There is no doubt that meditation is a practice that benefits not only our body, but also our mind and spirit. And every meditation technique is associated with millennial practices full of history and teachings that go beyond physical and mental exercise.
Often, these techniques involve lifestyle, pillars and inspirations for a more enlightened life. It is the case of Falon Gong, Chinese meditation practice.
In this article, we will talk about this practice that believes that, only through the pillars on which it is based, it is possible to cultivate virtue and achieve absolute elevation and improvement. Read on and follow the story of forbidden meditation.
What is Falun Gong
Also known as Falun Dafa, Falun Gong is a set of practices that combine ancient Chinese teachings with meditative exercises. Created by Li Hongzhi, it is centered on three main principles: truth (Zhen), compassion (Shan) and tolerance (Ren).
It originates from an ancient tradition whose teachings were transmitted from generation to generation, between masters and their disciples. It was made public, as we know it today, in 1992, through lectures given by its founder in northwest China.
Li Hongzhi traveled across China to spread Falun Gong principles, later traveling to Sweden and France. Talking about the benefits of the technique, which gave its practitioner a moral improvement, in addition to the benefits for physical health.
The practice of Falun Gong is not just limited to meditation. This system involves a state of mind whose goal is always to improve and think first about the next.
But it wasn't all flowers
Falun Gong's success and its rapid nationwide expansion have obviously raised concerns for the Chinese government. Not that the practice was politically opposed to the Chinese Communist Party, but it ended up seeing the movement as a threat. Perhaps because of the fact that the tradition also aimed at rescuing cultural roots prior to communism.
Thus, in the late 1990s, a massive campaign to attack Falun Gong began. Using the public machine, the government undertook an ostensible plan to decimate the practice at all costs. Radio and TV campaigns, reports, alerts and warnings everywhere began to decree that practicing the technique was illegal.
Practitioners tried to appeal to the authorities about the persecution, which had drastic consequences for these practitioners. Thousands of them were persecuted through mass arrests, torture, confiscation of materials, murders and evidence of cruel crimes such as forced organ harvesting for transplants.
In more than two decades of resistance through non-violent manifestations and always grounded in the principles of Falun Gong, its practitioners demonstrate courage, faith, and hope and strengthen the values that this technique is able to teach the world.
Falun Gong Teachings
For all we've covered so far, it's a fact that Falun Gong has clear teachings on human betterment, all based on moral righteousness. Its three pillars together are said to be the fundamental nature of the Universe. They define what is right and what is wrong.
The two main teachings of this practice are virtue and karma, opposed to each other. While virtue comes from good deeds, karma comes from our mistakes and vices.
In a more detailed analysis of Falun Gong principles, we have:
- Truth (Zhen): implies honesty, sincerity, transparency, rectitude and authenticity. The act of not lying is also the basis of this principle.
- Compassion (Shan): also called benevolence and kindness, it involves detachment and thinking about the other before thinking about yourself.
- Tolerance (Ren): also seen as patience and resistance, implies our ability to deal lightly with problems, conflicts and insults. The set of these values involves our resilience.
Although it has the character of bringing teachings and personal and spiritual improvement, Falun Gong is not a religion, it is not practiced in temples or churches, nor does it obey any type of rite or cult. It is free, disinterested and accessible to anyone. Even all the materials that bring these teachings – such as its two main books, “Falun Gong” and “Zhuan Falun” – are freely available.
It is a practice of the Buddhist school, centered on virtue and morality. Falun Gong aims to attain spiritual enlightenment.
Exercises to Practice Falun Gong
Falun Gong can be practiced by any individual. As there is no ritual to be followed, it is free, but the ideal is to practice together, so that learning is more efficient.
Its movements are very similar to those performed in tai chi chuan and qigong, but with peculiar differences – not as slow as the first, nor as precise as the second. It consists of four standing and sitting postures and a meditative one.
Here we separate 5 Falun Gong exercises
— Buddha showing the thousand hands: aims to open the energy channels of the body, facilitating its flow.
— Falun Standing Posture: four standing positions are performed, similar to holding a wheel for a long time. The goal is to increase wisdom and divine powers.
— Penetrating the cosmic extremes: it aims to expel bad energies and absorb good ones, purifying the body.
— Falun Celestial Circulation: the purpose of this exercise is to make energy flow freely through the body.
— Enhancing supernatural powers: the practitioner is seated and with legs crossed, in the lotus position, unlike the other exercises presented, which are performed standing. The purpose of this is to maintain meditation for as long as possible.
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There are a number of other exercises you can pursue to learn more and improve yourself as an individual, practicing love, compassion, truth and tolerance, as well as improving self-knowledge and physical and emotional well-being. We take the opportunity to leave the link to the main books of this technique, for you to learn better about this wonderful practice and full of history of resistance, in the search for a better world, which begins with the individual.
Share this article with your friends, and who knows, you may seek to practice Falun Gong together, discovering a new way to change the world, an act that starts within you!
