A Brief History of Falun Gong

The Chinese practice of Falun Gong has a relatively short but already important history. Its specific history is a mere ten years old, however the ideas and practices it is based on have a history that stretch throughout the entire history of the Chinese civilization. The practice of different forms of qigong, the cultivation of qi or the energy that flows throughout the human body and the universe, has been a staple in many different practices of Chinese culture including being the basis for traditional Chinese medicine. In its ten-year history, Falun Gong has garnered millions of practitioners and followers and much attention from many others including the Chinese government, although this attention has been mostly negative.

Falun Gong is a form of qigong, an age-old Chinese tradition of meditation and exercise. (Beliefnet 1) Falun Gong is essentially a practice of five sets of movements, including both physical exercise and meditation, believed to heighten the physical, spiritual and moral health of its practitioners. (Beliefnet 1) The exercises of Falun Gong are an effort to rotate the falun, or the spinning body of energy thought to be located in the lower abdomen. (Beliefnet 1) The be

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However, the spiritual aspects of the practice, the fact that it draws on concepts and beliefs from other Chinese religions such as Taoism and Buddhism, and that it “can be seen as part of the long tradition of Chinese folk Buddhism” provide support for it being seen as a religion. Accusations of coercing members into suicide and foregoing medical treatment, along with its vast membership and tight organization quickly sealed the fate of the label of evil cult. ” (Dowell 2)

However, the members of Falun Gong wished to express their grievances to the government of China. Master Li and the members of Falun Gong, however, insist that they are not part of a religion at all. “I want to teach people to be good and not to be involved in politics. (Beliefnet 1) According to Master Li,

“There are different practices of qigong in China and in other countries, but they are primarily aimed at healing illnesses or keeping fit and maintaining good health. ” (Madsen 247) The main reason behind this attack was a demonstration held in April of 1999 when nearly 10,000 members of Falun Gong assembled in front of the seat of China's government, and demanded recognition from the government along with freedom to practice Falun Gong. Not only was the protest “an unlawful demonstration in one of the most sensitive spots in China” but it also took place “at a time when the government was nervously anticipating the tenth anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown. The sect was accused of having lead upwards of 1,600 practitioners to forego modern medical care and conning them into acts of suicide. (CNN)

Within its short, merely ten-year history, Falun Gong has accumulated more supporters than the Communist Party in China, and some estimates put this number at nearly ten percent of the population. The configuration of Falun is a miniature of the universe and has its own form of existence and process of evolution in each of the other spaces. (Falun Dafa) In 1995, Zhuan Falun, the follow-up to Falun Gong, was written and published. The Falun Gong practice, movement, organization, or any other term it could and has been called has had a significant impact on the current situation in China. I am teaching a higher level of qigong.

Approximate Word count = 1748
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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