It is time to get our intellectual muscle working out on the subject at hand--Chinese religion and Falun gong's place within it or outside it. At the last class we explored a new interpretive turn in our study of religion in China by examining some of the key theological and philosophical implications of Zhuan Falun. It is clear that the moral claims of FLG theology (origin of the universe is zhen-shan-ren) entail a specific program of cultivation (the fa or practice) to recover an ancient original unity of the universe and man and to open human consciousness and body to higher levels of understanding. The seriousness of our discussion (which included an exploration of the syncretic properties of the philosophy and practice) revealed that we are prepared to assess the status of Falun gong as faith or cult or practice. So in this installment of the blog let us take a few moments to reason through our thoughts about this phenomenon. What exactly is Falun gong? What about its teachings do you find strange or objectionable? Why? What aspects of the practice do you consider worthwhile and deserving of imitation? Why?
A Note on Reading this Week:
This week as you read Zhuan Falun and The Cult of the Saints you should keep the definitive tension between official and popular religion that we have discussed earlier this semester in mind. You should also note the rhetoric used by practitioners of popular religion (whether Christian or FLG) in defining what distinguishes them from outsiders, especially those who question the legitimacy of their conception and practice. Can you discern how these cults have generated a comprehensive religious worldview that with time contests the authority of the official relgion against which they struggle?
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Falun gong as I see it can only be seen as a faith, cult, or practice insofar as it involves claims about the supernatural phenomena and a specific program of cultivation. Falun gong in my mind is more of a political revolutionary movement because any newly formed religious or cultic movement involving the supernatural is inherently formed in opposition to the Chinese government's atheist doctrine. Religion is an inherent part of any human society, but religion can also be used as a tool to rebel against an oppressive society. I think the fact that falun gong borrows ideas extensively from other religious practices shows that falun gong is less concerned with the substance of its teachings than what these teachings may inevitably provide: a means to rebel. It seems strange to me that Li Hongzhi would say, "...nobody is permitted to teach the practice in the manner that I do," because a political movement should seem to need to spread as rapidly as possible. Upon further consideration, however, Li Hongzhi wants to maintain his ascendancy over his followers. I also find it strange that Li Hongzhi would not charge money to his practitioners, but this is also consistent with falun gong being revolutionary because Li Hongzhi wants as many members as possible even if this compromises acquiring money to spend on his practice. Money is something the Chinese government can easily seize, whereas people are much harder to control. I think Li Hongzhi is a genius because he was able to successfully curtail the power of an oppressive regime in a way that not only weakens the Chinese government's ideological supremacy but also puts the Chinese government in a negative light by showing how they abuse innocent religious practitioners. This kind of passive rebellion is wholly worthy of emulation by anyone under the yoke of an oppressive regime because it peacefully tears down the structure in a way that is very hard to control.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I have been adamant that Falun Gong is a religion. However, having now read the first few lectures in Zhuan Falun, I am beginning to come around Li Honghzi's claim that Falun Gong is simply a spiritual practice, at least for the time being. Master Li's teachings certainly contain religious ideas, whether they be borrowed from Buddhism and Daoism or come from Li's own philosophy. In addition, it seems the major themes of Zhuan Falun are man's salvation and universal truth; these themes should be at the heart of any religious movement.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, Falun Gong falls short of the "religion" classification in my opinion due to a bit of wavering on Li Honghzi's part. As we discussed in class, Li fails to resolve the issue desire in any satisfactory way. Also, Master Li admits there are methods other than Falun Gong that allow practitioners to reach the high levels of energy he speaks about. While Li claims that Falun Gong allows one to reach even higher levels, should not a religion that claims to know universal truth also claim to be the only path to reach that truth? This is not to say that Falun Gong will never be a religion. Perhaps Master Li will just need more time to flesh out the ideas he has, and will resolve these issues.
