left biblioblography: KUNG WOO - FALUN GONG IS ANOTHER CULT

Sunday, January 28, 2007

KUNG WOO - FALUN GONG IS ANOTHER CULT

It's no secret: I'm a Tai Chi practitioner (player is actually the proper word). What most don't know, is that Tai Chi Chuan is a form of Chi Kung (Qi Qong), more properly known as Nei Jin. This is powerful stuff: it works, and evidence is mounting all the time in favor of it.

It (Tai Chi as well as Qiqong) is often confused with Falun Gong - which the latter borrows heavily from Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist principles. Let's take a quick peek inside (from the link provided):

"Also known as Falun Dafa, Falun Gong means Law of the Wheel Breathing Exercise. Its aim is to purify the mind and body and improve moral character through exercises, meditation and study. Li Hongzhi, also known as "The Master" or "Master Li", introduced Falun Gong to Beijing in 1992. His teachings are contained in the books, Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun (Turning the Law Wheel), which are available in a variety of languages. The exercises of Falun Gong have been described as relaxing and energizing, and many practitioners of Falun Gong perform them as a group, outside. Falun Gong is practiced all over the world and Li Hongzhi has claimed to have a following of over 100 million people."

Like most cults, it appears relatively harmless at first glance. However, the Chinese government is thoroughly against it.

"In 1999, the Chinese government initiated a campaign against spiritual and religious groups, including Falun Gong practitioners. On April 25, 1999, approximately 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners staged an unauthorized silent protest against the Chinese government actions outside Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership's official residence. Following this protest, on July 22, 1999, the Chinese government outlawed Falun Gong for practicing "evil thinking" and threatening social stability. Throughout China, Falun Gong practitioners were arrested, interrogated and forced to sign letters rejecting the practice. In addition, the Chinese government destroyed over 2 million Falun Gong books and instructional tapes and has put Li Hongzhi on a list of wanted criminals."

Wow, that's...so uncool. It's not as if they're infiltrating the government, having violent protests, or even hurting anyone, is it? No, they're not.

As usual, there's a dark underbelly (as it is with most societies, secret or otherwise).

"At the beginning, Li introduced himself to the public as a Qigong master. In A Short Biography of Mr. Li Hongzhi, which appeared as an appendix in the Chinese version of his book, Zhuan Falun, before 1996, it was claimed that Li was guided by more than 20 masters of both the Buddhist and Taoist cultivation ways since the age of four. Li’s first teacher reportedly introduced him to the cultivation of truth, compassion and forbearance (zhen, shan, ren). At age of eight, he was reported to have acquired supernatural powers. It was claimed that he could levitate off the ground and become invisible simply by thinking "Nobody can see me.” Two other claims of supernatural powers were his ability to control people’s movements by thoughts and to move himself anywhere he wanted by thought alone. The biography also claimed Li has discovered the truth of the universe and the origin of humankind and has foreseen the development and future of the humankind."

Now, where have we seen this sort of nonsense before? I trust I don't have to inform my loyal readers, that this is standard fare?

Onwards:

"Whether Falun Gong cultivation practice derives legitimacy from the ancient teachings of Buddhism is a matter of some controversy. Supporters say that traditional Chinese teachings called the Fa (Dharma) or “Dharma and principles” form the foundation for their Falun Dafa. In Zhuan Falun, Li states “the Falun Dafa is one of 84,000 cultivation ways in the Buddha’s School, which has never been made public during the historical period of this human civilization.” However, as reported by Benjamin Penny [6], Falun Gong’s earliest critics stated that by dramatically changing the meanings of traditional Buddhist terms, Li misrepresents the basic tenets of Buddhism and should not claim to be part of that tradition."

