FDIC: Millions Worldwide Celebrate Falun Dafa Day

07 May 2011

On May 13, 1992, in a humble schoolhouse in northeastern China, Mr. Li Hongzhi began teaching Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa), introducing to modern China a practice with roots extending back thousands of years. By early 1999, there were 70 to 100 million people practicing Falun Gong in China alone, their slow-moving meditative exercises visible at dawn in parks across the country. 


Nineteen years later, Falun Gong has transcended cultural and national boundaries to bring physical health, joy and peace of mind to the lives of millions
 around the globe. From Cape Town to Cannes, Bangledesh to Berlin, Tokyo to Tehran, Falun Gong is practiced in over 100 
countries, its teachings freely available in 30 languages. Even under harsh persecution, tens of millions in China continue to practice.

At the core of Falun Gong's teachings is the understanding that Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance comprise the fundamental nature of all lives and
 all things. Practitioners of Falun Gong seek to assimilate to these values in their daily lives, resulting in not only a sense of inner calm and optimism, but also a profound understanding of life and the universe around them.

And so, on May 13, 2011, Falun Gong practitioners and their supporters around the world will celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, giving thanks to
 Mr. Li for his teachings and the goodness they have brought to people’s lives. Among other celebrations, hundreds of colorful greetings have flowed from China to be posted on overseas Falun Gong websites.

With Falun Gong's global spread since 1992, millions of people became free of illness, resolved family differences and discovered the true power of kindness.

It is this gift that they celebrate this week.

---

For more information on what Falun Gong is, how it has spread in China and beyond, and what those practicing it have experienced, see:

• Falun Gong Beliefs and Demographics: http://faluninfo.net/article/1041/
• The New Statesman: “Being a Falun Gong Practitioner” http://faluninfo.net/article/806/?cid=26
• Falun Gong FAQ: http://faluninfo.net/topic/23/
• Compassion Magazine: “Transcending the Mundane” http://faluninfo.net/article/503/
• “Falun Gong Stories: A Journey to Enlightenment”: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/download/publications/enlighten_index.html
• “Falun Gong Stories: A Journey to Ultimate Health”: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/download/publications/health_index.html

Background

Founded in 1999, the Falun Dafa Information Center is a New York-based organization that documents the rights violations of adherents of Falun Gong (or “Falun Dafa”) taking place in the People’s Republic of China. In July of 1999 China’s autocratic Communist Party launched an unlawful campaign of arrests, violence, and propaganda with the intent of “eradicating” the apolitical practice; it is believed certain leaders feared the influence of the practice’ 100 million adherents. The campaign has since grown in violence and scope, with millions having been detained or sent to forced labor camps. The Center has verified details of over 3,000 deaths and over 63,000 cases of torture in custody (reports / sources). Falun Gong is a traditional-style Buddhist “qigong” practice, with roots in the Chinese heritage of cultivating the mind/body for health and spiritual growth.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER

Contacts: Gail Rachlin ([phone]), Levi Browde ([phone]), Erping Zhang ([phone]), or Joel Chipkar ([phone])

Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail], Website: http://faluninfo.net/