Falun Gong

Falun emblem

Falun Gong (Traditional Chinese: 法輪功; Simplified Chinese: 法轮功; pinyin: Fǎlún Gōng; literally "Practice of the Wheel of Law") is also known as Falun Dafa (Traditional Chinese: 法輪大法; Simplified Chinese: 法轮大法; pinyin: Fǎlún dàfǎ; lit. "Great Law of the Wheel of Law") is a system of qigong introduced by Li Hongzhi in 1992. Falun is also sometimes translated as dharma wheel or chakra. Central to Falun Gong is five sets of meditation exercises (four standing, and one sitting). A few years after its public introduction in 1992, Falun Gong quickly grew to become one of the most popular forms of qigong in Chinese history, and has been growing in popularity around the world.

The Falun emblem is the symbol of the Falun Dafa. The central character is the Chinese "wan", also known as manji. To western eyes it resembles the swastika used by Nazi Germany (except that it faced right and was rotated 45 degrees). In fact, the swastika is one of the oldest known symbols dating back 10,000 years, and it's frequently found on Hindu Iconography and ancient statues of the Buddha [1]). There is no connection between Nazism and Falungong whatsoever.

Falun Gong has been the focus of international controversy since the government of the People's Republic of China began a nationwide suppression of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. Concerns were triggered especially when 10,000 practitioners assembled in peaceful protest at the Central Appeal Office at Foyou street, outside Zhongnanhai. The assembly was prompted by reports of violence and harassment inflicted upon practitioners by Chinese police in the city of Tianjin, as well as a ban on publishing Falun Dafa materials. Not since the Tiananmen Incident in 1989 had so many people gathered together to protest the government^{[citation needed]}, and the government's reaction to that particular incident was not sympathetic.

There being no concept of membership or organization in Falun Gong practice, the actual number of practitioners is unknown. After the persecution began, the number of Falun Gong practitioners in China was estimated by the government at 1-2 million or even less; however, according to a state-conducted survey in 1998, there were several tens of millions of practitioners in China. Falun Gong sources claim that there were at least 70-100 million practitioners. Some believe that after the July 1999 crackdown, the Chinese government began publishing what is claimed to be a lower number to downplay Falun Gong's presence in Chinese society. The New York Times mentioned a figure of 70 million in at least two articles, both released 27th of April, 1999 - one of them written by Seth Faison and another by Joseph Kahn, who professed that "Beijing puts the tally of ... followers at 70 million". Renee Schoof, writing for the Associated Press (26th of April, 1999), mentioned a figure of "at least 70 million, according to the State Sports Administration".

The CCP has burned and destroyed books and other materials about Falun Gong, and blocked access to internet resources about the topic. Several reported cases of illegal imprisonment and torture of practitioners have been reported. Treatment of Falun Gong practitioners has been regarded in the West as a major international human rights issue affecting freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Origins and beliefs

File:LittingGirlMeditatingFG.jpg

One of the slow-moving hand gestures of Falun Dafa's fifth exercise.

Falun Gong was introduced to the public by Li Hongzhi on 13 May 1992, at the Fifth Middle School, Changchun, China. In China, he only taught the practice for three years. Falun Gong was nominated twice as the "Star Qigong School" in the 1992 and 1993 Asian Health Expo in Beijing. As Falun Dafa practitioners themselves started promoting the system, Li stipulated that it could never be done for fame or profit and that cultivation practice always had to be voluntary. He emphasized that practitioners may only spread the system voluntarily and must not accept any fee, donation or gift in return. Li's insistence that the practice be offered free of charge caused a rift with the China Qigong Research Society, the state administrative body under which Falun Dafa was initially introduced, and Li withdrew from the organization. Falun Gong quickly grew in popularity to become one of the most popular qigong systems in Chinese history. As of 1996, Li Hongzhi took up invitations to teach the practice in numerous countries in Europe and Asia.

According to Li Hongzhi, Falun Dafa is an advanced cultivation system in the "Buddha School" which, in the past, was handed down to chosen disciples and served as an intensive cultivation method that required practitioners with extremely high “Xinxing” (mind-nature) or “great inborn quality.”

Theoretical background

The content of Li Hongzhi's books include commentaries on questions that have been raised in China's qigong community. Falun Gong originally surfaced in the institutional field of alternative Chinese science, not religion. The debate between what can be called "naturalist" and "supernaturalist" schools of qigong theory has produced a considerable amount of literature. Xu Jian stated in The Journal of Asian Studies 58 (4 November 1999): "Situated both in scientific researches on qigong and in the prevailing nationalistic revival of traditional beliefs and values, this discursive struggle has articulated itself as an intellectual debate and enlisted on both sides a host of well-known writers and scientists — so much so that a veritable corpus of literature on qigong resulted. In it, two conflicting discourses became identifiable. Taking “discourse” in its contemporary sense as referring to forms of representation that generate specific cultural and historical fields of meaning, we can describe one such discourse as rational and scientific and the other as psychosomatic and metaphysical. Each strives to establish its own order of power and knowledge, its own “truth” about the “reality” of qigong, although they differ drastically in their explanation of many of its phenomena. The controversy centers on the question of whether and how qigong can induce “supranormal abilities” (teyi gongneng). The psychosomatic discourse emphasizes the inexplicable power of qigong and relishes its occult workings, whereas the rational discourse strives to demystify many of its phenomena and to situate it strictly in the knowledge of modern science." The Chinese government has generally tried to encourage qigong as a science and discourage religious or supernatural elements. However, the category of science in China tends to include things that are generally not considered scientific in the West, including qigong and traditional Chinese medicine.

Theories about the cultivation of elixir (dan), "placement of the mysterious pass" (xuanguan shewei), among others, are also found in ancient Chinese texts such as The Book of Elixir (Dan Jing), Daoist Canon (Tao Zang) and Guide to Nature and Longevity (Xingming Guizhi). Falun Gong's teachings tap into a wide array of phenomena and cultural heritage that has been debated for ages. It is noteworthy that the definitions of many terms usually differ somewhat from Buddhist and Daoist traditions.

Noah Porter (2003) quotes Andrew P. Kipnis (2001) and states: "Thus, to the Western layperson, qigong of all sorts may seem to be religious because it deals with spiritual matters. Because Li Hongzhi makes use of many concepts from Buddhism and Taoism in his writings, this may make Falun Gong seem even more like a religion to the outsider; Falun Gong grew initially into a space termed scientific [in China], but was insulated from the spaces formally acknowledged as institutionalized science in Western countries" ([2], p38-39)

Beliefs and teachings

Holistic argument

It is generally believed by its followers that Falun Gong requires intensive and in-depth study in order to attain a competent understanding of its content. Over 2000 pages of Li Hongzhi's published lectures are available online. Practitioners generally view Falun Gong in terms of an alternative ontology and epistemology, not religious practice. They disagree with quoting Li out of context and encourage a coherent insight into his teachings as a whole. Practitioners point out that their own understanding has developed over a repeated and careful study, as well personally experiencing the "miraculous" effects of Falun Gong practice. Critics tend to highlight particularily controversial issues and statements, frequently in an attempt to provide striking examples of the incredulousness of Li's cosmology. His position as the only teacher-master of Falun Gong has also been disputed, and some opine that his apparent power over the practitioners' worldview is suspect.