I also need to agree with Mary's view on the problems present in Zhuan Falun. Li Honghzi has made some claims that contradict nearly everything I have learned in all my years of education. It would be one thing if these claims were only of a spiritual nature; I could chalk it up to a difference in world-views. However, since these claims are often of a physiological, historical, or scientific nature, Master Li makes it very difficult for this westerner to take the passages that follow without a heavy grain of salt.
This use of pseudo-science has made me compare Falun Gong to Scientology in my mind in recent weeks. Additionally, both practices seem to face the same question: "Is it a religion or is it a cult?" Thinking about this comparison now, however, I realize that it is unfair to Falun Gong. Whereas Scientology appears to be obsessed with fame, fortune, and worldly possessions, Falun Gong shuns these notions in pursuit of what are clearly higher virtues (despite my questioning of Li's motives). Falun Gong practitioners' belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, as well as their ability to put that belief into practice (both in Jennifer Zeng's account and the accounts of our class's guest speakers), is very admirable. Master Li certainly got that part right.
Before reading Zhuan Falun, I was willing to believe that Falun Gong was a spiritual practice. But now, my opinion has changed. I believe that Falun Gong is a religion, because of what is contained in the text of their "bible" and also the parallels I see with other religions.
ReplyDeleteReading Zhuan Falun was troubling because, as my other classmates have touched upon, it is quite different than what I was taught. I think that Li appeals to buddhism and daoism to both legitimize and explain his teachings. One of the reasons he does this, I believe, is to appeal to his audience. Most people in China, whether they were raised religious or atheist, have probably heard of these common relgious themes. People would be more willing to accept this new "falun gong" if it built upon what they already knew.
We discussed the religious parallels during class, such as the fact that cultivation is "salvation". Also, there is an obvious parallel between early Calvinist teachings, where one follows the religion without any guarantee of being among the "elect" who are saved, is much like Li's promise of maybe earning supernatural abilities eventually during your cultivation.
The troubling part of Falun Gong for me are Li's faulty appeals to science to legitimize its claims. It reminds me of Scientology and similar religions, who completely warp scientific claims in order to push their agenda. There is no nuclear reactor underground, as far as I am concerned. And the fact that he writes such things makes Li seem both uneducated and crazy.
What I appreciate in Falun Gong is the emphasis on becoming a good person, which is universal to all religions. While it is a strange religion, it is inherently peaceful and therefore should be protected and respected.
The more that we as a class read upon this issue of defining Falun Gong, the more I am convinced that there is little or no difference between a cult and a religion. I did a little exploration of my own on the internet to help me try to understand more fully how this seemingly paradoxal relationship can exist. According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, the first definition of cult is simply, "formal religious veneration." No negative connotation with which we socially associate cults is seen until the third definition which is, "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious." It is curious to note that the term religion is used in the definition of cult!!!
ReplyDeleteI also found an interesting lecture on TED (which is a great source for academic lectures and talks) by Diane Benscoter who was once involved in the cult known as the Moonies. Here is the link:http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ex_moonie_diane_benscoter_how_cults_think.html. She argues that people are pulled into cults through a development of "memes" in the brain, which are thought sequences that she compares to a quickly-spreading virus. Upon hearing this, I immediately thought of the practicioners who refuse to give in in "Witnessing History." These people are linked to their cult through strong convictions and the promise of betterment of their lives, which is not necessarily physical but often metaphysical. They cannot break away even if they wanted to, or until conviced by reformers that another system of belief is greater. Benscoter says, "there is no us and them." We are ALL subject to a power greater than ourselves, whether the belief and practice becomes dangerous or not is conditional.
Peter Brown extends this attraction to cults to that of religion. In reading the first chapter of "The Cult of Saints," some of the aspects of the rise of Christianity sound very similar to those adhering to Falun Gong. For example, on page 22, Brown describes the cult of the saints' rising momentum was due to "a preoccupation of all," and "hopes for protection and justice in a changing world." For Chinese practicioners, Falun Gong offered stability in the face of the loss of purpose under the new communist government. Also, page 19 declares that "differences in class and education play no significant role" in religious practice. This is also true of Falun Gong, which appeals to Chinsese peasants, city-dwellers, CCP members, the college-eduated, and those around the world.