Cripes, here we go again. Guess the West isn't the only place where allegory muddies the water. Falun Dafa replies:

"Why can’t we follow the conventions of ordinary human language when we teach the Fa? As you know, the meaning of a standardized term has been predefined: “This word means precisely XYZ.” Moreover, standardized language is limited and unable to describe the immense Fa. In this enormous cosmos, humankind’s Earth isn’t even a speck of dust in a speck of dust inside yet another speck of dust. That’s how puny it is. How could it possibly hold such an immense Fa? How could the Fa of the cosmos possibly be confined by the conventions of human languages? How could It conform to the conventions of human languages? There’s absolutely no way. Our Fa merely employs human language. As to how this language is used to teach Dafa, it’s good enough as long as it allows you to understand—that’s the purpose. That’s why the language we use doesn’t conform to conventions of grammar."

More appeals to wonder. No big whoop: I won't go into this at length, because

  1. I don't speak Chinese, and
  2. I'm an Occidental, so I'd probably mangle the whole thing

Here's something a tad more...disturbing:

"More than being a religion, an examination of Falun Gong’s beliefs and practices, as revealed in Li’s writings and lectures, indicates that it bears striking similarities to such historical Chinese sectarian religious societies as the White Lotus and the Eight Trigrams. Although Li disavows a belief in the main deity of those two societies—the Unbegotten Eternal Mother (Wusheng laomu)—his ideas are similar to theirs in the eclectic blending of Buddhism, Daoism, classical folk religion, and magic. To this amalgam are added some modern touches: just as the ideology of the Taiping rebels was modernized by a banal Christianity, the beliefs of Falun Gong are given a contemporary veneer via references to science and UFOs."

UFOs? Oh, shit! Not this again! Oh, and we have a creed of exclusivity, mixed with a 'divine' blessing to boot:

"Chang opines: “If Li Hongzhi’s disciples can become gods by engaging in Falun gong, it stands to reason that the founder of this cultivation practice must himself be a deity.” Included in the idea of Li’s supernatural status is his claim of having numerous Fashen (spiritual Law bodies) which protect his 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 : "If you truly follow the righteous way in cultivation practice, nobody will dare to do something to you at will. Besides, you have the protection of my Fashen, and you will not be in any danger."

Hmmm...you might want to take a look at how the practitioners are being persecuted in China. Apparently, Hongzhi's 'Fashen' don't extend very far.

Get this - they even have their own version of the Rapture! I kid thee not:

"Just as human civilizations had been destroyed in the past because of immorality, like the followers of the White Lotus and the Eight Trigrams in Chinese history, Li is convinced that the moral decadence of our times is leading to another apocalypse. His writings and speeches are replete with references to the “Dharma-ending period” of “the apocalypse,” the “Great Havoc,” and the “end times” (mojie)….With the end days approaching, Li has set about disseminating Falun Dafa so as “to provide salvation to mankind….in this final period of the Last Havoc."

Oh, yeah, and don't THIS sound familiar?

"Mankind! Awaken! The vows of Gods in history are being fulfilled. The Dafa is judging all beings. What path a person takes in life is his own choosing. One thought a person has might determine his future."

Wait, there's more!

"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."

Yeesh, this guy ever hear of plagiarism? All this dreck has been done before. And of course, we have the good ole 'end of days' scenario:

"You must have seen the epidemic that’s come along in China now, right? Hasn’t a huge epidemic arrived? To put it in human terms, it’s Heaven punishing people. What it’s targeting, we Dafa disciples know full well: it’s targeting those who don’t deserve to be saved, who are impossible to save while Dafa disciples clarify the truth, and who aren’t useful to the evil rotten spirits. This is the first round of cleansing. Heaven is punishing the evil, yet China is still lying to cover up the number of deaths, and I’ll tell you, it’s huge, and it hasn’t peaked yet. People find it scary, but in fact, the truly horrible thing hasn’t begun yet. This isn’t the real, big cleansing when the Fa starts to rectify the human world. It’ll be even more horrifying when that big cleansing arrives, and it’ll target the entire world. When the vicious people go crazy they don’t fear anything, but, when the calamity really descends on them they’ll be stunned. Wait and see, this is going to be an eventful year. A lot is going to happen."

