(Clearwisdom.net) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has continued to escalate its persecution of Falun Gong with the most vile means for more than ten years. Their efforts include an overwhelming false propaganda campaign, oppressive discrimination, and the separation of its adherents from the most basic living environments. The relentless use of arrest, detention, forced labor, and torture has killed and handicapped many practitioners. Yet, despite this relentless oppression, Falun Gong practitioners have remained steadfast in their faith, leaving many people to wonder: What does the CCP think about Falun Gong, and why are they attempting to silence it at all costs?
II. Stories of Falun Gong Practitioners
1. Astounding Healing Effects
On May 15, 1998, the chief of the State General Administration of Sports traveled to Changchun City, Jilin Province, the birth place of Falun Dafa, and conducted an official study of the practice. According to a survey of 12,553 Falun Gong practitioners in September 1998, 77.5% recovered or partially recovered from their diseases. With the addition of the 20.4% whose conditions had improved, a total of 97.90f practitioners had improved or recovered due to their practice. Assuming that 1,700 yuan per year was saved in medical expenses by every practitioner, the total annual savings amounts to 21 million yuan. Similar surveys were conducted in other cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Harbin. In each study, the same conclusion was drawn: Falun Gong is extremely effective in keeping people healthy. Many individuals even recovered from incurable and deadly diseases after taking up the practice.
In late 1998, a group of retired government officials, headed by the former chairman of the National People's Congress, Mr. Qiao Shi, conducted a survey among Falun Gong practitioners over several months. They concluded that, “Through Falun Gong, the country has everything to gain and nothing to lose.” They submitted their survey conclusions to the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CCP.
Mr. Guan Guimin, a well known tenor, has recorded over 1,000 thousand songs and has been recognized as one of the most popular singers in China. In 1983, then 39 years old and at the peak of his career, Mr. Guan was diagnosed with hepatitis B and the early stages of cirrhosis of the liver. He took a year off in an attempt to rest and heal himself. He tried many traditional remedies and different types of Qigong practice, but his condition did not improve. In the spring of 1996, a friend introduced him to Falun Gong. After only one year of practice, he completely recovered.
Mr. Li Qihua, a senior CCP official, joined the Red Army in 1931. Before his retirement, he had been the headmaster of the Second Medical University of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Health Department commissar of the PLA's General Logistics Department, and the chief of the General Hospital of the PLA. His wife had suffered from serious diseases for many years. As a medical expert and chief of the best hospital in China, he provided her with the most advanced medical devices and treatment, to no avail. After she began practicing Falun Gong, however, all symptoms of her diseases disappeared. Mr. Li was very impressed by its remarkable healing effects, and he began to practice Falun Gong himself in 1993. Shortly after, his diseases also disappeared without the use of medicine, and his health continued to improve significantly. His own experience with the practice convinced him that Falun Gong represents a scientific realm that is yet to be explored. He suggested that people read the book Zhuan Falun and try the Falun Gong exercises for themselves.
Mr. Wang Zhiyuan, a former research scientist from the Medical School of Harvard University, suffered from Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS), which is understood among the medical community to be incurable. Knowing that there was no cure for him through medicine, Mr. Wang decided to attend a Falun Gong lecture. During the very first lecture he felt very comfortable throughout his entire body, as if currents of warm energy were circulating inside of him; he was moved to tears. Three months after he began practicing Falun Gong, Mr. Wang recovered completely from the incurable ALS. Before practicing, his blood contained only 6 grams of hemoglobin, which is just half of the normal level. Soon after Mr. Wang began practicing Falun Gong, the hemoglobin level in his blood returned to normal. His weight also increased from 55 kg (121 lbs) to a healthy 75 kg (165 lbs). Learning of his story, a reporter from the Boston Global interviewed him. The reporter was quite astounded when he met with Mr. Wang and saw first-hand his very healthy state.
Mr. Shao Xiaodong is a former senior doctor from the Chinese Medical Institute in Beijing who now lives in Japan. Mr Shao conducted an investigation regarding the issue, “Does Falun Gong have any healing effects?” He referred to relative reports published before July 1997 in Chinese newspapers, magazines, and books, and he interviewed the individuals involved. Following are the accounts of three of the individuals that Mr. Shao interviewed.
Since Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong's Founder, began teaching the practice in May 1992, he has mainly taught Its principles and has not, except for some very special instances, healed any patients. One such special instance was at the Oriental Health Expo in Beijing in 1993 where Mr. Li personally treated Mr. Sun Baorong, an employee from the 718 factory of Beijing. Mr. Sun suffered from paralysis and incontinence, both caused by a brain injury sustained in a car accident. He had been bedridden for one year. Just minutes after Mr. Li treated Mr. Sun, he was completely recovered. He traveled to the expo being carried upon his son's back, but he returned home using his own two feet.
