Oregonian: Showing world another way to peace

Monday, May 14, 2001 Arvy Wong stands on the small stage in Waterfront Park, slowly extending her arms above her head as if embracing a giant ball. With six others wearing bright yellow T-shirts, she goes through five gentle exercises. While the Dalai Lama speaks of world peace to a huge crowd a few blocks away, Wong and her companions demonstrate to passers-by Sunday how they achieve inner peace through Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. The group was celebrating World Falun Dafa Day, a show of unity with millions of their fellow practitioners in more than 40 countries. Falun Gong -- banned in a crackdown by the Chinese government in 1999 -- is a spiritual practice [...], an ancient Chinese discipline focused on the flow of inner energy. "There's about 50 practitioners in Oregon right now," said Renee Kimball of Portland, who began practicing Falun Gong six months ago. "We're celebrating today because we appreciate that we can practice in freedom without fear of being persecuted like those in China." Kimball said it was a coincidence that World Falun Dafa Day happened to be on the same day as the Dalai Lama arrived in Portland. "It turned out to be a big spiritual day in Portland," she said with a laugh. Xiao Yang Wang, who immigrated from China 11 years ago, said she has been practicing Falun Gong for the past five years. "I never thought I would be out showing what we practice to the public," she said. "But when the Chinese government said it was a [term omitted] and started persecuting people, I wanted people to know about it." The practice was founded in China nine years ago by Li Hongzhi, who now lives in exile in New York. He set down the practice's teachings in his book "Zhuan Falun." Regular exercise and meditation sessions are held at the Hoyt Arboretum and at Portland State University. More information about Falun Gong may be obtained at the Web sites www.falundafa.org or http://web.pdx.edu/~falun. or by calling 503-317-3942 or 503-708-0203.