Hallelujah! (Wait: how do you say that in Mandarin?)

Hongzhi's a racist, by the way (read this part carefully):

"The issue of the interracial children I have just mentioned has told mankind a heavenly secret, but it is not that we would do anything. I said that I have done something even greater in the sense that I can also save a person of mixed blood, but I can only save him in this period of time. Though oriental people and Westerners all live on earth, man does not know that there is something separating the East and the West. It is well known that oriental people believe in the so-called "nine". They like the sound of it, which implies everlasting. "Eight" is pronounced as "fa", implying making a fortune. These kinds of things can indeed have a little bit of effect in the East, such as geomantic omen telling or landscape analysis, etc. But when applied in the West, they appear to be ineffective and do not work. They do not work with the white people. Then again, the so-called astrology or some phenomena believed by the white people do not work with the oriental people either. Some people think that they work. That is because you think they work. In fact, they don’t. Why is it then? It is because the white people's biosphere has its special physical matter formed in its own dimension while the oriental people's biosphere has the special matter made up with their life. Such things run through the makeup of one's life. Thus, the two sides are not the same. After races are mixed up, you will find one’s child born to be an infant of mixed blood. However, there is a partition in the middle of this child's life. If it is separated, he will be physically and intellectually incomplete or a person with an incomplete body. Modern science also knows that it is getting worse one generation after another. It would be like this. Of course, if such a person wants to practice cultivation, I can help, and I can take care of it. It cannot be done to a non-practitioner."

Oh, and he's a homophobe:

"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 if it were not for Li’s “upright Fa to keep human beings in check” homosexuals could expect to receive a particularly harsh punishment from the Gods. [45] In Switzerland, Li stated that by renouncing their sexual behavior homosexuals could experience a different outcome. Responding to a question asking why homosexuals are bad people, Li said: "Let me tell you, if I weren’t teaching this Fa today, gods’ first target of annihilation would be homosexuals. It’s not me who would destroy them, but gods.” As an example, Li talked about a similar phenomenon that happened in ancient Greek culture. According to Li, that culture no longer exists “because they had degenerated to that extent, so were destroyed."

And:

"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."

Let's nutshell this: a mystic messiah figure, exclusivity, persecution (this time provable), racism, homophobia, evil spirits, the Eastern version of apocalypse.

Final analysis: yep, it's a cult. Expect some real, real heavy payback on this one, sometime soon, I'd bet.

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16 comments:

beepbeepitsme said...

What can I say? Insanity seems to be rife. I think what happens in a lot of people is that they go through a simple process of "same or different."

Anything which is the same as them is attributed as being good and anything which is seen as different is seen as being evil.

Same = good
Different = evil. That is religion in a nutshell.

Krystalline Apostate said...

Same = good
Different = evil.

Yepper - it's just the explanations are always long, involved, and...different from 1 another.

Anonymous said...

Wait...
You/He left out women.
How does this cult regard women?
As inferior sublimates?
Or not even that?
I want to get as indignant as possible all at one time!

Unknown said...

Krystalline Apostate,
If you believe what the communist regime says about Falun Gong or even what you have heard other quacks say about Falun Gong then you have joined the ranks of the most unintelligent people on the planet.

They mocked Jesus and even crucified him and they mocked Buddha . So if you practice Tai Chi who is your God? Humans did not invent Tai Chi.Know you facts.
Humans can do little to change anything in this world. Because you can't think higher than your belts we have been doomed to Darwin's theory of creation? If don't believe in Intelligent design which are the Gods Buddhas and Daos then what are you?

Do you know how cultist this sounds? We come from monkeys and we are masters of the universe and the only intelligent life in the universe.? Doesn't get more cultist than that? Intelligent design creation which is now the highest levels of quantum physics are in tune with each other. Science is Gods Buddhas and Daos.

