China’s war against all religions and their own Falun Gong

China has a communist government (CCP) that has been unfriendly to any religion whether it has a God, gods or no god. A full communist regime has never been tried, but for now China is the closest country to this type of pure communism.

The reason the government tries so hard to crush religious organizations that operate independently from party control is because their dogmas compete with the state orthodoxy. It is especially a concern to them when they promote freedoms, thinking of God as in control and not the state.

Chinese communist authorities are now changing the words of the Bible, and want Christians to deny their faith. China has intensified their persecution, with Communist officials telling Christians they are not permitted to believe in God.

Of the five approved religions in China, Protestant Christianity is one alongside Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Catholicism in China. All Religious organizations must register with one of five state-sanctioned patriotic religious associations supervised by the State Administration for Religious Affairs .

Christian churches who do not register with the government are known as “house churches,” they are illegal. Three-Self churches is Protestant churches registered with the government. Christians are threatened and harassed by Chinese Communist Party officials in numerous province’s house churches are closed for “holding illegal gatherings without permits.”

China's state-approved churches that were forced to close due to COVID-19 are permitted to reopen only if they praise the Chinese Communist Party in sermons and extol President Xi . They have ordered Christian villagers to remove Christian images from their homes and replace them with portraits of Chairman Mao and President Xi Jinping or risk losing their welfare benefits.

China also has their own homegrown religions to deal with. Spiritual and religious groups like the Falun Gong are looked upon by the Chinese communist party leaders as a threat. Forcing them to be in reeducation camps as they do others.

Falun Gong spirituality would be considered to be in the New Age category. They have become the voice of opposition to Communist run China. A number of their members have joined with conservative news groups to expose China’s abusive ways through their governmental control. The news service, Epoch Times was founded in 2000 by those in the Falun Gong movement.

Falun Gong, (Falun Dafa is its preferred name) literally means Practice of the Law Wheel (Dharma - Chakra).

Its founder Li Hongzhi states, “…I had masters in two schools. (located in the mountains) Prior to the Cultural Revolution people enjoyed quite a bit of religious freedom. Chinese were quite used to such things. It was like going to church in the West.” (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell Monday, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

Much of what is said is in the same manner as the gurus of India, some of its concepts remind me of Eckankar and Scientology. It is a synthesis of numerous other religious practices. It can take months if not longer to decipher the deeper teachings as there are different levels of understanding in its practices.

Falun Dafa, which was founded in 1992, it has a blend of various beliefs and practices as assembled by its founder Li Hongzhi. Since its inception, Falun Gong has been one of the fastest growing qigong schools in Chinese history. Its teaching began for healing and keeping fit. By 1999, Falun Gong had grown to become the fastest and largest growing practice in China (said to have 100 million people).

It includes Taoist and Buddhist references predicated upon a belief in extraterrestrials and practiced through a set of prescribed exercises and meditation techniques. It has a series of five meditative exercises aimed at channeling and harmonizing the qi - energy.

In Communist China any type of spirituality and religion is discouraged. During the 1980’s and 1990’s Qigong gained popularity in China because it was seen as a way to improve and maintain health and not considered a spiritual practice. It can be practiced for improving health, a spiritual path and as a component of Chinese martial arts.

The teachings of Falun Gong are encompassed in two central works:Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun (the main book). Falun Gong is an introductory book that discusses qigong, introduces the principles of the practice, and provides illustrations and explanations of the exercises. Zhuan Falun is his most comprehensive work being an edited version of Li Hongzhi’s lecture series, of which he taught across China between 1992 and 1994.

In 1992- 93, Li won government awards at the Beijing Oriental Health Expos. The "Qigong Master most acclaimed by the Masses" and "The Award for Advancing Boundary Science.”

Some students have said: every sentence that Master Li Hongzhi said is a secret of Heaven and the disclosure of it. However, we are genuinely guiding people up towards high dimensions, which is to save people.” (P.142)

The Knowledge and practice of Li’s spiritual plan helps one attain salvation.

In an interview with Time the founder Li was asked: Are you a human being?
Li: You can think of me as a human being.

TIME: Are you from earth?
Li: I don't wish to talk about myself at a higher level. People wouldn't understand it.” ( Li Hongzhi By William Dowell, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

Li Hongzhi describes Falun Gong as a " high-level cultivation practice" which, in the past, " served as an intensive cultivation method that required practitioners with extremely high Xinxing (mind-nature) or great inborn quality " (Palmer (2007), p. 244)

Teaching practices will reveal the principles of the universe and life at different levels to those who dedicate themselves to its study. They are to cultivate xinxing to assimilate to the nature of the universe, and by eliminating karma though enduring tribulations and hardships, one can return to the "original, true self", and understand the truth of human life. https://www.falundafa.org/book/eng/flg_2001_4.htm

The belief in karma is incorporated as the founder states on p.110 “ Because one has committed, throughout his previous lives, a lot of wrong doing, these have brought disasters to people and become obstacles of karma for the practitioner.”

