falun gong question

[sahaj]

What are your opinions about Falun Gong? Is it a recongnized authentic system of Qi Gung? I did a workshop the other

day and it seems really powerful. If there is a thread already on this I couldn't find it.

[Fire Dragon]

Hello

 

Interesting questions.

 

I have never practised falun gong, but I have read two or three books about it. It is a serious practise. The theory is mostly inspired from Buddism, but the practise is a combination of buddist and taoists practise.

 

The organisation is secteristic with one top leader. That is something that I not like about it.

 

The falun gong movement have often been in oposition to the leading class in China and there is alot of propaganda against it out there.

 

 

I can't realy judge from my knowledge about it if it is a serious and complete practise. I guess it is so beacas it have been out there for a long time, several hundred years I think. It was long time ago I read the books.

 

 

I think there have been some discussion about it here, but I can't find it either with only a quick look.

 

 

 

F D

[Seth Ananda]

Falun Gong is an amazing technique and a slightly disturbing cult.

 

I practised Daily, often times twice, for around two years.

 

It is still one of the most Powerful practices I ever learned and it did a lot for me.

At the same time, the cultish attitude of the group is quite repellent. You are literally not allowed to practice Anything else if you don't want a shouting at. They even frown on stillness meditation. Li Hongzi has made some pretty funny statements, like that he is watching all the Aliens and they are all bad... Fallun is a super technique that is released to man now so he can use it to defend earth from alien Invasion.. Chant his name if in danger...

 

I dont know what anyone was thinking when they organised the 15 million person sit down protest on the Chinese government. It wasn't that long after tianamen square, and with Tibets atrocities in full swing.

How did they think the Gov' would react? Of course they flipped and imprisoned them all and are now selling there kidneys on ebay. They are the Chinese Government. (I am not saying its Right of course)

 

My advice would be to stay long enough to learn it well and then get out of there.

Or learn Spring forrest... Or Wang Liping's system if thats an option. I am Hoping to learn that one day, as apparently Li Hongzi studied under Wang for a while.

 

Have Fun

[Aetherous]

Some think it's just Chinese govt propaganda, but there are a lot of reports of people getting "qigong deviation" from it.

 

I trust Seth Ananda's opinion especially because he practiced it for 2 years, but this is just something else to consider. Even if the technique is really good, sometimes certain practices are just too powerful for most people.

[sahaj]

wow the alien thing is scary if it is true, could be chinese propaganda just as easily. What benefits did you see from your practice?

Edited March 22, 2009 by sahaj

[sheng zhen]

Its not THAT an amazing system. I did it for a little while many years ago. Its mostly based on Zhan Zhuang and sitting quiet in full lotus. So ofcourse it is a great system The rest is just unhealthy secterism.

[dizzydazzle]

If there is a thread already on this I couldn't find it.

 

A simple search gave me several Falun threads:

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=4405&hl=

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=3940&hl=

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=3809&hl=

 

Most spoke only about the cultish tendency and the associated politics. But the following post spoke specifically about the technique:

 

There's no visualizations in falun gong, you're doing it in a wuwei state.

 

The movements are not very different from those of any good qigong with the exception of one where you hold a static position with your hands raised way above your head. I've heard at least two qigong masters object to this, but I'm not sure why.

 

Subjectively, falun gong feels hard when you do it (I mean the static positions if you hold them for a long time, the way you are supposed to; the movements are easy), but you do get to feel wonderful afterwards. Falun gong meditations are supposed to be done in full lotus, and for a long time, and with rather difficult (suspended, some of them) arm positions.

 

Ideologically, it is a Buddhist school of cultivation, according to Li Hongzi its founder, with some (not many) taoist elements and ideas blended in. Socially, it is a controversial deal -- a classic fundamentalist cult on one hand and a classic persecuted martyrdom on the other. One of the requirements of the school is that you do not practice anything else, absolutely nothing. So for the eclectically minded, the martially minded, the free-will minded, it is not a good fit. However, for someone seeking spiritual growth centered around devotional practices, higher authority, etc., for someone generally comfortable with carved-in-stone dogma, it's ideal. Intellectually, it's not acceptable for anyone who is used to independent thinking; experientially, however, it is quite powerful, for reasons I don't know.

 

But someone said the following as well:

 

>>If it wasnt that good why is there so many practitioners with in such a short time?<<

 

As I said. I was told that many practitioners HAVE quick results... but this supposedly not due to them actually and really developing themselves through the practice, but because of this FuTi supposedly being planted into them and doing its work...

 

Seth,

 

What I was trying to evaluate was the usefulness of the technique itself. Minus all the cult BS, you seem to suggest that the Qigong part is actually good. But did you stick to Falun gong alone for 2 years? If you did not and are still doing okay, that would mean that the "wheel getting corrupted by doing other practices" warning issued by the Falun folks is not true after all. But as some people seem to have experienced some sort of an implant (the futi?), I am not sure how seriously this warning of total exclusivity is to be dealt with.

 

Thanks again for sharing your feedback.

Edited March 23, 2009 by dizzydazzle

[goldisheavy]

wow the alien thing is scary if it is true, could be chinese propaganda just as easily. What benefits did you see from your practice?

 

I suggest you pick up a book at your local bookstore and just read it. The esteemed leader of the Falun Gong sect has written a book. My subjective take is that it's more than a little weird. So, it's not "just Chinese propaganda" from my point of view. Just get the book and read from the horse's mouth. I can't take Falun Gong seriously at all.

 

And it's funny for me to say that, because I really like weird things usually. But there are some weird things even I don't like.

 

Even if Falun Gong was perfect and not weird, starting a yet another religion is the wrong path. We already are bedeviled by enough religions as is. We don't need more.

Edited March 24, 2009 by goldisheavy