Zhuan Falun (Turning The Law Wheel)

Hi all,

New member here. : )

I've come across a fascinating book that talks about high level spiritual things from a scientific perspective. This book is intriguing as it talks about many similar things to what people in mystical states mention such as seeing into parallel dimensions and interacting with beings from other worlds etc.

This book is called Zhuan Falun and it is from the Buddha Law School of Cultivation however it is not Buddhism the religion or Daoism the religion, it's something more profound. It seems to me to be more of a spiritual science as many of the terms and concepts in the book are talked about in a scientific down to earth manner instead of flowery mystical prose which I found very refreshing.

Now here is where it gets interesting, this book talks about the following things:


Other Dimensions - Levels Of Dimensions spanning into the microcosm and also outwards into the macrocosm

The Soul - It talks about people having a Master soul and a subordinate soul which is hidden from you but is at a more advanced level then you, it states some people have more then one Subordinate soul and some are of not of the same sex as you i.e males having a female subordinate soul etc.

Microcosmic worlds - This concept was very far out but it talks about there being worlds within you, countless worlds. Similar to our world with life , water, animals etc. An analogy is zooming an an atom within one of your cells and realizing at that level of magnification it is just like our solar system. Then zooming into a single particle in that world and finding out it too is a vast world, apparently the level it can go onwards like this is beyond imagination.

Supernatural Abilities - In the book they mention that everyone has them it is just that they have atrophied. It goes into depth about this topic. Some abilities that are mentioned are precognition, retrocognition and remote vision.

The 3rd Eye - Talks about how at the front part of our pineal gland there is a complete structure of an eye there. Modern science calls it a vestigial eye but in the cultivation world they say this eye just naturally exists like that and it can be activated allowing one to pierce through this dimension and see other dimensions. It talks about how there are many levels to this 3rd eye and it goes into great depth about it.

Thoughts - This part was amazing. It talks about how a human brain is just a processing plant. How the real you is actually your soul, it's like your whole body and brain is just a vehicle and that the true commands are issued by your master soul, but this master soul is very tiny and it can switch positions while inside you and it can also expand and shrink. It can move from your brain to your heart and to other parts of your body and it is 'he' who calls the shots. Your brain is just the factory which your master soul sends his cosmic commands to which then create the forms of expression and communication we use such as speech, gestures, etc.



These are just a few things that are covered but there are many many other things which blew my mind when I read it because of how it resonated with some of the mystical experiences people sometimes have, especially the multidimensional nature of reality and how all of them are hidden in our day to day perceptions of the world.

If this sounds interesting to anyone you can grab a copy of the book here:

en.falundafa.org/eng/pdf/ZFL2014.pdf

It sounds interesting at first but once you look a bit deeper into it all I see is Falun Gong and I do know the Chinese government believe is a cult and I do think the same because its practices are modeled in a way that exactly matches the criteria Robert Jay Lifton developed back in 1981

www.ex-cult.org/General/lifton-criteria

And that's not over, have a look at this although I believe you won't but I'm not posting this for you but for the casual onlookers
Here's a deeper insight of Falun Gong's behavior

Definition of a Cult

Noted psychiatrist and author Robert Jay Lifton developed the following definition of a cult.
This definition is focused primarily upon three principal criteria and was first published in a paper titled "Cult Formation" in 1981 :

1)A charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose their power;
2)A process of coercive persuasion or thought reform;
3)Economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.

Falun Dafa and Lifton's three criteria
* A charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship.
Exclusive claims made by Li Hongzhi, which are implicitly accepted by Falun Dafa practitioners without exemption, are the defining principles of the group.

* A charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship.
Exclusive claims made by Li Hongzhi, which are implicitly accepted by Falun Dafa practitioners without exemption, are the defining principles of the group.

For example, "Master Li" purportedly possesses supernatural powers.

Mr. Li claims to know "the top secret of the universe" and says "no religion can save people" but the "almighty Fa," which he exclusively represents. He is therefore essentially the chosen savior of man. The biography in his book "Zhuan Falun" claims that he first recognized his special powers at the age of 8.

