The Brownsville Herald

Persecuted by Chinese authorities and labeled [...] by its adversaries, the ancient art of Falun Dafa was almost prohibited in Brownsville on Sunday.

A Brownsville Public Library official interrupted Hongyi Pan's class due to a discrepancy in his application for permission to practice the spiritual exercises in the library's meeting room.

However, the librarian had more mercy than the Chinese government and the free class continued with a handful of students eager to learn about eastern meditation.

Pan, a devout practitioner of the cleansing ritual, came to the Rio Grande Valley from San Antonio over the weekend to spread the word about his country's most controversial movement, which boasts 100 million worldwide followers.

He stressed that Falun Dafa is not a religion, but rather a collection of mind and body exercises that can coexist with any form of divine faith.

The practice is designed to purify the body and mind while improving overall health and raising moral standards, Pan said.

"We just want to practice it to be a good person," he explained, adding that Falun Dafa, which has gained remarkable popularity in the United States since it was banned in China last year, is practiced on a daily basis by its loyal followers --- many of whom claim significant improvements to their lives through its use.

The Chinese government, for "political reasons" officially prohibited the exercises in July 1999, which resulted in mass demonstrations and the arrest of many of its practitioners, Pan explained.

"They want to control people's minds," he said, explaining that due to continuous human rights violations, countless deaths of Falun Dafa believers have been reported in China, which somehow feels threatened by the movement.

Pan, 32, was born in China but emigrated to the United States in 1995.

He said he volunteers his time and energy to increase the popularity of Falun Dafa because of its considerable health benefits and to raise awareness of the current political climate in his homeland.

Falun Dafa consists of five sets of exercises, including meditation, which are aimed at self-improvement through relaxation and mental clarity.

Described as a "cultivation practice," the exercises are intended to promote goodwill and well-being through three basic principles: truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sections/archive/topstoryjmp/10-23-00/M-23-2.htm