So to differentiate Falun Gong as a relgious movement from having cult status is futile. Falun Gong is a cult; it offers promises to practicioners that it can't necessarily fulfill as we have seen in Zhaun Falun, such as being able to see in different dimensions and can tear devotees apart from their families. Falun Gong is a religion; it promotes morality (zhen-shan-ren). Christianity too is a cult; it has been the impetus for much destruction and many wars. It promises the entrance into heaven if the teachings are rightly followed. It is also a religion, for the benefits it provides for those affected by good fortune in their lives. It seems to me that we define cults based upon negative qualities, and religions upon good ones. I believe that any practice has both positive and negative implications, so it is not fair to simply segregate any one into either of these two categories.
I believe that Falun Gong is a religion. This is mostly because in Zhuan Falun Li insisted several times that one cannot just do the exercises to be a practitioner, one must read the book and really cultivate one’s spirit. Aspects of his teaching such as his teachings on morality and focus on being a good person are very similar to other religious views. Also his view that humans have fallen from some higher dimension but also reflect his ‘great power’ (the universe) are similar to religious beliefs, especially Christian ones. I think, therefore, that Falun Gong is more than a practice; it is a faith-based belief system. Practitioners must believe in Li’s teachings in order to ascend to ‘higher levels,’ which is the goal of the practice.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of his teachings on past events are meant to substantiate his teachings by giving them a historical basis, but I also thing that his historical facts are hard to believe. I agree with what has been said in class about his dubious scientific research and just can’t imagine how he can make claims, even in his own line of thinking, about time before humans existed as we know.
Before reading Zhuan Falun, I was curious to learn what had changed so many lives. Jennifer Zeng said she found the secrets of the universe that she had been searching for in this book, so I figured there must be something to it. Unfortunately, in reading the first lecture, I was not so impressed. Li’s claims were just so ‘out there.’ He discussed topics I felt he could have no authority in and made claims that seemed entirely unbelievable. Fortunately, as I read further in his lectures, I found parts of his teachings which were more believable. I found as I read his later lectures that his teachings became more similar to other religions. I found that these parts of his teachings were much more believable. A lot of his work, especially his discussions of how to follow the practice, seems aimed at improving the lives of his practitioners in much the same way as other religions. While it is difficult to believe that the physical universe can exist of Zen, Shan, Ren, it seems to me to be similar to the Christian belief in a benevolent God. If the two things are equated, the universe in Falun Gong and God in Christianity, it is easy to see how Li believes these are the three sources of the universe.
Therefore, I would call Falun Gong a religion because in its fundamental principles it is very similar to most other religions. The parts of Li’s teachings that I find to be fantastic are his specific methods of reaching cultivation and his description of the effects of cultivation. Although, this skepticism may be due to my own set beliefs in a method of reaching the greater good and the results of that achievement.
Falun Gong is an international multi-tiered organized practice that, when practiced at its highest level, is indeed a religion. Many practitioners engage in just the physical exercises and follow only the most basic concepts found in Zhuan Falun; oftentimes Falun Gong is a supplement to a different religion they may practice. But for those who accept all of Li Hongzhi's teachings, Falun Gong is nothing less than an organized religion.
ReplyDeleteSo what is Falun Gong? It is a responsory practice that stems from a syncretic mixture of other traditional organized Chinese religions. Responsory in the fact that it arose out of the crisis of meaning in Communist China in order to provide an alternate ideology that runs contrary to the Communist Party. It is syncretic in that it retooled areas of Daoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism and combined it into a localized religion of its own.