Li Hongzhi's teachings also include the spinning "falun," which is a mystical "wheel of law" that he claims to be able to insert into his disciples' abdomens telekinetically.

Such fantastic and exclusive claims about a leader fit the classic profile of a personality-driven cult.

Falun Dafa followers, believe that Li Hongzhi is always right and they are not allowed to question the basic assumptions concerning his purported supernatural powers, teachings and/or opinions. His authority and infallibility appear to be absolute for the true believer, and therefore beyond what Falun Dafa followers consider reasonable doubt.

Examples of the intense devotion Li Hongzhi has effectively engendered among his followers include a television network and a newspaper called "The Epoch Times" both run by Falun Dafa adherents. Devotees also maintain numerous Web sites and there are schools to perpetuate Mr. Li's teachings. Frequent public demonstrations and events staged around the world also reflect the intense devotion of his followers.

While Li Hongzhi talks about "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance," neither he nor his followers actually demonstrate any tolerance concerning critical questions or inquiry. Within Falun Dafa Li's followers are not allowed to question the basic assumptions of the group and criticism from outsiders is often characterized as "persecution."

Persistent critics of Li Hongzhi and Falun Dafa have been repeatedly subjected to personal attacks, threats of litigation and frivolous lawsuits.

Li Hongzhi remains an absolute, authoritarian leader with little if any accountability, and there appears to be no limit to the scope of his personal power and influence within Falun Dafa.

* a process of coercive persuasion or thought reform

Sociologist Richard J. Ofshe explains, "Coercive persuasion and thought reform are alternate names for programs of social influence capable of producing substantial behavior and attitude change through the use of coercive tactics, persuasion, and/or interpersonal and group-based influence manipulations."

This is accomplished according to Ofshe by "intense interpersonal and psychological attack to destabilize an individual's sense of self" and "to promote conformity" within the framework of "an organized peer group."

Li Hongzhi through Falun Gong has promoted unreasonable fears about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions. He teaches his followers that the earth would have been destroyed, but he saved it. He also claims that "gods" will destroy those he disapproves of and that his followers must practice his prescribed program of "spiritual cultivation" or risk obliteration.

For Falun Gong followers, there is no legitimate reason to disagree with and/or leave the organization. Former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative, or even seen as "evil." While they may appear to be free to leave they often fear the consequences.

Mr. Li asks his followers to continuously keep "cultivating" and go on and on "cultivating" until they reach "perfection," something that no one can ever realistically hope to achieve as an ordinary man and woman within their lifetime. Such perfectionism is then supposedly deferred and only reachable in "other dimensions."

Li Hongzhi's program of coercive persuasion largely relies upon the cultivation not only of unreasonable fears but also prejudice, which ultimately serves to isolate and control his followers. "Master Li" manipulates the thinking and feelings of his followers to develop a certain seemingly predetermined and desired mindset.


In Mr. Li's worldview mixed-race people are part of a plot, contrived by the evil extraterrestrials. "By mixing the races of humans, the aliens make humans cast off gods," he told a gathering in Switzerland in 1998.

"Mixed races" are supposedly excluded from the "truth" and "have lost their roots, as if nobody in the paradise will take care of them. They belong to nowhere, and no places would accept them...the higher levels do not recognize such a human race."

According to Mr. Li, the offspring of mixed race unions are therefore "intellectually incomplete" or "with an incomplete body." In such cases, only he, Master Li, can help and "take care of it" (i.e., resolve the "incomplete" state). However, that can be done only if "such a person wants to practice cultivation."

Li Hongzhi also encourages hatred of homosexuals. He has said, "The disgusting homosexuality shows the dirty abnormal psychology of the gay who has lost his ability of reasoning at the present time," Li Hongzhi wrote in Volume II of "Zhuan Falun," or "Turning the Law Wheel," which was translated into English in 1996.

In his talk in Switzerland, Li Hongzhi also stated that gay people would be "eliminated" by "the gods." Asked in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1998 whether gays could practice Falun Gong, Mr. Li answered, "You can cultivate, but you must give up the bad conduct."