The central place of Practice

Central to Falun Gong is the traditional concept of "cultivation practice" (xiulian) in which the practitioner's goal is said to be elevating their mind nature (xinxing) and gradually letting go of attachments such as selfishness, jealousy, pursuit, lust, zealotry and greed.

Fa

The foundation of Falun Dafa are teachings known in traditional Chinese culture as the "Fa" (Dharma), or "law and principles" – that are set forth in the book Zhuan Falun. Falun Gong teaches that the "Buddha Law", in its highest manifestation, can be summarized in three words – Zhen 真, Shan 善 and Ren 忍, which translate approximately as 'Truthfulness (or Truth), Benevolence (or Compassion), and Forbearance (or Endurance)'. The process of cultivation is thought of to be one in which the practitioner assimilates himself or herself to Zhen 真, Shan 善 and Ren 忍. Li Hongzhi points out that Buddhism teaches "Shan" (Compassion) and Taoism lays emphasis on "Zhen" (Truth).

Qigong and gong

Li Hongzhi states that the term "qigong" is of recent origin; originally, such disciplines had names like "The Dhyana of Vajra", "Ninefold Immortality Elixir method", "Dafa of Cultivating Dao", "Dafa of Cultivating Buddha", et cetera, and that the lowest level things of some cultivation practices, the things for healing and fitness, were brought out to the general public under the name "qigong" to better suit the modern mindset and the ultra-leftist (Maoist) thinking of this time period. According to the QiJournal, it wasn't until 1953, when Liu Guizheng published a paper entitled "Practice On Qigong Therapy", that the term qigong (ch'i kung) was adopted as the popular name for this type of exercise system. Prior to that date, there were many terms given to such exercise, such as Daoyin, Xingqi, Liandan, Xuangong, Jinggon, Dinggong, Xinggon, Neigong, Xiudao, Zhoshan, Neiyangong, Yangshengong, etc.

Falun Gong practitioners believe that through the gradual improvement of their xinxing they develop 功, gōng, which they use to mean "cultivation energy" (this is an unconventional use of the word, which in Mandarin Chinese means "merit" or "achievement" and by extension is part of compound terms describing a disciplined regimen. See also: kung fu). However, rather than denying the more commonly accepted definition of the word, Falun Gong broadens its semantic meaning.

Qi

According to Falun Gong, 氣, qi (which means "breath"), is a low level and natural form of energy possessed by all, and it can only be employed to improve one's health - while gōng, unlike qi, can purify one's body, suppress illnesses, transforms the human body from the most microcosmic level (in systems that cultivate longevity), grows upward in the shape of a column above one's head, and is considered necessary in practicing towards enlightenment (or kaigong, "the unlocking of gong"). Qigong systems usually teach breathing techniques coordinated with meditative imagery and are often associated with traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts. Falun Gong teaches that in what they call "high-level cultivation practice", one must be in wuwei (a Taoist term for an empty yet conscious state of mind), and any form of mind activity or imagination during meditation is considered an omission. However, a clear state of awareness must be retained: one is not allowed to slip into a state of trance.

Third Eye

Even though the central theme of the teachings is how to cultivate one’s own mind-nature, in several lectures other concepts are discussed, ranging from Buddhas, the Celestial Eye (tianmu) and the root cause of sickness to the structure of cosmic bodies and matter, higher dimensional realities and independent space-times. The book Zhuan Falun says mankind has gone through several cycles of civilization and points out that several relics have been found that don’t fit into the mainstream scientific picture of prehistory.

Aliens

In some of his published lectures, Li states that aliens, gods and demons exist, humans have a "celestial eye" in their pineal gland (tianmu, also known as the "third eye"), that Earth has been influenced by extraterrestrials [3], and that remains of unknown prehistoric civilizations can still be found, for instance, in the bottom of the oceans. According to some sources, Li has said that "By mixing the races of humans, the aliens make humans cast off gods," he said in a lecture in Switzerland. These same sources claim that he made a statement: "by embedding their technology and science in human bodies, aliens control their thoughts". However, this is one of the several instances where the alleged direct quotes cannot be traced back to Li. In his Switzerland lecture[4], Li stated: "The way alien beings get human beings to shake free of the gods is to mix the races, causing human beings to become rootless people, just like the plant hybrids people make nowadays." And further, "They have formed a layer of their body within the human body." According to Li, humans are not to be blamed for this: "There are other reasons why they dare to do this sort of thing. It has happened because the Fa of the universe has deviated and gods no longer look after things. So it has to do with high-level beings as well. If this situation is to be turned around, it has to begin from high levels."

Social aspect

It is believed that one can only move forward in cultivation through cultivation of xinxing (mind-nature) and that little progress is achieved by practice of exercises alone. The book Zhuan Falun says:

“As a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at—you must be tolerant. Otherwise, what kind of practitioner will you be?”. . .“If you can tolerate it and yet it preys on your mind, it is still not good enough.”

Li as a savior or supernatural entity

Another feature of Falun Dafa is promotion of Li’s role as the exclusive savior of mankind in this “Dharma ending” period; In Zhuan Falun [5] he states “If I cannot save you, nobody else can do it.” If a Falun Gong practitioner were only to do the exercises, but fail to follow the requirements of the Fa, that person would not be considered a Dafa disciple. Falun Gong practitioners are promised the possibility of becoming "Gods" as long as they safeguard and uphold the Dafa. In 2003, Li Hongzhi said: [6]

"I have truly borne for you the sins you committed over hundreds and thousands of years. And it doesn't stop at just that. Because of this, I will also save you and turn you into Gods. I have spared no effort for you in this process. Along with this, since you'll become Gods at levels that high, I have to give you the honors of Gods at levels that high and all the blessings that you need to have at levels that high."

Also found is the idea that Master Li has numerous Fashen (spiritual Law bodies) which protect practitioners from harm. These Law bodies “exercise great supernatural power." They surround practitioners at all times and know everything that is on their minds. Li Hongzhi states in the Zhuan Falun [7] : “If you can really cultivate in the right way, nobody dares to touch you rashly. What’s more, you are under the protection of my Law bodies, so you will never be in any danger.”

While protecting practitioners, the Master’s Law bodies also cure the illnesses for those who practice at the Falun Gong exercise sites. However practitioners are warned that if they fail to follow the requirements of the Fa, bad consequences will result. In Zhuan Falun [8] Li Hongzhi states that if a practitioner does not follow the requirments of the Fa, his "body will be reset to the level of everyday people and the bad things will be returned to you.”

