(Minghui.org) I am a young Falun Dafa practitioner currently in ninth grade. Although my mother guided me to practice Falun Dafa since I was born, I only began cultivating independently when I was in fifth grade. In sixth grade, I realized my desire to become a true cultivator and broke my gaming addiction. My cultivation progress has improved by leaps and bounds since coming to the United States to study.
I stopped studying the Fa after starting school. In first grade, I saw my cousin playing a video game. Finding it fun, I started downloading games onto the tablet computer I was supposed to use for studying. At first, my mother did not object. However, when she realized how severe my addiction had become, she tried to get me to stop. I remember once she confiscated and locked my tablet in a drawer. When the desire to play flared up, I would tear up the house looking for the key, throwing things around if I could not find it.
During the pandemic, we had to take our classes online at home. This required at least four hours of daily tablet use. With free access to a tablet, my gaming addiction worsened. At first, I only played after classes. Later, I started playing while class was in session, along with a few other fellow delinquent students. When my mother found out, she was very unhappy. Once, in a fit of anger, she smashed the tablet into pieces without my knowledge. I was furious to discover the tablet was missing, but no matter how much I vented my anger, my mother refused to show me the broken tablet.
Without access to a tablet, my gaming addiction began to die off. Although I was not motivated to read the Fa by myself, I still listened intently when my mother read it to me. I soon lost the desire to play games. But later, when my mother said she intended to fix the tablet, the desire to play started to reignite. I was in fourth grade when my mother returned the tablet to me, and I started playing games again.
Although I initially told my mother, “I’ll restrict my gaming to 40 minutes a day,” sticking to that commitment was not easy. It was easy to stop at first, but I soon found myself adding another 10 or 20 minutes, then a whole hour, to my gaming time. When she realized my addiction had returned, my mother confiscated my tablet and gave it to my father for safekeeping (since I am more fearful of my strict father’s anger).
This became a cycle. I would get the tablet back, get addicted, have it taken away, then try to break the addiction. Because the addiction was not something I truly wanted to eliminate, I could never truly erase it.
When I was in sixth grade, my mother discovered a Fa study group and began to actively participate. The first time my mother asked me to go, I refused but was dragged there by her in the end. I then voluntarily began attending the study sessions.
After reading Master’s teaching, “The entire cultivation process for a cultivator is one of constantly giving up human attachments.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun), I realized gaming is an attachment! Like smoking, gaming is also an undesirable addiction. I handed the tablet back to my father and I severed ties with my gaming habit. My mother told me I quit entirely due to my own efforts. She would never have succeeded in changing my mind, no matter what she did.
Because of my gaming addiction, I became a short-tempered person, exploding at the slightest provocation. My mother tried to break my gaming addiction by reasoning with me. Not only did I ignore her but I also resented her nagging. Whenever she described the demerits of playing games, I would retort, “Why didn’t you say anything when I first started? You only intervene now when I’m hooked. It’s too late!” My mother was very upset and gave up all attempts to curb my gaming habit. Looking back, I regret my terrible behavior.
Although I eventually overcame my gaming addiction, I found myself unable to improve my temper. I would explode when faced with certain topics, even though I knew it was wrong and should not get angry. I would correct myself afterward, but any subsequent incursion into these same areas would arouse my anger.
I felt distressed after each Fa study session, thinking I should not have gotten so angry. I wondered, “Why can’t I control myself? It must be the pervasive Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture in China. I definitely wouldn’t have these problems abroad.” I only wanted to avoid these conflicts and did not recognize them an opportunity to improve my character.
One day, a relative staying abroad asked me if I wanted to study at a good school in the United States. This was my chance to leave China. I was so happy!
I arrived in the United States and started studying at the school. Although I enjoyed the relaxing environment, my temper still flared up when problems occurred. I was at a loss, “Why can’t I control my temper even though I’m abroad?”
During a Fa study session with my guardian, I suddenly realized, “If one doesn’t want to change, they won’t, even if placed in a better environment. Only those who truly want to improve will succeed.”
From that moment on, after realizing the problem lay within myself, I began changing myself.
After six months of effort, I successfully rid myself of my short temper. Some people, including my classmates, told me, “You’re a much better person now, compared with when you first came from China.” Without Dafa and Master’s salvation, I would never have been able to quit my gaming, let alone improve my short temper. It’s truly what Master said:
“cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while transforming gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a fellow practitioner gave me a tablet full of truth-clarification materials. After reading them, I realized many people were not aware of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa. The desire to let more people know arose in my heart. Because I was so young, the repercussions of declaring my status as a Falun Dafa practitioner did not cross my mind. I just wanted to let my schoolmates be aware and prevent disasters from befalling them.
I started with my three good friends, telling them about the atrocities committed by the Communist Party. I said, “The Communist Party uses Falun Dafa practitioners to secure a stable source of human organs for transplant. Witnesses have seen doctors harvesting organs while the practitioners are still alive.”
Two of my friends immediately exclaimed, “How can they be so evil?” I replied, “They’ve done so many bad things. Why should we remain members of their organization? How about withdrawing from the Party?” Two of my classmates readily agreed. My last friend said, “I’ll think about it,” but never got back to me after that.
I clarified the truth to another schoolmate at our dormitory, and he exclaimed, “How could the Communist Party do this!” I asked him, “Do you think the Communist Party will face retribution?” He replied, “Escaping goes against the law of heaven!”
I continued, “Do you still want to remain a member of the CCP’s Young Pioneers?” When he said no, I told him, “Then I’ll help you withdraw from the Party through an overseas withdrawal center, okay?” He agreed, “Of course! But what about my brother?” I told him, “It depends on whether your brother is willing. If he says yes after listening to the truth, I’ll help him withdraw too. Doing so without his consent doesn’t count.”
My schoolmate agreed, then asked me, “What if the school forces me to take the oath of membership?” Surprised by this sudden question, I advised him to silently recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” while taking the oath. This schoolmate was very grateful.
None of my classmates who withdrew from the CCP and its affiliated organizations were infected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
My growth and progress in cultivation are inseparable from Master’s meticulous efforts and care. Thank you, Master, for your compassionate salvation!