Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a high-level cultivation system from China. It is based on the universal quality of Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truth-Compassion-Forbearance) and has ancient historical roots. Cultivation, or body-mind-spirit development, is an important aspect of Oriental culture and many different systems have existed over the centuries.  "Cultivation" is a more accurate word to describe the improvement and upliftment of body, mind and spirit, since the process requires effort on the part of the practitioner. One literally "cultivates" their qualities like a garden, planting seeds of goodness and not letting that goodness be damaged by circumstances or events.

The Chinese word for cultivation is "Xulian" and it was used to describe those ancient practices, which had long religious-sounding names. After the Cultural Revolution however, people realized that to use the word "Xulian" would be uncomfortable for authorities. They formulated a new word, "Qigong" from two words that were more acceptable: "Qi" (pronounced "chee") meaning universal life energy and "Gong" meaning cultivation energy, which is a higher and more refined substance than Qi.

The Falun Dafa system has one main book of teachings, Zhuan Falun (written by Master Li Hongzhi, its founder) and five sets of cultivation exercises known as Falun Gong. The teachings are profound and extensive, but are transmitted in the most simple language. They give practical guidance on how we can upgrade ourselves with the universal law of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance. The exercises are simple, natural, slow and smooth without any strenuous movements. They are good for people of all ages. One twelve-year-old in Toronto, when asked recently what Falun Dafa has done for him said, "I used to like to boss around the other kids at school, but I don’t want to do that any more." Many practitioners enjoy practicing with a group because of the strong energy field that is generated, radiating peace and serenity. You might have seen us out there early in the morning in a park close to your home!

When it was first introduced to the public in 1992, Falun Dafa was registered with the Qigong Research Association of China. It soon became clear that Falun Dafa’s goal of "genuinely guiding people to higher dimensions" was different from the other Qigong schools, which were focusing on healing illnesses and keeping fit, as well as displaying supernormal powers at exhibitions. And so in 1996, Master Li Hongzhi withdrew Falun Dafa from that Society. Seemingly worried about the popularity of Falun Dafa, the Chinese government then refused to allow it to be registered under any other category. This means that it has no legal protection and no status in Chinese society -- a situation that practitioners there are peacefully and patiently trying to rectify, so that they can follow the spiritual system of their own choice safely and without interference.

Shortly after publishing Zhuan Falun at the end of 1994, Master Li announced that he had completed his teaching in China. He then travelled and gave the same classes to people in Europe, other parts of Asia and Australia. Since 1996, he has travelled only to speak at annual Experience-Sharing Conferences at the invitation of practitioners around the world, including North America. Outside of those appearances, he prefers to live a private life so as not to interfere with practitioners’ cultivation practice. He currently resides in New York State.

Today, there are over 100 million practitioners in nearly 30 countries around the world. In Canada, it is estimated that several thousand people have learned Falun Dafa in the past three years. And there are dozens of Falun Dafa assistance centers and practice sites in most major cities. Through learning and practicing Falun Dafa, practitioners have improved their health, relieved the stress in their lives, upgraded their moral and ethical natures and are achieving gradual spiritual enlightenment.

Falun Dafa practitioners are guided by the supreme principle of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance to cultivate their hearts and minds in daily life. They strive to become increasingly better people in all environments and conditions, and try very hard to gradually give up various bad habits and attachments like anger, anxiety, jealousy and the desire for personal fame and gain. Master Li encourages normal family life and advises that releasing attachments does not mean a loss of material wealth or status, only one’s attachment to those qualities and things. Falun Dafa cultivators also practice the five sets of exercises to purify their bodies and increase their energy. As a result, the spread of Falun Dafa has helped to improve family harmony, co-operation at work and safety in neighborhoods. It has also encouraged care for the environment, stabilization in societies, and goodness in peoples’ hearts.

Friends shared these teachings with friends, and families introduced it to relatives. It was not through any large public relations campaign, or through major media coverage that the practice of Falun Dafa spread with such extraordinary speed. Until May of 1999, practitioners usually promoted Falun Dafa in their own neighbourhoods and gave classes when enough people wanted to learn. Falun Dafa classes, workshops and activities are open to the public, free of charge. Events and classes are coordinated by a loose network of volunteers. These are people who benefited from others and now want to do the same for newcomers. The teachings and exercise instructions are also available through published books and audio/video tapes. And they can be borrowed from many public libraries, purchased in bookstores, and viewed or downloaded free of charge from many different web sites (e.g. http://falundafa.ca).