In addition to providing disease-curing benefits, it is believed that cultivation practice will actually prolong one’s life. But there is danger for those who might not live up to the Fa’s requirements. In Zhuan Falun [9] Li Hongzhi states that when a practitioner continually practices cultivation, his life will be prolonged. However, there is a criterion "that the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your mind goes wrong a little bit, your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over", referring to old people who should have passed away already, according to predestined life span.

Demons

There are more serious dangers for those who directly undermine Dafa. For example, a practitioner who plagiarizes Dafa is said to put his or her life at risk. In The Essentials [10] Li Hongzhi states:

“Did you know that in recent years some students suddenly died?...Once you are reduced to the level of an everyday person, no one will protect you and demons will also take your life. It’s even useless to seek protection from other Buddhas, Daos, and Gods, as they won’t protect someone who undermines the Fa. What’s more, your karma will also be returned to your body.”

It should be pointed out that in Li's terminology, the concept of a "demon" is broader than usual: "Old age, illness, and death are also forms of demons, but they are created to maintain the characteristic of the universe." (Zhuan Falun, Lecture 5)

Enlightenment

If practitioners follow the requirements of the Fa and can meet the moral standard of higher realms, which, by definition, are more assimilated to Zhen-Shan-Ren, they're said to attain Consummation (or Enlightenment). In Li Hongzhi's earlier teachings the focus was on an individual practitioner reaching Consummation. In 1999, Li Hongzhi stated that "The vows of Gods in history are being fulfilled. The Dafa is judging all beings.” Underlying this prediction is the teaching that the entire cosmos is undergoing a process called “Fa-rectification” – a kind of renewal of the cosmos into the most original, purest state of being. Unlike some have suggested, this concept surfaced even before the persecution: "The purpose of my doing this is Fa-rectification. All of the cosmos’ beings have strayed from the Fa, so they have to be rectified with Fa", stated Li in Switzerland (1998). This process is said to affect all sentient beings (as well as matter) in the universe: they are being repositioned according to their moral goodness or xinxing. Those who have taken the side of the Chinese Communist Party in persecuting the Buddha Law are said to perish by the natural force of this process "when the Fa rectifies the human world", meaning, when this process breaks through from the microcosm, while all others will be provided benevolent resolutions. In 2001 [11] Li Hongzhi made clear that this Fa-rectification would target people based on their moral qualities:

“Moreover, when an Enlightened Being descends to the world, it is usually at a time when people’s morals are declining day by day, when people’s sins and karma are enormous, or when people’s morality is degenerate. Once the saved ones have attained the Fa and left, the dregs of humanity and the degenerate world that are left behind will be weeded out.”

There is controversy over what Li means by the "dregs of humanity and the degenerate world", but in his more recent lectures and writing he has generally referred to people who have given up their human nature in perpetrating the persecution against Falun Gong:

“In the Fa-rectification, Master is actually saving all beings, not just the good ones; evil ones are of course included as well. I have often said that during the Fa-rectification I don't hold the past faults of any sentient being against him, and that I look only at a sentient being's attitude toward Dafa during the Fa-rectification. In other words, no matter which beings they are or how huge the mistakes and sins they committed in history, as long as they do not play a negative role with regard to the Fa-rectification, I can give them benevolent solutions and eliminate their sins and karma.”

In Philadelphia (2002), Li said:

"What I wanted was to have no sentient being interfere with the Fa-rectification, or even participate in it. With the Fa-rectification, when it proceeds from the most basic point, from the lowest point, and goes all the way up, for all beings, no matter how bad you are or how much you may have sinned in history, I don’t hold your past faults against you, and I purify you from the most microcosmic point to the surface of your being, and this even includes any thoughts a being may have. I rectify from the bottom up, all the way through. That would have been the best kind of benevolent solution, and not a single being would have fallen, not a single being would have sinned against Dafa and this Fa-rectification. Wouldn’t that have been wonderful? But no, they insisted on doing this, and it’s brought on this disaster in human society."

Claims to historical influence

In 2002, Li claimed that after spreading Falun Gong for ten years, some of humanity's predestinations had been averted, including a "comet catastrophe" and "the third world war." [12]

Refusal to reveal influences

Interviewed by Time magazine in May 1999 [13], Li Hongzhi declined to reveal his own teachers or to delineate the provenance of Falun Gong.

Cultivation of Mind and Body

Falun Gong has five sets of basic exercises (including meditation, four standing, and one sitting). The exercises are said to strengthen energy mechanisms that continually transform one’s “benti” (a term referring to "one’s physical body and the bodies in other dimensions").

Theory of disease

The true cause of disease is considered karmic, Li doesn't claim that viruses and bacteria are not behind people's illnesses, but he professes that they are not the root cause. Karma is thought to be of material existence in higher (more microcosmic) dimensions and is said to be intertwined with previous misdeeds as well as bad emotions and attachments like jealousy, greed, anger and hatred - all kinds of things that are not in tune with Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, the so-called "characteristic of the universe." Thus, according to Li, only by letting go of these attachments and bearing hardships can one eliminate karma and have the root of their illnesses removed.

Theory of healing

Master Li claims to possess the supernatural power to heal illnesses. Most notable were his treatments at the Asian Health Fair in 1992 and 1993, which were performed to "promote Falun Gong." According to Li, the purpose of cultivation practice is not to heal illness, and people should not hold such attachments if they decide to cultivate Falun Gong. Li says that the illnesses of "true practitioners" are directly cured by his fashen ("law bodies"). These bodies, independent entities who share the main person's thoughts and intentions, are said to be born in the dantian when one reaches a very high level in cultivation practice. “Your illnesses will be cured directly by me. Those who practice at exercise sites will have my fashen to cure their illnesses. Those who study Dafa by reading the book on their own will also have my fashen to cure their illnesses.” [14]

Li also collected fees for treating patients from 1992 to 1994. As revealed by Zhao Jiemin, one of Li’s earliest students in “Exposé of the swindler Li hongzhi,” Li treated patients at home and collected money by using a donation box where patients would put in any where from ten to hundreds of Chinese dollars at a time. Zhao paid Li forty Chinese dollars to treat his daughter-in-law’s high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. [15]At the time, the monthly salary for a Chinese worker was about 300 Chinese dollars which equals to US$36.58.

Li Hongzhi teaches that though the purpose of cultivation practice is not healing and fitness, an illness free state can manifest even from the beginning stages of cultivation practice of mind and body, and that this has directly to do with him. At the beginning of Zhuan Falun, Li states “We will push you beyond it, making your body reach a state free of any illness.” [16]

Li Hongzhi states that he installs a falun in the elixir field of the lower abdomen (dantian) of practioners. Falun means "Wheel of Law" in the Chinese language, which appears similar to the Dharma wheel or Chakra. The falun in Falun Gong is depicted as a wheel consisting of five srivatsas and four taijitu, as illustrated on the top right-hand corner of this page. The Falun is said to be a miniature of the universe, and once it is installed into the abdomen, it turns continuously. When the Falun turns clockwise, it absorbs energy from the universe into the body; when it turns counter-clockwise it eliminates waste from the body. Li Hongzhi also points out that the falun in Falun Gong is different from the falun or chakras cultivated in Tantric Tibetan Buddhism.