Li Hongzhi's disciples are taught to subordinate their own thoughts and feelings to the teachings of Falun Dafa. They essentially come to believe that "Master Li" has arranged everything and is their protection.

In describing her experience with Falun Dafa, cult expert and clinical psychologist Margaret Singer said that a practitioner will "actually say 'Don't Think. Just recite the Master's teaching.' "

Among Falun Dafa's many questionable mind-altering practices, this command to "stop thinking" and continuously "recite the Master's teaching," when heeded, meets the main criterion of cult control American communication researchers and cult experts Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman describe in their book Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change:


Almost every major cult and cult-like group we came upon teaches some form of not thinking or "mind control" as part of its regular program of activity. The process may take the form of repetitive prayer, chanting, speaking in tongues, self-hypnosis or diverse methods of meditation....Such techniques, when practiced in moderation, may yield real physical and mental health benefits....Prolonged stilling of the mind, however, may wear on the brain physically until it readjusts, suddenly and sharply, to its new condition of not thinking. When that happens, we have found, the brain's information-processing capacities may be disrupted or enter a state of complete suspension...disorientation, detachment...hallucinations, delusions and, in extreme instances, total withdrawal

* exploitation of group members by the leader

Former Falun Dafa followers, the families of devotees and others concerned often relate the same allegations of abuse, which reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

Mr. Li teaches his followers that illness is caused by the evil deeds of a sick person, in this life or a previous one. According to his teachings, modern medicine treats only the symptoms of a disease, and not its underlying spiritual cause, which can be cured only by practicing Falun Gong.

"The only way to find yourself comfortably free of illnesses," Li Hongzhi writes in "Zhuan Falun," "is through cultivation practice!"

The complaints I have received about Falun Dafa are most often directly related to teachings about "spiritual cultivation," which may preclude seeing a doctor and/or taking prescribed medication.

As a result of such teachings some of Mr. Li's followers have reportedly died due to medical neglect, while many others have needlessly exacerbated their medical conditions.

I have also received serious complaints within the United States regarding the damage done by Falun Dafa through family estrangement. This has particularly occurred when families question and/or are critical of Mr. Li and his teachings.

It should be noted that "Master Li" has apparently accumulated substantial assets through his work within Falun Dafa.

Mr. Li moved to United States in 1995. In 1998 he reportedly bought a house in New York for $293,500. Li Hongzhi purchased his second residence in New Jersey for $580,000 the following year. The value of the two residences today may easily exceed a million dollars.

Nice try though :goof:

Falun Dafa isn't a cult but a high level qi gong practice. No money is involved, it's totally voluntary, there is no centralized power structure and people just practice a set of 5 powerful qi gong exercises and try to live by the precepts of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. How is any of that a cult?

Furthermore this practice is totally voluntary, it's totally up to you if you wish to practice or not. From Zhuan Falun:

excerpt 1:

"Here we’re teaching you to take the right path, and along with that, we’re teaching you the Law inside and out and encouraging you to have your own understanding of it, but it’s still up to you whether you decide to learn it. The master leads you through the door, but cultivation is up to you. Nobody’s going to push you to cultivate. It’s up to you whether you cultivate. Or to put it another way, when you choose your own path, when you decide what you want, or when you’re trying to get something—nobody will stop you. They can only try to kindly persuade you"

excerpt 2:

"Our Falun Dafa is one of the Buddhist system’s 84,000 disciplines. It’s never been passed on to the general public before during this period of civilization, but it did once save people on a large scale in a prehistoric age. Today I’m spreading it again widely during this final period of the kalpa’s end, so it’s just extremely precious."

excerpt 3:

"I’m not saying you have to learn my Falun Dafa, but I can say that what I’m doing is sharing some principles with you. If you want to cultivate you have to commit to one discipline, or else you won’t be able to cultivate one bit. Of course, if you don’t want to cultivate we’ll leave you alone. The Law is meant to be heard by people who really cultivate."