The Chinese communist party is the the biggest evil cult on the planet today. You have to join, pay fees, are not allowed to leave except under death. You must follow their rules and listen to their brainwashing propaganda from kindergarten age up until to you die.

Dont slander Falun Gong or defend the Communist regime because the Heavens will not put up with it.

Good is met with good and evil is met with retribution

Anonymous said...

OOOOOH...KA!

I see you are in big trouble now!

You have slandered Fa La la la lun!

*Gong!*

I'm not sure if this means evil spirits will crush you, or if the Fashen will simply not protect you from the viscious people, but you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry...oops, wrong song

FalalalaLA...lala la la.

Krystalline Apostate said...

J.:
If you believe what the communist regime says about Falun Gong or even what you have heard other quacks say about Falun Gong then you have joined the ranks of the most unintelligent people on the planet.
& of course, the 1st recourse of the cultist is to call names.
They mocked Jesus and even crucified him and they mocked Buddha . So if you practice Tai Chi who is your God?
I don’t have 1. Clue time: Buddha was a man, no claims to divinity, I don’t think jay-sus even existed.
Humans did not invent Tai Chi.Know you facts.
Oh, stop. Tai Chi was created in Chen village, by Chen Wangting. Know your facts, bucko.
Humans can do little to change anything in this world. Because you can't think higher than your belts we have been doomed to Darwin's theory of creation?
Tai Chi doesn’t have belts, you dufus.
You obviously have no idea what evolution really is. So STFU.
If don't believe in Intelligent design which are the Gods Buddhas and Daos then what are you?
I’m a realist. Which is 1 up on you.
Do you know how cultist this sounds? We come from monkeys and we are masters of the universe and the only intelligent life in the universe.? Doesn't get more cultist than that? Intelligent design creation which is now the highest levels of quantum physics are in tune with each other. Science is Gods Buddhas and Daos.
Wow, you really are outta touch w/reality. You New Age noodniks really crack me up. No clue what’s really going on.
The Chinese communist party is the the biggest evil cult on the planet today. You have to join, pay fees, are not allowed to leave except under death. You must follow their rules and listen to their brainwashing propaganda from kindergarten age up until to you die.
Hey, I don’t like them either. Newsflash: I’m an AMERICAN bay-bee, born & bred. Not a commie.
Dont slander Falun Gong or defend the Communist regime because the Heavens will not put up with it.
I’ll slander who I please, ‘cause there ain’t anyone up there. I’m not defending the Communist regime either, dumbfuck.
Good is met with good and evil is met with retribution
& cultist melodrama & propaganda is met w/good ole fashioned American mockery.
I’ll gladly lend you a quarter so you can buy a clue. Go get an education, & stop being a zombie follower.
If that's a threat, all I can say is:
you'd better be good, asshole

Krystalline Apostate said...

karen:
I see you are in big trouble now!
Oh, yeah, I'm shakin' in my booties.
They're probably having an om mani padme om crush-the-infidel circle jerk even as I type this.
Wow, are they in for a shock:
The supernatural doesn't work.

Krystalline Apostate said...

Oh, J.?
How are things at the University of Wyoming, BTW?
If you learned that mystical crap on an elective, I'd suggest you switch classes. It's a waste of $.

Anonymous said...

J.

"You're silly."

Unknown said...

I'm sorry if I have offended anyone but there are some universal truths that make up the universe that we live.
If you have to pay to learn about creation or your God then it is not genuine or real.

Falun Gong is not a cult.And it is very wrong of you to say so.

I'm Not from the states in US.

We are all complicit unless we speak up against persecuting the very best humanity has to offer in all human beings.Is there any thing wrong with being truthful compassionate and tolerant?

The communist regime made being good punishable by persecution torture and murder.


I say this now because I want everyone to be able to hold their head up high when asked what they did to help stop this genocide and corruption of the world’s conscience.