Attitude toward mainstream healthcare

In Zhuan Falun, Li states: "Can hospitals heal illnesses? Of course they can. If hospitals could not heal illnesses, why would people believe in them and go there for treatments? Hospitals are still able to heal illnesses, but their means of treatment belong to the level of everyday people while illnesses are supernatural. Some illnesses are quite serious, and so hospitals require early treatment if one has such an illness. If it becomes too serious, hospitals will be helpless, as overdoses of medicine can poison a person. Present medical treatments are at the same level as our science and technology — they are all at the level of everyday people. Thus, they only have such healing efficacy. One issue that should be clarified is that average qigong treatments and hospital treatments only defer to the remaining half of life or later those tribulations that are the fundamental cause of illnesses. The karma is not removed at all." [17]

Research into health claims

Surveys conducted on practitioners show improvements in health, the most extensive being a Falun Gong health survey [18] conducted on 12,731 Beijing practitioners in 1998. The survey states: "Our results show that Falun Gong's disease healing rate is 99.1% with a cure rate of 58.5%; Improvement rate is 80.3% in physical health and 96.5% in mental health. The survey indicates that Falun Gong has a significant effect in disease healing and health promotion". However, some claim that the accuracy of the survey suffers from methodological problems, as it relied on self-reported rather than medically-verified improvement. In addition, the questionnaire used an inadequate range of answer options, reflecting possible bias. ([19], p174)

Dr. Lili Feng, Associate Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, published findings that Falun Gong exercises boost the immune system and significantly increase cell lifetime expectancy. Her paper concludes: "Our studies suggest that Falun Gong practice alters immunity, cell death, and protein metabolic rate in a systemic fashion. Our findings further suggest that a new paradigm is urgently needed to understand the holistic link between human mind, body and spirit." Professor Feng also cites independent health surveys by five medical institutions in China. The results remain inconclusive and call for further research.

Dr. Lili Feng is a Falun Gong practitioner. She believes that the Falun Gong can save the world from deadly viruses like SARs. When SARs was killing hundreds of people in China in 2003, Feng gave the following statement: “If over 100 million Falun Gong practitioners had been allowed to practice Falun Gong, they would have been able to resist the SARS virus, stop the SARS virus from being transmitted through them, and form a large immunity shield, which could protect more vulnerable people in China. This is the saddest thing for me and brings me to something I must emphasize. What I want to say is this: persecuting Falun Gong is the most evil and foolish act. While this plague prevails over China, what we need most are those people with resistance to the SARS virus.”[20]

Ethics

Falun Gong lays emphasis on its interpretation of good moral nature. Practitioners are required to emphasize virtue (de), be a good person in all environments, and always think of others before doing things.

In discussing principles of moral conduct, Li Hongzhi often criticizes the state of modern society’s supposed moral degeneration. Critics of the Falun Gong have pointed out that aspects of Li’s system of morality can be considered elitist and intolerant.

Falun Gong also believes in the act of retribution, and all good and evil deeds will be paid in return in the due time. Because of this, they see the Chinese government crackdown as an act of "evil", and some pro-Falun Gong groups have reported claims of a number of people dying or suffering spontaneously after their alleged involvement in the crackdown of Falun Gong

Li Hongzhi points out that according to Buddhism, this is the “Dharma Ending Period"; that during this period mankind has undergone great moral degradation and that this has to do with vast cosmic changes. The book Zhuan Falun says "Nobody should blame others for it, as everyone has added fuel to the flame.”

The taking of any life is said to have negative karmic consequences. In one of his lectures, Li Hongzhi controversially states that mixing of races is a chaotic phenomenon that has manifest only in the “Dharma Ending Period” and that different races bear the image of the gods that created them; that each race of people on earth have their own cosmic paradises but people of mixed race lose this connection. In 1996, he said that “Mixed races have lost their roots, as if nobody in the paradise will take care of them. They belong to nowhere, and no places would accept them.” [21] In 1997 Li Hongzhi further explained, "People of the yellow race have people of the yellow race up there, and people of the white race have people of the white race up there. He’s lost this thread.” [22]

Speaking in Sydney in 1996, Li Hongzhi said:

"I have already talked about such interracial children. I have only mentioned the phenomena in this Dharma-ending period. If you are an interracial child, it is, of course, neither your fault nor your parents' fault. Anyway, it is just such a chaotic situation brought about by mankind, in which such a phenomenon has appeared. The yellow people, the white people, and the black people have the corresponding races in heaven. Then, if one is not from his race or does not belong to his people, he will not take care of him. This is the truth, and it is not that I'm making up something here. What I am telling everyone are heavenly secrets. All interracial children were born in the Dharma-ending period. People are not to be blamed for it, because everyone is drifting in the tide, and nobody knows the truth. This is the way they have come through. If you want to practice cultivation, I can help. As for which paradise you will go to, we will need to look at your situation. I will assimilate more of whichever portion that is better preserved. Anyway, you should concentrate on your cultivation and should not concern yourself with these things."

Falun Gong and Sexual Orientation

As argued by Deng and Fang (2000), “the theories and behaviors of the Falungong Master and some disciples reflect a deep-seated belief of elitism (superiority of the chosen), racism (against biracial at least), and bigotry (condemning homosexuals to the harshest punishment).” [23] In one poem, Li includes homosexuality in his list of ”The World’s Ten Evils” (a direct translation from Chinese):

Humans lacking any kind thoughts / Each becomes the other’s enemy.

Destruction of the traditional / Culture turns decadent.

Homosexuality and licentious desires / A dark mind, turned demonic.

Rampant gambling and use of drugs / People do whatever they please.

Less restrictions, promiscuity / People head toward depravity.

Sinister gangs and the deranged political party / Politicians and gangsters work together as one.

Acting wantonly, lacking restraint / People defy Heaven and betray the Dao.

Blindly believing in science / Mankind grows warped.

Promoting and esteeming violence / People are given to fierce fighting.

The wicked metamorphosis of religion / Money men and politicians are they.

July 7, 1998 [24]

As in many traditional practices, lust is thought of as something that hinders a person's progress in cultivation. Though not central to the beliefs, homosexuality is regarded as not meeting the standard of being human [25]. Considered to be an act that brings bad karma upon oneself, Li states in Volume II of Zhuan Falun that "The disgusting homosexuality reflects the dirty mental abnormality that has lost ability to reason at this time." Also taught is the idea that homosexuals might be singled out for punishment by the Gods. In Switzerland Li was asked why homosexuals are considered bad people. [26] He answered:

When gods created man they prescribed standards for human behavior and living. When human beings overstep those boundaries, they are no longer called human beings, though they still assume the outer appearance of a human. So gods can’t tolerate their existence and will destroy them.

