The History of Falun Gong
The History of Falun Gong
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A Brief History
A Brief History
❏Founded in China (early 1990s)
❏Founder: Li Hongzhi
❏Spiritual Movement
❏Meditation + Moral teachings
Three Core Principles
Three Core Principles
Truthfulness-真(Zhen)
Compassion-善(Shan)
Tolerance-忍(Ren)
Beliefs and Global Context
Beliefs and Global Context
One of the key beliefs in Falun Gong is that illness is closely related to karma. Followers believe that physical suffering can result from past actions, and that true healing comes through spiritual cultivation rather than medical treatment. Because of this, spiritual practice is often seen as more important than conventional medicine.
Falun Gong became very popular in China during the 1990s, attracting millions of followers. However, in 1999, the Chinese government banned Falun Gong, arguing that it threatened social stability. Afterward, many followers moved abroad, and the practice spread internationally, especially to the United States.
Today, Falun Gong is both widely practiced and controversial. It is often understood differently depending on the context—sometimes as a peaceful spiritual practice, and other times as a politically contested movement.
History of Falun Gong in China
The practice of Falun Gong is explicitly banned within China. The People's Republic of China (PRC) views Falun Gong as an "evil cult" rather than a new religious movement. The ban was established in 1999, after a large-scale protest in Beijing outside of one of the largest government buildings. After the ban, there was a huge movement to arrest practitioners of Falun Gong throughout China. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people were arrested. Many leaders of the Falun Gong movement were also arrested, with estimates ranging from 150 to 450 leaders being arrested. With these individuals playing a larger part in the movement, many of them were sentenced to long prison sentences, an average of 18 to 20 years.
Not only were many Falun Gong members arrested, but numerous more were detained. These individuals were either sent to detention or labor camps due to their connection with the movement. Estimates for these numbers are difficult to find, ranging from 10,000 to 100, 000 falun gong members being detained after the ban. It is difficult to gain an exact number because China is not forthcoming with this data.
Lastly, the PRC holds the Falun Gong responsible for the deaths of over 2,000 practitioners due to them not seeking medical treatment. A key practice of Falun Gong is that healing comes from spiritual cultivation rather than traditional medical practices. For this reason, many practitioners of the movement chose not seek medical attention and the PRC holds falun gong responsible for their deaths.
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