Being a rather new religion, Falun Gong has its share of objectionable and contradicting aspects. It arose less than 20 years ago as a modification of other religions, yet it states it disallows any further modification of the practice. It arose out of the need for a community of meaning, but it practiced individually. Going deeper into the matter, Li Hongzhi has states in multiple accounts that social communities are what draw human morality away from Zhen Shan Ren; however, try as it might Falun Gong actively serves as a social group for its followers. If social interaction is indeed at the source of human confusion that even the Zhuan Falun itself could be a source of confusion for the masses rather than the source of enlightenment. Finally, anything concerning supernormal abilities within Falun Gong only adds to the confusion. Li Hongzhi quantifies so many different situations wherein supernormal abilities are exhibited that it becomes impossible to recognize whether they are permissible, evil, or even possible for a human to achieve. You achieve supernormal abilities through cultivation. But you are not allowed to use the abilities, lest you become accustomed to fame and greed, in which case you lose them. So those who rightly have these abilities can't use them. And some who are rightly deserving and sufficiently cultivated never acquire them for inexplicable reasons. Then there are those people who are possessed by animal spirits, in which case the supernormal abilities are only performed through the use of the animal's energy, not the human's. I don't understand the importance on these abilities if their use is strictly prohibited or unusable.
That said, there are many worthwhile aspects of Fulan Gong as well. There are documented health benefits. Whether or not these benefits are spiritual in nature or simply a result of the physical activity is irrelevant, the consequence remains the same. The anti-materialist message is very strong in Falun Gong. The emphasis of this message is a good thing, especially in China where the peasant class is so large. In a society where success is measured on wealth, power, and influence, an alternate base for self-assessment such as morality creates a more positive self-image and generates hope for the future. This alternative offers the people of China a method of escape from the limitless capitalism that has dominated the country as of late. Also, Falun Gong is at its core apolitical. It focuses on individual advancement and thus doesn't (or shouldn't) put pressure on any organization or group. Unfortunately, the CCP didn't view Falun Gong this way. Finally, Li Hongzhi's religion is redemptive and non-exclusive. Anyone can participate regardless of race or class, and it allows them to seek redemption from their past actions. The best example of this is how reverse cultivation gives newly-converted elderly a head-start by transferring high amounts of cultivation energy into their bodies. This makes it possible for them to achieve high levels of enlightenment even in their old age.
Upon first studying the Falun Gong phenomenon, I believed that Falun Gong was a spiritual following and then I began to see its cult tendencies when we studied the persecution of the practitioners and their refusals to surrender. Now however, after studying the Zhuan Falun, I believe that Falun Gong is in fact a religion.
ReplyDeleteAfter studying Li Hongzhi’s text, I believe that Falun Gong is inherently a religion. It is focused upon individuals and the overall human race leaving behind the material prison of the earthly world for the greater good of oneness with the universe. It is also focused on becoming a better individual person and no longer being bound by ones physical limitations. This moral character of Falun Gong leads me to believe that it is inherently a religion. Also, I see many parallels between Falun Gong and established religions, as well as parallels between Master Li’s claimed leadership and leaders of other religions such as Muhammad and / or Christ. For example, the contradiction of free will seen within Lecture Two of Zhuan Falun is similar to the contradiction of free will that was contested in Christianity and Islam. The master/disciple dynamic is also reflected within various other established religions.
Furthermore, Li Hongzhi admittedly draws upon established religions to create his doctrine. He most uses Buddhism and Daoism, and specifically the Buddhist Four Noble Truths. Li Hongzhi emphasizes “desire lessness” and “education of desire” to achieve the necessary transcendence from the material corruption and perversions of this world.
The criticism I have of Falun Gong is the supernatural element of Li’s doctrine. I find that some of the claims he makes are too transcendental, for instance, his assertions about different planes of reality and the idea of the Third or Celestial Eye which Li describes by referring to it as something that resembles a television screen within someone’s head. For some, it enables total recall of future and past. A lot of Li’s scientific assertions I find hard to believe. Also, I question what will happen to the practice when Li dies, because Li claims that only he can unlock this Celestial Eye for others.
Despite these doubts, I think that the desire for moral goodness is one worthy of emulation. In today’s society of depravity, it is worthwhile to pursue a departure from material desires for more transcendental values. Also, I think that the pursuit for greater understanding the perseverance of the practitioners in this pursuit is admirable. I think anyone can learn much from their example of remaining steadfast to their beliefs, regardless of whether or not we may agree with those beliefs.