The profound contribution of Falun Dafa to global society, science, and civilization is beginning to be acknowledged. The City of Houston, Texas officially named Master Li Hongzhi, Honorary Citizen and Goodwill Ambassador. The date of his first public lecture in the USA, October 12, 1996, was officially proclaimed by the City of Houston as Li Hong Zhi Day. The proclamation reads: "Falun Dafa transcends cultural and racial boundaries. It resonates the universal truth to every corner of the earth and bridges the gap between East and West. Li Hong Zhi has worked tirelessly to convey Falun Dafa from China to the rest of the world. Along the way, he has touched the lives of countless people in many countries, earning an acclaimed international reputation."

People in a cult usually have to give up much of their personal sanity and freedom. As Falun Dafa practitioners, we are cultivators, not followers or adherents. We have complete individual freedom and there is not any obligation to volunteer or to participate in any activities We all think independently, make our own decisions, solve our own problems and conduct ourselves responsibly in everyday life. We lead normal lives with families, work and personal property. In Zhuan Falun, Master Li made it clear that one can practice by oneself. Many of us started that way, but after a few weeks or months were so happy that we wanted to get to know others who were doing the same thing. So we phoned volunteers on the contact list provided on the Internet and now sometimes practice with a group in a park, or perhaps attend a group study session.

Many people have read about group suicides in cults. Zhuan Falun teaches that killing or suicide violates the supreme principle of "Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance".  This principle also does not approve any form of punishment or persecution.

Cults are secretive and exclusive, while Falun Dafa is open to anyone who wants to learn, free of charge. All teaching materials (books, audio and video tapes) are freely downloadable from the Internet. All activities (classes, group practice, conferences, etc.) are open for public participation.

Although the teachings of Falun Dafa contain some phrases similar to those used in Buddhism and Taoism, it is not a branch of the Buddhist religion, just as Taichi is not a branch of the Taoist religion and Hatha Yoga is not a branch of Hinduism.

A religion has a rigid organizational structure, a collection plate where donations are accepted at every service, and fundraising activities. Falun Dafa has just a light association or loose network of volunteers. There is no membership fee, or registration. People of different backgrounds and skills naturally form a flexible, coordinating structure for group activities. However, all are regarded as students and everyone is equal, no matter how long they have practiced. In Zhuan Falun, Master Li made it very clear, "When you promote it, you should not seek fame or profit. You should serve others voluntarily." Otherwise, "what you promote is not Falun Dafa." Master Li does not allow donations, fundraising activities, or money to be accumulated in the name of Falun Dafa. If a person is inspired to give a seminar or class, or print an information package such as this, then they find the money to pay for it themselves. These are spontaneous, individual actions rather than an organizational decision or requirement. The emphasis is on personal development, not organizing events.

There is no religious ritual or worship in this cultivation system. It does not convert people to blind faith. Instead, it explains that the universal Law of Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truth-Compassion-Tolerance) has different manifestations, and therefore different requirements for each level. To reach higher levels, people must assimilate to the requirements of those different levels.   Although practitioners respect Master Li Hongzhi very much, he does not want anyone to worship him. He has always told us that he simply teaches the Law (principles) of the universe and we should "take the Law as the teacher". For example, in Zhuan Falun he says: "There is another principle in our universe that if you want or pursue something, others will not stop you. Here we teach you to take the right way and explain the Law (principles) thoroughly to you at the same time. You will have to understand it on your own. It is your business whether you want to learn it or not. The master shows you the entrance, and it is up to yourself to practice cultivation or not. Namely, no one will intervene in which path you will take, what you want, and what you try to attain, except offer a word of kind advice."

Although there may be some professional politicians who practice Falun Dafa, the system itself has no affiliation to any political party or government. Practitioners are encouraged to conduct themselves with "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance" in all situations. The goal is to become enlightened to the truth of human life and to cultivate to higher levels. The focus is on an individual's self-examination and self-improvement rather than the development of an organization or a group.

The recent peaceful demonstration by about 10,000 practitioners in Beijing was a perfect example of self-discipline and self-restraint, qualities developed through the cultivation practice. It took place because in the nearby city of Tianjin, the police used force to drive practitioners away from outside the offices of a youth magazine where some were calmly asking that an article containing false information be corrected. A number of people had been arrested without any legal reason. The spontaneous, peaceful and voluntary gathering in Beijing was to ask for a less-restricted environment to safely practice the virtuous and beneficial cultivation system of their own choice, and to request the release of those who were arrested. It was not a criticism of the Chinese government and there were no signs, slogans or political intentions. It had nothing to do with the Tiananmen Square incident 10 years ago, or with any other political party or interest.

Early benefits that most of us have experienced in practicing Falun Dafa are significant improvements in our health and family lives. Most of us feel peaceful, refreshed and energized after practicing. Pam McLennan from Ottawa, after practicing Falun Dafa for five months, expressed what many of us had experienced: "… in addition to the health benefits, I also felt that having a clear sense of right and wrong really reduced my anxiety and brought a level of peace of mind that I had not felt for many years. I finally realized that nurturing morality is as important as looking after my health."