However in Frankfurt (1998) Li stated that homosexuals could still practice cultivation, provided they give up their bad behavior: "You are wantonly indulging your thoughts. Your thoughts, like the ones I just mentioned, are not actually you. The mentality that makes you homosexual was driven by postnatally-formed bad things. But you yourself were numbed by them and went along with them and wallowed in the mud. You need to find yourself again and stop doing those filthy things. Gods view them as filthy."

Awards and Recognitions

File:HonoraryCitizenAtlantaAward.JPG

Mayor of Atlanta proclaims Li Hongzhi "An Honorary Citizen"

For the first few years after introducing Falun Gong, Li Hongzhi was granted several awards by Chinese governmental organizations. At the Asian health expo of 1992 and 1993 in Beijing, Falun Gong was successively nominated as the "star qigong".

Falun Gong has been honored with over 900 proclamations and awards[27] from Australia, Canada, China (before the persecution), Japan, Russia, the United States and other countries. Especially in the United States, Falun Dafa has received much praise and acclamation.

How meaningful these municipal awards are and how they are used to promote the Falun Gong are matters of some controversy. Falun Gong expert Patsy Rahn [28] (2002), states they “are documents routinely obtained by groups from public officials in the US for public relations purposes” and may be used to mislead people in China into believing “that the American government supports Master Li and his Falun Gong practitioners.” Noah Porter [29] (2003) argues that these awards are not always easy to get, citing one example from Tampa, Florida.

In 2006, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution which was subsequently misrepresented on an official Falun Gong website. Given San Francisco’s long tradition of tolerance and the Falun Gong’s teachings on homosexuality, there was controversy about the exact wording of the resolution. As reported in the Sing Tao Daily ( 2/1/2006), four of the supervisors, when asked about the resolution, stated “that they either don’t understand the Falun Gong belief system or do not support it; in addition, they feel uncomfortable about the Falun Gong’s homophobic positions.” The Chinese supervisor who had co-sponsored the resolution and worked to amend it in committee, was quoted in the Bay Area Reporter [30] :

"I am concerned about these homophobic teachings. It is a good thing these were called out. I don't think people understand the Falun Gong. So to the extent it is educating the community, it is a good thing."

Aware of these teachings, the sponsors of the resolution amended the original draft language to include a disclaimer. As a result, the Board passed Resolution 66-06 [31], condemning the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, while also stating that “the views expressed by Falun Gong practitioners are not officially sanctioned by the City and County of San Francisco” and that the resolution “in no way encourages the practice of any particular faith, philosophy, religion or belief system, including but not limited to Falun Gong.” Shortly thereafter, the Clearwisdom website published an altered version of the resolution which omitted the disclaimer language. Bowing to pressure, the editors of Clearwisdom eventually deleted the entire text of San Francisco’s Resolution 66-06 from their website.

Li Hongzhi was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize; he was also nominated by over 28 European Parliament Members for the 2001 Sakharov Award.

Government crackdown

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Demonstration against persecution of Falun Gong at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City

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Arrest of People practicing the 5th. exercise in China

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Arrest of Falun Gong Practitioners in Beijing

For the first few years after introducing Falun Gong to the world, Li Hongzhi was granted several awards by Chinese governmental organizations to encourage him to continue promoting what was then considered by them to be a wholesome practice. From 1992 to 1994 Li lectured regularly all over the country in front of large audiences. The practice was popularized in mainland China for seven years, mainly by word of mouth and through the Internet.

At the end of May 1998, a Chinese physicist from the Chinese Academy of Science, He Zuoxiu, denounced Falun Gong in an interview on Beijing Television. The program, after showing a video of one of the practice sites, called it a "feudalistic superstition". Falun Gong practitioners have affimed that the people seen in the video were not actually practitioners. The TV station was swamped by protest letters from Falun Gong practitioners, and practitioners were also protesting in front of its offices.

On April 11, 1999, He Zuoxiu published an article in the Tianjin College of Education’s Youth Reader magazine entitled "I Do Not Agree with Youth Practicing Qigong". From April 18 to April 24, Falun Gong practitioners went to Tianjin College of Education, which published the magazine, and related governmental agencies and held peaceful protests..

Some practitioners were arrested and were, according to reports, beaten by the police. Several days later, for 12 hours on April 25, about 10,000 people gathered at the Central Appeal Office at Foyou street, outside Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of Chinese Communist Government and lined up along a 2 km stretch. They held no signs and chanted no slogans. Premier Zhu Rongji met with some representatives of the practitioners and promised to resolve the situation within three days. The practitioners dispersed peacefully after they received word that Zhu had agreed to their requests. Nevertheless, it was widely reported by the Chinese media that Falun Gong practitioners organizing a protest in the heart of the Chinese Communist Party alarmed many senior leaders, particularly Jiang Zemin. According to some estimates, at this time there were more than 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing alone.

Julie Ching (2001) has stated: "The overseas Chinese-language press has suggested that the Zhongnanhai demonstrations were actually organized in part by the government, to help trump up charges against the Falun Gong, which it had observed and monitored for years through its infiltrators. It even gives the name of a high official, [Luo] Gan, as being the chief Communist organizer of the Zhongnanhai gathering. As secretary general of the State Council, [Luo] had been investigating Falun Gong and had wanted it banned since 1996 but could not find any legal basis for transgression. In that case, it is not certain where the Falun followers intended first to make their petition, but [Luo] had the police direct them to Zhongnanhai, in order to create an incident with which they afterwards could be charged." [32]

On June 10, 1999, the government established the "6-10" office, an extra-constitutional body, to facilitate the crackdown. Most political analysts believe that this was the direct result of events that occurred in April 1999.

In July 1999, the government declared the practice of Falun Gong illegal. The government had become especially concerned by reports that significant numbers of government officials, as well as military and police personnel, were practitioners. Another influence in the change in policy was the cultural memory of the 19th century Taiping Rebellion, when a religious cult had caused a civil war.

"By unleashing a Mao-style movement [against Falun Gong], Jiang is forcing senior cadres to pledge allegiance to his line," a Communist Party veteran later told CNN's Willy Lam. "This will boost Jiang's authority-and may give him enough momentum to enable him to dictate events at the pivotal 16th Communist Party congress next year."

The Falun Dafa Information Center, a website which "endeavors to compile, cross-check, organize and publish" [33] reports about the government crackdown on Falun Gong, has confirmed that at least 2,840 (March 2006) Falun Gong practitioners have died while in police or government custody.

Falun Gong representatives and practitioners have said that about 70 million people practice it, which is more than there are members in the Chinese Communist Party (about 60 million people). Others claim that there were practitioners amongst high officials of the government and that several high ranking army officers had embraced the practice as well.