When this persecution is over and the true facts are finally revealed the world’s people will weep. With no disrespect to the Jewish people the magnitude of this persecution is unparalleled in our human history. The communist regime has murdered more of its own people than Stalin and Hitler together.

I understand that we all thought things were changing in China when the open economic reforms began in 1989. Everyone saw this as a positive change after watching in horror the Tiananmen Square massacre on TV.
But in reality the human rights have become worse in China under the rule of the communist regime.

http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=24902

The communist regime signed all the agreements to become an international player with the Olympic Committee, The World Health organization, The World Trade Organization the now defunct UN Council formally known as the UN Commission to name but a few. And they blatantly do not heed the rules of any democratic org because they are not a democratic system and will not work cooperatively with any one else. IN fact the failure of the UN Commision was largely due to the communist regime siding with rogue states and blocking any veto related to improvement of HR’s in the world.

I sincerely hope that more people everywhere recognize the intentions of the communist regime.

And that more people will speak out to their congress, members of Parliament, media these blogs etc, because if our leaders keep on turning a blind eye to this regime then i believe the consequences will be disastrous for all of humankind.

I believe that the principles of truth compassion and forbearance are not only reserved for religions but for each Country, Govt, society, schools, family and individuals. The time is now and i understand the world is waking up and more importantly the brave Chinese people are waking up and they no longer want the communist regime as their leaders.

Krystalline Apostate said...

j.
I'm sorry if I have offended anyone but there are some universal truths that make up the universe that we live.
If you have to pay to learn about creation or your God then it is not genuine or real.

I’ve not paid a dime, nor do I worship anything. Please be straight on that. I might also note, that in this country, those materials supplied aren’t free.
Falun Gong is not a cult.And it is very wrong of you to say so.
I am truly sorry, but it has all the earmarks of 1.
We are all complicit unless we speak up against persecuting the very best humanity has to offer in all human beings.Is there any thing wrong with being truthful compassionate and tolerant?
Have I said otherwise? No, I haven’t. I am foursquare against persecution.
The communist regime made being good punishable by persecution torture and murder.
& thus they should be censured deeply.
I say this now because I want everyone to be able to hold their head up high when asked what they did to help stop this genocide and corruption of the world’s conscience.
You don’t ask much, do you?
When this persecution is over and the true facts are finally revealed the world’s people will weep. With no disrespect to the Jewish people the magnitude of this persecution is unparalleled in our human history. The communist regime has murdered more of its own people than Stalin and Hitler together.
That’s a hard charge to prove. I don’t doubt it at all: but the CCP (as w/most communist regimes) is extra tight-lipped about their internal affairs.
I understand that we all thought things were changing in China when the open economic reforms began in 1989. Everyone saw this as a positive change after watching in horror the Tiananmen Square massacre on TV.
But in reality the human rights have become worse in China under the rule of the communist regime.

You actually do have my sympathies.
The communist regime signed all the agreements to become an international player with the Olympic Committee, The World Health organization, The World Trade Organization the now defunct UN Council formally known as the UN Commission to name but a few. And they blatantly do not heed the rules of any democratic org because they are not a democratic system and will not work cooperatively with any one else. IN fact the failure of the UN Commision was largely due to the communist regime siding with rogue states and blocking any veto related to improvement of HR’s in the world.
I’ve skipped over most of your words.
I in no way ever intended to defend the Communist regime – I understand that they have a horrendous track record in re: human rights. I am an American, & such events as you’ve communicated are anathema to me.

I am for truth. Very much so. & thus, I say unto you:
Falun Gong IS a cult.
But the Chinese government is truly all fucked up. Falun Dafa is not immune from criticism. Neither is the CCP. But in the US, all religions (or cults) are free to worship, or practice as they please, as long as there’s no malevolence involved.

Be well advised: I repudiate the CCP. But Falun Dafa is a fantasy – make no mistake on that. Be that as it may, I am sickened by their/your plight. While I consider your belief system to be smoke & mirrors, I utterly loathe the concept of policing people’s thoughts and beliefs.
Peace.

