Falun Gong: spirit vs. barbarism

China's new disgrace can be summed up in two words: Falun Gong. An internationaly wide and non-violent movement with tens of millions of practicioners, repressed in blood by Chinese communists.



Peace

"Being able to enter tranquillity the moment you sit down is an indication of a high level. If you cannot become tranquil for the time being, it is all right. You can slowly accomplish that during cultivation". The words are by Li Hongzhi, the founder of one of the major spiritual "movement" of the past few years, Falun Gong.

Created at the beginning of the 90's, Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice based on old principles such as Qi Gong. Aiming at "improving one's heart and mind", it cultivates three main principles: truthfulness, benevolence, and forbearance. In concrete terms, Falun adepts enjoy frequent exercises, based on breathing and seated meditation.

As a whole, the practice is said to bring peace, to stimulate "the energy within the body", to increase wisdom, to encourage good health (or cure certain diseases), and even to strenghtens divine powers, including supernormal abilitiesŠ

No religion, no sect

Far from classical gymnastics and occidental beliefs, Falun Gong is often referred as a sect. Actually, it is not. It has no temples (people can gather anywhere, from gardens to hospitals), no rituals, no clergy or priests, and no ranks. But, more important, it has no links with money. Apart from books (all from Hongzhi) and learning videos or tapes, Falun never ask for money to its practioners, who remains free to leave at any time. All instruction is free to newcomers. An electronic version of Hongzhi's books are downloadable for free on the Internet. And it is clearly strenghtened on the website: "All Falun Gong Activities Are Free of Charge and Run by Volunteers". Besides, Falun adepts refers themselves as "practicioners", not members, as there is no membership. As for the creator, Li Hongzhi, we're far from an "inspired" guru. The man seems rather affable and unassuming, even if he likes to remind that he is the one who has fully understood the Qi Gong potential, and is always referred as a "Teacher".
(picture: Falun Gong emblem - The symbol of the movement is composed of Yin&Yang symbols, around a "wan" character. The "wan", also known has "Swastika", has been used in many countries and cultures to represent good fortune. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Svastikah" and means "being fortunate". Already used 2,000 years ago, it has also the same meaning and pronunciation as a Chinese character reffering to '"ten thousand", "a large number", "all".)

As a whole, the movement is much more a kind of informal spiritual discipline than a structured hierarchical network. It has no strange beliefs in which credulous and naive people can be locked up, but only teaches methods to get "inner peace".

And they are many to look for that. Even if the figures are hard to establish, Falun is considered to have attracted as much as 100 million people worldwide. A number provided more than a year ago by Shangai TV Station, run by Chinese government, which at last claims that there are only 2 million adepts in China now. Mostly popular in China and Taiwan, Falun has many adepts in the US, Australia and Canada, and is present in about 40 countries. Nine years after its creation, its "word-of-mouth" spreading is quite impressive.

Forbidden cult

But it is clear that Beijing government has a problem with this Falun stuff. Not only the movement is strictly forbidden since July 1999, but it is repressed with extreme violence. Officially called "the evil cult", Falun is subject to all possible brutalities. Book-burning (the burning of 7 million books was reported by the government, in a mid-size city), beating, emprisoning and torture are now the rule, in what may look like a global eradication.

According to Falun, since the beginning of the "crackdown", more than 160 people have died in custody, due to police violence, after being jailed without trial. And at least 10,000 have been sent in labor camps. More recently, at the beginning of March, 37 people have been sentenced for printing or distributing Falun flyers, with 3 to 7 years terms.

With a support from Amnesty International, the United States and the United Nations, China has been asked repetitively to stop this violation of religious freedom and civil liberties. With poor results, as shown by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's statement, during his March 5th opening address to parliament : "Falun has become a tool for domestic and overseas forces hostile to our socialist government.", adding that it wil remained "outlawed" and fighted.

Political non-violence

From an occidental point of view, the reason why a movement of people enjoying to gather in parks for silent and seated meditation can raise such an amount of violence is somewhat hard to understand.

Erping Chang, Falun Gong spokesperson, has an explanation: "The communist party opposes all traditional values/culture/traditions, as the communist ideology is imported from the West, not native Chinese. And the past 50 years of the communist ruling has told us that traditional spiritual or religious practices have not been tolerated for the fear that they would undermine the communist superstructure with which the current regime is controlling the people." A convincing point of view, according to which past reactions from a communist power against Catholicism or Confucianism can also be explained.

But the problem gets higher complexity when entering the political field. Falun is expressly describing itself as "apolitical". Fighted for political reasons, it has to use the same weapons to exist, but it doesn't want to. "Falun Gong will never involve in any political life of any society.", ensures Erping Chang, adding: "Falun Gong is and will always be apolitical, as it has been passed down for centuries as something pure and clean. Though the regime attempts to politicize us and demonize us with fabrications, we will remain peaceful and non-violent."

For the Occident, and for inside opponents to the Beijing regime, it can be very convenient to jump into the bandwagon of an oppressed, universally popular, spiritual movement. But so far, Falun Gong's crackdown is only a new symbol of China's totalitarism. Whether it will be or not the "good" tool to make one of the strongest regime in the world bent is another question.

What's for sure, even if many people will judge Falun practicioners as fools with odd, not to say stupid, beliefs, it is still hard to admit a violent repression of the movement. Whether the Falun way of thinking and seeing the world is good or not is not the point. It's only about freedom.

 
Falun Gong on the Web

Falun Info Net
Frequentely updated news about the crackdown and how to get involved to raise awareness about it.

Falun Dafa
General information on the movement and its practice

Clear Wisdom
Falun Dafa in North America. Many news and article.

 
Cyril Fievet