The CCP has issued reports stating that some believers hurt or kill themselves after reading Li's books, and that 1404 people died in China as result of practising Falun Gong, mostly by not seeking medicine for various illnesses [34]. Some scientists in China claim that there is no scientific evidence to show Falun Gong is beneficial for health. A frequent argument made by Chinese scientists is that followers are encouraged to avoid, by practice, most conventional medicine. Falun Gong practitioners point out that no such incident has been reported outside China and that such accusations surfaced only after the persecution started.

He Zuoxiu has also accused some Falun Gong practitioners of harassment because of the articles he wrote, and published a book entitled How Falun Gong Harassed Me and My Family. He Zuoxiu is a relative of Luo Gan, one of the chief perpetrators of the persecution, and he is said to have "become a national hero" for opposing Falun Gong. [35] Therefore, some sources have suspected him of politically motivated careerism (e.g. [36], p99).

The media war

The People's Republic of China (PRC), led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on July 20, 1999, began a nation-wide suppression of Falun Gong, referring to the practice as an "evil cult" spreading superstition to deceive people. Jiang, the former leader of the CCP, condemned the group in the state-controlled media, stating a position the Chinese government promotes to this day. Li, has in the past denied that it is either a religion or a cult, despite its using some language similar to Chinese Buddhism and Taoism. In recent years, however, Li has been using increasingly religious language to describe himself and his mission as well as the spiritual significance of Falun Gong. He claims that his practice of "Fa-rectification" encompasses the entire universe, purporting to include and go beyond all aspects of the Christian, Buddhist and Taoist religions [37]. In distinction to many tightly controlled religious cults, Falun Dafa practitioners are free to learn or leave as they please.

CCP claims that the practice has deviated its focus from engaging in spiritual cultivation to engaging in politics, basing their opinions on the existence of numerous websites disparate from, yet in support of, Falun Gong (such as Friends of Falun Gong). Due to an implication derived from its core principles, the teachings of Falun Gong are said to forbid any political involvement, and practitioners claim to have little interest in power or politics, the large number of political protests leading to the crackdown notwithstanding. However, Falun Gong's supporters, such as The Epoch Times, tend to be conservative and anti-Communist. Kangang Xu, a Falun Gong speaker, is the Chairman of the paper's board.

Concurrent Resolution 188[38], unanimously passed by the United States Congress, states

"Propaganda from state-controlled media in the People's Republic of China has inundated the public in an attempt to breed hatred and discrimination."

In China, the CCP has blocked access to certain sites on the Internet (including this article, see History of Wikipedia), and burned Falun Gong's books and materials. In addition, some junk mail filters are targeting [39] emails related to the Falun Gong spiritual movement and other dissidents[40].

On the other hand, there have been incidents in which China's state-owned television networks were jammed with reports on the persecution of Falun Gong. In addition, a syndicated Chinese language newspaper with worldwide circulation, The Epoch Times (English)(Chinese), is accused of having a pro-Falun Gong platform, mainly because it has been the mouthpiece of much of Falun Gong's claims of suppression and torture, but also partly because it has published articles suggesting a declining state in the CCP. These articles include Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party (jiuping), New Zealand to Celebrate 7 Million Renouncing Chinese Communist Party, and others [41].

According to WOIPFG reports, eight Falun Gong practitioners were arrested after one of the jamming incidents in Changchun city, including Liu Chengjun, who was allegedly tortured to death after 21 months incarceration in Jilin Prison.

The Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident

File:TiananmenSquareFalseFire.gif

In slow motion deconstructs of the video broadcasted by Xinhua News Agency, an object is seen bouncing off Liu Chunling's head or neck. She collapses, suddenly, as if from a blow.

The campaign of government criticism begun in 1999 was considered by most observers to be largely ineffectual until January 2001, when persons whom the government claimed were Falun Gong practitioners, among them a 13-year-old girl Liu Siying, doused themselves with gasoline and set themselves on fire in Tiananmen Square. Videos of the incident were widely broadcast on Chinese state television, as were interviews with Siying, who was horribly burned and whose mother, Liu Chunling, did not survive the incident.

Falun Gong practitioners emphatically denied that the people who set themselves on fire could have been actual practitioners, since suicide is completely against Falun Gong's principles. Analysts point out several inconsistencies in the government's version of the story. In Tiananmen Square, the closest building to the People's Hero Monument is at least 10 minutes away. Yet, the flames were put out in less than a minute. Normally, the surveillance camera in Tiananmen Square covers a fixed area. But on this particular day, the camera follows the police to the scene and zooms in to focus on the incident. Though the Chinese media claimed that it was CNN journalists who recorded the close-up shots, the head of the International Department of CNN stated that CNN did not film anything because at the very beginning of the incident, CNN reporters were arrested and their equipment confiscated. Authorities did not allow any reporters other than those from the Xinhua News Agency to interview 13-year-old Siying, nor did they allow any of her family members to visit. Two months after the incident in Tiananmen Square, the hospital announced the sudden death of Siying.

In slow motion deconstructs[42][43]of the video broadcasted by State-run Xinhua News Agency, an object is seen bouncing off Liu Chunling's head or neck. She collapses, suddenly, as if from a blow. Some analysts point out that the body language of the policemen suggests foul-play. One of the burn victims appears to be wearing protective clothing, has unburnt hair, and the green plastic bottle that supposedly carried the gasoline was not even burned. Independent, third-party investigations continue to be withheld by the PRC government.

Many observers believe that the incident helped turn public opinion in China against Falun Gong and has rallied support for the government crackdown.

Allegations of organ harvesting

On 9 March, 2006, allegations were made of deaths at the Sujiatun detention compound, an alleged labor camp and part of the China Traditional Medicine Thrombosis Treatment Center located in Shenyang City, Liaoning province. According to at least two witnesses interviewed by The Epoch Times, internal organs of living Falun Gong practitioners have been harvested and sold to the black market, and the bodies have been cremated in the hospital's boiler room. [44] The witnesses make allegations of nobody coming out of the camp alive, as well as six thousand practitioners being held captive at the hospital since 2001, two-thirds of them have died to date. According to these sources, removed organs include hearts, kidneys, livers and cornea. The news were quickly covered by some minor media outlets, including the Metro newspaper in Spain and Holland's APS.

According to The Epoch Times and affiliated sites, Timothy Cooper, the executive director of Worldrights, said in a Washington D.C. rally against alleged Chinese human rights violations (March 12): "If what has been reported is accurate, then Shenyang has become the Auschwitz of China. But this time, unlike the situation during the Second World War in Nazi Germany, America must not fail to act. America must not fail to confront these atrocities — unimaginable in any civilized society" and "A whole new level of depravity is being practiced by the CCP." [45]. Also, Nina Shea from Freedom House has called for investigation of the case. Guido Tastenhoye, a member of the Belgian parliament, has questioned Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel De Gucht about the imprisonment of Falun Gong practitioners in Sujiatun. [46]. Worldrights and Freedom House themselves have not covered any of the above in their websites and press releases.

The Washington Times, a conservative newspaper ran by the Unification Church, covered the allegations on 24 March 2006 in an article by Bill Gertz. According to the article, Jin Zhong (a pseudonym for the journalist who fled China recently) said he first learned of the harvesting operation between October and December. Mr Jin, who in the past has been a contributor to a Japanese news agency, calls Sujiatun "a murder sponsored by a state". Jin came across the underground detention center while researching the Chinese government's response to SARS. The article claims that several other hospital workers have also revealed details about the prisoner organ harvesting. Jin Zhong has had to hide his true identity after being threatened by Chinese government agents. He was arrested twice for his reporting and recently fled to the United States, where he hopes to seek political asylum. Jin also professes that the bodies of prisoners were burned in the boiler room of the hospital and that boiler room workers had taken jewelry and watches from the dead and sold them. [47] Gertz himself, however, is a noted conspiracy theorist for presenting allegations of a "Chinese threat" against America.

When questioned about the lack of mainstream media reporting on this issue (in an Epoch Times article dated 13 March), a Epoch Times spokesman said that they are confident that their report is accurate as nobody in an official position has yet responded to these claims. "Since the incident came out, up till now, the CCP has remained silent for 72 hours. Therefore it is reasonable for us to conclude that this information is reliable." [48] The authenticity of such claims is yet to be verified. The Epoch Times has a reputation in the overseas Chinese community of expressing remarkedly anti-CCP opinions through its news items.

On 28 March, over two weeks after the allegations surfaced, the Associated Press reported on the Chinese government's rebuttal. The ministry spokesman Qin Gang stated: "This absurd lie is not worth refuting and no one will buy it." He also urged reporters to go to Shenyang's Sujiatun district to look into the claims. [49][50]

Reuters released an article entitled "U.N. envoy looks at Falun Gong torture allegations" on 30 March. According to the report, the United Nations torture investigator Manfred Nowak shall be looking into the Sujiatun case. "I am presently in the process of investigating as far as I can these allegations ... If I come to the conclusion that it is a serious and well-founded allegation, then I will officially submit it to attention of the Chinese government," he told a news briefing. Nowak also stated that he found torture widespread in China when he got to visit the country in late 2005 after a decade of negotiations. Furthermore, Nowak's new report insisted on the Chinese government to abolish its "re-education through labour" system and urged authorities to release all political prisoners and people held for exercising their right to freedom of speech, assembly and religion. China has denied earlier abuse and torture charges made by Nowak and asked the U.N. envoy to "think again." [51]

On 30 March, The Epoch Times claimed that a new informant, identifying himself as a veteran military doctor in Shenyang military zone, has told about a system of similar concentration camps in China. Because the Chinese government has defined Falun Gong practitioners as class enemies, they're officially declared as felons. The informant states: "The reports from outside China about Sujiatun Concentration Camp imprisoning Falun Gong practitioners are true, although some of the details are incorrect." He says that more than 10,000 people were detained in Sujiatun in early 2005, but now the number of detainees is maintained at 600-750. Many detainees have been transferred to other camps, especially after the news on Sujiatun was publicized. The informant also asserts that the hospital in Sujiatun is only one of 36 similar camps all over China. Jilin camp, codenamed 672-S, holds over 120,000 people, not only Falun Gong practitioners. Specially dispatched freight trains can transfer 5,000-7,000 people in one night, and everyone on the trains is handcuffed to specially designed handrails on top of the ceiling, claims the informant. [52]

Foreign views on Falun Gong

The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has been regarded by most Western governments as a major international human rights issue. In 2000, Ian Johnson of the Wall Street Journal investigated the reports of abuse and published a series of investigative articles that won him the Pulitzer Prize the following year. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDI), there are, as of March 12, 2006, 2,840 verified cases of Falun Gong practitioners dying in police and government custody in mainland China, giving rise to allegations of torture and police brutality. The report also alleges that hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained, with more than 100,000 sentenced to forced-labor camps. Moreover, there are more than 30,000 documented cases of persecution. The Chinese government does not deny detaining Falun Gong practitioners, but insists that they died from hunger strikes and refusals to seek medical treatments.

As of December 2005, 61 lawsuits have been filed in about 30 countries charging Jiang and several other senior officials with genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity for their roles in the treatment of Falun Gong in mainland China. (See a discussion on universal jurisdiction.) In at least one case, in Belgium, the lawsuit did not proceed further. The Chinese government is accused by Falun Gong and many human rights groups of violating the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), also ratified by China. Its second article states: "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture", and "An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture."

Christian reactions to Falun Gong are mixed. Some churches have remained silent over the issue, partly because certain Christian groups are also declared illegal in China. The Roman Catholic Church in Hong Kong is openly sympathetic to Falun Gong. Some churches, however, have accused Falun Gong of being a New Age occult group.

The practice of Falun Gong is currently present in more than 80 countries across the world; government reactions have ranged from open acceptance (United States) to tolerance (Australia) and suspicion (Japan and Singapore).

Resolution No.188 [53], passed unanimously by the United States Congress states:

"Falun Gong is a peaceful and nonviolent form of personal belief and practice with millions of adherents in the People's Republic of China and elsewhere"...
"The campaign of persecution [against Falun Gong] has been carried out by government officials and police at all levels, and has permeated every segment of society and every level of government in the People’s Republic of China."...
"Jiang Zemin’s regime has created notorious government ‘610’ offices throughout the People’s Republic of China with the special task of overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through organized brainwashing, torture, and murder"

Falun Dafa umbrella groups contend that the Chinese authorities spread disinformation in Western countries in order to portray Falun Gong in a negative light and to get the help of their governments in suppressing it.[54]. Similar allegations have also been attributed to Falun Gong groups themselves by the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has blamed the movement for 1,900 deaths, including people committing suicide and refusing medical treatment, which made headlines in Chinese newspapers. The government claims that they were brainwashed by Falun Gong. On the December 12th news program entitled, "News Report", CCTV broadcast a story of an insane believer who killed his uncle with a knife. These allegations have not been confirmed by Falun Gong or third party investigations, and no noted violent acts or deaths have been linked to practicing Falun Gong outside of China.

French Falun Gong, Tibetan Buddhist groups, and other organisations regularly hold protests, sit-ins, distributions of leaflets and other activities critical of the Chinese government.[55] In 2004, the French Falun Gong association asked president Jacques Chirac to convey a message to the Chinese authorities asking them to stop the crackdown [56]. Falun Gong practitioners have filed criminal charges in France against some officials of the Chinese police apparatus.[57]

Is Falun Gong a cult?

Critics of Falun Gong in the West argue that because of the relationship of dependency that Li Hongzhi establishes between himself and his followers, using what they say are a variety of manipulative techniques, the Falun Gong should be thought of as a cult rather than a new religious movement or metaphysical qigong. A number of American cult experts, including Rick Ross, Margaret Singer and Steven Hassan, have claimed that Li Hongzhi meets their definition of a manipulative cult leader. While cult experts have not reached a consensus definition for a cult, they often focus on what is considered the coercive behavior of the group leader as an indicator for the potentially damaging aspects of a particular group. In a New Times article (March 23-29, 2000) cult expert Margaret Singer stated: “Some will say it’s not but Falun Gong looks like a cult to me. My criteria is a self-appointed person with secret knowledge to share, who gets his followers convinced he is the pipeline to the eternal good life. Doesn’t that sound like Master Li?”