My opinion of Falun Gong has changed over the semester. At first I saw no reason why this could not be classified as simply a spiritual practice. People gathered to better their mind and spirit by doing certain exercises. I saw this as very similar to something such as Yoga. Why would the CCP be weary of such a thing? It has no place in the realm of religions that Christianity and Buddhism lie. Why would the CCP liken it to these practices?
ReplyDeleteThen we get into the massive protests and demonstrations of Falun Gong. This seems highly irregular for a simple exercise group. Why would people fight so hard for such a thing? There had to be something more going on here. Then we talk about the infamous Master Li and how he’s fled the country. His various attempts at immortality through “propaganda”, and the hierarchy of leadership within Falun Gong seemed contrary to a simple spiritual practice.
Then we get into the writings of Doctor Li. They are out there and include many ideas that are common with religion. They include a creation story and a road to salvation. This suggests that Falun Gong is a religion. Could the CCP be rational in trying to limit this practice based upon their stance on religion as a whole?
Obviously, this practice is not the same as Yoga, but neither is it the same as Christianity. There has to be some of middle ground here. Maybe it is an intense spiritual practice or a quasi-religion. I would lean more towards the intense spiritual practice.
Although I consider Falun Gong to fit the criteria of a religion, I must admit that it does have many cultlike aspects. Within the Zhuan Falun, the identification of the leader as some sort of salvific figure (“I think that those who can listen to my lectures in person, I would say, honestly… you will realize in the future that this period of time is extremely precious.”)and the assertion of several untrue statements as scientific fact were very off-putting for me. However, this does not mean Falun Gon is not a religion. The Christian Bible hold Jesus as a (or rather, the) salvific figure, and the Book of Genesis in particular holds several statements that do not align with scientific fact, and Christianity is one of the world’s major religions.
ReplyDeleteThere were some things I liked about Falun Gong. I did like that Li made an effort to address the idea of objective moral truth versus relative morality, even if he didn’t word it in quite those terms. I also liked the initial idea of there being multiple dimensions of reality besides the physical. The focus on being a better person and improving onself was also admirable, though not, I think, a terribly unusual religious concept.
One of the ideological concepts I disliked most was the pessimism surrounding the idea of further existence at this level of reality. A line in Zhuna Falun that quite shocked me read, “From the perspective of supernormal abilities or of the great enlightened beings these lives should have been destroyed upon falling to this level.” The level referred to is the human plane of existence, and the lives are souls that have become selfish or tainted enough after birth to fall all the way down to the human level. It continues, “Out of their benevolent compassion, however, the great enlightened beings gave them one more chance and constructed this special environment and unique dimension.”
Those kinds of statements- asserting the inherent unworth of “normal humans”- can have terrible consequences, especially in a religion that so clearly states that true followers of Falun Gong cease to be truly “normal” humans.
Reading Zhuan Falun did make me more skeptical of Faun Gong’s worth as a religion, although it did not lesson my sympathy for the current plight of the practitioners. However, I am aware that my dislike is in a large part due to my Christian, Western-educated upbringing, which put a large emphasis on scientific fact, on divorcing science and religion, and on the inherent worth of human beings. In conclusion, I do perceive Falun Gong as a religion, albeit one I do not respect much, as its teachings seem nonsensical and often rooted on false “scientific fact”. (I don’t mean to say I disrespect its followers; merely the religion itself.)
B. Murphy
vrynosybookwyrm
In a continuation of some of the things I disliked about Falun Gong, here are some bits from Zhuan Falun that made me cringe:
ReplyDeleteThere are huge gaps of logic in his statemtents. He uses “calculations” based on Darwin’s account to state that “it has not been over ten thousand years since the actual emergence of human civilization.” Subsequent “evidence” does not refute his claim that our human civilization began about ten thousand years ago, but instead is used to present evidence for a new claim, that there have been several cycles of human civilization. I appreciate that he is trying to use this “discovery” to tie in Falun Gong with other religions, but the “Scientific evidence” he uses to support these claims are absurd.
