Falun Gong and SGI

"I used to practice Falun Gong. Being in a Falun Gong practitioner, or a "Dafa disciple", was really a nightmare to me. 

Since Li Hongzhi told me that “Dafa” is the priority in my life, I have to do the so-called “three things” assigned by “Master Li”, which are reading Falun Gong books and practice Falun Gong exercises, clarifying the truth (which ranges from volunteering at Falun Gong headquarters’ construction site, distributing Falun Gong newspapers, to persuading others to buy “Divine Performing Arts” show tickets), and the “sending forth righteous thoughts”(which is chanting “The Fa rectifies the cosmos, the Evil is completely eliminated, etc.” in Chinese). 

During the several years of Falun Gong experience, I almost committed suicide several times, when I felt so impossible to meet Master Li’s requirements, as I was “saved from hell by Master Li”. I didn’t kill myself because I was afraid that I might become “the daemon who undermines Dafa”, and “everyday people (people who do not practice Falun Gong)” might not be “saved” once they heard that a Falun Gong practitioner suicides. 

Li Hongzhi even encourages us not to touch any “everyday people’s” information, including books, newspapers, TV programs, music, movies, etc. because we are on incredibly higher levels than “everyday people” and cannot be polluted by them. 


Another point that forces me to think about Falun Gong is the death that occurred at the construction site of Dragon Springs retreat (Falun Gong people call it “the mountain”), Falun Gong’s headquarter and where Li Hongzhi lives, in Cuddebackville, NY. 

(http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article AID=/20080506/NEWS/805060313/-1/NEWS14) That practitioner who fell to his death when working on the construction site was so unfortunate. I actually used to go there and work there. All of the workers are volunteers. None of them wears safety cap, and no safety symbols or signs is displayed on anywhere of the tens of millions of dollars worth of construction. In fact, those kids from Falun Gong’s “Divine Performing Arts’” dancing companies were forced to train in that building while construction is going on over the roof or at the hallway on the other side of the wall. 

Little by little I realized that Falun Gong is a destructive cult. One of the most destructive point is it makes you think that you don’t have any disease no more, and therefore should not receive any medical treatment. I heard numerous cases of death of Falun Gong practitioners because of avoiding medical treatment. In our internal email list, we frequently heard that one practitioner in some city needs us to “send forth righteous thoughts” to eliminate the “evil’s serious interference to that practitioner’s body”. -- former Falon Gong member 

Tsukimoto responds:

So many similarities to SGI. Do these cult leaders all read from the same instruction manual? 

--The charismatic leader (mentor) who can "save you from hell." (lead you to enlightenment) 

--Members work for very long hours for free, often under unsafe conditions, despite the organization's wealth. 

--Some members feel inadequate and depressed when they can't meet the organization's unreasonable, excessive expectations. 

--Falun Gong, like SGI, seems to spend an enormous amount of time putting on performances. 

--Members who have problems feel that they have to hide them so as not to make the organization look bad. 

--There is the belief that chanting, or positive thinking can create world peace, or eliminate evil. 

--Some members delay or completely avoid getting medical care for serious illnesses because they have been told that chanting or sending forth righteous thoughts will heal them. 

--Members are told that they have a special mission to save the world. 

--The threat, whether implied or directly stated, that leaving the organization will make bad things happen to you and your loved ones.