Another patient named Mr. Xu Guohua, a retired officer from the Food Procurement Center of Beijing, suffered from a terminal intestinal tumor and had it surgically removed in 1991. In 1992, the tumor was discovered to have returned, and it had grown to be 20 cm (8 in). It had also begun to spread to his other organs. Given his serious condition, the hospital decided against doing any further surgery. At the Oriental Health Expo in Beijing in 1993, Mr. Xu was personally treated by Mr. Li Hongzhi. As a result, his tumor shrunk right away, and his bulging abdomen flattened instantly before the eyes of many witnesses. He knew that his tumor was completely gone and was astounded by the healing efficacy of Falun Gong. Overcome with gratitude, Mr. Xu was moved to tears. He later visited a hospital for an examination and was informed that the tumor had indeed disappeared. He later wrote a letter to Mr. Li on behalf of he and his family expressing their deep gratitude.
Mr. Zhong Yijiang is a Chinese born Thai, an entrepreneur, and the owner of the Taiyili Ltd. Mr. Zhong suffered from an eye disease that is medically recognized to be incurable. He was also treated personally by Mr. Li Hongzhi as an exceptional case. Mr. Zhong was asked to close his eyes and received several minutes of energetic treatment. He completely recovered without paying a penny. On the National Day of the People's Republic of China in 1999 (also called National Day, celebrated on October 1), Mr. Zhong was invited as a VIP to view the celebration ceremony in Beijing. When he was asked by an official from the National Security Department of China about his experience with Falun Gong, he admitted that he had truly recovered after being treated by the practice's Founder. Mr. Zhong has remained a practitioner of Falun Gong ever since.
2. The Great Way of Cultivation
Aside from its remarkable healing effects, Falun Gong emphasizes morality and values the qualities of honesty, kindness, and tolerance. Shedding light on the mysteries of human life and the universe, Falun Gong paves a promising and broad way for those who want to cultivate themselves toward high levels. It teaches people to look inward amidst conflicts and to be considerate, placing others before themselves.
Mr. Li Youfu, a senior practitioner of traditional martial arts and an explorer of the mysteries of life and the human body, used to be a practitioner of other Qigong schools. Now he has become a Falun Gong practitioner, resolutely breaking away from seeking fame and profit as a Kung Fu master. Many people have wondered about his motivation in practicing Falun Gong, to which he has replied, “My previous practice of Qigong and study of supernormal capabilities has taught me both that people have previous lives, and that there are other dimensions in addition to the dimension in which we reside. Atheism denies the existence of the other dimensions, and it restricts man's perception to the realm of this tangible, physical dimension, thus preventing any opportunity to understand the truth of the universe. I believe what is taught in religions to be true, so I attempted to find the true meaning of life through them, taking up various practices from Buddhism and Taoism. However, I instead discovered that the underlying principles within those practices have been lost, and that I cannot bring myself toward higher levels through those practices. When I read Zhuan Falun for the first time, I was astounded by its teachings, and I was moved to tears. I finished reading the book without a single break. I am certain that I have found the answers to the enigmas that I have pondered all my life. This is undoubtedly the Great Way.”
Ms. Shi Zhengtong had been a nun and abbot at the Hongji Buddhist Temple in southern Taiwan for many years. In an attempt to understand the true meaning of life and the universe, she visited many temples and famous mountains. She had been to Tibet, the Himalayas, the Yangtze River, the head stream of the Huanghe River, the Kunlun Mountains, Nepal, and India. Along her journey, she followed desolate paths across wilderness, deserts, and rivers. People who know of her are moved by her legendary conviction to find the truth despite her facing great difficulties.
In 1998, she discovered Falun Gong and knew it to be the true path of cultivation. She stated, “In the simplest words, Teacher elucidated the most profound principles. In trying to understand the definition of a 'Buddha,' for example, one can find multiple definitions within the Buddhist religion. However, Teacher says, 'Isn’t he [a Buddha] an enlightened person through cultivation practice?' In one simple phrase, he encompasses all the complexities regarding what a 'Buddha' actually is. I have also sought to understand what cultivation actually is. Teacher says, 'To tell you the truth, the entire cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up human attachments.' I never understood these things during my time practicing Buddhism over the past decades, but Teacher presents it to us in the simplest words.”
