Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade marking the 30th anniversary of the spiritual discipline’s introduction to the public, in New York on May 13, 2022. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)
BY
What’s the purpose of our lives? Legends from China and elsewhere say that divine beings created humans modeled in their own image. By following Heaven’s commandments, humankind can enjoy a harmonious life, while waiting for the Creator’s return.
But communism detests these traditional ideas. Since it seized power in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has repeatedly launched bloody campaigns to uproot traditional beliefs and values, destroying the bedrock of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
By decimating China’s traditions and replacing them with communist ideology, the regime has indoctrinated generations into believing only in the CCP and its atheist worldview. As a result, many have lost their connection to 5,000 years of Chinese culture and beliefs.
On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, published an article, titled “How Humankind Came To Be,” enlightening Chinese at home and abroad.
“It’s the first time for me to learn such a comprehensive explanation of how human beings come about,” said Gu Guoping, a former teacher at Shanghai University and Shanghai resident who is not a Falun Gong adherent himself. “What Master Li said makes a lot of sense and is very thorough.”
Daniel Lou. (Shi Ping/The Epoch Times)
Echoing his sentiment, Daniel Lou Xinyue, a Chinese-American entrepreneur who lives in New York, was amazed by Mr. Li’s insight into the universe, including how it was created and structured.
“I have never heard of an explanation as clear as Mr. Li Hongzhi offered,” Lou told The Epoch Times.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a discipline rooted in ancient Chinese traditions that involve moral improvement leading to spiritual enlightenment. The practice is composed of meditative exercises and a set of moral teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
Falun Gong practitioners perform the exercises at an event celebrating World Falun Dafa Day in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 1, 2021. (Sun Hsiang-yi/The Epoch Times)
Lou has long been interested in historical and cultural classics. Growing up in eastern culture, he heard of the 18 realms of hell from Buddhist scriptures. He also explored works of western religions, like the Bible, where he found descriptions of heaven.
But what is the whole universe like? “No one ever clearly described to me,” he said.
Mr. Li’s piece is well worth the time and effort, even if people are not interested in taking up the spiritual practice itself.
“I think the article has great importance to humankind as well as to the history of human thought,” Lou said.
Asked about the reason, Lou pointed to the first lines of the text.
In the article’s opening, Mr. Li stated, “I am seeing imminent danger approaching humanity, and have been called upon by divine beings to pass along, for this reason, several things to everyone in this world.”
Mr. Li made it clear that there are divine beings, Lou said.
“Now, most people … have forgotten that there are divine beings who control and maintain the order of the existing world.
“Why is this era of moral decay? Because most human beings have forgotten the Creator and their divine. They even forgot that man has souls, which was what Master Li described as the ‘true soul,’ that will not die with the passing away of the physical body,” he said.
Only by knowing this, Lou added, can humankind persist in doing good things, especially amidst painful experiences.
A mourner carries the cremated remains of a loved one as he and others wear traditional white funeral clothing during a funeral in Shanghai, China, in a file photo. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
COVID and Retribution
Living in a country in the grips of a severe COVID outbreak, Gu said he was more impressed by Mr. Li’s illustrations of the reasons behind the traditional idea, “you reap what you sow.”
In the article, Mr. Li stated: “everything that happens in one’s life—whether it seems warranted or not—is, in reality, the karmic consequence of what one did in one’s past lives, for better or for worse.”
Eastern culture has long held a belief that karma will be accrued with bad or immoral deeds, and this will be paid back in this life or the next.
This concept of karmic retribution, according to Gu, explains the uptick in deaths among officials and public figures closely aligned with the CCP amid the current COVID crisis.
“[The CCP] has been procuring organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. That is an absolutely anti-human atrocity. That’s why the virus attacks [people aligned with the Party],” Gu said.
Falun Dafa parade in Manhattan, New York City, on May 16, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Due to Falun Gong’s immense popularity, the CCP ordered a brutal suppression of the practice in 1999, resulting in an estimated 100 million adherents being targets of detention, torture, and forced organ harvesting.
In 2019, an independent tribunal found that the communist regime has killed prisoners of conscience for their organs to supply the transplant market “on a significant scale” for years, with no evidence that the practice has stopped. The main victims, the tribunal said, are detained Falun Gong practitioners.
Now, with COVID spreading like wildfire across the nation, Gu said Mr. Li’s article could help Chinese people re-examine their lives.
“[The article] is a reminder for people to reevaluate how they live their lives and view the world.,” said Gu. “It’s vital and timely.”
Important to Humanity
Since reading the piece, Lou has already begun to see his daily life and goals through a new lens.
“This article changed how I view the world, life, as well as my attitude,” Lou said. “It makes me more determined to stay kind and do good things.”
While he does not practice Falun Gong, Lou said he has recommended Mr. Li’s work to his friends.
“Previously, Mr. Li’s teachings were only for Falun Gong disciples. But now Mr. Li is delivering messages to all human beings.
“In my understanding, Mr. Li wants more people to be saved at this time. “
“I kept sharing this article … I think everyone should do so because it’s such a crucial message for all human beings, no matter whether you’re in the West or the East. I recommend it to everyone.”
Shi Ping and Luo Ya contributed to this report.