrolling through ordinary people’s things.

Looking back, I realize that ever since I began browsing my phone, my cultivation state gradually declined. Because this decline was so subtle, I didn’t notice it at first, and even the three things that practitioners should do were affected. My throat often felt uncomfortable. Sometimes just by opening YouTube—before I even watched anything—my throat immediately felt bad. That should have been a clear warning, but I ignored it. I simply waited until my throat felt better, and then I started watching again.

I began experiencing symptoms of tightness in my chest, and I realized it might be connected to my frequent mobile phone use. Determined to make a change, I deleted some things from my phone. Even after I removed them, I still felt the urge to look. It was like an addiction, but I was able to control myself.

While I recently browsed online, I couldn’t resist the temptation to click on one of the media sites run by our practitioners, thinking I would just glance at the headlines. Almost immediately, I felt a tightness in my chest and had to take deep breaths just to breathe evenly. It frightened me so much that I put my phone down.

Over the next few days, the tightness in the chest would come and go. I also felt a sensation in my throat, as if something was stuck there. It was very uncomfortable, and I also felt tired—as soon as I woke each morning I already felt exhausted, and my legs ached when I meditated. Normally, my legs don’t hurt much when I meditate, so I realized that it these symptoms must have been caused by negative things absorbed from watching ordinary people’s videos, and that the pain I felt when I meditated was the process of expelling them.

I not only felt tired, but I also lacked energy, and even developed bags under the eyes. I looked like an ordinary person whose mental and physical state wasn’t good at all.

I found many of my attachments, such as to comfort, food, jealousy, resentment, lust, the unwillingness to be criticized, and a quick temper. Even though I discovered so many attachments, my physical condition didn’t show any obvious improvement. I thought that since there wasn’t much change, it must mean that I hadn’t yet found the real root of the problem.

After reading experience sharing articles on Minghui.org about the harm of mobile phones, I finally recognized the problems caused by browsing on a phone. Those articles, along with listening to Minghui podcasts, helped me clearly understand the negative impact of watching ordinary people’s videos. Watching such content is simply a waste of time, as ordinary people’s content is filled with things related to fame, gain, and emotions, and sometimes even worse.

While watching those things, it feels as if dark and rotten substances are being poured into one’s body. Only after I truly understood this did the uncomfortable physical symptoms finally disappear.

I wondered why I never noticed these articles before. They had always been there, but my own attachments interfered with me, preventing me from noticing them. Evil beings in other dimensions watch us like a tiger stalking its prey, looking for every possible excuse to persecute practitioners who have loopholes in their cultivation.

I am very fortunate to have diligent fellow practitioners around me who have a clear understanding of the Fa. One practitioner reminded me to let go of this attachment. But my problem wasn’t only that I watched those videos; I was addicted to them. I had not followed Master’s words, “Don’t get lost in worldly attachments” (“Plum Blossoms,” Hong Yin II). I failed to meet this requirement.

A fellow practitioner pointed out my shortcomings. Enjoying those videos is a form of sentimentality; there are also attachments to lust and pursuit of comfort. Becoming attached to prophecies reflects the desire to take shortcuts and an unwillingness to endure hardship. It also shows a lack of clarity regarding a practitioner’s mission and responsibilities.

When I wrote down what videos I had been watching, I felt so upset and just wanted to cry. I could hardly believe that at such a critical time, I still had the heart to look at those things. Instead, when I felt tired, I should have done the exercises. During mealtimes, I could have listened to Minghui podcasts; and when I was in a bad mood, I should have studied the Fa more. Even simply doing nothing would have been better than watching ordinary people’s videos.

When a fellow practitioner asked what lessons I learned, I initially felt ashamed. But I was moved by her kindness, and I wanted to make a breakthrough.

I shared in our small group and looked inward. My tears flow as I write this. I once saw that this practitioner and I came from the same world, and even our family backgrounds are quite similar. Yet while the practitioner has been diligent and steadfast in cultivation, I have been stopping and starting on cultivation, making a mistake here today and another tomorrow.

Recently, I organized two Falun Dafa teaching classes. I worked very hard on the promotion beforehand and did everything I was supposed to do, but the number of people who came to learn the exercises was far fewer than in the past. I couldn’t understand why at the time, but now I think it was most likely related to my watching ordinary people’s videos and slacking off in my cultivation.

Yesterday in one project, a practitioner misunderstood me and blamed me. But my heart remained unmoved, and I was able to pass the test. Today, the practitioner sent me a message saying she misunderstood me. I simply replied, “It’s okay.” I realized I was able to pass the test so easily because I had let go of my attachment to the phone.

Many practitioners around me have done the three things very well and aren’t distracted by their phones. But why I was affected? It was because I treated ordinary people’s things as important. As a practitioner striving to elevate myself and ultimately rise above the ordinary world, I needed to let go of these attachments. However, I didn’t take them seriously until I was truly affected.

Master clearly asked us not to neglect even minor matters. Looking back, my attachment to the phone is both a small but significant matter. I want to completely let go of this attachment. I also hope that other practitioners can take my experience as a warning.

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