Almost every practitioner has a personal story about health improvement — if not their own, then that of a friend or relative. We’d like to mention a few from people living in Ottawa and Toronto: Despite physiotherapy, massage and chiropractic treatment, five years after a car accident in 1992, Lucy Zhou still suffered from severe back and neck pains. She couldn’t even lift her own baby or do her own housework. After only a few weeks of Falun Dafa practice she was fully recovered. Teresa Sawicka suffered from debilitating stress and tried everything. Nothing helped until she found Falun Dafa, which she said "really works". Three months after being introduced to the practice, Susan Mitchell no longer needed the kidney medication she had used for four years or the expensive orthotics she had worn in her running shoes since the late 80’s. For years, Wenxia Yi endured severe headaches; Helena Jin was repeatedly troubled by pollen allergy; Nianzeng Shou suffered paralyzing lumbar muscular degeneration; and Jian Du had been dealing with Hepatitis B. They all tried various medications and treatments but failed to recover. However, after practicing the cultivation for only a few months, all of them were completely healed.

In his writings, Master Li Hongzhi states: "I do not talk about healing illnesses here, nor will we heal illnesses. However, as a genuine practitioner, you cannot practice cultivation with an ill body. I shall purify your body. The body purification will be done only to those who come to genuinely study the practice and Dafa (great Law of the universe). We emphasize one point that if you cannot give up the attachment for that illness, we cannot do anything and will be helpless to you. …. Why can it be done to a practitioner, then? It is because a practitioner is most precious, and he wants to practice cultivation."

The book, Zhuan Falun also reveals the truth of the universe, matter, space-time, and the origins and evolution of human life. Many mysterious and inscrutable things are clearly and convincingly explained in the book. This includes museum artifacts, which give hints of great prehistoric civilizations, as well as human supernormal capabilities and scientific studies regarding the thought capability of plants. It is this aspect that attracted many of us who have good health and busy lives.

Falun Dafa practitioners in North America come from all walks of life and include many professionals in business, law, medicine, biology, physics, chemistry, computer science and telecommunications. Despite the academic credentials and education many of us have received, we continued to ponder over some fundamental questions that modern science and religion couldn’t answer. We were still searching for something beyond the satisfaction and happiness that financial and material rewards can provide. We were in pursuit of a deeper joy that transcends the limitations of human emotions and relationships. After reading Zhuan Falun, many of us had a feeling of being suddenly awakened, and we realized how precious this book is, because it gave a completely new meaning to our lives.

Modern scientists have invented various precision instruments to probe the laws of the universe. However, they agree that the human body itself is a most complex instrument, equipped with capabilities for information gathering, dissemination, analysis, storage, and retrieval, and that there is still much to be discovered about the workings of the human brain. We feel that the human body itself is the most effective instrument to probe the universe and life. In the course of cultivation we experience a gradual "enlightenment" to many universal truths and phenomena not yet explained, though widely acknowledged by scientists and the general public. Because of this, we consider Falun Dafa a higher, although not conventional, science.

Falun Dafa is a true orthodox way of cultivation. Practitioners are to be good individuals in everyday life, always kind to others, and are expected to gradually abandon all selfish desires.  Morality and ethics are emphasized.  People examine their own actions and motives to refine and upgrade themselves.  All Falun Dafa activities and events are loosely coordinated by volunteers who have no intention of profiting from those things or of associating them with any political motivation. People who do not abide by these principles are not considered true Falun Dafa cultivators. It is the righteousness of Falun Dafa itself that has enabled it to spread so quickly.

This righteousness deeply touched our hearts. We believe that virtuous teachings should be encouraged and supported all around the world. Through learning and practicing the teachings of Falun Dafa people become healthier and happier, and are able to interact more harmoniously with others. This brings great benefit and not one single harm to individuals and to society as a whole. Extensive media coverage has been given to Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) in the wake of events in Beijing. Many people become interested in Falun Dafa and have since sent many inquiries to us. Hence we decided to construct this background package and to tell people the truth about Falun Dafa with our own experiences.

Our intention is to provide people with answers to questions that may have been raised because of media coverage, letting people to have accurate and complete information in order to make their own educated decision about studying Falun Dafa, so that more people in the world can benefit from this wonderful teaching.

We would be happy to organize free panel discussions, seminars on the teachings of Zhuan Falun, and demonstrations or teaching of the five Falun Gong cultivation exercises. This can be done at your premises or elsewhere, at whatever time is mutually convenient — daytime, evenings or weekends. We invite you to contact any one of us listed below.