Falun Gong states that karma is the reason for suffering, and what ultimately blocks people from the truth of the universe and their attaining enlightenment. This concept is derived from ancient Buddhism and Hinduism.

The purpose of going through birth, old age, illness, and death is to allow you to repay karmic debts through suffering. You are given another opportunity to see whether you can return to the origin. Therefore, human beings have dropped into a maze.” Li states you are blinded, that a pair of eyes is created for you so that you cannot see other dimensions and the truth of matter .” (p.126 Zhan Falun)

Falun Gong states that the fundamental characteristic of the universe is Zhen 真, Shan 善 Ren 忍, or "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." In Zhuan Falun, Li says that the characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is in the microscopic particles of air, rock, wood, soil, iron and steel, the human body and in all matter. This is where science and spirituality are synthesized.

In Zhuan Falun Li says that human life is not created in ordinary human society, but "in the space of the universe." The universe is benevolent and "embodies the characteristic of Zhen-Shan-Ren." When a life is created, it is assimilated to the characteristic of the universe. However, eventually a web of relations developed, and selfishness came about; gradually the level of beings' was lowered until, in the end, they reached this level of human beings.

“that human moral values are no longer good. In the course of the cultivation practice, one can upgrade oneself. Many people will be able to complete their cultivation and attain the Tao. There will be some who will not be able to complete cultivation but will become very good people.” (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell Monday, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

A practitioner must also be able to endure hardships and tribulations to reduce karma, which Li says is a negative, black substance that accumulates in other dimensions lifetime after lifetime, by doing bad deeds and thinking bad thoughts people are blocked from enlightening to spiritual truths. Which is the cause of ones continued rebirth and suffering.

Virtue, is said to be a white substance gained by doing good deeds and forbearing through hardships.

His teachings cover a wide range of topics from the spiritual, metaphysical, scientific and moral living.

Li says that his teaching offers a chance for humans to return to their original true selves, and he calls this "salvation of all beings." https://web.archive.org/web/20110609043918/http://www.falundafa.org/book/eng/zflus.html

Li explains the important aspect of his spiritual system is the cultivation of the Main Spirit which is part of one's consciousness that one perceives as one's own self, and is the spirit that humans must cultivate to ascend to higher levels. He says that a person is made up of a Primordial Spirit, which could be composed of one's Main Spirit and one or more Assistant Spirits. (Reverse Cultivation and Gong Borrowing, Zhuan Falun)

Cultivation is considered essential, and the exercises are said to supplement the process of improving oneself. The concept of "cultivation" refers to upgrading one's xīnxìng (mind-nature) through abandoning negative attachments and assimilating oneself to "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance". There are five meditative exercises that are said to purify and transform one's body.

Much has to do with the mind which is often said to be Main Consciousness. Li says “I can use my mind to direct and order things to happen. (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell Monday, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

If you want to improve yourself, you should search inside yourself and concentrate your efforts on upgrading your mind. Only in this way can you truly improve yourself and attain the state of tranquility during the sitting practice. Being able to enter the state of tranquility means cultivation energy. The depth of the power of Ding is the manifestation of your attainment level. (p.160)

Matter and spirit are one, karma is the black substance which must be purged in the process of cultivation.

Li states that Falun Gong is Buddhist qigong and an upright cultivation way that has nothing to do with the religion of Buddhism. The goal in cultivation is the same but has different approaches.

Qigong was a term coined in the early 1950’s for the ancient spiritual disciplines rooted in Buddhism or Taoism. Qigong refers to a variety of traditional cultivation practices that involve movements or regulated breathing. Mainly practiced for improving health, it is a spiritual path, or a component of Chinese martial arts. It contains beliefs in the supernatural, immortality and the goal of spiritual transcendence.

Religions also mention that if one does not have any de, both one’s body and soul will become extinct. One’s Original Soul will be exterminated, and upon death one will be completely dead with nothing left. In our community of cultivators, however, we hold that de can be directly transformed into gong (p.68)

Li teaches that there are up to 10,000 supernatural powers, which are a by-product of moral transcendence. That there are various "levels" on attaining enlightenment and transformation. " What is required in this instance is a master, someone who has...the power to channel the moral behaviour and intentions of the practitioner in the proper directio n

Reincarnation- karma

Li believes that " karma is the primary factor that causes sickness in people, karma by allowing an illness to run its course. Cultivation is key, but you cannot cultivate with an ill body, it must be purified.

In an interview Li states: Healing illnesses belongs to the lower level of qigong. A person with an illness cannot practice to a higher level. One has to purify one's body in order to have gong. Healing and fitness are for laying a foundation at a lower level of practice.” (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

Zhuan Falun says that upon death, both spirits split (main and assisted) from the body and go their own ways. The Assistant Spirit will reincarnate into another body to continue cultivating, the Main Spirit, which is the person themselves, will be left with nothing and upon reincarnation will not remember its past. It will be left to live locked in the human dimension, in delusion.

