Li Hongzhi

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Li Hongzhi (Chinese: 李洪志; pinyin: Lǐ Hóngzhì) (born May 13, 1951 in Gongzhuling ) is the founder and teacher of Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), a "system of cultivating body and mind" in the tradition of qigong . Li published his teachings on Falun Gong in Changchun on May 13, 1992 , and then lectured and taught the Falun Gong exercises across China. Li's Falun Gong movement gained significant popularity in the 1990s, including in government and qigong circles. In 1995, Li started teaching Falun Gong overseas, and in 1998 he settled in the United States, which has become his permanent residence. In 1999, Falun Gong was banned by the Chinese government.

Life and career

There are conflicting accounts of Li's life. Some are from before the suppression of Falun Gong, others after it began. There is little authoritative information about his early life. The reports of the supporters and those of the opponents of Li differ greatly from each other, as some report from the spiritual and the other from the political context. Because of this, both groups have developed different descriptions of the situation.

Spiritual career

An unofficial biography appeared in Li's first major book, Chinese Falun Gong , written by journalist Zhu Huiguang. A second, this time official, spiritual biography appeared in early editions of the major work Zhuan Falun , written by the Falun Dafa Research Society. In these biographies, the focus was on Li's spiritual development, with a few details about Li's ordinary work and family life. The style and content of these biographies is consistent with the “centuries-old tradition of religious biography in China”. Benjamin Penny writes: "As with its forerunners [in Chinese history], this biography attempts to establish a genealogy of the character described and to underpin the orthodoxy of its teaching." Both biographies were omitted in later editions of the Falun Gong books. Li explained this by saying that he didn't want people to pay attention to his own story or circumstances.

These biographies mention that Li was born on May 13, 1951 in Gongzhuling City , Jilin Province . The first mentions that Li's family lived in poverty. Zhu describes how Li developed the courage to "endure hardship and tolerate hard work" while helping to care for his younger siblings. In the second biography, reference is made to the fact that Li belonged to a "normal intellectual family". Both biographies point to Li's strong virtues of compassion and discipline.

The official biography describes Li's cultivation under the guidance of Daoist and Buddhist masters. Ownby points out that Li's spiritual training consisted not only of martial arts and the acquisition of physical skills, but also of inner cultivation through qigong, with an emphasis on xinxing (nature of the heart). Li's training took place during this time - possibly due to the political environment of the Cultural Revolution - mostly under cover of night. Zhu's biography describes Li consistently refusing to take part in the Cultural Revolution campaigns; he never joined the Red Guard or any other communist organization.

In 1982, Li moved to Changchun for a new job. In the 1980s, Li married and had a daughter.

In 1984, Li began to develop Falun Dafa from the teachings he received. Since the systems that were handed down to him were incapable of being "popularized on a large scale," he adapted them so that Falun Dafa could be available to everyone. During this time, Li also observed the teaching methods of other qigong masters. In 1989, Li completed the development of his qigong system. For the next three years - until 1992 - Li began to try the practice with a small group of students.

Falun Gong books published after 1999 no longer contain Li's biographies. After 2001, these were also removed from Falun Gong websites. These changes showed that Li was increasingly withdrawing from the public. Since 2000, Li has rarely appeared in public and has communicated almost exclusively electronically or through posts on Falun Gong websites.

Details released by the Chinese government

After the suppression of Falun Gong began in July 1999, the Chinese government started publishing their own biographies about Li. Ownby and Penny are critical of the information released by the Chinese Communist Party and its propaganda organizations, as such details about Li's life should be understood as part of the Chinese regime's campaign against Falun Gong. According to Ownby, the aim of the campaign was to portray the extraordinary abilities Li used for the common good, previously praised even by the State Security, as a hoax and Li himself as an ordinary person.

According to reports from the Chinese government, Li Hongzhi is believed to have been born Li Lai; either July 7 or July 27, 1952. As evidence of this claim, authorities used Pan Yufang, a midwife, who said she had vivid memories of delivering Li in July 1952. Pan's report, however, contained information that calls into question her statement. Pan stated that she used oxytocin to help with childbirth. Ownby rejects this statement, noting that this was an impossibility at the time, as the hormone oxytocin could not be synthesized until the following year. The Chinese government also announced that Li's parents divorced when he was a toddler, and that Li and his siblings stayed with his mother. They moved to Changchun in 1955.