Unknown said...

HI K,

Well I guess thats as good as gets. I didn't realize that this was an atheists site. My mistake.

Its enough that you said what you said.I take it that you also think Christianity is cult and Catholics as well?

I really hope you don't subscribe to the belief of Darwinism and that we are the only ones in the universe.

Because that is one of the most ignorant things I have heard on this earth.

I searched for answers all my life because i knew Darwinism didn't provide the answers for me.

I am so greatful to the land of China for bringing out the truth once again. Like a lotus (Falun Gong) growing up through the mud (CCP)

Thanks for sharing your views I much appreciate it.

Peace be with you too.

Krystalline Apostate said...

j.
Apology accepted.
I take it that you also think Christianity is cult and Catholics as well?
Yes I do.
I really hope you don't subscribe to the belief of Darwinism and that we are the only ones in the universe.
Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution, not a 'belief system'. As to whether we're alone in the universe, the jury's still out on that 1.
Because that is one of the most ignorant things I have heard on this earth.
I'd suggest you do a little more research, then.
I searched for answers all my life because i knew Darwinism didn't provide the answers for me.
Darwinism is neither a religion nor a philosophy - it's a science based on observations on the natural world.
I am so greatful to the land of China for bringing out the truth once again. Like a lotus (Falun Gong) growing up through the mud (CCP)
I'd advise you read the answers.com link that I provided w/the article, in it's entirety.

Anonymous said...

here we go ... lets see here
aha!

Lets start off with the UFO Cult claim. Indeed, Mr. Li makes some claims about UFOs and extraterrestrial beings, but it is no way interconnected with the practice at all, its just things that were mentioned in passing. Furthermore, all the things that you can read about Falun Dafa can be accessed on the internet. From my understanding, in order for something to be a "UFO cult," there has to be some form of worship involved or something like that. Christianity and Buddhism talks about beings in other dimensions, e.g. "asura," "spirits," or "elohim." Perhaps, UFOs could mean something along those lines, I mean what is the definition of an "alien" anyways? Whether or not one believes in UFOs, there is no central belief revolving around UFOs. Unfortunately, that article that was quoted above took some things out of context.


Interracial things... now, there isn't anything in Falun Gong that says that you can't do that. Mr. Li is just talking about phenomena, whether one chooses to believe it or not. Actually, I have seen countless Asian-caucasian relationships among Falun Gong practitioners.

There is a concept in FLG called "Buddha-nature" and "Demon-nature," which every human being possesses. Some people have more Buddha-nature than demon-nature, some have less, vise versa, etc. When homosexuality is discussed, it is described as being apart of demon-nature, as are other things. To be honest, I think that one would have to read everything about Falun Gong before making such claims because the terms could throw people off, and it almost seems like its being taken out of context. Also, show me somewhere that says that practitoners should be homophobic, racist, or interact with UFOs ... you won't find it.

Its all about tolerance ... if a person were homophobic or racist, they would lack tolerance and that would be an attachment that should be removed. Personally, I could care less about if someone were homosexual or not, its none of my business, and they should be treated justly like anyone else.

_/\_

Krystalline Apostate said...

anonymous - 'mentioned in passing'? Are you kidding me? Maybe you can give me some quotage?
Actually, I have seen countless Asian-caucasian relationships among Falun Gong practitioners.
You may want to re-read the post.
Its all about tolerance ... if a person were homophobic or racist, they would lack tolerance and that would be an attachment that should be removed.
Face it - Li obviously has a bug up his ass about homosexuality. No amount of sugar-coating can cover it.
It's still a cult.

Anonymous said...

Falooney Gong is a despicable belief system created as a get rich quick scheme by a screwball doucherocket who lies as much as he breathes and is reliant on rubes with no education for its continuance. Any group that can convince followers to immolate themselves (one being a 12 year old child) deserves to be monitored by governments everywhere.