Qigong Basics, Falun Gong, and etc.

(4/2000)

Good afternoon everybody.

I'd like to give you a brief introduction to Falun Gong, and in doing so set the stage for our next three speakers. An introduction to Falun Gong must begin with a look at traditional Chinese qigong, for without background on this, the practice is very hard to make sense of. And I think it's safe to wager that not too many people here in the audience are familiar with qigong, as there has been very little scholarship on this subject done in the West. What's more, the qigong being popularized to the general public in America is something very different from traditional Chinese qigong. It is these differences, you will see, that help us understand what Falun Gong is.

First, let me take a moment to familiarize you with this term "qigong," as Falun Gong can be loosely thought of as a type of Chinese qigong. The term qigong is composed of two Chinese characters, qi and gong. Qi translates as "vital energy" or "life force," though these translations are inadequate since we have no analogous concept in the West. According to Chinese medicine, this qi energy animates all living things, circulating within their bodies and determining health. Qi travels along sophisticated pathways in the body, called "meridians" or "energy channels," though these are not perceptible to the naked eye. When this qi is not flowing properly, that is, if it's going the wrong way, going too fast or slow, or if it's stuck, then illness appears in the body. This is roughly how Chinese medicine explains qi, and it is this qi that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine act upon.

The Chinese character gong is conventionally translated as "skill," "work," or "to practice." Thus, the two-character term qigong is rendered as "to harness vital energy (qi)." When people talk about qigong, then, they are referring to those special exercises that manipulate the flow of qi in one's body. These exercises have become extraordinarily popular in China in recent decades, with literally thousands of different kinds of qigong exercises emerging and many millions of people practicing them daily, either individually or collectively in the park. Qigong exercises typically involve standing in one place, moving the limbs slowly or not at all, regulating breathing, sensing the movement of qi, and/or using visualizations.

What needs to be stressed is that the goal of these qigong practices is to achieve health and fitness. In China, they attract people from all walks of life but especially those who are older and who suffer from poor health. People usually learn the exercises of a certain school of practice or from a certain "qigong master," perhaps from a seminar, classes, or even at a hospital, as many use qigong as complementary medicine. Qigong is largely thought of as a medical, secular, and scientific thing. This is the situation of qigong in China for the past couple of decades.

As qigong is said to have a rich history that dates back several thousands of years (diagrams and instructions for Daoist breathing exercises are found in remains from the Zhou Dynasty (1100-221 BC)), one would expect to find many ancient texts discussing qigong. Yet nowhere can one find the term qigong. The reason is that the term qigong is a recent invention that was born only in 1953 with Lui Guizhen's publication Practice of Qigong Therapy. In recent years the term has been applied retrospectively to ancient practices resembling modern qigong which were, in fact, something quite different and much bigger.

The ancient Chinese practices now being called qigong were in fact self-cultivation practices, and they were simply called "cultivation practice." They were largely rooted in the religions of Daoism and Buddhism, as reflected in their practices' names, such as "The Dharma of Arhat," "The Great Way of Dao," or "Nine-fold Internal Alchemy." As these names suggest, the goals of these cultivation practices was something much larger than healing and fitness. Instead, practitioners of these arts aspired to "immortality," "enlightenment," "perfection," "alchemical transmutation," and "salvation of all beings," to use their terms. Indeed, qigong-like exercises were a supplementary component of their practices. Much larger goals were the motive.

These ancient Chinese cultivation practices were largely secretive and oral, preferring not to let the general public partake of such powerful, demanding, precious matters. They were transmitted in a lineage fashion, from master to disciple, for many centuries. Usually they would be practiced in isolation and in secret, such as in mountain caves, religious hermitages, or deep in the forest.