On October 7, 2008, a grand ceremony was held during the yearly celebration of the Dasala Festival in Mysore City, Karnataka, India. The Asian-Pacific Divine Land Marching Band, composed of Falun Gong practitioners from Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, was invited to perform in the celebration. The ceremony of the Buddhist tradition was attended by more than 400,000 people, including monks and Lamas from around the world. The Divine Land Band delivered to the audience the message, “Falun Dafa is good.” The Supreme Lama of India personally led the band through the audience to the main stage. He saluted to the conductor of the band and then, putting his palms together in the Buddhist way, cried out to the audience “Falun Dafa is good!” His voice was echoed in waves by the audience: “Falun Dafa is good!”
The miraculous healing effects and the profound principles revealed by Falun Gong have been witnessed by nearly 100 million Falun Gong practitioners from more than 100 countries, a magnitude of which the propaganda of the CCP can never match or defy.
Respected and beloved by people around the world, Falun Gong has been disseminated to more than 100 countries and its literature has been translated into more than 30 languages. In recognition of his prominent contributions to the well being of people's minds and health, Mr. Li Hongzhi has been recognized with awards by the governments of many countries and has received more than 3,000 certificates of merit. Various cities throughout the world observe “Falun Dafa Day,” “Falun Dafa Month,” and “Master Li Hongzhi Day” to express their respect and gratitude toward Mr. Li and the practice.
3. Why Do So Many People Practice Falun Gong?
Many people wonder why so many people diligently practice Falun Gong and why they absolutely refuse to give it up, even when they are confronted with the most brutal persecution.
There are many practitioners now in perfect health who had previously been bedridden for over a decade due to serious illnesses. Many incurable diseases left doctors with no choice but to simply wait with their patients until their death after all other treatments failed. However, out of hope, many decided to try Falun Gong, and they were rewarded with being able to resume a normal, healthy life without the aid of any hospital treatment or medication. After taking up the practice, each of their physical examinations revealed that they had completely recovered from all illness.
There are also many practitioners who were previously addicted to tobacco and who struggled for many years, failing to quit after hundreds of attempts. Upon practicing Falun Gong, they suddenly found success and were able to quit effortlessly. They were even able to let go of strong drug addictions.
Countless individuals have sought for the truth about life and the universe their entire lives, restlessly scouring through both ancient and modern literature, but time and time again they have failed to find the answers. After discovering Falun Gong, they have gained clarity and resolved their unanswered questions.
One practitioner, who had cultivated in religion for many years but still found herself unable to improve any further due to unfindable obstacles, was able to let go of her pursuit to fame, self-interest, and sentiment upon studying Falun Gong. Another practitioner, who was once a notorious scoundrel, suddenly changed his destructive course, becoming a person who rigorously exercises self-restraint and tolerance.
When such miracles occur just once as an isolated instance, we can probably assume that they are by luck, or that they are an accident. Even when a given miracle appears twice, we may still conclude that there has been another chance happening. However, when these miracles affect one million individuals, can we still claim that they are random accidents? As a matter of fact, these miraculous instances have affected the lives of over 100 million Falun Gong practitioners!
There are accounts of these practitioner's stories in over 100 countries around the world, including across all regions of China, from before 1999, and even after 1999 – the year when this information began to be intensely blocked in China. The authenticity of these stories is undeniable. Even amidst the reports fabricated by the CCP that attempt to slander Falun Gong, the power of the practice has been established by the concrete facts of practitioners' own experiences and observations. The occurrence of the rapid dissemination of Falun Gong around the world in just over 10 short years serves alone as a testament to its unstoppable power.
Among Falun Gong practitioners, there are former Buddhist monks, Taoists, and Christians, former practitioners of martial arts, Taichi, boxing, and Qigong, as well as doctors of western medicine, governmental officials, research scientists, historians of traditional Chinese culture, and finance professionals.
To many Falun Gong practitioners, Mr. Li Hongzhi is someone who has saved their lives without charging them a penny, a teacher who pointed out the way when they were lost, or a savior who picked them up from the abyss of sin and cleansed their entire being. When the persecution of Falun Gong began in China, practitioners there were made to take a stance that would define their true quality: Would they deny the miraculous things that the practice has done for them, even taking advantage of Falun Gong when it is being slandered, in hopes of giving themselves a chance to escape the persecution that may fall upon them? Or would they stand up and clarify the truth about Falun Gong to people according to their conscience, despite the extreme hostility and misunderstanding from those around them?
These are exactly the two paths that each Falun Gong practitioner in China was confronted with when the persecution began; options that they are each still faced with today.