Different theories of what constitutes thought control have also emerged, but again without consensus. American psychologist and exit counselor Steve Hassan has “grave concerns about the personage of Li Hongzhi, head of the Falun Dafa and his organization.” [58] In his 2002 book Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves, Hassan describes the BITE (Behavior, Information, Thought and Emotion) model, which explains mind control as a combination of control over behavior, information, thought and emotions. Hassan believes that Li Hongzhi “comes very much out of the cult extreme, the authoritarian stereotype” [59]. On his website [60], Hassan states:

As far as the controls exerted by the group on individuals, I am not convinced that this group (Falun Gong) fulfills my BITE model in its entirety. I have not had an opportunity to interview any individuals who have been very involved with this group and decided to leave. I do have a strong impression that Thought control and Phobia indoctrination (emotional control) is very much used. People are made to feel that the only "true" path is by following Li Hongzhi, and that to fail to do so would result in serious physical health problems manifesting.

However, opinions within the scientific community are notably varied. According to Philip Jenkins (2000) (quoted by Porter 2003), along with fringe religious groups almost always came movements to denounce or even eradicate them; the definition of a cult was not created in a vacuum, but rather is "a prefabricated script some centuries in the making, incorporating charges that might originally have been developed long ago against a wide variety of movements". Porter points out that supernormality was already a part of qigong before Falun Gong was introduced, as was moral guidance. Also, "Falun Gong does not force practitioners to sign contracts, threaten physical or economic harm for apostasy, or any other such coercive methods that are often attributed to cults. If someone tried Falun Gong and disliked it for any reason, they would have nothing to fear from practitioners. Also, it is interesting to note that practitioners are cognizant that Falun Gong does not fit neatly into categories like qigong or religion, and some are looking for more accurate ways of describing it to non-practitioners." Porter also opines that it is unfair to make comparisons between Falun Gong and cults such as People's Temple and Branch Davidians; "such statements irresponsibly leave the impression that Falun Gong has similarities to these violent groups, when in fact Falun Gong practitioners have consistently refused to use violence against those who persecute them."

The "thought control" theory greatly divides scholars. The scientific evidence on such phenomena remains inconclusive. For example, in 1984 the American Psychological Association (APA) requested Margaret Singer to set up a working group called Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Methods of Persuasion and Control (DIMPAC). In 1987, the committee submitted its final report to the Board of Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology of the APA. On 11 May 1987 the Board rejected the report. In the rejection memo is stated: "Finally, after much consideration, BSERP does not believe that we have sufficient information available to guide us in taking a position on this issue." [61]

Sociologist Susan Palmer's field notes and a preliminary research report on Falun Dafa practitioners were released in the Nova Religio journal (nr. 4, 1 October 2000). The article states: "When I first decided to embark on studying Falun Gong, I hoped to crack the surface within a month and expected to find an efficient core group behind the scenes, masterminding the missionary programs. I had researched other new religions whose leaders were in seclusion... But Falun Gong does not behave like other new religions. For one thing, its organization - if one can even call it that - is quite nebulous. There are no church buildings, rented spaces, no priests or administrators. At first I assumed this was defensive, that they had established guerrilla-style cells to fend off an intolerant Communist Party. By now, I'm beginning to think that what you see is exactly what you get - Master Li's letters on the Net on the one hand and a global network of practitioners on the other. Traveling through North America, all I dug up was a handful of volunteer contact persons. The local membership (they vehemently reject that word) is whoever happens to show up at the park on a particular Saturday morning to do qigong."

Some have suggested that defining Falun Gong as an evil cult, new religious movement, metaphysical qigong or a veritable cultivation method of the Buddha School depends on one's personal values and belief system.

24-hour continuous protests

Falun Gong supporters in Vancouver, Canada continue to stage what they claim is the world's longest-running continuous protest against China's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. [62] The protest, which runs twenty-four hours a day, is located at the entrance to the Chinese Consulate on Granville Street. There are also similar protests being staged in front of the Chinese Embassy in London, New York, and other cities worldwide. They have been continuous since June 5, 2002. [63] The government of Hong Kong allows nearly continuous demonstrations, albeit on a small scale, in tourist areas.

Falun Gong presence overseas

File:WashingtonMonumentVigil medium.jpg

In a candlelight vigil remembering those who were allegedly tortured to death in China for practicing Falun Dafa, over 1,000 practitioners and supporters of Falun Dafa sit in formation of the Chinese characters for "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance" next to the Washington Monument in Washington, DC

Falun Gong practitioners are often seen on the streets in major metropolitan areas, directly informing the public of the alleged treatment their fellow practitioners in China (and worldwide according to some pamphlets) receive from the Chinese government. In many Western cities (particularly Manhattan, New York City) several elaborate streetside demonstrations can be seen that portray scenes of alleged government brutality. Amidst these public displays are signs with simple slogans, such as "Falun Dafa is Good" and "Bring Jiang to Justice." Falun Gong practitioners are seen requesting passersby to to sign petitions that condemn the torture or to voice support for Falun Gong.

The Falun Gong mouthpiece in the West is the Epoch Times, distributed for free in metropolitan areas in the US, Canada, and Australia; however, the newspaper is intended for a wider audience, and not all of its employees are practitioners. Sound of Hope, a radio station broadcasting to China as well as Western countries, and a TV station named New Tang Dynasty are operated mostly by Falun Gong practitioners.

Some believe that practicing Falun Gong is becoming a legitimate method to gain immigration visas, and that some would-be immigrants, both legal and illegal, have attached themselves to the practice in the hope of gaining permanent residency in Western nations such as Australia, Canada, and the U.S.

Causes or groups that have supported Falun Gong include environmentalists and anti-nuclear campaigners; anti-Communist movements; pro-Tibetan independence and pro-Taiwan independence movements, among many others.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Li Hongzhi, Zhuan Falun: The Complete Teachings of Falun Gong (Yih Chyun, Fair Winds Press edition 2001) ISBN 1931412537
Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong (Law Wheel Qigong) (Yih Chyun, 1993)
Li Hongzhi, Essentials for Further Advancement (Yih Chyun, 2000?)
Danny Schechter, Falun Gong's Challenge to China (Akashic Books, 2000) hardback ISBN 1888451130, paperback ISBN 1888451270
Barend ter Haar, Falun Gong - Evaluation and Further References (incl. extensive bibliography)
Noah Porter, Falun Gong in the U.S.: An Ethnographic Study (Dissertation.com, 2003) paperback ISBN 1-58112-190-3

External links

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