The Westerly Sun: Falun Dafa for health, happiness and a sense of well-being in life

January 8, 2001

This new year, as you ponder your resolutions for a healthier, happier, stress free 2001, you might want to take a moment to consider incorporating the ancient art of Falun Dafa into your new life - or at least taking a moment to learn of its philosophy.

Falun Dafa, a practice of mind, body and spirit, is based on the "universal principles" of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. It is a gentle practice, which incorporates five specific exercises or sets of movement.

The sets, according to adherents, include four standing movements and one sitting meditation. Practiced in combination with the "refinement of one's heart and mind is the path for excellent health and higher spiritual attainment," according to literature about the practice.

Falun Dafa, followers say, is good for the body, good for the mind and good for the soul. It could be very good for society too - if enough people decided to take it's three essential principles to heart.

According to its supporters, Falun Dafa gives much in the way of good health and peace of mind. In return, it asks only that its practitioners try to be good people - to follow those three basic beliefs ?truth, compassion and tolerance.

Falun Dafa was brought to this neck of woods by a young married couple who moved to Hope Valley from St. Louis. Amy and Ming Cheng moved to Rhode Island when Ming accepted a position with the Monsanto Company in Mystic. The couple has been practicing Falun Dafa for nearly three years and has found such immense peace and good health that their deep wish is to share the practice with others.

Amy Cheng's search for something more meaningful in her life came to fruition after reading an article in a Chinese newspaper in St. Louis about Falun Dafa and its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi. The article's reference to compassion and tolerance sparked her interest and touched her soul.

"When I read it, it answered a lot of questions," said Cheng from her home in Hope Valley earlier this week. "I understood why it is so important to be a good person. I got the book and read it and realized that it was something I have been looking for."

Cheng explained that for many years she had suffered with stomach illness, a chronic cough as well as with back pain. As a computer programmer, she also had bouts of insomnia. After beginning Falun Dafa, she says, life and her health changed.

"I tried the exercises for a couple of weeks," says the mother of two, "and soon, all my symptoms disappeared."

The movements and exercises are described in the Li's book, Zhuan Falun, which is available, along with a set of tapes - thanks to the Chengs - at the Westerly library.

"The movements are easy to learn," explained Ms. Cheng. "It's a little like tai chi but more simple and more effective ... the only requirement is for the mind and body to work together.

"And," she added, "you have to be a good person."

To be good, Cheng says, means to be filled with the three principles - truthfulness, compassion and forbearance - and use them to guide your daily life - to improve your life."

It is a process of self improvement she says.

The mother of two children - Karen, aged 6 and Andrew, aged 3 - Cheng says that an important enlightening realization came to her shortly after she began practicing Falun Dafa. So often she says, as parents and partners, we get frustrated and angry with the other person, wanting to blame the other for problems. When conflict arises in her family now, she said, she has learned to look within rather than without - learn to ask herself how she can change to adapt to the situation. Pointing to the stresses that come with parenting small children and dealing with housework and professional work and life in general, she explains that her practice of Falun Dafa has given her a new prospective on her life and situation. She spends much more time looking within, she said, examining where she can make changes and improvements on her self.

"Before, for instance it would be easy to get a short temper - with work and housework. Now, I think, maybe I need to improve. It helps our marriage - we are much happier."

After noticing such remarkable improvements in his wife, Cheng's husband Ming began to explore the practice too.

"When my husband saw changes in me he started to practice too."

Ming Cheng began to experience welcome changes as well. His allergies disappeared and a rheumatism problem in his leg vanished.

"Then he shared it with friends and relative," Cheng says.

"This is a good thing for families and for society," she says. "And, it's a good thing to teach children."

The sets of movements are like gentle stretches, Cheng explains. "The first one is a Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands that opens blocked channels and energy centers. Another one is a standing meditation that is very gentle - like meditation - it relaxes you."

"I feel lucky to have it," says Cheng who encourages those interested to read about Falun Dafa in the books available at the library. The book, she says, not only describe more about the exercises, but also explains how to become a better person.

According to literature available on the practice, Falun Dafa - also called Falun Gong - is an ancient Chinese exercise that improves health, reduces stress and increases energy. It is an ancient form of qigong, the practice of refining the body and mind through special exercises and meditation. Like tai chi, qigong is a vital part of many people's lives in Asia where, each morning at dawn, many community parks greet the day full of people practicing this ancient tradition.

In just eight years since its public introduction, Falun Dafa has grown to become the most popular form of qigong in Chinese history. The major reason for this is that Falun Dafa distinguishes itself from other qigong practices by emphasizing not only physical cultivation, but also cultivation of one's moral character in daily life according to higher principles taught by Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Dafa's founder.

Falun Dafa's effectiveness in improving health and its profound principles have quickly made the practice immensely popular throughout the entire world. Since being introduced to the general public in 1992 by Mr. Li, Falun Dafa has attracted tens of millions of people in over 40 countries. Most major cities and universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe have English-speaking Falun Dafa practice groups.

Anthony Williams, Mayor of the District of Columbia, when proclaiming "Falun Dafa Week" in Washington, D.C. said," Falun Dafa has helped to preserve precious human traditions such as honesty, courtesy, loyalty and unselfishness."

Falun Dafa is not without its critics, however. Chief among those who find fault with the practice is the Chinese government. At one time, the government praised Falun Dafa for "bringing better health to many Chinese thereby lowering the medical costs incurred by the government," according to information from the Falun Dafa society. Then, beginning in 1999, the Chinese government began suppressing the practice and arresting practitioners. Calling Falun Dafa [] and stating the need to "prevent and punish [] activities to maintain social stability, protect the interests of the people."

The United States House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution opposing government's suppression on November 18, 1999. Then, on December 6, 1999, President Clinton in a human rights speech, criticized the Chinese government's suppression tactics stating: "progress is still being held back by the government's response to those who test the limits of freedom. A troubling example, of course, is the detention by Chinese authorities, of adherents of the Falun Gong movement."

Locally, there is a group of Falun Dafa practitioners who meet regularly at Mediator in Providence, Cheng says, and during warmer weather, at Roger Williams Park.

During the week of January 8 - 14^th the cities of Providence and Warwick will be celebrating Falun Dafa Week where two workshops are scheduled to describe the practice on more detail. One workshop will be held on January 10^th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the East Providence Public Library and the second at the Warwick Public Library on January 13^th from 2 - 4 p.m.

The Chengs will give an introductory class at the Westerly library on Tuesday January 30 from 7-9 p.m. The Chengs also encourage interested people to call them at 539-9973 for more information about study groups, the teachings, the practice and the cultivation. Information is also available on the World Wide Web at http://falundafa.org and by calling the national toll free number at 1-877-FALUN99.