When looking at this group it combines elements of balance between the physical and spiritual planes as defined within the concepts of exercise and karma. These concepts supposedly offer the practitioner a remedy of hope by obtaining a fountain of youth along with achieving the path of enlightenment. Much of these ideals are borrowed from the teachings of Confucianism, Daoism/Taoism, and Buddhism.
I have already wrote about these religious view which can be found at
Buddhism
Confucianism
Taoism
Quanzhen
The followers of Falun Dafa have tried to avoid a religious identity yet they maintain a religious affiliation among other movements and if it were not for the negative response from the Chinese government then perhaps they would have changed their status.
One thing that I believe is honorable in regards to one of the aspects of this cultish group is its form of morality which is made up of the basic elements of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. These are great qualities and standards yet it does not make sense to express this kind of behavior towards others whom may not be rightly suited to benefit from such actions as it may prove oppositional to the karmic forces of retribution. Also if this philosophy is to be adhered to in its fullest dimension then this group should of exercised tolerance by embracing and accepting the persecution from the Chinese government rather than protesting their abuse. If what they believe is a result of this mistreatment from the government then perhaps this is a matter in which they have violated karma and therefore they are only reaping the consequences of their actions.
Speaking of karma there are several other problems with this concept one of them being that there is no way of knowing a goal due to the inability to peer into your previous life and therefore not understanding what has been done before makes it difficult to know how to recompense for the karmic debt in the here and now.
Also another dilemma within this belief is how can such a complex system be achieved or managed without an intelligent being orchestrating its intricate parts? Rather they are left with an elusive abstraction that has been depersonalized to a basic reference to the universe or cosmos.
This leads into the question of a God kind which you can reference at
Atheist and Agnostic
Anyway this fatalistic view of living life does not leave a person with hope as they don’t know when or if they will ever achieve enlightenment which is like trying to navigate the path of life blindfolded.
Also the whole idea of supporting the concept of a personal release or self denial is a oxymoron as these concepts of moral order are not altruistic and if they were then they wouldn’t even care about their own spiritual well being of achieving enlightenment. Lastly, has any body ever really obtained enlightenment except for those who make such outlandish claims? I have written a blog with a video documentary of heaven and hell which you might find very interesting.
jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2009/10/29/is-hell-real/
Now in regards to the physical component there may be benefits to stretching and exercising as we are also physical/material beings who need movement as a way of achieving health yet if a person is concerned with their physical well being then this can also become another selfish aspect by which they are trying to prolong and better their life.
Really what all this comes down to is not only a contradiction behind these ideals but it is a storyline which can not be substantiated. So to allow such a doctrine to take control of your life is really a sad state of affairs. Its like tossing a lead life preserver to someone who is drowning in a sea of moral debt. A person is left with an ignorance on how much they have in their meritorial bank account and therefore how are they able to know what to earn in order to repay their karmic indebtedness which in turn leaves a person hopeless and helpless? Its like trying to achieve the unachievable or the unknowable.
Some other controversial items as related to the cultish teachings of Li Hongzhi is a shunning of certain aspects of science while embracing other academic disciplines. To believe that sickness from a medical perspective is some kind of alien conspiracy in favor of karmic forces is a superstitious belief in which there is no presentable evidence unlike what you might find in a medical lab. We are not talking about trying to probe the unfathomable outer limits of the universe but rather we are referring to a finite and temporal body which can be isolated by intimately probing every nook and cranny of this physical being. So which is more plausible a philosophy of unfounded belief or something that can be seen and isolated under a microscope?However, I’m not naive enough to believe that science has all the answers or that there aren’t still unknown mysteries to these professions but this doesn’t seem rational for Li to speak favorably towards atomic theory and nuclear energy while avoiding the pitfalls of the medical field. Also if karma is the supreme and universal law then why through modern medicine does the body positively respond to medical treatments? Could it be that Master Li’s opposition towards the field of medicine is only a reactionary response to something he chooses not to believe or that threatens his philosophy?
Other things which make Li’s ideas hard to swallow is that he claims that somehow aliens have infiltrated humanity resulting in its downfall. I don’t mean this disrespectfully but how do you know that Li Hongzhi who has rare opinions isn’t one of these unknown aliens that is trying to deceive you through some form of reverse psychology? These aliens manifestations may be demonic in origin but they have a tendency to be as elusive as Bigfoot and there hasn’t been any hard revealed evidence outside of the sensationalism that comes with the element of mystery and suspense regarding the unknown.
Mr. Li may be a great motivational speaker but we know from history that many rhetorical orators have lead people and countries astray through their strong speeches of propaganda. Li makes some very extraordinary claims about him possessing certain matters of knowledge which has eluded every one else’s ability to grasp therefore making him completely suspect.
Such exaggerations to his abilities are the supernatural feats of becoming invisible, levitation, and weather modification.
However, these mythical statements about himself were retracted from an autobiographical section of an earlier publication of Zhuan Falan which was also removed from the internet. Some other of his outrageous teachings is that there is something like a celestial eye or a small fluorescent television in the middle of the forehead that is supposed to give a person total recall. In addition to this Mr. Li has supposedly obtained some illusory knowledge by making such statements that the earth has been destroyed 81 times and that there are 10,000 supernatural powers available in the universe . He also says that Africa has a two billion year old nuclear reactor .
Additionally, he has discussed rituals that are closely associated with the occult which should give some discernment to the nature of this movement. Such matters include being able to see and walk through walls, precognition, clairvoyance, telekinesis and a hocus pocus of being able to transform one object into another.
Along with all these claims that he has pulled out of his magicians hat is the mysterious and controversial aspect of his alleged birth date which leaves a person to question the rest of his supposedly “truthful” assertions that he has made from his life. To claim oneself as being enlightened does not necessitate illumination.
In conclusion, I don’t want you to be hoodwinked and thou you intuitively realize that there is a transcendency beyond yourself I see this movement as only a counterfeit which has robbed you of a spiritual reality.
Lastly, my blog may seem to be harsh but my intent is not that of the Peoples Republic of China who would persecute these practitioners only because it perceives them as a threat to their communistic idealism. But rather my concern is to challenge these people not for selfish reasons but rather to share with them about the hope of a gift regarding eternal life which is not determined by the balance of the cosmic scale or by the hamster wheel of Dharma which requires a whole lot of movement without any progress but rather what I am referring to is a gracious act of God who saves us from ourselves in relationship to Him and to one another not by merely taking away our sin guilt but by giving us a new nature which brings about His righteousness in the earth.
Are you really achieving the moral qualities you desire and have you done enough to eliminate the result of negative karma?
In closing Jesus said in Mt. 11:28-30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
How to know God
Falun Gong Falun Dafa Resources
Excerpts taken “From Handbook of World Religions, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission”