Falun Dafa is a traditional Chinese meditation practice that brings about serenity and a higher level of awareness while also greatly benefiting your physical well-being.
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, consists of four gentle exercises and a sitting meditation. In addition to the exercises, Falun Dafa emphasizes self-improvement through following the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. Through this process one elevates one’s “heart-mind” nature, know in Chinese as xinxing.
Falun Gong teachings are set forth in a number of texts, with the two main books being Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun.
Zhuan Falun, is the principal book of the practice and contains the complete teachings of Falun Dafa. It is a compilation of nine lectures given by Mr. Li Hongzhi in China between 1992 and 1994. In 1996, the book became a national bestseller in China.
Falun Gong has been the subject of many citations, awards, and proclamations, conferred by government officials and a variety of organizations around the world. Many who practice Falun Gong have been the recipients of service awards in their communities and at their workplaces.
The practice’s founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, is a four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and was nominated by the European Parliament for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. He is also the recipient of Freedom House’s International Religious Freedom Award.
Few people today are aware that Falun Gong and its practitioners received much official recognition in China during the 1990s, prior to a violent political change in 1999 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute the practice. Prior to 1999, Mr. Li Hongzhi gave more than 50 lecture series around China upon invitation from local governments and associations, as well as Chinese embassies overseas.
In 1993, The People’s Public Security Newsthe official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Public Securitypraised Mr. Li Hongzhi for his contributions in promoting the traditional crime-fighting virtues of the Chinese people, in safeguarding social order and security, and in promoting rectitude in society.
By 1999, Chinese officials went so far as to quantify Falun Gong’s benefits, such as when one official from China’s National Sports Commission, speaking with U.S. News & World Report, declared that Falun Dafa Can save each person 1,000 yuan in annual medical fees. If 100 million people are practicing it, that’s 100 billion yuan saved per year in medical fees. The same official went on to note that, Premier Zhu Rongji [equivalent to the office of Vice President in the U.S. executive branch] is very happy about that.