All of this would change, however, in the 1950's when Mainland China underwent radical political upheaval. With the re-valuation of all traditional culture that took place, cultivation practices were forced to either modernize or face annihilation. Were practitioners of these traditional arts to speak of "enlightenment" and "salvation of all beings" or mention the names of their practices, they would have been harshly persecuted for believing in such allegedly "feudal" or "superstitious garbage." Science became synonymous with "progress" at this time, and anti-traditionalism dominated. As fate would have it, they effectively became medicalized and institutionalized at this time, shedding their religious and spiritual dimensions in favor of scientific explanations. The two words, qi and gong, were plucked from some ancient scriptures, fused together, and modern-day qigong was born.

So how does all of this history help us to understand Falun Gong? What's the connection?

Most simply put, Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese self-cultivation practice first, and a health-conscious qigong second. It is about cultivating one's xinxing, which translates as "mind-nature" or "moral character," and takes assimilation to the essential nature of the cosmos as its path. The goal in Falun Gong is to produce a morally outstanding person who can reach enlightenment in this lifetime, a goal shared by many of the worlds great religions. There are indeed what we could call qigong exercises in Falun Gong, but these are just a means to a higher end. With this prioritization, Falun Gong is a dramatic contrast to the general milieu of qigong in contemporary China. Herein lies the key to its dramatic health benefits, which will be discussed shortly by Dr. Yang. We'll take a few minutes now to look to look at some slides about Falun Gong's teachings, teacher, and students.

--(BEGIN SLIDES)--

As a cultivation practice, Falun Gong retains the element of "cultivation," or xiu, that has been lost by popular qigong. That is, Falun Gong is an integrated cultivation practice of mind and body. The mind is cultivated by learning the principles of Falun Gong cultivation, as taught by Master. Li Hongzhi, the practice's founder, while the body is refined through the practice of several gentle, graceful qigong exercises, as you saw a few minutes ago. This integrated cultivation of mind and body makes Falun Gong unique, as the taiji, yoga, and qigong practices in the general public today have lost their cultivation component.

Practitioners of Falun Gong are guided by the supreme principles of the cosmos, Zhen-Shan-Ren, or "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance," and they strive to live by these at every moment. Conducting oneself according to these enables the qigong exercises of Falun Gong to really take effect. Practitioners of Falun Gong gain a deeper understanding of these through studying Master Li Hongzhi's writings.

This is the Falun Emblem. It includes in the middle the srivatsa, an ancient symbol for fortune that has been unearthed in the relics of many cultures throughout the world. It is the symbol of the Buddha, in which Falun Gong is based. There are also four taiji symbols, which come from the Dao School. These are included as Falun Gong encompasses the Dao School.

Many people want to know who Master Li Hongzhi is. We call him "Master" or "Teacher", as these are respectful titles of address used in China for one's teacher. Master Li trained for four decades before bringing Falun Gong to the general public in 1992 in northeastern China. From the beginning, Master Li refused profit, donations, or lucrative opportunities to market Falun Gong. There are many touching stories about his self-lessness in bringing Falun Gong to the public. Master Li lives has lived in New York with his wife and daughter since 1998. His teachings and their impact have earned him worldwide recognition, including recognitions both inside and outside of China. Nearly a dozen major U.S. cities have honored Master Li and his Falun Gong with proclomations and awards.

Since 1992, the practice has spread rapidly by word of mouth to over 30 countries, with an estimated 100 million people practicing. Master Li gave a number of lectures and seminars in China between 1992 and 1994, and has since spoken on invitation at conferences around the world. The growth of Falun Gong in China was such that it made the Chinese communist government quite nervous, causing them to eventually ban the practice last July. Mr. Zhang will talk more about this later. People of all ages, backgrounds, ethincities, and levels of fitness have taken up the practice. All Falun Gong activities are completely free and open to the public, while all of its teaching materials are available for free download or viewing on the internet. Today, there are practice groups in most every major U.S. cities, including several here in Boston.

So now that you have a sense for what Falun Gong is and where it comes from, I'd like to turn things over to Dr. Jingduan Yang for the next segment of our presentation.