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Falun Gong

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Falun Gong (simplified Chinese: 法轮功; traditional Chinese: 法輪功; pinyin: Fǎlún Gōng; literally "Practice of the Wheel of Law") is also known as Falun Dafa (simplified Chinese: 法轮大法; traditional Chinese: 法輪大法; pinyin: Fǎlún dàfǎ; lit. "Great Law of the Wheel of Law") is a system of mind and body cultivation introduced by Li Hongzhi in 1992. Central to Falun Gong are the teachings of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" and five sets of meditation exercises (four standing, and one sitting meditation).) A few years after its introduction, Falun Dafa quickly grew in popularity to become one of the most popular systems of Qi Gong in Chinese history.

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 for its illegal activities. The Falun Gong came to the attention of the Chinese government when 10,000 practitioners protested peaceful at Zhongnanhai the compound of Chinese top leaders on April 25, 1999.

After the crackdown, the number of Falun Gong practitioners in China was estimated by the government at 2.1 million . The number of practitioners claimed by Falun Gong is much larger, with 100 million followers worldwide including over 70 million in China.A figure of 70 million was quoted in two NY Times articles before the crackdown began. According to the articles, this figure was the estimate of Chinese government. The actual number is unknown.


History and Timeline

Main article: Falun_Gong,_History_and_Timeline

Falun Gong, also known as Fălún Dàfă (法轮大法), was introduced to the public by Li Hongzhi on May 13, 1992, in Changchun, China. Invited by Qigong organizations from each area, during the period from 1992 to the end of 1994, Mr. Li traveled to almost all major Chinese cities to teach the practice. In the next few years Falun Gong quickly grew in popularity around the world. As of now, the practitioners are present in more than 80 countries and the books have been translated to over 40 languages.

Beliefs and teachings

File:Falun2nd Exercise small.jpg
People practicing the Standing Meditation of Falun Gong
Main article: Falun Gong teachings

Central to Falun Dafa are the five meditative exercises and the teachings known in traditional Chinese culture as the "Fa" (Dharma), or "Dharma and principles" – that are set forth in the book Zhuan Falun. Falun Gong teaches that what it calls the "Buddha Law" can be summarized in three words – Zhen 真, Shan 善 and Ren 忍, which translate approximately as 'truthfulness, benevolence (or compassion), and forbearance'. 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.

The teachings and priciples of Falun Gong are captured in two main books written by Li Hongzhi: Falun Gong ( Law Wheel Qi Gong) and Zhuan Falun (Turning the Law Wheel). Falun Gong is an introductory book that discusses qigong, introduces the principles and provides illustrations and explanations of the exercises.

Research into health benefits

File:Fig3smresearchonfalungong.jpg
"..changes in apoptotic responses of PMNs suggest an alteration of PMN functions in favor of a rapid resolution of inflammation."-Richard Johnson, et al
Main article: Research into health benefits of Falun Gong

Research conducted by Quan Zhen Li, Richard Johnson, et al says "Drastic system-level changes of gene expression were detected in PMNs of Falun Gong practitioners, while little changes were detected among non-practitioners..." and genes among the practitioners manifest links to PMN functions in anti-viral immunity, apoptotic property and possibly longevity based upon a much more economical balance of protein synthesis and degradation. Surveys conducted on practitioners show improvements in health, the most extensive being a Falun Gong health survey conducted on 12,731 Beijing practitioners in 1998.

Further reading

All Falun Gong exercises are taught free of charge by practitioners and are also detailed in Li Hongzhi's books, lectures and exercise instruction videos which may be found free of charge on Falun Dafa Websites.

Chinese Government's Persecution of Falun Gong

Main article: Persecution of Falun Gong
File:FalunDafaVigilsandsitins.jpg

In July 1999, the government declared the practice of Falun Gong illegal.The United States Congress Resoution 188 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 Government of the People's Republic of China has forbidden Falun Gong practitioners to practice their beliefs, and has systematically attempted to eradicate the practice and those who follow it"

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;

"official measures have been taken to conceal all atrocities, such as the immediate cremation of victims, the blocking of autopsies, and the false labeling of deaths as from suicide or natural causes."

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.

Awards and Recognitions

File:FalunDafaProclamations.jpg

Falun Gong has been honored with over 1400 proclamations and awards 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.

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". Recognition recieved from the Qi Gong Community include that from Master Da Liu, the Master who introduced Tai-Chi to North America. He said at the age of 95 that he now asks all his students to practice Falun Gong.Mr. Li Hongzhi was nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize by nearly 600 professors and government officials from 21 countries. Mr. Li was also nominated in 2001 by 28 European Parliament members for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

See also: Criticism and controversies about Falun Gong § Debatable significance of Falun Gong awards and recognitions

Theoretical and Epistemological Studies

Main article: Theoretical and Epistemological studies on Falun Gong

The content of Li Hongzhi's books include commentaries on questions that have been raised in China's qigong community. 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.

Criticism and Controversies

Main article: Criticism and controversies about Falun Gong

Criticism and controversies about Falun Gong abound. These include, for example, difference between Falun Gong and Qi Gong, controversies on Li as a savior or supernatural entity, claims about preventing catastrophes and cosmic explosions, controversies on Fa-rectification, debatable significance of Falun Gong awards and recognitions, Falun Gong and sexual orientation, allegation of profiting from Falun Gong, controversies about cult and ethics.

Falun Gong outside China

Main article: Falun Gong outside China

The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has been regarded by most Western governments as a major international human rights issue. 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. (need citation) 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.

Falun Gong practitioners are often seen on the streets in major metropolitan areas, directly informing the public of the pesecution of practitioners in China.


References

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External links

Falun Gong sites


Critical sites

Other sites

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