Reports from the Chinese government indicate that Li did not have a higher education and was an average student. The only remarkable thing is that he could play the trumpet. Ownby writes that Li attended elementary and middle school in Changchun between 1960 and 1970. At that time, Li's schooling, like most school-age children, was interrupted by the Cultural Revolution. He didn't go to college but did graduate from correspondence courses in the 1980s.

After Li received his middle school diploma in 1970, the government said he had several jobs. Between 1970 and 1972 on a military horse stud; from 1972 to 1978 as a trumpeter in the forest police of the Jilin Province and then as an employee in the grain and oil production company in Changchun. Li's classmates and colleagues, who were not identified by the government, are said to have described him as normal. Furthermore, they are said not to have seen him practice qigong, nor to have knowledge of the Buddhist and Taoist masters who are said to have instructed him.

When Li decided in late 1994 that Falun Gong could only be shared for free, a group of practitioners in Changchun turned away in disappointment and began sending a series of allegations against Li to government departments. Although Li had only started teaching Falun Gong students in 1992, these former practitioners claimed that Li did not display any supernatural powers when he was young. Falun Gong then sent detailed replies to the relevant ministries. After the suppression of Falun Gong began in 1999, the Chinese authorities used these allegations in their persecution campaign .

Birth Date Controversy

In September 1994, Li had the responsible office change his date of birth to May 13, 1951. According to Li, his date of birth was a typographical error; one of the usual bureaucratic mistakes that arose during the Cultural Revolution that he only had it corrected. The official records originally stated July 7, 1952, but the Chinese government sometimes mentioned July 27.

The group of disappointed followers also claimed in late 1994 that the date of birth had been correct all along and that Li only wanted to align it with the date of birth of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni . (May 13, 1951 fell on the eighth day of the fourth moon, the celebration of Shakyamuni's birthday.) This claim was later repeated by the Chinese authorities. Li denied the accusation as a slander, saying, "I never said I was Shakyamuni. I am just an ordinary man. "

Three points support Li's account: first, that bureaucratic errors of this kind were not uncommon during the Cultural Revolution; second, that the new date was never used to make any claims or to strengthen Li's spiritual authority. Thirdly, Porter pointed out that in order for Li to change his date of birth to May 13th, Li had to provide significant evidence in order for the government documents to be changed in the first place.

Falun Gong

Main article: Falun Gong

Historian David Ownby points out that Falun Gong as the teaching of Li Hongzhi can only be properly understood if its reference to the Chinese Buddhist tradition from which the practice originates is taken into account. Parts of the teaching would seem rather strange to the western way of thinking and - in a purely western, scientific framework - sometimes appear illogical or unscientific. On some statements by scientists, Ownby writes that they “did this at the expense of careful analysis” and that it was better “to try to find a logical coherence that could explain why so many people in a relatively short time” from the Teaching could be attracted.

Ownby sums up the appeal of Li's teaching in four points: “First, his message is profoundly moral.” According to Ownby, Li's writings “come back over and over to the idea of ​​being good, [and] that the universe itself good is". Second, Ownby argues that Falun Gong is "not only moral, not just a return to a neglected spiritual tradition, but also scientific," with Li attempting to "relativize the value of science" in his lectures in order to use phenomena which modern science cannot explain, to clarify "that the absolute truth that scientists claim cannot be absolute". The third point that Ownby understands the appeal of Falun Dafa is "that moral practice can bring supernatural powers." "So you are not good just to be good", but there would be "a real reward at the end of the route, even if the supernatural powers can be very limited". Ownby's survey data suggests that few practitioners claim that their celestial eyes are open or that other things have happened to them. Ownby believes that "one can cultivate a long time before these things can happen." Fourth, Ownby believes it is important that Falun Dafa has remained entirely Chinese: "Even though it is spreading all over the world, the message that is being conveyed remains purely Chinese." This makes it difficult for Western minds to learn To be fully understood, as "Chinese is the only language capable of expressing this kind of wealth".

Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Gong on May 13, 1992 at the Fifth Middle School in Changchun, Jilin Province. From 1992 to 1994, he traveled all over China to give lectures and teach the Falun Gong exercises. The number of his followers grew rapidly. Li's success was largely linked to the great popularity of qigong, which took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the social liberalization of Deng Xiaoping . Li, however, set Falun Gong apart from Qigong by giving everyone access to his teachings, emphasizing moral content, and turning away from esoteric ideas that are often found in other Qigong systems.

The Falun Gong scriptures were compiled from the lectures Li gave between 1992 and 1994. The explanations within Falun Gong are straight from Li, although he used other systems of illustration such as Buddhism, Daoism, and even modern science. According to Li, Falun Gong is part of the centuries-old tradition of cultivation. In doing so, Li distinguishes Falun Gong from other qigong movements by emphasizing moral values ​​that are supposed to make it possible to "purify the heart and attain spiritual salvation" instead of - as in other schools - excessive physical health and the development of supernatural powers to emphasize. Li also points out that false teachings are often spread by deceitful masters and how to identify them.

Awards during the Asian Health Fair in Beijing in 1993: “Most-praised Qigong Master”, “Special Award in Gold” and “Prize for Advanced Frontier Science”.

According to Ownby, Li's success was largely due to people seeking alternative treatments when China's health system was desperate to meet demand. Li's early success was confirmed by various awards for him and his teaching at the Orient Health Fair in Beijing in 1992 and 1993. At the first of these events, the organizer noted that Falun Gong and Li "received the most praise [of all the qigong schools present] at the fair and achieved very good therapeutic results." The event helped cement Li's popularity in the qigong world, and journalistic reports about the healing powers of Falun Gong spread. The following year, Li was appointed a member of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Health Fair and again received several awards and honors at the event .

During this period, Li had a positive relationship with the Ministry of Public Security . In August 1993, he treated former head of the ministry, Wang Fang , and in the same month 100 policemen who were injured while doing their duties. The ministry then sent him a letter of thanks for helping the police recover their health. In September, Public Security Daily , a publication by the Ministry of Public Security, praised Falun Gong for promoting "traditional anti-crime virtues by maintaining social order and security and promoting righteousness in society." A year later (1994), Li gave lectures at Beijing Public Security University and donated the proceeds from the seminars to a foundation for injured police officers. In January 1995, the publication ceremony for Li's influential book Zhuan Falun was held in the auditorium of the Ministry of Public Security.

to live abroad

See also: History of Falun Gong

In 1995, Li declared that Falun Gong had stopped spreading in China and started spreading the practice abroad. In March 1995, Li held his first seminar outside of China at the Chinese Embassy in Paris , France, which invited him to teach the practice. This was followed by seminars in Sweden. From 1995 to 1999, Li lectured in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore. Falun Gong associations and clubs have been established in Europe, North America and Australia. Activities were primarily held on university campuses.

Li Hongzhi (right) receives awards in Chicago on June 10, 1999, including a proclamation from the Governor of Illinois.

In 1994, Li was named an Honorary Citizen and Ambassador of Goodwill by the City of Houston , Texas, for "unselfish public service for the benefit and well-being of humanity." In the same year, Li moved to the United States with his wife and daughter, became a permanent resident of the United States in 1998 and settled in New York.

On April 25, 1999 , over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners went to the Central Appeals Office in Beijing to request an end to the harassment against the movement and obtain the release of the arbitrarily arrested Tianjin practitioners. According to Benjamin Penny, practitioners sought redress from the country's leadership: "Although very quietly and politely, they made it clear that they should not be treated so shoddily." After that incident, Li received even more recognition from North American communities. In May 1999, he was welcomed to Toronto by the mayor and lieutenant governor of Ontario, and in the following two months he received recognitions from the cities of Chicago and San Jose.

On July 29, 1999, after Falun Gong was illegally banned in the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government leveled a number of allegations against Li, including "disturbing public order," and issued a warrant for his arrest. At the time, Li Hongzhi was already living in the United States. The Chinese government demanded that Interpol arrest him. This request was denied on the grounds that the request had a "political or religious character" and that there was no information about any "normal crime against the law that he is alleged to have committed". The Chinese government withdrew his passport, which prevented him from traveling internationally.