In modern society, where the desire for material welfare often takes precedence over truth and morality, individual people are the victims of the declining moral standard. Falun Gong promotes Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, its practitioners value moral standards, and it teaches discernment between right and wrong. Like a clear stream purifying their minds, Falun Gong helps practitioners find new life in following Its principles. When people are deceived by the CCP's lies and thus come to resent Falun Gong, Its practitioners, out of their compassion, often stand up to clarify the facts despite the many pressures and dangers they face.
4. Evil Sneaks into a Civilized Era
Mr. Wang Bin, a computer engineer from the Designing Institute of the Petroleum Administration of Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, was arrested and sentenced to forced labor after traveling to Beijing in May 2000 to appeal for Falun Gong. During his detention, he resolutely refused to write any “repentance statements” renouncing the practice of Falun Gong. He was cruelly and repeatedly beaten by prison guards as a result of his refusal. On September 27, 2000, prison guard Feng Xi ordered four inmates to severely beat Mr. Wang for nearly one hour in front of more than 40 people. During the beating, the main artery in Mr. Wang's neck was ruptured and his bones were fractured in multiple places. He passed away in agonizing pain on October 4, 2005.
In addition to Mr. Wang, numerous Falun Gong practitioners can be named who were killed by the CCP as a result of cruel torture and abuse while being held in police stations, prisons, and labor camps: Mr. Lian Ping, 29, from Qianyang Village, Donggang City, Liaoning Province; Mr. Liu Jingrong, 45, employee of the Agricultural Bank of Dongliao County, Jilin Province; Mr. Zhang Hong, 31, from the Dongli District of Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province; Ms. Yang Hongyan, 40, from Duyun City, Guizhou Province. To name them all would require a long list of 3448 people, and due to the CCP's intense filtering and withholding of Falun Gong information, this number actually constitutes only a very small portion of the practitioners who have been murdered during persecution.
The list of deceased includes people from all walks of life, from pregnant women to the elderly. They were your fellow countrymen, your fellow professionals, your colleagues, and your relatives. They were arrested simply because of their refusal to give up their faith in Falun Gong, a basic human right that is guaranteed by China's constitution. Before their hearts stopped beating, they were subjected to all methods of torture by prison guards and other inmates under the name of “law enforcement,” including undergoing many hours of electric shock torture, having their hands cuffed and feet shackled in various and painful ways for months, being drenched in cold water during frigid winters, being forced to stand outside in freezing temperatures wearing nothing but thin clothes, being scorched under a blistering summer sun for long periods of time, and being deprived of sleep for months on end.
This persecution was launched by Jiang Zemin and the CCP, and it has been economic catastrophe for the Chinese nation. To eradicate Falun Gong, Jiang Zemin used a quarter of China's economic resources. In February 2001, he allocated 4 billion yuan to set up infrastructures for the purpose of imprisoning Falun Gong practitioners. In December 2001, he invested 4.2 billion yuan to build brainwashing centers for illegally detained Falun Gong practitioners. Every year, more than 100 billion yuan is spent on wages for the millions of people who are hired to persecute practitioners. In recent years, untold amounts of money have been spent on a slanderous media campaign and a large-scale information blockade. In addition, the CCP has dispatched hordes of secret agents to foreign countries for the purpose of undermining Falun Gong, and it has spent an immense sum of money in buying off Chinese newspapers published overseas.
The persecution of Falun Gong is a moral catastrophe around the world. Relentless torture is widely utilized when practitioners are commanded to give up practicing Falun Gong. Authorities at every level of the CCP's government and police systems are involved in the persecution, and Chinese society has been forced to keep silent about the persecution of innocent people. The CCP offers significant economic benefits to foreign countries in exchange for their silence regarding the gross violation of basic human rights in China. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance (the basic principle of Falun Gong) is slandered, while falsehood, ferocity and struggle are promoted, and the conscience of man is exterminated. Having a good heart is persecuted, and the worst persecutors are rewarded with power and money, resulting in the collapse of morality and the proliferation of corruption. Where will such a society end up? This persecution not only victimizes Falun Gong practitioners, but it is also affects the life of every single human being.
Thanks to the peacefulness and tolerance of Falun Gong practitioners, society has not witnessed any violent protests in response to the CCP's horrifying persecution over the past twelve years. In China, the lives of non-practitioners appear to continue as usual, yet by and large, good people everywhere are starting to perceive Falun Gong practitioners' unbreakable spirits, their immovable faith, and a sincerity and kindness which outlast both time and humanity. People who come to understand the facts about Falun Gong eagerly spread what they have learned and decide to resist the persecution in their own ways. We hope that an increasing number of people will see through the CCP's lies, and that they will come to be embraced by the blessings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.