“Many officials of high rank are the reincarnations of monks” ( ZHUAN FALUN (Vol.II) p.1

Interview by TIME: Can qigong prevent death?
Li: In the West, one can reach paradise through cultivation practice after death. In the East, one can achieve a divine status through cultivation practice while one is still alive.” (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell Monday, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

For example the First Exercise: Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands:

This exercise involves stretching movements which are aimed at "open[ing] up all energy channels" in one's body. The intention is to " break through areas where the energy is blocked, to enable energy to circulate freely and smoothly, to mobilize the energy within the body and under the skin, circulating it vigorously, and to absorb a great amount of energy from the universe. "

“A person who dwells in the human world goes through reincarnation, and there is no guarantee he will be reborn as a human being. He might reincarnate into any of a number of different material things, different plants, different animals, or even microorganisms.” (ibid. p.11.) who’s to say when you will gain a human body again in the cycle of reincarnation. ” (ibid. p.46)

Aliens among us and are us

Li claims This Earth isn’t the only planet with life in this universe, and Earth hasn’t existed just this once. That extra-terrestrial aliens are actively intervening in human affairs. They have developed and introduced the technology used by humans today.

Alien beings have preparations for overtaking human beings. He believes humans are being impersonated by alien agents, by mixing of the human races as part of a plan to overtake humankind. That all races contain hybrids that make us rootless people.

TIME: Why does chaos reign now?
Li: Of course there is not just one reason. The biggest cause of society's change today is that people no longer believe in orthodox religion. They go to church, but they no longer believe in God. They feel free to do anything. The second reason is that since the beginning of this century, aliens have begun to invade the human mind and its ideology and culture.

TIME: Where do they come from?
Li: The aliens come from other planets. The names that I use for these planets are different . Some are from dimensions that human beings have not yet discovered. The key is how they have corrupted mankind. Everyone knows that from the beginning until now, there has never been a development of culture like today. Although it has been several thousand years, it has never been like now.”

The aliens have introduced modern machinery like computers and airplanes. They started by teaching mankind about modern science, so people believe more and more science, and spiritually, they are controlled. Everyone thinks that scientists invent on their own when in fact their inspiration is manipulated by the aliens. In terms of culture and spirit, they already control man. Mankind cannot live without science.” (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

TIME: What are the aliens after?
Li: The aliens use many methods to keep people from freeing themselves from manipulation. They make earthlings have wars and conflicts, and develop weapons using science, which makes mankind more dependent on advanced science and technology. In this way, the aliens will be able to introduce their stuff and make the preparations for replacing human beings. ”

TIME: But what is the alien purpose?
Li: The human body is the most perfect in the universe. It is the most perfect form. The aliens want the human body.

TIME: What do aliens look like?
Li: Some look similar to human beings. U.S. technology has already detected some aliens. The difference between aliens can be quite enormous.

… TIME: asks to describe them

Li: One type looks like a human, but has a nose that is made of bone. Others look like ghosts. At first they thought that I was trying to help them. Now they know that I am sweeping them away.” (Interview with Li Hongzhi By William Dowell, May 10, 1999 Time magazine)

Apart from what Li attributes to these “aliens,” much sounds like what the Bible describes as demons. This religion has all the new age components, aliens, karma, energy

Among the Falun Dafa practitioners are Chinese scientists with doctorates from prestigious American universities their point of view, Falun Dafa is knowledge rather than religion, a new form of science rather than faith."

Like Hinduism and the chakras and energy points running through the body Li explains the third eye the 6^th chakra according to Hinduism.

“As a top secret in the past, the structure of the Celestial Eye has never been revealed to ordinary people, and nobody has ever mentioned it. Here, we are not going to dwell on that theory of the past but explain it with modern science in the most simple and plain modern language, presenting its fundamental issues. What we call the Celestial Eye actually lies in the area from a place a little above the point between the eyebrows to the pineal body, which is the main channel of the Celestial Eye. There are numerous eyes in the human body. The Tao School says that each qiao (aperture), which is called an acupoint in traditional Chinese medicine, is an eye. The Buddha School claims that every pore is an eye. Therefore, some can read with the ear. Others can see with the hand or the back of the head. Still others can see with the foot or the belly .” (p.25)

I certainly would like to see someone prove they can read or see by their ear, hand, foot and belly or back of the head.

What we see is a metaphysical / new age spiritual system that has conglomerated various beliefs and have their own unique and intricate beliefs and practices.

 

Copyright (c) 2020 The material on our website can be copied and used in its original format  Portions lifted from articles can be reproduced for ones personal use for witnessing or for teaching and apologetics.  Any other use, such as posting is to have the permission of Let Us Reason ministries.  If you have trouble printing an article please copy the web page by highlighting the text first - then click copy -  then paste the article into a word program on your computer.

We would like to hear from you. Please send us  an e-mail and let us know how we can be of any help.   Our time is just as valuable as yours.  Please keep in mind, that we only have time to answer sincere inquiries. We will use discretion in answering any letters.