November 14, 2004

Posted to the web November 15, 2004

Kampala: It was coming to 5pm when I made my way through the lush Sheraton Gardens for my first Falun Dafa exercise. Falun Dafa, very strange words, indeed I didn't know what to expect. Ying Zhu and Francis Madore were already there and were taking a couple of people through seemingly simple exercises. I removed my sandals, it had just rained and the ground felt soft and wet.

I, with another lady stood facing Francis, while the men faced Ying and we followed their body movements - slow gentle movement of the hands from the head down the body. I thought of Jackie Chan and his martial arts tricks, and I knew here was my million-dollar opportunity to learn the art and show some people what a real kick means. But as we slowly got to understand it, it has nothing to do with martial arts.

Ying Zhu and Francis Madore are a couple from Canada. They came to Uganda purposely to introduce Falun Dafa, otherwise known as Falun Gong. They didn't know anyone here, they just came, went to the Sheraton Kampala Hotel and requested for space in the gardens.

With only two weeks in Uganda, they had to work hard to leave the knowledge behind because that was their mission. They distributed fliers, books, tapes and DVDs wherever they passed and visited several media houses and academic institutions. Then they tried getting people to teach, starting with those who were lying in the gardens at the Sheraton.

Zhu is Chinese, Madore is Canadian. I'm curious to know how they got initiated into Falun Dafa. "I have always been spiritual, I went to church but I didn't find the fulfillment," said Francis. "Then for three years I practiced yoga but still my mind wasn't tranquil."

One day he was at home watching a documentary on TV. It was about Falun Dafa. The persecutions in China triggered his interest. In May 2001, he started doing research about the practice. Then he was living in New York.

He got contact information on his area and he joined the other practitioners. The trainers were Chinese who couldn't clearly express themselves in English, but he followed the exercises. Later, he met Ying, and they got married.

Ying was born in China, practicing Buddhism. She was a very sickly person, she says, with severe asthma attacks. Her brother started practicing Falun Dafa, his wife joined and then their father also started practicing. She realised great change in the life of her family members.

She read the Zhuan Falun book, and slowly liked it. In 1996, she joined and after sometime, she realised she hadn't used her asthma inhaler for a long time. Falun Dafa completely transformed her into a healthy person and a better one too. She met Francis in New York during Falun Dafa practice. They got married and live in Canada.

When they are free, they move to other countries to teach Falun Dafa. They have been to Mexico, Russia, Costa Rico, Argentina, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Kenya and Tanzania. "We have jobs in Canada, but we volunteer to take time off and teach people about Falun Dafa," says Ying.

Falun Dafa is a traditional Chinese self-cultivation practice that improves mental and physical wellness through a series of exercises, meditation and development of one's body and mind. The practice is known for its slow moving exercises. The practice is based on principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance, which are considered to be the nature of the universe.

Originally taught in private, it was first introduced to the public in 1992 in China by Li Hongzhi. Li Hongzhi is the founder and wrote a book Zhuan Falun (Revolving the Law Wheel). Every practitioner must read the book to fully grasp the ideology.

From China, Falun Dafa steadily spread worldwide and millions of practitioners have reported dramatic improvements in health and a deepened spiritual awareness. Li Hongzhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 and 2001. He has received many awards from government officials in North America for the benefits Falun Dafa has brought to those who practice it and the communities in which they live.

It's the exercises that Ying and Francis take us through. There are five steps which are seemingly easy but I didn't manage holding out through most of them and I'm not entirely unfit. The first exercise involves gentle stretching movements and is believed to open all energy channels in the body.

The second comprises four postures that have to be held for several minutes. This step 'enhances energy level and awakens wisdom'. The third, they said, purifies the body using energy from the cosmos'. The fourth involves tracing the hands over the entire body, front and back, and this one 'rectifies all abnormal conditions in the body and circulates energy widely'.

In the fifth and last, one has to actually cross the legs and place the feet on the thighs, and sit with a straight back, very tough posture. This step is 'meditation that refines the body and mind through deep tranquility that strengths divine powers and energy potency'.

"It's not a religion, but it achieves the same goal, it teaches one how to be a good person," stresses Francis in an interview soon after the rather rigorous exercises. Surprising, I felt much better and clear headed. "It can give you a lot without a religious formality." He said at the beginning, there is no conflict between one's religion and Falun Dafa exercises, though as one gets deeper into the exercises, there may be a need for choice. That means most people who try out Falun Dafa end up sticking more with it than with their first religion. He, however, stresses that anyone is welcome in Falun Dafa, whether the person has a religion or not.

It's not a cult, they say. "Falun Dafa is open, we don't distance ourselves from ordinary society. That's why it's spreading, if it was cultish, it wouldn't pick up the popularity it has," says Francis.

So is it part of Buddhism? "It originates from the Buddha school, but its not Buddhism." It's not related to yoga either, "yoga is complicated, like putting feet behind your head, Falun Dafa is simple, yet powerful."

Falun Dafa is believed to relieve stress and anxiety while increasing energy and vitality, and generally improves physical health. "People are looking for conventional healthy alternatives and Falun Dafa offers these alternatives," he adds, "even science recognizses its power of healing. The exercise works on the mind, the root of illness is in our minds, so Falun Dafa brings body and mind together, making one's immunity strong."

The two practitioners say the exercises increase body metabolism and that one can live longer. The two, who say they don't have doctors back in Canada, say the practice can save money in the public health sector. Since the practice works on the body and mind, the two said it can work miraculously for people living with HIV/Aids.

Madore and Ying stress that the three principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance make one tolerant in the face of conflict. "We don't need police," said Ying in her halting English.

Madore and Ying have another message, and that is about the persecution going on in China. Ironically, Falun Dafa followers are persecuted in China where it started. While it is publicly practiced in over 60 countries, it is illegal in China. This was started by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who looked at the popularity of Falun Dafa as a threat to his power, "a dictator's jealousy of Falun Dafa popularity," as Fancis puts it.

Zemin banned the practice in 1999, and launched a campaign to persecute all those who practiced it. Since then, many have died at the hands of Chinese police as Chinese officials allegedly continue to spread hate propaganda around the world. Though Jiang Zemin is now out of power, torture, killings and other human rights abuses are still going on. Yet, the practitioners only wish to peacefully exercise their freedom of belief.

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