The whole world supports Falun Dafa apart from the evil Chinese Communist Party who is still persecuting it:

"By April 2001, Mr. Li Hongzhi had received over 340 awards and proclamations from Australia, Canada, China (before crackdown), Japan, Russia, and the U.S. in recognition of the extraordinary contributions to people's spiritual and physical health, and to freedom of belief in the world. These include certificates of recognition from several governmental bodies in the United States – including Honorary Citizenship awarded by The State of Georgia and city of Atlanta. On 14 March 2001, The Freedom House bestowed Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong with an International Religious Freedom Award for the advancement of religious and spiritual freedom at a ceremony in the United States Senate.

In the same year, Li was ranked the most powerful communicator in Asia by Asiaweek magazine "for his power to inspire, to mobilize people and to spook Beijing".He was nominated for the 2001 Sakharov Prize by over 25 members of European Parliament, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 and 2001, and in 2013 was ranked by Foreign Policy Magazine as one of the 500 most powerful people in the world."

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Hongzhi#Life_abroad


It has also healed thousands of people from all sorts of ailments, some of them life threatening:

en.minghui.org/html/articles/2005/4/3/59184.html

www.pureinsight.org/node/6628

The True Cult is the evil Chinese Communist Party who is still persecuting Dafa disciples in mainland China using tactics such as imprisonment, torture and live organ harvesting. It is the most vile and demonic cult:

en.minghui.org/cc/1/




To outline some of your other points:

1) It's True, Falun Dafa believes homosexuality to be sinful, many upright cultivation schools believe this to be so.

2) There is nothing in Zhuan Falun that talks about any doomsday scenario at all, it talks about Virtue and improving oneself morally by following the precepts of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

3) Absolutely no money is involved in Falun Dafa, from Zhuan Falun this is explicitly stated:

"The first rule is that you can’t charge any money. We don’t give you all those things so that you can get rich and famous, but to save you, to help you cultivate. If you charge money my Law Bodies will take everything back from you, and you won’t belong to our Falun Dafa, so what you spread won’t be our Falun Dafa. When you pass on the practice you shouldn’t have any thoughts about making a name for yourself, or getting something out of it—you should help them voluntarily. Our students all across the country have been doing it that way, and the Assistants in different regions have set an example. Anybody who wants to learn our practice, you can come and learn it, you just have to want to, and we can take responsibility for you and we won’t charge you a cent."

4) In regards to supernatural abilities it is stated in the past that other enlightened awakened ones such as Jesus, Moses, Buddha Shakyamuni and other great Masters had abilities and offered salvation to mankind. Whether one believes this to be True is up to people themselves to discern.

5) In regards to ailments and sickness, it is believed in Falun Dafa that the fundamental reason for sickness is Karma. This Karma is the same thing as 'sins' that was taught by Jesus. An excerpt from one of Mr Li Hongzhi's lectures to expound on this:

“I’ve told you that, regardless of whether it’s Jesus, St. Mary, Yahweh (whose ability exceeds that of even the previous two), or the Buddhas in Eastern religions, with a wave of the hand there wouldn’t be one single sick person on this tiny Earth. Why aren’t they being compassionate and doing that for people? Because people themselves are doing bad things. Of course, this isn’t to punish people—it’s the principle of the universe evaluating all beings. Since humans have done bad things, they have to pay for them themselves. Suppose you killed someone, and a Buddha eliminated the karma for you.

Then, would it mean that you’re allowed to kill people as you please? How could it be acceptable for a Buddha to eliminate your diseases as soon as you had killed people and generated karma? When people do bad things they have to pay for it and bear the responsibility. But when people have done bad things, the most obvious manifestation of it in the human body is sickness, which is used to punish people. I’m not the only one saying this—Jesus also said that people have sins. Why do people have sins? It’s exactly because people have karma in their bodies. Western culture doesn’t have the word “karma”—there’s no such word in Western culture. So Jesus used the word “sin” to illustrate the general point. In fact, isn’t having karma the same as having sins? Without sins, how could there be karma? It’s the same idea.”


There is one thing to note here, the CCP goverment is orchestrating a massive propaganda and smear campaign on Falun Dafa, it is a very deceptive and evil government that is trying all it can to undermine this righteous practice:

www.clearwisdom.net/cc/9/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Water_Army