Beliefs
Due to the motions that practitioners perform, as well as their meditations and building of virtue, it is believed that practitioners are able to gain supernatural powers. Some of these powers include, levitating, walking through solid objects, telepathy and precognition (Robinson, 2005). Followers also gain the ability to heal themselves. There are some people who practice qigong and go through the motions purely for health reasons. Some scientific research does show the healing power of the motions as they significantly relieve stress, lower heart rate and provide some exercise. The use of qigong energy has shown improvements in cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, circulatory and musculoskeletal systems, as well as with brain activity, chronic pain, mental health and longevity (Kate, 2010). However, Li believes that in order to truly heal someone, they must cultivate and practice meditation (Dowell, 1999). As well, some believe that illness cannot be caused by bacteria or other pathogens, and that only entities from other dimensions can cause illness (Robinson, 2005).
Cultivation is based around the three bases, Compassion, Forbearance and Truthfulness. Cultivation practice requires the practitioner to be able to sort out good and bad thoughts, actions and motives. It requires a strong mentality to be able to prevent bad thoughts from entering the head and leading to a gain in karma. Practitioners practice meditation and a set of five exercises in order to gain virtue and purge the karma from the body. Once a practitioner has mastered a level, they are able to move up to higher levels and ascend or be enlightened. Ultimately this releases the practitioner from reincarnation cycles. (Hongzhi, 2003)
Cultivation is based around the three bases, Compassion, Forbearance and Truthfulness. Cultivation practice requires the practitioner to be able to sort out good and bad thoughts, actions and motives. It requires a strong mentality to be able to prevent bad thoughts from entering the head and leading to a gain in karma. Practitioners practice meditation and a set of five exercises in order to gain virtue and purge the karma from the body. Once a practitioner has mastered a level, they are able to move up to higher levels and ascend or be enlightened. Ultimately this releases the practitioner from reincarnation cycles. (Hongzhi, 2003)
Good vs. Evil
_ As a cultivation religion,
Falun Gong bases its belief in the idea that the environment has a large impact
on humanity. Its stance is that humans are initially good but through
selfishness and worldly desire, humans eventually become bad and gain karma. Karma
(Ye) is the belief that bad actions, whether physical, mental or verbal will
accrue over a lifetime. Its counterpart, virtue (Dé), is generated through good
actions. (Falun Dafa Association, 2007). Virtue is believed to cancel out karma
and remove karma from the mind and body. Through the first level, the removal
of karma is called the “big clean out”. Once the big clean out has occurred,
the practitioner is able to move to higher levels. The goal is to have gathered
enough virtue by the end of life to be released from the reincarnation cycle
and through the course of life to cultivate to high levels. The body will re balance and become healthy again (Hongzhi, 2003).
Importance of the Movements
The movements are very important to
the practice because it is believed that they rotate the falun, which is an intelligent, golden entity in the abdomen, but also
in another dimension. When the motions are done, the falun spins and absorbs energy from parallel universes and from the
universe, as well, it releases negative energy and allows for the body the “remedy
abnormal conditions” (Wanjek, 2001) and initiate the healing of the body. The falun will provide salvation for the practitioner when it rotates inwards and clockwise and salvation for others when it rotates counter-clockwise and outwards (Falun Dafa Association, 2007).
Each movement is used for a specific purpose and each has a specific goal. The first movement, Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands, is used to break through blocked energy and circulate it through the body. It is believed that it allows the practitioner to quickly achieve a qigong energy field. The second movement, Falun Standing Stance, is used to enhance qigong strength. With the enhanced qigong strength, wisdom is gained, the level of the practitioner is raised and supernatural powers are strengthened. The third movement, Penetrating the Two Cosmic Extremes, is used to mix and merge the energy of the universe, parallel universes and the energy of the body. This mix of energy allows the black qigong to be purged from the body and purifies the body. The fourth movement, Falun Heavenly Circuit, is used to circulate the body’s energy over large areas, from the yin side to the yang side, and connect the entire body together, the qigong strength will increase and supernatural powers will grow. At the end of Falun Heavenly Circuit, the practitioner is able to cultivate the Way or attain enlightenment (Falun Dafa Association of Washington, D.C., 2011). The fifth movement, Strengthening Divine Powers, the heart follows the movement of the thoughts. Qigong strength will increase and supernatural powers will strengthen (Falun Dafa Association, 2007).
Each movement is used for a specific purpose and each has a specific goal. The first movement, Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands, is used to break through blocked energy and circulate it through the body. It is believed that it allows the practitioner to quickly achieve a qigong energy field. The second movement, Falun Standing Stance, is used to enhance qigong strength. With the enhanced qigong strength, wisdom is gained, the level of the practitioner is raised and supernatural powers are strengthened. The third movement, Penetrating the Two Cosmic Extremes, is used to mix and merge the energy of the universe, parallel universes and the energy of the body. This mix of energy allows the black qigong to be purged from the body and purifies the body. The fourth movement, Falun Heavenly Circuit, is used to circulate the body’s energy over large areas, from the yin side to the yang side, and connect the entire body together, the qigong strength will increase and supernatural powers will grow. At the end of Falun Heavenly Circuit, the practitioner is able to cultivate the Way or attain enlightenment (Falun Dafa Association of Washington, D.C., 2011). The fifth movement, Strengthening Divine Powers, the heart follows the movement of the thoughts. Qigong strength will increase and supernatural powers will strengthen (Falun Dafa Association, 2007).
Ethics and Morals
Practitioners of Falun Gong obey sets of beliefs set down by Li Hongzhi in Zhuan Falun. In Zhuan Falun, Li lists a number of problems with society that would cause a person to gain karma and lose virtue. These problems include but are not limited to:
Practitioners should try to release their human attachments. (Hongzhi, 2003) (Robinson, 2005)
- Killing and hiring people to kill other people
- Eating meat
- Homosexuality and sexual promiscuity
- Drugs
Practitioners should try to release their human attachments. (Hongzhi, 2003) (Robinson, 2005)