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Li Hongzhi (Chinese: 李洪志; pinyin: Lǐ Hóngzhì) is the founder of Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), which is a system of "mind-body cultivation" that is related to the Qi Gong tradition and to Buddhism and Taoism.
Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Dafa on May 13, 1992 at the fifth Middle school in Changchun City, China. From 1992 to 1994 he travelled throughout China, giving lectures and teaching the Falun Gong exercises. In a few years, Falun Gong grew in popularity to become one of the most popular forms of Qi Gong in Chinese History.
According to the New York Times, 1998 government estimates pointed toward 70 million practitioners in China. More recent estimates have been lower, and particularly so when the estimates have come from official Chinese government sources. Since July of 1999, the Chinese government has conducted a widespread persecution of the Falun Gong movement.
The date of his birth is disputed. According to the Falun Gong “Li was born into an ordinary intellectual's family in the city of Gongzhuling, Jilin Province, China, on May 13 (the eighth day of the fourth month by China lunar calendar), 1951.” . The Chinese government has recently countered this assertion by claiming that he was actually born on July 7, 1952 and that he “changed his date of birth to make it coincide with the birthday of Sakyamuni".
Biography
According to a Time magazine article, "He worked as a grain clerk in northeast China's Liaoning province. He played trumpet in a troupe run by the forestry police in neighboring Jilin. And then he wrote a very odd book that affected millions" The article goes on to assert that Li claims he "can personally heal disease and that his followers can stop speeding cars using the powers of his teachings... He also says he can fly. "
The Falun Gong web site Clearwisdom.net, introduces the Li Hongzhi as: "Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced the practice of Falun Gong to the general public in China in 1992. He then taught the practice publicly for two years in China, after which the practice continued to grow primarily by word-of-mouth. In keeping with Chinese tradition, Mr. Li is often respectfully referred to as "Master" or "Teacher." He is not accorded special treatment, nor does he accept money or donations from students of Falun Gong. He has worked to ensure that the practice is available to all people, and without any terms or conditions. According to clearwisdom.net, he has been awarded over 400 honors and is a two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee."
A biography of Li Hongzhi appeared as an appendix to the Falun Dafa text Zhuan Falun. According to the biography, Li Hongzhi had been taught ways of "cultivation practice" (xiulian) by several Masters of the Dao and the Buddhist schools of thought from a very young age. This biography says that he was trained by Quan Jue, the 10th Heir to the Great Law of the Buddha School, at age four. He was then trained by a Taoist master at age eight. This master left him at age twelve, and he was then trained by a master of the Great Way School with the Taoist alias of True Taoist, who came from the Changbai Mountains.
Awards and Recognition
At the Asian Health Expo in 1992 and 1993 in Beijing, Falun Gong was successively nominated as the "Star Qigong". According to Falun, Li Hongzhi received "The Award for Advancing Boundary Science" and "Qigong Master most Acclaimed by the Masses" at the Oriental Health Expo, Beijing in 1993.
In September 1999, Li was awarded honorary citizenship of the city of Atlanta, Georgia by its mayor. Li Hongzhi, in recognition of his work, has received many honours from state as well as congressional bodies in the United States.
Li Hongzhi was nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Li was also nominated for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2001 by 28 members of the European Parliament, but failed to make the "short list".
Relations with Chinese authorities
On July 29, 1999, after the onset of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, the Chinese government issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Li Hongzhi. A request for an arrest warrant was also sent by China to Interpol, and his passport was revoked, preventing him from traveling internationally. Interpol apparently rejected the warrant, on the grounds that it would violate Article Three of the organization's constitution, which forbids Interpol from intervening in "matters of a political, religious, military or racial character".
In China, Li's name remains "blacklisted" by the Great Firewall of China, and some Falun Gong practitioners are held in prisons or Laogai (forced labor camps). Under pressure some of them have denounced him as part of their "re-education" process.
Disputes
Birthdate
In 1999, after the persecution against Falun Gong was launched, the Chinese authorities alleged Li fraudulently changed his birth date: Li claims that he was born on May 13, 1951, however, Chinese authorities allege that his actual birthdate was July 7, 1952, and that he changed it so as to be the same as Buddhism's founder Sakyamuni.
In an interview with Time magazine, Li asserts that he merely corrected his birth data which was confused during the Cultural Revolution, and has not drawn particular significance to it, claiming to be "just a very ordinary man".
Wall Street Journal Article
According to a Wall Street Journal report "American Dream Finds Chinese Spiritual Leader," on November 1, 1999, Li was offered a house in New York worth $293,500 in 1998 shortly after immigrating to the US, then was offered another worth $580,000 in New Jersey in 1999. John Sun, a wealthy New York Falun Gong practitioner, asserted in a letter to the editor of Wall Street Journal that he bought the house in Mr. Li’s wife’s name as an attempt to offer it as a gift, but that Mr. and Mrs. Li firmly refused to accept the house.
American studies
Some members of the American anti-cult movement, including Rick Ross, Margaret Singer and Steven Hassan, have claimed that Li Hongzhi meets their definition of a "manipulative cult leader." However, such views have been contested by many anthropologists, sociologists and other researchers. See: Third party views on Falun Gong#Falun Gong and the anti-cult movement.
References
- Time:Spiritual Society or Evil Cult? June 2001
- A Short Biography of Mr. Li Hongzhi
- "Governmental Awards and Recognition of Falun Dafa". Falundafa Clearwisdom.net.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|access date=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Nobel Peace Prize deadline looms". CNN. January 30, 2001.
- "Statement by Francis Wurtz MEP, on the 2001 Sakharov Prize selection". Confederal Group of the European United Left. 18 October, 2001.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Li Hongzhi is Wanted". China-Embassy.org. June 29, 1999.
- "I am just a very ordinary man". Time Magazine. August 2, 1999.
- "Letters from Falun Gong practitioners to Wall Street Journal". Falundafa Clearwisdom.net. November 17, 1999.
External links
- Videos of Li Hongzhi's Nine day lecture in Guangzhou, China. (English overlay)
- Book: Practitioners recollection about their Teacher (Li Hongzhi) while He was introducing Falun Gong (free to download)
- 1999 statement by Li Hongzhi
- Interviews with Li Hongzhi, New York Times Magazine, August 8, 1999
- Extensive May 1999 interview with Li Hongzhi several news agencies, in Sydney Australia
- May 1999 interview with Li Hongzhi by Time Magazine Asia
- Who is Li Hongzhi? BBC Interview (RealPlayer video)
- Li Hongzhi interviewed by Time Magazine Asia in August 1999
- The actual teachings of Li Hongzhi, online
- Summary of a 2004 interview with Li Hongzhi with NTDTV, the first since 1999, hosted on a Falun Dafa website
- "Some Thoughts of Mine" by Li Hongzhi, June 1999
- 2001 San Jose Mercury News critical article held at Rick Ross, a "cult watchdog" group
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