In recognition of services to the world's mental and physical health and freedom of belief, Li Hongzhi had received over 340 awards and proclamations from Australia, Canada, China (pre-persecution), Japan, Russia, and the United States by April 2001. This included certificates of appreciation from several United States government agencies - including honorary citizenship of the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta . On March 14, 2001, Freedom House honored Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong with an International Freedom of Religion Award at a ceremony held in the United States Senate for promoting religious and spiritual freedom. In the same year, Li was ranked the strongest communicator in Asia by Asiaweek magazine "for his power to inspire and mobilize people and terrify Beijing." Over 25 members of the European Parliament nominated him for the 2001 Sakharov Prize ; in 2000 and 2001 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2013, Foreign Policy magazine ranked him one of the 500 most powerful people in the world.

Main publications

  • Falun Gong: An Introductory Discussion of the Principles of Falun Gong and the Traditional Chinese Concept of Cultivation Practice; describes the exercises in Falun Gong. First published in April 1993.
  • Nine-Day Seminar: From 1992 to 1994, Li Hongzhi introduced his teaching across China through seminars. The contents were eventually summarized in the book Zhuan Falun. The seminars consisted of a one- to one-and-a-half hour lecture on 8 consecutive days. The exercises were then presented. The last of this series of lectures, held in December 1994 in Guangzhou, China, was recorded and shows the central part of the teachings of Falun Gong.
  • Zhuan Falun: The main work of Falun Gong. Zhuan Falun is considered the most comprehensive exposition of the teachings of Falun Gong and was first published in January 1995.
  • Lectures and Writings: Transcripts of Li's lectures and articles that were regularly published by Li and also form a central part of the teachings of Falun Gong.

literature

Interviews

(in English)

