French Writer:

" Falun Gong represents the righteousness still exists in China"

Editor: Suzanne Bernard, a French expert on China, a writer as well as a reporter, feels it unjustified that Falun Gong, such quiet and peaceful mass cultivation activities are being suppressed.  She also feels most indignant about the fallacious discussions made by some westerners that are completely ignorant about Chinese traditional cultivation.   The following is an article written recently by Suzanne Bernard on Falun Gong.


On Falun Gong

Nowadays, some words carry deterrent and despotic force.  Hence, the word “cult” has its real killing effect just as the effect of shooting at a person’s head… It can even help the newspapers sell well.  Driven by some consensus mentality and feelings, various media labeled Falun Gong as cult, even without primary trials, it was declared guilty and denounced as pernicious.

How could be possible that all rise against Falun Gong?  It may be due to the fact that people in our country are generally and completely ignorant about Chinese traditional cultivation.  (It is just through such an opportunity that many people began to know the existence of Qi Gong.)  On the other hand, we must also accept the fact that in China, rampant activities by charlatans and fake Qi Gong masters who make money through spreading superstitions have made Qi Gong area a mine field. Then, in the past few years, 70 million Chinese, from all walks of life, of various ages and around all regions in China, have been peacefully cultivating.  Such an activity has received high opinions everywhere.  (In 1992, Falun Gong was recognized in Beijing by China Qi Gong Association as its branch under its direct leadership.)   Can’t such a fact make people careful in their assertion?

Under such circumstances, a fair and sincere attitude is to report the truth objectively, rather than to make rootless comments or wild evaluations.  That’s easy to say, but in doing so, wouldn’t that reveal their ignorance and inability?  How can they miss an opportunity to give enormous publicity to such an event?  Come on, various hysterical legends, and preposterous articles all appear: “mystical gymnastics,” “cult club,” “theocracy,”  “Qi (energy) of the life,”  “cosmic energy,” and etc.   These articles are full of lies and fallacious discussions. Readers are bound to be dumbstruck by those stupid words.

What’s more, Francis Hauter (whose article was on the French newspaper *** on July 23, 1999) even said: “Chinese people harmonize with the universe through patting their hips in the park every morning.”  He reminded me a Chinese that I met in Beijing who joked “Barbarians believe that when they are eating bread and drinking wines, they are eating the flesh and drinking blood of gods…” We also found a strange and unusual situation.  That is, those people, who would loudly castigate the Chinese government on human rights and democracy issues, however, this time piously follow it and wildly attack the peaceful believers in Buddha, who have nothing to do with politics.   They do not even say a word against the suppression!  Of cause, it is also true that among the believers, there is no dispute on politics, and many of them are even communist party members….  Maybe this explains.

Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance

Falun Gong is a mass cultivation practice.  Qi Gong (cultivating the energy of life) originated in China, with a long history, even longer than that of religions.  Qi Gong, including the exercise practice, represents the foundation of the Chinese culture.  It is the soul of China. For thousands of years, the Chinese people are breathing and aspirating like this, living in a country that is mystical and superhuman in the eye of a westerner.

Falun Gong contains both schools of Buddha and Tao. It is one of the 84,000 branches in Buddha’s school.  But Falun Gong is not a religion, as neither Taichi belongs to Taoism. A major reason that Falun Gong could widely and quickly gain popularity in today’s China is that people can practice cultivation “while leading a normal life in the ordinary society.”   This is just adverse to cult.  Falun Gong practitioners have their normal family and social activities.  No name list, no temple, no religious rituals, no worship, and absolutely no fees.  Anyone who does not want to join group practice has absolutely the right to do so, and may choose to practice alone. Five sets of exercises are good for old and young, to increase energy, to comfort mind, to keep fit, and to maintain a tranquil mind.   Falun Gong is constantly revealing you its power.  In addition to the physical exercises, Teacher Li (Master and Teacher are interchanged in Chinese language,) the founder of Falun Gong, -- an officially authorized Qi Gong master, especially emphasizes on the cultivation of Xinxing (virtue and moral standards.)  In the daily life and in face of tribulations, a cultivator should be a good person.  In addition, in his daily thinking and action, a cultivator should strive to conform to the cosmic principle, that is, Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance.  Christianity and Falun Gong have many things in common.

On July 22 (the day that Falun Gong was banned,)  in a letter to the leaders of the Chinese government and Central Committee of the Communist Party, Mr. Li Hongzhi reiterated, “Falun Gong does not have any form of organization.  Needless to mention of any political objective.  Falun Gong has never got involved in any activities to fight against the government. … I have never had any relationship with political power, and I am only teaching people cultivation practice. … If the government really beats good people as treating bad people, then, from the perspective of the mass people, isn’t such a government terrible?   No matter how bad you talk about Falun Gong, but the people have already had deep understanding of Falun Gong, and all know they are good people.  It is easy to arrest them and beat them.  The government may also know that so many people are loosing faith in the government. … Human body may be controlled, but not their mind.”

I learned Falun Gong through a Chinese friend when I was living in Beijing in 1997. I soon discovered that, in today’s China where money is everything, corruption abounds and officials degenerate, material interests are the only pursuit, moral conception and good wishes are lost, Falun Gong represents the righteousness still exists in China, and it is rooted in the minds of the mass people….