The Falun Gong of China

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the rise of Falun Gong, its history, fundamental principles and practices and its situation with respect to older Chinese religious traditions, such as Taoism and Buddhism. The author points out that the Falun Gong, which is little over a decade old, was founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, a minor provincial bureaucrat who began practicing a variation of traditional Chinese qigong exercises in the 1980s and rapidly rose to prominence. The paper concludes that, although it appears clear that religious violence in the form of martyrdom is a component of the Falun Gong movement's protests against the Chinese government, the nature of the Falun Gong's political threat is more ambiguous.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Rise of Falun Gong
Spirituality and Religious Synthesis in Falun Gong
Religious Violence and Nonviolence: The Problem of Falun Gong
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"By 1996 Li's books, spreading these ideas about the powers that Falun Gong offered its adherents, were selling millions of copies in China. This year also marked the beginning of the Chinese state crackdown on Falun Gong - and all qigong movements - with the banning of Li's works and tight controls on public displays of qigong. In 1998 Li emigrated to the United States in order to practise his system more freely. A year later, President Jiang Zemin outlaws Falun Gong and orders it "smashed" in China."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adams, Ian, Adams, Riley and Galati, Rocco. Power of the Wheel:The Falun Gong Revolution. Toronto: Stoddart, 2000.
• Beuken, Wim and Kuschel, Karl-Josef, eds. "Introduction." Religion as a Source of Violence. London: SCM Press, 1-15.
• Chang, Maria Hsia. Falun Gong: The End of Days. New Haven:Yale University Press, 2004.
• Li, Hongzhi. China Falun Gong (Revised Edition English Version).1998.
• Investigation Reports on the Persecution of Falun Gong Vol.1.Hyde Park, MA: World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, 2004.

More papers on The Falun Gong of China:

• Research Paper # 24261 : "Falun Gong in China"
• Essay # 25813 : "Falun Gong"
• Term Paper # 129396 : "The Rise of Falun Gong"

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