  • William Dowell: Interview with Li Hongzhi . TIME, May 10, 1999.
  • Anthony Spaeth: Interview: Li Hongzhi "I am just a very ordinary man". TIMEasia.com, August 2, 1999.
  • Jonathan S. Landreth and JS Greenberg: Eye of the Storm. New York Times Magazine, August 8, 1999.
  • NTDTV Press Release: Summary of the Exclusive Interview with Mr. Li Hongzhi, Founder of Falun Gong . clearharmony.net January 27, 2004.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u David Ownby, Falun Gong and the Future of China, p. 80, Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN 0-19-532905- 8 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Benjamin Penny, The Life and Times of Li Hongzhi: Falun Gong and Religious Biography, The China Quarterly, Vol. 175, September 2003.
  3. ^ David Ownby, Falun Gong and the Future of China, p. 257, Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN 0-19-532905-8 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f David Palmer, Qigong Fever: Body, Science and Utopia in China, pp. 246–247, Columbia University Press New York, 2007, ISBN 0-231-14066-5 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e Noah Porter, Falun Gong in the United States: An Ethnographic Study , pp. 72-73, Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, July 18, 2003, webarchive, accessed June 12, 2019.
  6. ^ Adam Frank, Falun Gong and the threat of history, in Gods, guns, and globalization: religious radicalism and international political economy, p. 237, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004, ISBN 1-58826-253-7 .
  7. ^ A b c I am just a very ordinary man , Time Magazine, August 2, 1999. “During the Cultural Revolution, the government misprinted my date of birth. I just corrected it. There were many misprints about identities during the Cultural Revolution. A man could become a woman and a woman could become a man. It is only natural that when people want to slander you, they will dig up whatever they can to destroy you. What is so important about having a birthday on the same day as Shakyamuni? Many criminals were born on that day too. I never said I was Shakyamuni. I'm just an everyday man. ", Accessed on March 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ Who is Li Hongzhi? , BBC News, May 8, 2001, accessed March 8, 2020.
  9. ^ David Palmer, Qigong Fever: Body, Science and Utopia in China, p. 224, Columbia University Press New York, 2007, ISBN 0-231-14066-5 .
  10. ↑ David Ownby, Falun Gong and the Future of China, p. 17, Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-19-973853-3 .
  11. ^ A b David Ownby: Transnational China Project Commentary: "Falungong as a Cultural Revitalization Movement: An Historian Looks at Contemporary China" , Rice University, October 20, 2000, accessed March 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ a b David Ownby, The Falun Gong in the New World , European Journal of East Asian Studies, Vol. 2, Issue 2, p. 306, webarchive, September 2003, accessed March 8, 2020.
  13. ^ A b Noah Porter, Falun Gong in the United States: An Ethnographic Study, p. 192, Universal Publishers, 2003, ISBN 1-58112-190-3 .
  14. ^ A b David Ownby, A History for Falun Gong: Popular Religion and the Chinese State Since the Ming Dynasty, Nova Religio, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 223-243, April 2003.
  15. ^ A b David Palmer, Qigong Fever: Body, Science and Utopia in China, Columbia University Press New York, 2007, ISBN 0-231-14066-5 .
  16. ↑ Honor Received by Falun Gong in 1993 , The Peoples Public Security News, September 21, 1993, Vol. 956, accessed March 8, 2020.
  17. ↑ Honor Received by Falun Gong in 1993 , The Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, August 31, 1993, accessed March 8, 2020.
  18. ↑ Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China thanks the Chinese Academy of Science for Qigong Research , China Tribunal, accessed March 9, 2020.
  19. ↑ Falun Gong: An Ancient Tradition for Mind, Body, and Spirit , Falun Dafa Information Center, April 9, 2015, web archive, accessed March 9, 2020.
  20. ↑ Honor Received by Falun Gong in 1993 , December 27, 1993, accessed March 8, 2020.
  21. ↑ a b Cheris Shun-ching Chan, The Falun Gong in China: A Sociological Perspective , The China Quarterly Vol. 179, webarchive.org, pp. 665-683, Cambridge University Press, September 2004, accessed March 8, 2020.
  22. ↑ Honorary Citizenship Certificate , August 3, 1994, accessed on March 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ Melinda Liu, Echoes of '89 , The Daily Beast, In Newsweek Magazine, August 1, 1999, web.archive.org, accessed March 8, 2020.
  24. ^ Benjamin Penny, The Past, Present, and Future of Falun Gong , Lecture at the National Library of Australia, 2001, accessed March 8, 2020.
  25. ↑ a b c Interpol will not arrest sect leader , World: Asia-Pacific, BBC News, August 3, 1999, accessed March 8, 2020.
  26. ↑ Li Hongzhi Is Wanted , Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America, July 29, 1999, accessed March 8, 2020.
  27. ↑ Wanted: Li Hongzhi , Xinhua News Agency (via World Monitoring, BBC News), July 29, 1999, accessed March 8, 2020.
  28. ^ Governmental Awards and Recognition of Falun Dafa from China and the World , List of Awards, Clearwisdom.net, accessed March 8, 2020.
  29. ^ A b Danny Schechter, Falun Gong's challenge to China: Spiritual Practice or 'evil cult' ?, Akashic Books New York, ISBN 1-888451-27-0 , November 2001.
  30. ↑ Asiaweek named Falun Gong founder top communicator , Asian Political News, May 28, 2001, TheFreeLibrary.com, accessed March 8, 2020.
  31. ↑ European Parliament , Committee on Foreign Affairs, Notice to Members No 14/2001, accessed on March 8, 2020.
  32. ↑ Alicia Wittmeyer, The FP Power Map: The 500 most powerful people on the planet , foreign policy, April 29, 2013, accessed on March 8, 2020.
  33. ↑ Falun Gong , Internet version, accessed March 8, 2020.
  34. ^ Nine-day seminar , Internet version, accessed on March 8, 2020.
  35. ↑ Zhuan Falun , Internet version , accessed March 8, 2020.
  36. ↑ Lectures and Writings , Internet version, accessed on March 8, 2020.
  37. ↑ William Dowell, Interview with Li Hongzhi , TIME Magazine, May 10, 1999, accessed March 8, 2020.
  38. ↑ Jonathan S. Landreth and JS Greenberg: Eye of the Storm , New York Times Magazine, August 8, 1999, accessed March 8, 2020.
  39. ↑ NTDTV Press Release: Summary of the Exclusive Interview with Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Gong , clearharmony.net, January 27, 2004 accessed on March 8, 2020th
personal data
SURNAME Li, Hongzhi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 李洪志 (Chinese); Lǐ Hóngzhì (Pinyin)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chinese founder of Falun Gong
DATE OF BIRTH May 13, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Gongzhuling , Jilin Province , People's Republic of China