He implied that there were million-year old underwater structures which were remnants of previous human civilization, and that human footprints on 260-million year old fossils were proof that humans existed at that time.
Another, completely unsupported statement, “I made a careful investigation once and found that humankind has undergone complete annihilation eighty-one times.”
It is more the fact that he tries to use science to try and support his absurd claims than the fact that he is making absurd claims that really makes me think less of him, mostly because he is using a method that other people understand better than him and can use to disprove a lot of his claims. Again, I do think that this is some of the old “Science and religion should be fairly separate” prejudice rearing its ugly head up. However, I believe most of my frustration at Falun Gong actually stems from a dislike of stupid arguments used to prove a point that I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with otherwise. (People should strive toward goodness and generally improve themselves, here are some helpful hints how).
vrynosybookwyrm
B. Murphy
My opinions on Falun Gong have evolved greatly over the course of the semester, and I've gone from seeing it as a simple human rights issue, to seeing it as a spiritual practice and a human rights issue, to seeing it as a complex relgion that has both worthwhile components and bits of ideology I completely disagree with.
ReplyDeletevrynosybookwyrm
B. Murphy
After finally being able to read some of the principle teachings of Falun Gong, I have to agree with my classmates who classify Falun Gong as a religion. Something we have been trying to do all year is distance ourselves from a western concept of religion. If we do this when examining Falun Gong, I don't see how we cannot come to the conclusion that it is some sort of religion. I don't think those who have written it is not a religion are wrong, I think we are just using different definitions. I think there is a general consensus that there are religious elements to Falun Gong. This being the case, it is nearly impossible to assert which elements are absolutely necessary for something to be called a religion. In any attempt to do so we would inevitably leave out something we'd want to call a religion that is missing one of the elements. Elements that might be considered absolutely necessary, such as a moral code or adherence to some higher power or teaching, are certainly present in Falun Gong, and in any definition I've looked at (ex. Merriam Webster: "A personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices"), Falun Gong certainly seems to meet all the criteria. At this point, Sorites Paradox comes to mind: A large pile of sand could be called a heap, removing one grain doesn't make it not a heap anymore, is one grain still a heap?. I feel as if we can not assign an arbitrary number or set of religious elements something must have to be called a religion. At what point does something stop or start becoming a religion? I realize at some level this outlook becomes problematic, where something with just one religious element could be called a religion, however; for the time being, I would argue that Falun Gong has sufficient religious elements to be considered a religion.
ReplyDeleteFalun Gong has a strong moral code, a type of higher power/powers, and an intermediary to go between the supernatural and this power (Master Li). These are just three of the characteristics of Falun Gong and in my mind that already solidifies it as a religion. Furthermore, there is a creation explanation and a set of rules for practicing and spreading the practice. I believe that Falun Gong is indeed a cultivation practice and has cultish elements, (applying my earlier reasoning it could be labeled a cult, however I don't think it is by any means an evil cult).
Most of what i find questionable has been brought up in class discussion, and I must strongly second Michael's thoughts concerning the "science" presented in Zhuan Falun. The blatant lack of education and reasoning shown makes me skeptical of the entire practice and teachings. I'm trying not to judge the theory of creation as well as the other cultivation aspects too much, as it is something foreign to me and I seem to want to write it off as absurd too quickly. I'm skeptical of the healing, but I think it has worked for people. The three core principles of truthfulness, benevolence, and forbearance are things that all should aspire to, and are certainly worthy of imitation. The relaxation and meditation stressed could be beneficial to all, especially in todays stressful world. While these characteristics are good, the manner in which they are achieved is questionable, however I am trying hard not to write them off as wrong simply because they are foreign. So far however, I have not seen a convincing argument or sound reasoning, and this combined with outright false and absurd statements and contradictions make me all the more skeptical.